Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." According to my digital weather station, the outdoor temperature is 35.8°, while the indoor temperature is approaching 70° thanks to my space heater. Thanks Steph and Adam for making me warm on a cold winter's night that is not so bright. Hmmmm, there is something poetic in that phrase, but I can't quite place it.

Yesterday, I had the distinct privilege of walking the mean streets of "The City" with STWD about 10:30 a.m. Prior to that, I had the not so joyous displeasure of clearing the snow and ice off the deck of the PE. When I returned from our walk, I finished the driveway enough with a small coal type shovel. The snow having been capped by rain and the warm temperatures yesterday made for a heavy lift.

My neighbor, Ron, used his combination snow blower/thrower, a very heavy unit indeed, to clear his driveway and sidewalk along with a similar shovel. I am certain that my little electric snow thrower would have bogged down, sucked the local municipally owned power plant dry of any spare amperes, and still left me with the shovel in my hands. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. I did end up with a cleared driveway and a baking yak. Sigh.

Once I was back, I settled in for about an hour and then I was off to the barber shop that is about one block to the east. Back onto those mean streets and upon my return trip, I witnessed a long semi-tractor trailer combination trying to pass through on the next street to the east. He had to back up and go another way, because the city always piles snow in the middle of the street at the intersections and with the parked cars, he could not make it any further south. Let's just say, he was not happy, nor were the drivers trying to get around his truck.

Once home, Mary made lunch and I got on with the business of reading the newspaper and resting. Later we made our way to the local chain drug store, the post office, and the bank. Naturally, the snow was a major impediment in downtown GH too. Parking was a chore due to the snow that had accumulated at the curbs. We finished our afternoon sojourn with a stop at the Post to inquire about Sally. She is slowly on the mend and recuperating at home.

Our current outdoor temperature of 35.8 ° will give way to an overnight low of 28° before the high later today of 34°. The sun will rise at 8:16 a.m. and set at 5:18 p.m. Somewhere in there, the trains should rumble past, the intrepid weather dog will go with me to buy the newspaper and read it and my jigsaw puzzle should get completed. I'll edit some for Mary too, and then get back to my real job. No more snow moving for me. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City." In an initial memorial to the winter of 2015 I took some pictures of the falling sleet/snow/rain/??? We have a current temperature outside the WW (Weather Window) of 32.2°, while indoors, I finally broke down and got out the heater for the Weather Office (W O), which has raised the temperature to a comfortable 71°.

Unfortunately, in a house as old as the PE, (Palatial Estate), the heating and cooling in these front upstairs rooms is sketchy at best. This house dates to circa 1903, and it was originally heated by coal. The heat was generated by a furnace in the basement and gravity moved the heat throughout the house. It was converted to gas forced air at some point, but all that exists in the W O is a non-functional vent in the floor that used to function as a way to move warm air from the living room below, to what is now my office. This room also served as a bedroom in the past.

Enough waxing nostalgic, here are some pictures.

Early yesterday morning, I took the morning safari with STWD. The ground was not yet covered by snow at the base of the tree from which I chose several bark samples for Mary

The skies were threatening as I worked.

The sleet & snow & rain began to fall soon after I came inside the PE This is a view out the front window overlooking the front porch..

The snow covered gardens of the PE as viewed out the back window.

Looking west out the window of Mary's office.

While the oven was on and I was engrossed in my indoor chores, I was also hard at work on my jigsaw puzzle. Mary took this picture on Sunday.

I accomplished getting the spaghetti squash baked, taking down the Christmas decorations, and a few other things all before I sat down to "work" yesterday. As of now, my puzzle is about 75% complete. I placed a lot of pieces yesterday.

The trains rumbled through both before the storm, northbound at 10:30 a.m., and after, southbound, at 2:15 p.m. During the morning southbound run, locomotives 2057 and 2019 rumbled past towing one BC, and nine CHCs. When the northbound run took place, the same locomotives in the same running order rolled by. In tow were three BCs, five DBTCs, two DWTCs, one GTC, and 19 CHCs, with two of those bringing up the rear. It was interesting to note that unlike most runs, the locomotives had not reversed position, maintaining their same running order. Go figure. Incidentally, the northbound run felt heavily laden and the chessmen I had returned to their pre-holiday positions were moved by the vibrations or the passing northbound train. 

The DWTCs have their contents listed on their flanks, but the DBTCs do not, so there is no way to tell their contents without a manifest.

