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.