Good evening GH. It is just past 12:00 a.m in "The City." I decided that I could get an early start on my blog and them finish it up early this morning. Since I am wide awake, I guess you could call it a win-win for me.

I think I'll start with the weather report. The forecast from the NWS calls for a rainy Saturday following a 41° overnight low. We have a current temperature of 43°. The high today will be 52°, which doesn't bode well for the ghosts and goblins. They will be trick or treating all of the downtown businesses here in GH between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Then, if they aren't overly cold and wet, they will be visiting the neighborhoods until 8:00 p.m. in search of goodies. We are prepared, but we don't expect to see too many costumed characters.

As of now, the NWS has forecast that the rains won't begin in earnest until noon, so we might make the final visit of the season to the farmer's market with the intrepid weather dog prior to then, if that forecast becomes reality. After noon, all bets are off, as the chance of showers increases to 45% at 1:00 p.m., and then 100% by 3:00 p.m. No let up is in sight until early Sunday morning.

Yesterday, we started the day with the world's most expensive pancakes. I do have to mention that they were delicious and Mary knocked it out of the park with this breakfast/lunch. See below for the pictures.

Still hot on the griddle of the new range.

On the table and ready to eat.

We then took the morning walk with STWD to the newspaper office and then back home. I spent about an hour in the back forty of the PE blowing and raking the leaves and placing them in a bag.

Not bad, since Mary and I bagged many of the leaves previously.

Courtesy of Adam and Steph, I had a Warp Drive leaf blower to start.

Unfortunately, before I finished, I had to switch to the Impulse Engines to complete the job, because the Warp Core went off line.

As previously noted, I had to leave the bags on the porch due to the rain Wednesday into Thursday.

Mary raked the front yard, but then she had to get to her chat session, so I finished up the job. Since she was upstairs, I commandeered the kitchen and made an apple pie for which I pared the apples, made the crust from scratch, and baked the pie in the new oven. We took a piece to Sally at the Post.

I think it looked great and I know it tasted great. In the background is the new tea kettle.

Mary and I shared some pie after the excellent dinner she made that was the Okinawa style taco of lettuce, and tomatoes with lentil filling on top of rice. Mary had hers with some Tofutti™ sour cream substitute, and salsa, while I added jalapeno peppers to the same mix. 

As I predicted, the trains made an early appearance yesterday. The southbound run came through at 8:54 a.m. with EMD GP 38 locomotive numbers 2057 and 2019 towing a lone BC, six CHCs, one very rusty, and one long DBTC followed by three DWTCs to bring up the rear.  It wasn't long before the northbound run came through at 11:43 a.m. Same locomotives, but only a single BC, with a single DWTC bringing up the rear. 

The sun will rise on Halloween at 8:17 a.m. and set at 6:38 p.m. 

The 5 - 2 Wolverines of Michigan will play the Golden Gophers of Minnesota at 7:00 p.m. The Huskies of NIU don't play until Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. against the Rockets of Toledo. The MSU Spartans have a bye week before meeting the Cornhuskers of Nebraska on November 7, at 8:00 p.m.

I have no specific plans other than to avoid the rains, play with the girls, and read the Grand Haven Tribune before I attempt to work the crossword. I may also read a pulp novel that I have on the shelf. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." We had a very windy day yesterday. as predicted. Every now and then the NWS gets it right. As of now, the temperature is 38°, the low for tonight. Later today after the sun rises at 8:16 a.m., we'll get to today's high of 53° under cloudy skies. Before the moon rises, but after the sun sets at 6:39 p.m., we should dry out a bit. However Saturday, Halloween, the rains return and then the ghosts and goblins will likely be cold and wet as they visit the various venues downtown and the local residences for their booty.

Yesterday was a day to laze about. STWD, who is now feeling normal again, and I took the morning safari as Mary visited the Bookman and Health Hutt. Both Mary and I wish that Sugar could have let us know before the visit to her doctor that she would be fine, but alas, that was not to be.

Speaking of Mary's shopping trips, at one of her stops, she fortuitously received a 2015 Everglades "D" National Parks Quarter in change. That is the one I have been seeking for my collection for many months. How did it finally get to  GH? I don't know, but I'd like to thank the mythical Greek god of money, Plutus, and Mary for my good fortune. Mary is always on the lookout in my collecting endeavors.

My collection is now in need of only two additional "D" and "P" National Park Quarters for the year 2015. The first from Delaware that commemorates the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, and the second, with the same mint markings for New York's Saratoga National Historical Park. By way of explanation, the United States mints coins in Denver, hence the "D" striking, or Philadelphia, for the "P" striking. It just takes a while for the quarters minted in Denver to migrate to the East. Our tourist season often aids in that migration.

I spent a few minutes in the man cave yesterday doing a bit of cleaning on our old tea kettle before we donate it to Goodwill™. We prefer to let them make it available for reuse rather than toss it into the waste stream.

We did get out late yesterday in a vain attempt to get something from our dentist's office for Mary. However, we knew they were consolidating their offices to the one in Holland and they were already closed at the GH location. So instead, we stopped in at our favorite watering hole for dinner. A nice trade off to me.

Home where my sleepiness overcame me and so I decided to make an early night of it.

No trains yesterday, but that means that they will be by later today. Since this is Friday, both train runs will likely be early.

Otherwise, I need to remind Mary about procuring that previously mentioned item from the dentist's office. Mary has a chat session this afternoon at 2:00 p.m., so if she can't arrange for a drop shipment from the dentist's office, we'll have to travel there earlier in the day. I know that she has part of an indexing job due in soon. Plus, another is due in a couple of weeks.

All things being equal, we'll take the morning safari with the intrepid weather dog around 10:00 a.m. this morning. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It has just passed 2:30 a.m. on a very windy early morning in "The City." More rain is expected and the winds are anywhere from 15 to 25 mph, with gusts approaching 40 mph. I decided that putting out the bags of leaves that Mary and I collected would be a foolhardy idea, so they'll stay on the porch for another week. Bags of leaves and other yard detritus are such forgiving things. I loved using the word detritus.

Elsewhere in the news, trainspotting yesterday was a strange thing to behold. The southbound run at 10:15 a.m. was upon us before I knew it. One short blast on the horns as the train entered the crossing at a rapid clip. Locomotives 2057 and 2019 were at the head of 22 CHCs, one very long DBTC, with one short DBTC bringing up the rear.

It was then time for us to work around the rain and travel to Holland to get a new tea kettle for the top of Mary's new range. We shopped at Teerman's in Holland where Mary got a kettle that matches her range, plus some new measuring spoons, a pastry brush, a new spatula, and there may have been one other thing that I can't seem to remember. The cost of those pancakes continues to rise, and they have yet to reappear.

The northbound train run came at 2:47 p.m. after we returned home to the PE. This time the horn happy engineer was at the throttles. However no cars, just the two locomotives on this run.

Once home, I read the N.Y. Times and did a crossword or two. I was supposed to get a package from UPS, but it hadn't arrived by the time I went to bed. I know that it hadn't come, because I always get an alert in my email from UPS, which I haven't, yet.

STWD was still acting weird yesterday. She didn't want her breakfast, and seemed very lethargic. The morning safari was a chore for her and me. Being the kind of pet parents that we are, Mary and I decided to take Sugar to her doctor later in the afternoon. A check up found nothing wrong. Temperature normal, no reaction to the doctor checking her internal organs, pupils equal and reactive, etc. $45.00 later, we were home and Sugar decided it was now time to eat the applesauce she had eschewed earlier. Mary and I went out and I fed the intrepid one when we got home. She ate just fine. Go figure. Maybe dogs are also allowed to have an off day too.

Today, I want to stay in and avoid the weather. More reading, more time with the girls, and little else. Mary has a plan for our main meal, and that means that I can help best by staying out of the way. I am now into Rice Krispies™ by Kellogg's for my cereal. An apple and some almond milk will make it all good. Mary will be making her inaugural kettle of tea water then too.

The temperature is currently 44° as we continue the drop to the overnight low of 41°. Later today the high will be all of 48 windy degrees which due to wind chill, will feel much colder. The sun will rise at 8:15 a.m., and set at 6:41 p.m. I'll get out with STWD for an abbreviated walk in spite of the windy conditions. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just slightly past 3:45 a.m. in "The City." As predicted by the NWS, the view out the WW is rainy and dark. (The dark part is my addition.) Today and tomorrow, rain and T-storms are in the forecast.