In sports, Meadowlark Lemon a former player for the Harlem Globetrotters passed away. He played in an era when African-American players had few opportunities to play in the NBA. The Globetrotters were founded on the south side of Chicago in 1926 or 1927, the dates are sketchy. George "Meadowlark" Lemon, the "Clown Prince of Basketball, played for the Globetrotters in the 1950s through the early 1970s, a total of 24 seasons. His ever present smile and his antics endeared he and his teammates to audiences all over the U.S. and the world, including playing in front of the Pope. Later in life, he played with a team of his own and also served as a minister for his church. I saw the Trotters play when I was much younger. 

Today, STWD may or may not get her morning walk. It depends on the condition of the sidewalks. I won't risk life and limb, even for my dog. She'll have to make do at the end of her backyard tether. In addition, I have an appointment at my new barber at 12:00 p.m. I won't risk life nor limb for that either, so that too is a game time decision.

I have no other plans for today, other than my jigsaw puzzle and some editing for Mary. 

A quick glance out the WW shows that the city's plows prowled the streets earlier, but the sidewalks are still snow and ice covered. The sun will rise at 8:16 a.m. and set at 5:17 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:45 a.m. in "The City."

As of now, the temperature outside the WW is 30.4° with 61% relative humidity, although it feels like 19°. Indoors, it is 64.2° with 59% relative humidity. In the dearly departed summer, maybe in the recently departed beginning of the month, we'd be enjoying those temperatures and wishing them to continue. Now, I'm wearing my fleece and slippers.

Later today, the National Weather Service is predicting an icy winter storm that is supposed to start around 10:00 a.m. and continue through 6:00 a.m. Tuesday. Snow and ice are in the warning for much of Western, MI, including GH. As my loyal readers know, those predictions from the NWS are often inaccurate for our little corner of the world, and more accurate for GR. Strong winds, up to 30 mph and an accumulation of ice on power lines and roads of 1/2 inch are possible. The wind may gust to 50 mph. It looks like we're not in KS anymore Sugar, I mean Toto.

The high today is expected to reach all the way up to 32°, so that means that the roads and other surfaces will be slippery and treacherous. I guess that that is my way of saying that I need to get out with the intrepid weather dog before all of that begins. I have a few outdoor decorations to put away too, so that is high on my list after I return from the abbreviated morning safari.

I anticipate that there will be trains to spot later this morning. They are not generally deterred by ice. However, I'll be indoors when they pass, I hope.

In sports, the Bears and the Lions were winners yesterday, 26 - 21 over Tampa Bay in the case of the Bears, and 32 - 17 over the 49ers in the case of the Lions. Neither 6 - 9 team is going to the playoffs, and so next week's face off, to use a hockey metaphor, is for pride only. However the much hated Packers, sorry Ellen, fell to the Arizona Football Cardinals, 38 - 8. I have not seen a team dominate Aaron Rodgers and the Pack that much in a long, long time. Nine sacks, two fumbles, returned for TDs, and interceptions abounded. However, the Pack is going to the playoffs.

Elsewhere, yesterday was nice for walking with STWD. Then I stayed in and added more to my jigsaw puzzle, watched the Lions game, and later NCIS. Along with the game, I had prepared chopped celery and vegan blue cheese dressing, vegan Gouda cheese slices and green olives for a game time snack. Mary joined me for a few minutes and even added some chips, pickled jalapenos, and salsa to my feast. In short, my viewing experience was  a complete success, at least in the sports department.

Today, I'll get out for the morning safari, get those decorations down, and also remove some bark from our soon to be removed tree for Mary. I don't know her plans for that bark, but it shouldn't take long. I have a few indoor chores to accomplish too,

The sun will rise at 8:15 a.m. and set at 5:17 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is 3:05 a.m. in "The City." A current temperature outside the WW of 37.9° Fahrenheit is not bad by the standard of a regular Michigan winter's day. Indoors, the temperature is 66.5°, also measured in degrees Fahrenheit. Both are under a waning gibbous moon. Sunrise will occur later this morning at 8:15 a.m. and the days are indeed getting longer, as sunset will occur at 5:16 p.m.

Our high today is forecast to be 39° under cloudy skies. Tomorrow, the forecast is for a wintry mix of snow and freezing rain along with windy conditions anywhere from 25 mph to 40 mph. There is also a chance of thunderstorms Monday night. STWD will not be happy.

Yesterday was an interesting day. I placed more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle, finished the crossword from the Grand Haven Tribune, and together, Mary and I walked with STWD to The Baker's Wife for a loaf of bread. Is that mundane enough for you?

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that poor Sugar was frightened by the sound of gunshots in the distance. Apparently, it is pheasant hunting season (male only) here in Michigan through January 1. As Sugar and I waited outside the bakery, Sugar was shaking, torn between her desire to protect Mary and an equally strong (perhaps stronger) desire to get home and protect herself. Trooper that she is, she hung in there until Mary reappeared, and then pulled strongly for home.