I got out to the orthopedist yesterday. All went well. I rode my bicycle on a cool fall morning in GH.

For lunch, Mary served up something great from just about all parts of her new range. Steamed carrots, potato salad with parsley and "butter" spread, and baked tofu loaf covered with her latest incarnation of home made barbecue sauce. I pronounce them all a keeper. Later she made a great dinner based on something she saw on TV about a restaurant in Okinawa that has learned to cater to the tastes of the American service personnel who are stationed nearby. It was basically a taco without a shell. Rice, lentil filling on top, lettuce, tomato, and cheese topped with salsa and "sour cream." Another keeper, so that's a "twofer."

Somewhere in there, we journeyed to that big box everything store and survived. I know that some people get a great thrill out of the experience, but we just endure it. We almost got to the East Town market in the park, but it apparently is over for the year. So instead, we ended up at Sporty's the favorite watering hole on the other side of the highway.

We sat down to watch the latest episodes of NCIS and NCIS New Orleans when we got home. I got tired and retired to the media room. I didn't last long there and that was the end of me. I fell asleep at the end of NCIS New Orleans, so I don't know how it ended.

Today, I have some household chores to do/complete and then I'll read some of the N.Y. Times from last Sunday. Depending on the weather, STWD may or may not go out for the morning walk. That is often something that she chooses not to do when it is wet outside.

The sun will rise at 8:12 and set at 6:42 p.m. In between, our high will reach a purported 58° under rainy skies with windy conditions. Ciao.

Good morning of good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

As Mary said early yesterday morning, "We have fire!" Our new gas range was delivered, hooked up, and road tested by both the installer and the chief cook and bottle washer of the PE. Mary continued her testing later last night. However, since her glass tea kettle won't work on a gas range, we now have to go to the big box everything store to get a new metal kettle. It looks like my pancakes are getting more expensive by the day.

Elsewhere in GH, the trains passed through on an alternate schedule. At 10:30 a.m., engines 2019 and 2057 rolled through at a slow pace. In tow were one graffiti covered BC, followed by eight CHCs bringing up the rear. At 3:55 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives rumbled through at a much more vigorous speed, towing 25 CHCs, three DWTCs, two GTCs, with 10 DBTCs bringing up the rear. In the mix was a lone BC.

I have my fourth appointment at the orthopedist at 10:00 a.m. this morning. I plan to walk or ride my bike, but since wearing my summer shorts makes the visit easier, I may have to drive. Another game time decision.

As noted earlier, the trip to the big box everything store will consume part of our afternoon. Mary has her regular chart session at 1:00 p.m, and then we'll have lunch courtesy of her new range, pictured here.

Naturally Mary loves the simplicity of this range, but as noted, it gets more expensive by the day to own. So far, I've had hot dogs made in a pot on the top. She tells me that the next meal will be far more complicated in its execution and planning. 

The leaves are once again in the bags on the front porch of the PE. More to follow. Thanks to the bequeathing of the various yard tools from Adam, I got the bushes trimmed and the leaves blown and bagged. That's all good. Mary worked in the back forty planting tulip bulbs, while I was in front raking and bagging the leaves after blowing. I think I am up to nine or ten bags as of now. That's just from this session. 

Mary went inside and left the planting of the newest additions to our shade garden area to me. As is often the case, roots are prevalent in the gardens, courtesy of the many trees that line the back forty, She was able to remove a root that was an impediment to the planting of the tulips bulbs, but the plants in the garden require a larger and deeper hole. I had to remove a few larger roots, but this time it wasn't too bad.

Since I have that 10:00 a. m. doctor's appointment, Mary and STWD will be soloing on the morning walk. My being missing upsets Sugar's equilibrium, but she seems to be feeling better. We learned that her interest in going out numerous times was actually due to an old bone from the zone that she discovered in the "No Man's Land" that is next to our deck. We decided to take it from her, because it was more of a fossil than a bone fit for a dog. 

So that's enough for one day and a half. The sun will rise at 8:12 a.m. and set at 6:43 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 4:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature outside the WW is 37°, the overnight low. Later today, we'll rebound to 60° under mostly sunny skies. In short, it should be a great day for gardening on the vast PE and walking with STWD.

Speaking of the intrepid one, she has been acting strangely the last few days. We have to decide if she needs to see her doctor, or if she is just going through a phase. Mary thinks that Sugar is feeling warm in general and her ears seem particularly so, but I am unable to tell. I think I'll check in on her this morning and see how she is doing. I can be such a worrywart over our "Fur Child" and I don't like to take any chances, but I don't want to unnecessarily make a trip to the doctor's office either.

In any event, we'll get to the gardening after the morning walk and see how Sugar is doing. Plus, we have a new kitchen stove arriving between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. today, so I may want to take her out for that walk during that time period just to avoid the inevitable confrontation when strange people visit the PE. Sugar can be very territorial.

The new stove is arriving because Mary tried to get used to the electric stove that came with the house, but when she had "difficulties" with the pancakes she tried to make for breakfast yesterday, she vowed to get that gas stove that she has been yearning to purchase. So that sent us out yesterday afternoon to make said purchase. The old stove works fine, but it is difficult to decide how hot a heating element is, it takes forever to cool off one of those elements, and the end results can be uneven, to say the least. The new stove has a convection oven, five burners, with one of those in the center of a top that allows sliding pots easily from one burner to another.

Other than that, we stopped in at the favorite watering hole on our way home and then I settled in to finish the pulp large print novel  that I started. I can take it back to the library during this morning's walk.

So to recap: Morning walk, stove delivery, check on Sugar's health, possible visit to the doctor, gardening, and reading the newspaper. I think I'll take a day off from reading a book.

The sun will rise this morning at 8:11 a.m. and set later tonight at 6:45 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

A current temperature of 50° will drop to 41° overnight and lead to 56° later today.

We took a walk to the farmer's market yesterday, but the season is getting late, so we didn't get everything that we were seeking. Oh well, it's back to the grocery store for some produce. We did get to the garden center in Whitehall later in the day, and that allowed us to get some shade tolerant plants, tulip bulbs, Moo Doo™ for the soil in the garden, and some pie pumpkins for a later pie. As of now, I am still going to make another apple pie, as I pared numerous apples yesterday to make applesauce, but I still have a lot of apples that need to be converted from their current state before they go bad.

Friday night, Mary made potato salad using some Mary made mayonnaise, using a recipe she had in one of her cookbooks. It tasted great. Before we went out for the morning walk yesterday, she put some tofu into her homemade marinade to get it ready to serve as the B, in a BLT. We had hoped to get some tomatoes at the farmer's market, but that was one of the items that was unavailable. I got the last of our home grown tomatoes on my sandwich. They tasted wonderful as all home grown fruit usually does.

Dinner was served during the pummeling that the MSU Spartans gave the Hoosiers of Indiana in a 56 - 26 victory. The Huskies of NIU also won, but unfortunately, they are not having a stellar season.

After a dinner of chips and veggie cheese and the football game, we sat down to watch NCIS reruns and I did some reading in my latest large print novel.

Today, we have no specific plans, and that's fine with me. Mary plans to get the N.Y. Times while we are out for the morning walk with STWD. I'll read the Saturday/Sunday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and work the crossword. I have requested pancakes for breakfast, and Mary found a recipe that looks like it should be great. Somewhere in there, Mary will pick the locations for her latest perennials. She believes that she knows where the tulip bulbs will be planted. I know where the Moo Doo™ goes.

That looks like enough for today., mostly a day of doing nothing. The sun will rise at 8:10 a.m. and set at 6:46 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. I is just passing 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

Mary accomplished more yesterday than I. She got more knitting done on my newest winter hat, and also made a good lunch meal. That's okay though, I'm retired. Today I plan to make more applesauce after a morning walk with STWD, weather permitting. and read the newspaper. We have the last 1/4 bushel of apples that need to be peeled and canned. I may make a pie too, but that's a game time decision. Also depending on the weather, we may walk to the farmer's market for a few veggies. The market is done for the year on October 31.

The current forecast calls for a 70% chance of showers with 22 mph winds. Given what the people in Mexico and the Southwestern US are facing from Hurricane Patricia, that forecast is tame.

Getting back to yesterday, I did get in some play time with the girls and also finished the daily crossword, so I guess I did get some things accomplished.

Later we traveled across the bridge to Spring Lake to pick up a bowl at the re-purposing store and also get some Velcro to attach the felt to the card table for puzzle building. Then a stop at the favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge. Sandwiches and sweet potatoes for dinner when we gt home, and then I was spent.

Today, the Spartans entertain the Hoosiers of Indiana at 3:30 p.m. The Spartans are favored by 16 points. The Wolverines of Michigan have the day off. The NIU Huskies play Eastern Michigan, also at 3:30 p.m.

Trainspotting yesterday was odd. At 8:58 a.m., the regular cast of locomotives passed through at a good clip. #s 2057 and 2019 had seven CHCs in tow, along with two DBTCs, and two GTs (gray tank cars), heading south. At 1:16 p.m., the same locomotives reappeared heading north, alone. A few minutes later, I spotted a truck from Sperry™ track inspection. This company founded in 1928, developed a non-destructive method of testing for track flaws that combines technology and people. The one I saw was like this one.

Inspection is a good idea here in GH, as the rails are sometimes a little less than perfect, judging by the swaying of the various cars as they pass through.

So that's enough for one day. The sun will rise whether we can see it or not, at 8:09 a.m. and set later today at 6:48 p.m. Our current temperature of 55° will fall to 45° before rising to 65 rainy/windy degrees. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It has just passed 1:00 a.m. in "The City."

With a current low temperature of 44° that feels like 40°, that's as low as it will get this morning. Later today, we'll rise to 62° on a mostly cloudy fall day. Saturday, there is a 70% chance of rain with windy conditions and sustained winds of about 20 mph. I think it may be time later today to do as Mike, our neighbor, suggested and blow some of the leaves out to the street for dispersal to parts known and unknown.

Speaking of leaves, Mary and I tackled them yet again yesterday and two more bags resulted. There are more where those came from, but we are holding our own.

Otherwise not much was happening. We took the morning walk with STWD and picked up the newspaper. Since we let the intrepid weather dog choose the route, we headed in the direction of Health Hutt where Mary stopped on our way back.

Sugar and I made it home and then the blowing and raking began. While two bags might not seem like much, in their wild state on the PE, they were quite voluminous until packed tightly into the bags.

We ended the day with a trip to the Post to see Sally, Cheryl, and a few others.

Today, more chances to play with the girls, read, make apple sauce, and kick back. I am currently reading a non-fiction book entitled The Wolf in the Parlor, the Internal Connection Between Humans and Dogs, by Jon Franklin. Mary picked this book up for me on a trip to the library a few days ago, because she thought I would like it. I do. It was published in 2009, so it isn't new, but still a good read.

Naturally, STWD will want to walk later today, and Mary will be chatting this afternoon with her colleagues and working on my latest hat in MSU Spartan colors. I'll be holding down the recliner to make sure it doesn't get away. Before that I will get that felt attached to the card table.

The sun will rise at 8:07 a.m. and set at 6:49 p.m., giving way to a Waxing Gibbous moon. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may. be. It has just passed 3:30 a.m. in "The City."

Well, it was in a sense inevitable. The Cubs finally lost in the post season, going  0 - 4 in the NLCS as they fell in the final game to the Mets, 8 - 3. The Mets will go on to face either the Royals or the Blue Jays. The Cubs had a great year, about one year ahead of schedule. In the first two series, their pitching got it done, but in the NLCS, they let in more runs than they scored. I guess "Next Year " has arrived earlier than we had hoped. But for the Pirates and the Cardinals, their next year started much sooner, thanks to the Cubs.

Yesterday was a good day for trainspotting. The southbound run rolled through with only locomotive 2019 in the lead of a lone BC, 12 CHCs, seven DBTCs, two DWTCs, and a single GTC, contents unknown, was bringing up the rear. At 3:17 p.m., the same locomotive passed through heading northbound towing two CHCs, three DBTCs, and two DWTCs were bringing up the rear.

I shredded like a mad man yesterday afternoon to get rid of the unneeded things we had brought home from the safety deposit box. As I did that, Mary was in the kitchen preparing for our evening repast of collard greens, biscuits, and gravy, and veggie cutlets, all veganized and all good. She wasn't as satisfied with her gravy, but like most males of the species, if you put gravy on anything, I was satisfied.

After lunch, which took place at nearly 2:00 p.m. as we didn't get up and going until after 1:00 p.m. I put the trash and the recycling bin out and then carried the lawn and leaf bags from the porch to the curb, and then back to the porch, as it had started to rain. Late, I carried them back to the curb. Somewhere in there, we took the morning walk with STWD down to the waterfront. On a beautiful fall morning, Sugar was able to navigate the entire walk without a problem.

I took a few pictures along the way too. Here they are in no particular order.

Over the last few days, the USCG took advantage of the windy conditions to practice rescue techniques. 

Up close and personal in the channel.

Yesterday morning at 5:45 a.m., I thought we'd had an earthquake or a clap of thunder. It turns out that it was the dropping of this dumpster by the construction site at the Public Safety building.  

Just a nice shot down our street. 

Later this morning, the sun will rise at 8:06 a.m. and set with the rising of the Waxing Gibbous moon at 6:51 p.m. Our current temperature of 56° will give way to our overnight low of 39°, before we rise to today's high of 57° under partly cloudy skies. We'll take the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog once we get going and then we plan to settle in and do some reading. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is a not uncomfortable 56° as we near our overnight low of 50° Unfortunately, we'll get to our high today of 66° with rain drops falling on our heads. Naturally, STWD is upstairs next tot he bed as she isn't fond of rain and storms, nor water in general. In an aside and an update, I just felt what was either an earthquake, or a strong clap of thunder. In either case, Sugar will be off to her hide-e-hole at 5:45 a.m.

Surprisingly, I am not on the throes of despair. Theo Epstein, the general manager of the Cubs, said that the men in blue were going to make it to the World Series "Next Year", and it looks as though "Next Year" may soon be here. The Cubs have their collective backs against the wall as the Mets have taken a 3 - 0 NLCS lead by winning 5 - 2 over the Cubs Tuesday night. One more loss tonight will send the Cubs home for the winter and the Mets on to the World series.

In this case as a long time die hard fan, I hope that the Theo gets another solid starting pitcher for the rotation next season and that Joe Maddon takes the men to spring training next year with newly gained poise and confidence. Maybe then, it really be "Next Year." So no, I am not disappointed, just hopeful. Do I sound like  Cubs fan?

Elsewhere in the news, yesterday I rode my bicycle to my orthopedist appointment on a beautiful fall morning . I put the storm windows into the windows that needed them downstairs and learned something about the way they work too. A good result in all ways.

We did make it to the grocery store yesterday. I started the shopping as Mary got her flu inoculation. I also redeemed some coins that we had been saving in a can like Oprah recommended. I got a voucher for a shade over $36.00 in pennies, nickels and dimes. Banks no longer provide that service here in Michigan as near as I can tell. One more way that we get "Nickled and Dimed" by entrepreneurs. We also stopped in at the reuse store near the grocers and picked up a nice "New to Me" pair of jeans to replace a pair that is on its "Last Legs", pun intended.

Afterwards, we ate dinner at JWs after stopping in at the library to see the city's master plan for the future. It looks promising.

Today, since Mary has no indexing to do until Friday at the earliest, we'll likely stay in bed, listen to the radio and wait to go out with the intrepid weather dog until the skies clear. A good day for playing with the girls and perhaps attempting to learn how to play the harmonica I got last year in Florida. I also have to get out the puzzle building table and attach the green felt that we purchased a few days ago to minimize slippage of puzzle pieces.

The sun will rise later at 8:05 a.m. and set at 6:52 p.m. In between, we'll attempt to get STWD to go out. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It has just passed 4:00 a.m. in "The City."

Right now, STWD is sleeping next to the bed, possibly due to the rumblings of thunder I am hearing. However, nary a drop of rain has fallen from the sky. Go figure. As of now, the expectation for precipitation is late tonight into Wednesday. Good thing, as I have my third orthopedist appointment later this morning.