We had leftovers from our Christmas dinner for brunch and then later we made our last stop for 2015 at our favorite watering hole for dinner. In between, we were going to stop at the Lakeshore Museum District in Muskegon for a tour of the Hackley and Hume homes which are decorated for the holidays. Unfortunately, neither of us had consulted the weather for Muskegon, which is often very different than GH and so the rains that were over in GH were steady in Muskegon. Maybe next year. You don't want to rush things.

Today, I'll have the privilege of watching the Lions play their second to last game this season at 1:00 p.m. The Bears, next week's opponent for the Lions, play at the same time. Mary will be working, so I'll have the media room all to myself. STWD will probably join me.

Speaking of the intrepid one, she and I will be on safari later this morning. A tour of GH south and east of here will probably ensue. Sugar always likes to locate other dogs in GH, and those directions always lend themselves well to that endeavor.

Otherwise, that's about all I have to say about that. I will be doing some additional highlighting and then back to retirement. That is of course unless I finish that highlighting effort yet this morning. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City." It is now officially Boxing Day in most parts of the once and former British Commonwealth. In times gone by, it was a day when the servants got the day off and the master gifted them with a present. In Britain, a Christmas present was called a Christmas Box.

We have a current outdoor temperature of 32.2° Fahrenheit under a full moon. Indoors, the temperature is 66.4° Fahrenheit. I am nearly finished with my highlighting duties. The book is a good one, but like most, I'l be glad when I am done.

Mary worked hard on our annual traditional Christmas dinner of "Roast Ham' and scalloped potatoes. We also had celery sticks and cheese chunks as an appetizer. In addition, I had my personal favorite, traditional jellied cranberry sauce from a can. Fortunately there are leftovers of all the foods.

We once again watched numerous episodes of NCIS along with my playing with the girls this morning and adding pieces to my jigsaw puzzle yesterday afternoon and evening. I'm doing well on the puzzle, but it will be a tough fight to bring it home before the new year.

STWD and I took the morning walk in the mostly deserted city. The temperature was cool, but the day was bright and sunny. Sugar and I enjoyed ourselves while Mary did some work related things. I assisted in the kitchen when we got home mostly by staying out of the way and reaching for bowls that are stored in high places.

Today, I plan to finish the highlighting and do more on my puzzle. I'll take the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog and then settle in for whatever comes my way.

The sun will rise at 8:15 a.m. and set at 5:15 p.m. Ciao.

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

To all of my readers, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, or any greeting that seems appropriate to you. No matter your beliefs, I think that this is a time of year for everyone to come together with family and friends to celebrate the spirit of the season. That's the true meaning of the season, a celebration of love and fellowship with those we hold near and dear.

Yesterday, "That Index" made like Elvis and left the building. As much as I've enjoy reading the many books that Mary has indexed over the years, this one will not be missed. Oh well, what's that they say about rain? "Into each life, a little rain must fall." In this case, I am subscribing to that other adage, "Inside of every dark cloud is a silver lining." In this case the "silver lining" is knowing that that index is on its way to a better home.

I'm back to work now on my latest highlighting adventure. This too is an interesting read, but as is always the case, when I am involved in editing or highlighting, I have to forego pleasure reading and other activities that I like to do, like playing with the girls. Even now, I hear their siren song calling to me from across the music room/weather office/highlighting and editing central. I'll find time later today, I hope.

Prior to that, we'll walk with STWD into a downtown that is deserted on a holiday morning. No shoppers, not much traffic, and for that matter, very little activity of any kind. That's another reason I like to look out the WW at this hour of the morning. I see only the occasional staff person or public safety officer slowly prowling the streets or wending their way home from a long day of vital public service. Yes, there are some late bar patrons too. As of now, the streets of "The City" are mostly deserted.

The current outdoor temperature, according to the digital weather station in the weather office, is 40.8° with 81% relative humidity. We are not having a white Christmas. Nary a flake is visible on the mean streets of our little slice of the world. Indoors, the temperature is 66.5°, with an indoor humidity of 52%.

The big lake is quiet and no ice flows are visible as of yet. Since it is almost 2016, whatever ice forms will be thin and short lived. That will likely reverse the gains we have made the last few years in lake water level, as the evaporation will be greater without the ice. However, we'll also have a warmer summer without the cooling effects of the giant block of ice we've had the last few years. It is a trade off I guess.

Today, Mary will be making our newly traditional holiday vegan "roast ham" for dinner. She plans to make scalloped potatoes and ginger carrots as side dishes. Plus, I'll have an entire can of jellied cranberry sauce for my personal enjoyment. Mary likes to say that she works hard on preparing a fully home cooked meal that is both nutritious and delicious, but she indulges my passion for an annual holiday desire for that jellied cranberry sauce.