I used my adopted leaf blower to assist me in bagging up four bags of leaves yesterday. A nice start, but there are plenty more where those came from. Our neighbor, Mike, suggested that I should just blow them out to the street with the high winds that we had yesterday and they would blow into the east side of town. But that was later at our favorite watering hole, so it was too late.

Yesterday morning, when Mary and I took the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog, the winds blew Sugar's ears back and took our collective breath(s) away. It was brisk, but very pleasant. In fact, I broke out my summer uniform of shorts for the walk. I changed to long jeans later when we traveled to the downtown for a visit to the bank and that aforementioned visit to the favorite watering hole.

I didn't accomplish much else. Mary did get in some work.

I spotted the train heading at a fast clip heading south at 10:36 a.m. yesterday. Locomotives 2019 and 2057 were towing what must have been empty cars, two BCs and seven CHCs. Later when we were on walkabout, we heard that lonesome whistle blow at 4:30 p.m., but that's all I know about the northbound run.

As of now, the thunder seems to have abated and the temperature is 59° as we drop towards our expected overnight low of 52°.Later today, we should see 63° without all that wind. The sun will rise at 8:04 a.m. and set at 6:54 p.m.

After that, I'll watch some TV. NCIS and then the Cubs victory over the Mets. I have my fingers crossed, as this is supposed to be the year for the Cubs. However, the many rookies on the roster are struggling with the pressure of playing on a national stage. The Cubs usual ace pitcher who shutout the Pirates in the wildcard game couldn't get it done on Sunday night. To borrow a famous phrase, "Say it ain't so, Joe, say it ain't so." In this case that would be Cubs' manager Joe Maddon, not "Shoeless Joe" Jackson of the 1909 White Sox scandal fame. Enjoy yourselves my friends, as that is the only time I'll mention that other team from Chicago by name in my blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It i just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City." A current temperature of 41° is the bottom of our temperature range for today. We'll rise to today's high of 64° under cloudy skies as the day unfolds. In addition, we'll also have windy conditions, with gusts of 30 mph possible. There is a possibility of rain late Tuesday.

Alas my friends, both the Cubs and the Bears lost. The Cubs by a score of 1 - 4 with Jake Arrieta looking as mortal as Jon Lester last night in NYC. Next game, Tuesday evening in Chicago. The Bears once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against the Lions 34 - 37. In a sense, I came away somewhat requited as the Lions won, but also disappointed as the Bears lost. Great statistics for both QBs in the game.

I took to the kitchen yesterday to do some food preparation and baking. It all started like this:

Making apple pie and apple sauce requites peeling a lot of apples.

Of course, you need the Fanny Farmer cookbook and a pie dish too.

The pie turned out tasty

The apple sauce should be tasty too. I'll check with STWD in the morning.

In addition I did some household chores as I waited for the pie to bake and the apple sauce to cook in the slow cooker, set on high. 

Plus, I finished a novel that I wanted to read, a first time effort by Thom Hartmann, entitled Death in the Pines, a mystery/fantasy set in Vermont. A great read that I hope Mary can also find time to enjoy. Thom Hartmann has written many non-fiction books and hosts a daily radio talk show. This book proves he has fiction writer's chops too. 

Today I plan to walk with STWD, buy the Grand Haven Tribune, do some trainspotting, and continue reading another novel that I started recently. We also got the N Y Times while we were out walking yesterday, so I'd like to get to that too. 

That looks like a pretty full day after the sun rises at 8:02 a.m. and before it sets at 6:56 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH.

Not much today.

MSU won.

NIU won.

Cubs, lost.

Went to farmer's market.

Went to Irish Jam.

Watched MSU win.

Watched Cubs lose.

Sun rose, sun will set.

Ciao @ 9:02 a.m.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It has just passed 12:00 a.m. in "The City."

I only saw the southbound run of the Mid-Michigan Railroad's locomotives #2057 and #2019. STWD and I were out for our morning walk while Mary stopped in at the library to pick up a few books for both of us. As the intrepid one and I were walking back, we heard the lonesome moan of the train whistle as it slowly moved southward through our fair city. I witnessed the passage at 10:55 a.m. In tow, were three BCs, five DWTCs, seven DBTCs. and eight CHCs. I did not see the northbound run, as I was at the movie.

I didn't go to the movie alone after all. Although I probably mislabeled the movie as a spy story, Mary went along and she and I were glad she did. I had to have that bucket of popcorn and a cherry Pepsi, and then we spent the next 130 minutes enjoying a first rate political thriller. I won't spoil it for anyone, but it was terrific and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves cold war history.

We stopped in at the Post to see Sally and then it was time to head for home.

I didn't watch the game, but the Royals blanked the Blue Jays, 5 - 0 in game one of the ALCS. Tonight the Cubs go to NYC to face the Mets in game one of the NLCS at 7:30 p.m. This afternoon, the Spartans and the Wolverines kick off at 3:30 p.m. EDT in a Big 10 match up. One team will improve and one will lose another game in the Big 10 standings. The NIU Huskies face the Miami of Ohio RedHawks at 2:30 this afternoon.

I have my Irish Jam session this afternoon, and then I will settle in to watch sports. Mary has to get to work, so I will be left to my own devices. As she said at the movie, since she goofed off Friday, she can't do it again today.

I have no particular plans other than to jam and watch sports. Mary may take the morning walk with STWD while I mow the lawn for the final time this year. No trainspotting, but some time with the newspaper between games. I also have a number of books to read, so I'll have to find time for that too.

The sun will rise at 8:01 a.m. and set at 6:58 p.m., after a cold day with an anticipated chilly high of 48°. I can dress for the cold. Apparently, a large part of the U.S. will be experiencing colder than average temperatures. I'll wait until Monday or Tuesday to put in the storm windows and seal them. I used a flexible and removable silicone sealer last year, and it made a great difference. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

Well, part of my wish has come true. The next opponent for the Cubs is the New York Mets. Once again, there is no joy in L.A. The baseball "experts" are predicting that the Cubs will win the World Series. I'm not ready to count my chickens yet, because too many times, the boo birds have come home to roost, but I have my various extremities crossed. If you have any doubts, here is a link to the "experts" in Las Vegas.  http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/the-chicago-cubs-are-favored-to-win-the-world-series--no--seriously-031441124.html

But I digress. I went to my annual physical yesterday and as I had predicted/hoped, everything went well. All test results were perfect and the doctor's examination was as some might say, nominal. In other words, all good.

Yesterday, I saw the missing northbound run of the train from Wednesday. It passed through at 8:07 a.m., with locomotives 2019 and 2057 towing four BCs, six, CHCs, and two gray tank cars, which were bringing up the rear. I don't know if I missed another southbound run, but I don't think so.

We made it to the grocery store yesterday and picked up the various necessities. While I was at the doctors, Mary traveled to Health Hutt and then later, we drove to Holland to pick up those things that were not available there or at the regular grocers.

Once done with our grocery shopping, we stopped in at our favorite watering hole to end our day.

Today, I plan to go to the movies to see that new Tom Hanks film, Bridge of Spies. The first showing is at 12:20 p.m. and I will be there with a large bucket of pop corn and the largest Cherry Coke that they sell. Mary will be working and chatting. This is more my type of movie than hers anyway.

Other than that, the morning walk with STWD will be on tap. Mary will stop in at the library to pick up some books that I have on hold. Not surprisingly, one is of the large print variety.

Today's weather forecast calls for a high temperature of 50°, which coincidentally is our current temperature, although it feels like 46°. The forecast notes that the overnight low will be 34°. Brrrr!

Saturday, the high temperature will be 49° as the 7th ranked MSU Spartans visit the 12th ranked Michigan Wolverines at the "Big House" in Ann Arbor. Will the Spartans keep their perfect record against a very strong Michigan team? Check back later. Later that night, the Cubs open the NLCS against the Mets at 7:30 p.m. EDT in NYC. What a day for a sports fan!

The sun will rise today at 7:55 a.m. and set at 7:00 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 5:00 a.m. in The City."

Our current temperature is 54° as we head towards the overnight low of 44°. Later today we are expecting a high of 62 partly sunny degrees. However by Friday, the high temperature will not exceed 50° with rain in the forecast. Saturday no rain, but a high temperature of 49° will greet me as I travel to the library for the first fall session of the Irish Jam. Additionally, Mary and I are planning to go to the farmer's market that morning. Good thing our plans called for taking the car to pick up some apples that I would not be able to carry.

Yesterday I saw the 1:30 p.m. passage of the southbound run of locomotives 2019 and 2057 as they rumbled through "The City." Somehow, I didn't see the northbound passage. In any event, the EMD GP 38 locos were slowly towing one BC, five CHCs, and a single DBTC was bringing up the rear as they passed.

Well, it's official, the Cubs open the NLCS at either the Dodgers or the Mets on Saturday. Both are coastal teams from areas where the weather has been less than ideal of late. As you may have noticed from my last blog, I am rooting for a match up with the Mets. Yesterday, the Royals eliminated the Astros in a stunner in the ALDS and are now set to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALCS.

Today I have an appointment for my annual physical. I don't anticipate any surprises as I have been feeling fine, but it is a good thing to do every year. I am not a believer in visits every six months, because I see no need to waste doctor time nor my money. My orthopedist is another story for my balky knees. I see hem every six months.

So my day today will be: walking to the hospital campus, probable blood tests, and a possible lunch at the hospital cafeteria, as I will have been fasting for 14 hours. Finally a stop at Guitar Haven on the way home in hopes that Dave has resolved my effects pedal problem with some contact cleaner. As of yesterday, he had narrowed the problem to a faulty or dirty connector.

Mary will be working on an index if she isn't going down some other wormhole. She will walk with STWD part way with me on the way to the doctor's, but will turn back before the intrepid weather dog wears out. Sugar isn't as young as she used to be. But then who is?

The sun will rise today at 7:58 a.m. and set at 7:02 p.m. Ciao.

Good evening GH. Welcome to a special Tuesday night edition of my regular Wednesday blog from "The City." It is just passing 11:00 p.m. and I am here to say, "This is the year!" "Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!" "Hey! Hey!" "Holy Mackerel!" "Holy Cow!" "Whee!" The Cubs took it to the Cardinals by a final score of 6 - 4. They Cubs now await the winner of the other National League divisional game, either the Mets or the Dodgers. If it is the Dodgers, it will take another game to decide the winner.

If it's the Mets, the series is over and it will bring back memories of that fateful summer of 1969, the late Ron Santo's pain, and the fact that he never got over the Cubs inability to win it all that year. He could never bring himself to like the Mets. That's why the Mets need to win this series, so that this year's edition of the Cubs can avenge Ron Santo, and win the World Series for him. Well, it's over in NYC. Thursday, the fifth and final game of the series takes place. The Dodgers won this one 3 - 1.

Elsewhere in the news, the dinner that Mary prepared tonight was nothing short of perfect. At my suggestion, she found a recipe for dirty rice, which she veganized to go along with vegan nachos, both of which accompanied the Cubs game as they beat the Cardinals 6 - 4. A monster home run by Kyle Schwarber, that sailed over the right field bleachers was the final nail in the Cardinals coffin. Most of the runs scored by the Cubs in the series came from home runs and their RBIs. ,

Earlier today, I got my second knee treatment. By tomorrow, my knees will be sore for an additional day. It is still worth it, as the long term benefits outweigh the short term pain.

I still have to make it over to Guitar Haven and see about my effects pedal. Perhaps after the morning walk with STWD. Other than that, Mary has to get to work on her indexing project.

The sun will rise at 7:57 a.m. and set at 7:04 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

I actually got up about one hour ago, but then as Mary often says, I got sucked down another wormhole on the way to writing this blog. But I digress.

Unless you live under a rock or don't understand that "Baseball is Life!", you know that the Cubs took another one from the St. Louis Cardinals last evening at the Friendly Confines, final score 8 - 6, with a record six home runs for the Cubs. So once again, I can say, "There is joy in Chicago and GH." Well, maybe not if you are a fan of that other team from Chicago's south side,

Today, game four of the NLDS series takes place at "The Friendly Confines" between those same two teams. I just checked, and the official site lists the game time as 4:37 EDT. No predictions from this blogger, but as the old third baseman, Ron Santo often said, "This is the Year!"

We watched part of the game at our favorite watering hole and then finished up here after a walk home on a pleasant evening in GH.

That was after the morning walk with STWD and that aforementioned work in the vast gardens of the PE (Palatial Estate). Collectively Mary and I got quite a bit done, but at this time of year, each day brings new work. We did employ the leaf blowers that Adam bequeathed to us, and even Mary, who used the smaller of the two, had to admit that for some things, the blowers are appropriate, albeit still noisier than a broom.

I cleared out the cold frame and Mary planted some lettuce and spinach. At the former bean and zucchini patch, we expanded a bit, added some peat moss, and planted a crop of rye for tilling in next spring.

Trainspotting interrupted both my morning reverie and my afternoon nap. Locomotives 2019 and 2057 rolled through on the southbound run towing one BC, seven CHCs, and two DBTCs at 10:00 a.m. Later at 3:45 p.m., those same locomotives in reverse order passed by heading north towing three DBTCs, 29 CHCs, three GTCs, (gray tank cars) of unknown contents, with four DWTCs bringing up the rear.

Today after I get back from the second of my knee treatments, I plan to do nothing. While I am out, Mary will work on an index and later she'll chat with her colleagues. Before that, she'll spend some time looking at a box I found in the upstairs closet four years ago and then immediately forgot. When I was in there again yesterday, I rediscovered it and told Mary. Turns out that the previous owners chronicled much of the remodeling to the PE done in 1998. Dates, invoices, drawings, warranties, and most importantly, pictures of the old kitchen and driveway were in the box. Mary isn't quite done going through the things, but they are fascinating to look at.

Today, the sun will rise at 7:55 a.m. and set at 7:05 p.m. Did I mention, "Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!"? Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It has just passed 1:00 a.m. in "The City."

Yesterday we took a walk to East Town to pick up some bread and to give STWD some exercise. The weather was perfect and the temperature still is a comfortable 66°. However, we will be dropping to 49° overnight, before rebounding to 67° later today. It should be less windy, which will allow Mary and me to do some work in the gardens of the PE. We called off that activity yesterday due to the high winds. Raking leaves and spreading peat moss would have been a challenge in the face of a 20 mph wind.

We spent some time reading the New York Times yesterday afternoon instead. Naturally, I had to do the crossword and required only a little assistance once I got the words started. We finished the Hemingway picture book I mentioned yesterday too, so it can now go back to the library. While reading the newspaper, I discovered a book that I'd like to read, so I ordered it from the library.

The Bears surprised me by eking out a win over the Chiefs, 18 - 17. The Lions didn't fare so well, as they lost to the to the AZ Cardinals, 17 - 42, to drop their record to 0 - 5. Ouch. I suspect that the Lions faithful will be calling for the firing of the coach.

The Cubs play later this afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals with their series tied at 1 - 1 . Game time, 5:07 p.m. EDT. Jake Arrieta will take the mound, so I am hoping for another performance like the last.

We'll walk with STWD after we get up later this morning. She has been very patient with our morning laziness, except for her biscuit demands. She no longer seems to need two daily walks.

Mary suggested a rearrangement of my office/music room/weather center, and so far I like the new arrangement, It just needs some fine tuning. Overall, there will be more room to play with the girls.

Speaking of my music room, I also took some time to retype some music for my various books. Later this morning, I'll have to go around the corner and check with Dave at Guitar Haven regarding the A/C adapter he got for me. It doesn't seem to want to work with my effects pedal. I hope he has thought of something, so that I don't go through 9 volt batteries all the time. The A/C adapter would allow me the luxury of not having to unplug the cords from the pedal. I won't have to worry about dead batteries if I forget..

With the morning walk of the intrepid weather dog, the gardening, followed by the baseball game, we should have enough to keep us busy today. My mother-in-law used to tell me how busy she was in retirement and now I know how that was possible.

The sun will rise at 7:54 a.m. and set at 7:07 p.m. Sometime after sunrise, I should hear the sound of a train whistle as the north and southbound runs pass through. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 2:15 a.m. in "The City."

Today, there is joy in Chicago and GH, the Cubs took it to the Cardinals in St. Louis and took away their home field advantage with a 6 - 3 win late yesterday. Monday the NLDS series resumes in Chicago at a time to be announced based on the results of the ALDS series games.

Elsewhere in sports, the 5 - 1 Wolverines of Michigan resoundingly defeated the now 5 - 1 Northwestern Wildcats 38 - 0. The Wolverines only loss this season was the opener against the Utes of Utah, 17 - 24. The MSU Spartans slipped past the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers, 31 - 24 in a game that should have been a stronger showing for a Spartan squad that is expected to go undefeated this year. While they are now a 6 - 0 team, they are likely to move down in the national rankings, again. Don't forget, next Saturday, it is MSU versus Michigan. at 3:30 p.m. The Huskies of NIU, in a lopsided win over Ball State, won 59 - 41, but those 41 points scored by the Cardinals of Ball State were not a good sign for a supposedly strong Huskies defense.

We got out late yesterday morning for a walk to the farmer's market with STWD. We took a different route that allowed the intrepid one to read new messages and return some that she felt were needing an immediate response.

We had a light lunch in anticipation of the Cubs game at 5:30 p.m. EDT. Then we ran some errands that included a stop at our favorite east side watering hole. Home at last, we fed the weather dog and then settled in for that Cubs game with a dinner of chopped vegetables with ranch/blue cheeses dressing, cauliflower with hot sauce and that same dressing, and a veggie hot dog. I think I mentioned that the Cubs won, 6 - 3, over the St. Louis Cardinals, the team with the best record in the regular season, and the team that won the Central Division of the National League with 100 wins compared to the Cubs 97. Then I was ready for bed.

I did start a new book entitled The Wolf in the Parlor, by Jon Franklin. So far, I like it. Additionally, Mary and I have nearly finished Hemingway's Paris: A Writer's City in Words and Images, by Robert Wheeler. The book contains superb black and white images of the places that influenced Hemingway during his extended stay in Paris of the early 20th Century. The author's commentary accompanies the images. Once again, I believe that everyone needs to see Paris.

Today, the sun will rise at 7:53 a.m. Not ironically, the Hemingway book The Sun Also Rises, his book that profiles the Lost Generation of expatriates living in Paris of the 1920s, is on the shelf awaiting our reading. I may have to revisit more Hemingway to get to the flavor of the man and his life.

We have nothing planned today except for the morning walk with STWD and perhaps a matinee performance of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress by Alan Ball, presented by Grand Haven's own Central Park Players. I have it on good authority that this is an adult's only type of play.

Later, the sun will set at 7:09 p.m. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. I thought I'd change my opening for this edition of Jaxmeanderings. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City." Sadly my friends, there is no joy in Chicago or GH this morning, as the boys in blue flailed at the offerings of the Cardinals John Lackey, falling 0 - 4 as Mary and I watched from our stools at our favorite watering hole. But take heart, the boys take the field yet again for game two in St. Louis at 4:30 CDT or 5:30 EDT tonight.

Elsewhere in the blogosphere, we'll be walking over to the farmer's market later this morning. STWD will be coming along as were heading out for her morning walk at the same time. Then we'll be out in the gardens of the PE doing a little fall planting and bed prepping. Some spinach and lettuce should grow well in our cold frame.

In sports, I've already given the bad news about the boys in blue, so I"ll move on to the MSU Spartans game versus the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at 8:00 p.m. tonight. Next week, the Spartans' opponent will be the Wolverines of Michigan. Coincidentally, the Wolverines will be playing this afternoon against the Northwestern Wildcats at 3:30 p.m. EDT. The NIU Huskies take on the Ball State Cardinals at 3:30 p.m. I'm still not prepared to pay attention to hockey.

Trainspotting yesterday could best be described as spotty. The southbound run came through at 9:50 a.m. with locomotives 2019 and 2057 towing a short mix of cars. Five CHCs, six DBTCs, one BC, and three DWTCs with one bringing up the rear.

At 1:07 p.m., the northbound run occurred while STWD and I were out walking. We made it to our side of the tracks in time to watch its passage. Sugar was less than thrilled as locomotives 2057 and 2019 rolled loudly past, wailing the horn. 27 CHCs, one BC, and two DWTCs were in the mix.

Later this morning, the sun will rise at 7:52 a.m. and then set later at 7:10 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It has just passed 12:15 a.m. in "The City."

Not much was happening yesterday. The skies were alternating between cloudy and sunny and the rains held off until about 8:00 p.m. last night. STWD repaired to her hide-e-hole upstairs when the rains began, but I don't really know to what she was reacting. There, I corrected my bad grammar.

We did get up to the north country to recycle an old lithium battery that I didn't want to throw in the trash, We also made it to the big box everything store located nearby to buy some groceries and new towels. Like always, the checkout process was slow, due to myriad things.

We took the morning safari with the intrepid weather dog and picked up the newspaper before lunch and before we went out. Mary stayed in bed before that, but I got up and played the girls and changed some of my music, again. That's okay, like the days in my old workshop, I spend more time revising than I do playing the music. I am just channeling my energies into different pursuits.

We stopped in to see Sally at the Post and took her some of Mary's eggplant ratatouille.

Tonight, the Cubs are in St. Louis to begin their division best of five playoff series against the Cardinals. I have a feeling that somewhere Ron Santo is saying, "This is the year!" I think it has been 106 years since the Cubs actually won it all. I think it has been seven years since they made the playoffs.

Today, Mary has her chat session and plans to listen to one of her favorite personalities, John Fugelsang, on the radio show of another favorite radio personality, Stephanie Miller before that. Three hours of Fridays with Fugelsang is just too hard for her to resist.

I have no specific plans, but I don't really need any. I won't play with the girls to give my thumb joint a rest. When I do that, everything goes well. I will get out with STWD later this morning after the sun rises at 7:51 a.m. Right now, it is not foggy in spite of the report from the NWS. After the overnight low of 46°, the high today will be 59°. Last summer, there were days when that would have been welcome. Well not exactly, but the days when the humidity was high and the temperature was in the upper eighties, that would have felt good.

The sun will set later this evening at 7:12 p.m. before the appearance of a waning crescent moon. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City."

I don't know about Beantown, but there is joy in GH. The Pirates were defeated by the Cubs on their way to the World Series. The final score in the game was 4 - 0, with Jake Arrieta continuing his pitching dominance through one more game. Next up, Friday night in St. Louis against the Cardinals who won 100 games in the regular season. How long have I waited? It has been 56 years and counting since my first game at the Friendly Confines.

Trainspotting yesterday was interesting. The southbound train being towed by locomotives 2019 and 2057 rolled through at 9:35 a.m. 17 CHCs, and one BC. At 3:28 p.m., the northbound run rolled by with the same EMD GP 38 locomotives in reverse order towing two BCs. 13 CHCs, five DBTCs, and three DWTCs filled with hydrochloric acid.

We didn't get up until late yesterday morning because there was no need. We listened to the radio like we were retired. Well, I am, and Mary is between indexing projects. I took the morning walk with STWD and Mary went to Health Hutt for some items to complete her needs for the terrific lunch she made. It was eggplant ratatouille. It is definitely a keeper. I'm even starting to like mushrooms. Shhhh, don't tell Mary.

I spent some time playing with the girls and fine tuning some music for my traveling book. I did read the newspaper and do the crossword, but that was the extent of my reading efforts. I also spent some time cleaning up the kitchen from Mary's activities. She did the dishes, but I cleaned the stove top, the sinks, and emptied the dish drainer and the dishwasher. Dinner was hot dogs and ballpark style nachos.

My knees are starting to feel better, and that's all good.

Today, we may travel north to do a few errands, but that's a game time decision. Speaking of games, did I mention, Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

STWD and I will take another walk later today. I don't see a need to get up before 10:00 a.m. I'll stop in at the guitar store to check if the A/C adapter I ordered has arrived. No rush, but it never hurts to check.

Otherwise, there is still an expectation of precipitation for later tonight. A few bolts of lightning are even possible, Nothing is expected until late tonight. Our current temperature is 48° with an overnight low of 46° expected. Later this morning, the sun will rise at 7:50 a.m., and then set at 7:16 p.m tonight. Oh, did I mention, Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Ciao.

Good morning or good evening. wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

Outside the WW (Weather Window), the conditions are only somewhat foggy with a current temperature of 54°. We'll be rising to a high of 67° later today under partly cloudy skies. No rain in the forecast until tomorrow evening.

Mary and I were going to take the Haunted Cemetery tour on Thursday evening, but discretion being the better part of valor, we decided that the chance of falling in a dark graveyard in the dark was considerable, so we decided to skip it. Chalk that up to the wisdom of age.

Speaking of age, I started my series of five treatments for my gimpy knees yesterday. Four more treatments to go and then I'll have considerable relief. Unfortunately, the treatments leave me a bit gimpy the following day. Oh well, with the able assistance of STWD and Mary I'm going walking this morning or early afternoon. I just can't go as far as we did yesterday.

I took the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog yesterday before Mary and I set out for the hospital and my 10:00 a.m. appointment. Along the way, Sugar and I met the purveyor of all things biscuit, and that set the tone for Sugar's entire morning. When she and I got back, she was full of energy. Usually, being an early riser is not among Sugar's many fine points.

Between the morning walk with Sugar, the trip to and from the doctor's office and a bit of walking around the grocery store after lunch, I put in about four miles yesterday. One good thing about those knee treatments is that the doctor administers one of the pain killing "Caines", Nova or otherwise, before the injections, and like the dentist, it takes several hours to wear off. That's one of the positives along with the avoidance of surgery.

Speaking of surgery, I asked the doctor about my thumb. I'd be in a cast and rehabbing for about 12 weeks, give or take. The first few weeks, no guitar playing and a hard cast, the next few, a removable soft cast and strengthening exercises, and then I should be good to go. I'm still going to put it off until the pain becomes unbearable when I play.

Today, we have nothing on the agenda except for reading after the morning walkabout with STWD and some trainspotting, I'll play with the girls a bit too, but I won't overdo. I find that when I am prudent and judicious in my playing time, my thumb does well.

The Cubs play tonight and that means that we'll be in front of the TV tonight hoping that they have a bit more magic in the tank, since this is a one and done Wildcard game. Last night, the Houston Astros sent the Yankees home after a 3 - 0 win. Our plans call for ballpark style hot dogs and nachos with extra hot peppers, accompanied by copious amounts of adult beverages.

The sun will rise at 7:08 this morning and set at 7:16 p.m. if we can see it through the fog. Here in GH, the fog tends to come up just before dawn. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is fast passing 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

The weather started out very comfortable yesterday and it just got better as the day went along. STWD came along for the morning walk to Center Town and by the time we got back, she was tired. A few degrees warmer and the baby gets more easily fatigued. We have a current temperature of 58° with the overnight low forecast to drop to 53° before we reach our post dawn high of 65°.

I have that orthopedic appointment today at 10:00 a.m. and that shouldn't take too long. If I get up early enough, I plan to walk. Naturally, that walk comes on the heels of the morning safari with the intrepid weather dog. Then a stop at the grocery store for some needed supplies for our larder.

Trainspotting yesterday was rather pedestrian, to use a phrase. At 9:35 a.m., the southbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 passed through. In their wake, were one BC, and six CHCs. At 2:10 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives passed through town again towing nine CHCs, and one DWTC.

The repairman came for the dishwasher yesterday afternoon. It took him about 15 minutes to examine, diagnose, and repair the problem, a clogged vent system. That may well be the fastest money he has ever earned. However, when compared to the cost of a new machine, it was a bargain.
Mary was never more glad to see a working dishwasher in her kitchen.

We did make it to the community center last night for the presentation by the author, Emily St. John Mandel, of Station 11 which included readings by the author, various vignettes by the Pigeon Creek Shakespeare Company, and a short Q & A session with the author at the end. We enjoyed it immensely.

With regard to the book itself, I won't spoil it for you if you decide to read it, but I will say that it is one of the best works of fiction that I have read in a long time. As I've noted, Mary is more into post apocalyptic books and movies than me, but I still enjoyed the book and the presentation. If you can picture a future where all technology is no longer functional, no electricity, no air travel, and no automobiles, then you can get an idea of the plot of this book.

Did I mention that the 0 - 4 Detroit Lions fell to the Seattle Sea Hawks last night, 10 - 13?

Today, not much other than that doctor's appointment and a stop at the grocery store. Tonight, TV and kick back. The sun will rise in a few hours at 7:47 a.m. and set at 7;17 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is nearing 5:00 a.m. in "The City."

At this hour the temperatures have bottomed out at 54° before we rise again to today's high of 66°. Under partly cloudy or partly sunny skies, whichever you prefer, the sun will rise at 7:46 a.m. Tuesday, the day of my first of five knee treatments, the temperature will be 67° under mostly sunny skies. Looks like shorts weather may be back when I go.

We took a long walk with STWD yesterday morning, We covered nearly two miles in the cool temperatures of that fine fall morning. While most don't know the areas we walked, we found ourselves on Chinook Pier and Mary found a nice long sleeved shirt in pink that she really liked at one of the shops that is still open this late in the season. This one was less money and fit better than the one she had tried on the day before. What's not to like?

We continued our sojourn and then returned to the PE for lunch. Mary worked hard on a spinach and eggplant lasagna that required lots of chopping. I'm sure she loved the chopping and preparation. I loved the end result. It was delicious and about as healthy as you can get. As I understand it, the eggplant and it's skin are so full of nutrients, that this vegetable is off the charts health-wise. Included was some non-dairy ricotta cheese, tomatoes, and other goodies that were also very healthy. By the time I was done, I felt ready to conquer the world.Well not exactly.

However, during the preparations, I started reading the book the I had mentioned on the previous blog, Station 11 by Emily St. John Mandel. My voice grew tired as I sat on the hard kitchen stool reading aloud, so I was dispatched to the library to get another copy so that both Mary and I could read silently after lunch. My large print version was easier for me to read, and I finished before Mary. Plus, since she is into post-apocalyptic fiction and movies more than I am, it took her longer to read. I am now done and that's all I have to say about that. We'll attempt to see the play and the author reading session this evening.

I have a few things to do today, and those are of the mundane, because I want to do them variety. Mary will finish reading the large print copy of the book that I passed along to her, and then we can discuss what we read as well as our personal critiques.

In sports, the men in blue swept their season ending series against the Brewers with a 3 - 1 win. A final record of 97 - 65 is the third best in the Major Leagues™ this year. Unfortunately, the two better teams are ahead of them in their division. Be there for the Wildcard game on Wednesday night! The Tigers finished the season with a definite whimper, following a 2 - 1 win over that other team from Chicago. My beloved Red Sox didn't fare any better, as they lost to the Indians, 0 - 2. The Bears came out a winner with a last second field goal by Robbie Gould, that iced a 22 - 20 victory. Not a slaughter as we used to say in Little League™ baseball, but a win none the less. The Lions play tonight. We'll be at the community center.

The sun will set at 7:19 p.m. this evening. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is nearing 6:00 a.m. in "The City." What am I doing up at this hour? I honestly don't know, but since I am, I'll just toss in a few words of blogging.

In weather news, the current temperature of 48° is the nadir of the overnight hours. We'll rebound to 62° later today. Cloudy skies will prevail. We are safe from precipitation until Thursday and the temperatures are expected to be comfortable for the next several days.

In sports, the Cubs are now sporting 96 wins after a 1 - 0 shutout of the Brewers. If they can win the series and the Pirates lose, thee Cubs can host the Wildcard game @ the "Friendly Confines." Here's hoping. Their final game of the regular season is today at 3:10 p.m. The Tigers are doing their best impression of the Cubs of years past, as they lost to that other team from Chicago, 3 - 4, going out in October with a whimper rather than a bang. My beloved Red Sox are also fading, as they lost to the Indians, 0 - 2.

In mostly better sporting news, the Michigan Wolverines in a turnover filled game, still defeated the Terrapins of Maryland, 28 - 0. The MSU Spartans had an early lead that they squandered, and eked out a win over the Purdue Boilermakers, 24 - 21. Sadly, the NIU Huskies fell hard to the Central Michigan Chippewas, 19 - 29. Ouch.

Otherwise, yesterday was uneventful. A few household chores, a walk to the farmer's market, and completion of my man cave project. However, it turns out that the appliance service person will have to visit, as the dishwasher is still leaking. Oh well, barring any unforeseen surprises, the cost of repairs should be considerably less than a new dishwasher.

Today, reading from the book Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel. Naturally, I had to check out the large print version at the library. If all goes well, on Monday night, we'll be seeing a short play and hearing the author of this book reading excerpts from her work based on the story set in the Great Lakes area . GH is the first stop on this tour.

Otherwise, that's enough for one day. We have an index to final edit, and then we can send it on its way. I am going to try watching the Cubs game if it is on TV.

The sun will rise at 7:45 a.m.and set at 7:21 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is shortly past 3:30 am. in "The City."

Brrrrrrr! "Baby it's cold out side!" That's a line from an old song written by Frank Loesser in 1944 and recorded by many artists over the years, most notably Dean Martin. At any rate, the current temperature is 51° as we near the overnight low of 45°. Our rebound today will only reach 59° with partly cloudy skies and windy conditions. No  precipitation is in the forecast and temperatures are expected to rebound to the upper 60s as the days unfold.

In sports, the men in blue easily dispatched the Brewers 6 - 1. The Cubs now have a record of 95 - 65. Those same two teams meet again @ 7:05 tonight. The Tigers, no surprise here, lost to that other team from Chicago, 1 - 2. Their record of 73 - 86 isn't up to the standard they set for themselves in recent seasons. They too play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. My beloved Red Sox will not have a winning season this year. Their current record of 78 - 82 with two games left to play, precludes that. They needed to win out and the loss to the Indians yesterday 2 - 8, made that impossible.

In college football, the Michigan Wolverines have traveled east to visit the Terrapins of Maryland. The game was moved from 8:00 p.m. to 12:00 p.m. in hopes of avoiding the heavy rains that are pelting the Eastern Seaboard. The 4 - 0 MSU Spartans face the Boilermakers of Purdue, also at 12:00 p.m. The NIU Huskies clash with the Central Michigan Chippewas at 3:00 p.m.

Trainspotting yesterday happened early. @ 9:09 a.m., EMD GP 38 locomotives 2019 and 2057 headed south towing seven CHCs, 11 DBTCs, and five DWTCs. The ground shook enough to tell me that the cars were loaded. The return northbound run happened @ 12:11 p.m. The same locomotives reversed order and towed two BCs, and 5 CHCs,

Elsewhere in the news, STWD and I took the morning walk while Mary went to the bakery downtown to pick up a baguette. Sounds French, doesn't it? When she returned, she made a great faux tuna salad with a side of sweet potatoes. All good. She reserved the balance of the baguette for her excellent dinner, which was eggplant with homemade marinara sauce. Instead of pasta, she served up the bread lightly toasted. Both items were excellent and are a keeper.

In between lunch and dinner, we journeyed downtown. Mary wanted to buy a long sleeved T-shirt at one of the stores, but the color looked better in the window display and the sleeves were long enough to fit both arms in the same sleeve. Well not quite, but they were way too long. Then off to the Post to see Sally and get a few acorn squash from the ample supply Sally's brother Jack, brought in from his hobby farm.

Mostly I fiddled around in the man-cave tinkering with a project I am working on. I also sealed the concrete down there to prevent seepage, only to discover that the seepage was coming from the dishwasher leak in the kitchen. I may have fixed it, but if not, then a call to the serviceman is in order. Mary was doing some cooking after her afternoon chat.

Today I have no plans. A walk with the intrepid weather dog, a crossword or two, and more work on my project. Mary has an index to revise, maybe. I think she will help me make the chickpeas that I started last night and bake some bread. It doesn't get more domestic than that.

The sun will rise at 7:44 a.m. and set at 7:23 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

The weather for now and later today is a forecast that shows partly cloudy skies and a high temperature of 64° after our overnight low of 42°. I like fall weather, but this early cold snap is not so much to my liking.

No trains to spot yesterday, maybe one come today.

In sports, the men in blue continued their winning ways, defeating the Reds, 5 - 3. The Cubs open their final series of the season tonight at the home of the Brewers, game time 7:05 p.m. CDT. Next Wednesday, they play their wildcard game against the Pirates at 8:00 p.m. EDT. The Tigers mercifully had the day off before starting a series against that other team from Chicago. My beloved Red Sox finally lost one to the Yankees, 1 - 4. That's all I have to say about that.

Yesterday, we made it to the car dealer for the fall/winter inspection and oil change. The report was very positive for a car with 15,000 miles on the clock and which in another seven months will be three years of age.

We returned to GH for a stop at the favorite watering hole and then the Post to see Sally and the sparse crowd. Then home to watch more of the news about the carnage in Oregon. Once again, that's all I have to say about that.

Today I have no particular plans. Mary has some work to do, but that is more a revision of previous indexing efforts, rather than the creation of a new index. I believe that she also has a chat session with her colleagues.

STWD and I will take the morning walk once it warms up a bit. When we were out yesterday, we came across what seemed to be the entire elementary school population of GH touring the city and checking out the Art Walk displays. Naturally, Sugar wanted to check the kids out, but we detoured around the kids, as she isn't too good with them. She likes the people she likes, tolerates others, and the rest are just a nuisance to her. She was not raised around children, so she doesn't know what to do around them.

The sun will rise on another day in GH at 7:43 a.m. Less than 12 hours later, it will set at 7:24 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."

Trainspotting yesterday was great. The southbound run occurred at 9:56 a.m. after I got home from the morning walk with STWD. I heard the train whistle while we were on our morning walk, but it must have been quite a ways north. We made it home and I had to sit on the porch for several minutes to record the passage of locomotives 2057 and 2019. They were at the head of a long series of cars that seemed to be fully laden. Directly behind the locomotives, were two BCs with Union Pacific livery. They were followed by 24 CHCs, some rusty and some graffiti covered. Next in line were 10 DBTCs bringing up the rear.

The northbound run featured the same tandem of locomotives at 2:17 p.m. Three BCs, were once again in the lead slot, followed by 27 CHCs, then three DBTCs, with three DWTCs, (Dreaded White Tank Cars) bringing up the rear. As more of the acid laden DWTCs are coupled with the DBTCs as they pass through our little city, I am getting more concerned by the day. I am guessing that the city fathers and mothers couldn't/can't stop this dangerous practice, based on some long ago right of eminent domain passage or other such deal that favors the railroad and its predecessors.

In weather news, it was cold yesterday afternoon. Mary insists that she needs the window open to get air circulation, so I have to wear gloves and a fleece to stay warm. I have the windows in my office/music room/weather office closed to keep the cold at bay. And yes, I know that it isn't the cold air coming in, it's the warm air going out. It doesn't matter, I was still cold.

I tried making a new recipe for a late breakfast or early lunch as Mary worked. There are some other recipes that I'd like to try that I also cut out of the Relish magazine that comes with the Wednesday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. This one was originally sweet potato hash with chicken strips. I modified and substituted my special tofu strips that I saute in olive oil and some soy style sauce that isn't. We use that sauce in lieu of salt, for sauteing tofu in stir fry's or anything that requires them. This recipe is a keeper. Two out of the four or five vegetables I used came from the gardens of the PE.

We finished the final edit of the index that was due late last night, and sent it on its way. However, other older indexes have returned to haunt Mary and by extension, yours truly. They will wait for Friday, as we have an appointment for the fall car  inspection and oil change in Holland this afternoon.

In sports, the men in blue crushed the Reds, 10 - 3. Austin Jackson, whom the Cubs got from Seattle in a mid-season trade, had five RBIs, while Jon Lester came to life and ended the regular season with 207 strikeouts. The Cubs now have a record of 93 - 65, good for third place in the Central Division of the N.L., behind both the Pirates and the Central Division champion Cardinals who defeated the Pirates. The Tigers were losers once again, 2 - 6, to the Rangers. The Tigers have a division worst record of 73 - 85.  My beloved Red Sox once again  pounded the Yankees, 9 - 5. Their record is now 78 - 80. While still sub-.500, they are looking good at season's end. Where have I heard the refrain before?

The sun will rise today at 7:42 a.m. and set at 7:26 p.m. We are expecting a partly cloudy day today but the windy days have been pushed back until Friday and Saturday. Currently, the temperature is 46° as we near the overnight low of 42°. That's before we get back to 64° later today. All high temperatures are forecast to be in the low to mid 60s. for the next several days. Don't tell Mary, but I got out the heater for the bathroom in readiness for the morning showers. Ciao.