I must mention that Mary used our aging loaf of rye bread to make grilled cheese sandwiches for brunch and later, she made delicious patty melts with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese for dinner. All of the meals were delicious. I know she enjoys futzing in her kitchen, so I try to give her ideas for dishes that I like. My small contribution to her happiness.

We spent the evening watching TV last night and I placed pieces into what is turning out to be a very difficult jigsaw puzzle. I am determined, but I am running out of time before the clock strikes and 2016 arrives. I'll be highlighting and puzzle solving today. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City."

Although it pains me, I'll start with some sports news. The NIU Huskies were thoroughly drubbed by the Broncos of Boise State in the Poinsettia Bowl. The final stats? Score 7 - 55. Total yardage? Broncos 654 yards, the Huskies 33 yards. Yes my friends, you read that right, 33 total yards. About all there is to say is OUCH!

In a more pleasant vein, the earliest reporting date for the 2016 MLB season belongs to the Cleveland Indians on February 22, 2016. They will be followed by the Reds, the Astros, the Royals and the Phillies the next day. No news yet from the Cubs, my beloved Red Sox, nor the Tigers. For me, spring is just around the corner.

Trainspotting is probably over for this week. With Christmas on Friday, the train workers are likely to have the day off that day.

Yesterday, the southbound train rumbled through at 10:12 a.m. EMD GP 38 locomotives 2057 and 2019 were in the lead of two BCs, one CHC, and two DWTCs, along with one DWTC with a red stripe around it's mid section, which denotes the carriage of cyanide. The northbound train passed through at 1:58 p.m. The locomotives had reversed position, and they were towing one CHC, five DBTCs, two DWTCs, which carry hydrochloric acid, and another of those DWTCs with the red stripe.

It was and still is very windy, both here and around the nation. There were 27 tornadoes reported over the past 48 hours. In addition, the number of wind related reports was very large. December is normally tornado active, and so the severity for one 48 hour period is not unusual. I guess that unusual depends on whether you are a victim, as were many people in the southern U.S.

Today I'm going to try to do what I attempted to do yesterday, as little as possible. I have to assist with some editing duties and walk with STWD, but that is the extent of my activities. I may do more highlighting, but that's up to me.

The temperature outside the WW is 44.4° as we drop towards the overnight low of 38°. Later today our high temperature is expected to be 45° under partly sunny skies. Yesterday, we got into the low 60s. It was balmy by any standards, not just Michigan. So far the Grand River nor the "Big Lake" have frozen over. In fact, there was a report of two people using jet skis in the channel yesterday. Snow mobiles are not in evidence.

The sun will rise at 8:14 a.m. ans set at 5:14 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City." A current temperature outside the WW of 41° will bottom out at the low for this morning of 39° before we climb to today'a high of 52° with rain expected this evening. Thursday and Christmas Day, Friday, the high is forecast to be 46° with partly sunny skies.

 I have made an executive decision to do as little as possible after the morning safari with STWD. I may do some cooking, but that will primarily involve the oven and some squash we have in the pantry. While I'm doing nothing, I'll read the Grand Haven Tribune and work the crossword along with adding more pieces to my jigsaw puzzle. I'm getting closer, but I'm getting stuck where pictures in the puzzle are very similar in color.

We finally got around to finishing the leftovers from the refrigerator for lunch yesterday. I once heard a comedian say something like, "Leftovers are a great way to feel good several times. You feel good that you haven't overeaten. You feel good that you are not throwing food away. And long term, you can feel good about throwing the leftovers away before their spoilage and possible botulism kills you or a loved one." What's not to like?

I should mention that I am now a registered drone pilot. I spent a few minutes yesterday at the FAA website to get a Small UAS Certificate of Registration and the accompanying certificate number that allows me to pilot my R/C helicopters in this country. There are seven rules that you must follow in order to be in compliance with FAA regulations. By way of information, UAS is the short form of Unmanned Aircraft System. The assigned certificate number must be prominently displayed on the aircraft. I wonder if a license to drive an R/C car or truck is next? And after that? Well, you get the idea.

At any rate, here are the rules that I must follow.

1. Fly below 400 feet.
2. Never fly near other aircraft. (This one will be tough for people who like to combat fly with other       pilots of R/C aircraft)
3. Keep you UAS within visual line of sight.
4. Keep away from emergency responders.
5. Never fly over stadiums, sports events or groups of people.
6. Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
7. Never fly withing 5 miles of an airport without first contacting air traffic control and airport                 authorities.

All of the above are good suggestions for any type of activity that involves flying or fireworks.

Otherwise, that's enough for one day. Mary finally finished another index, I believe, and sent it on its way. There is another index that needs polishing still languishing in the queue of indexes to be finished. Plus, I think that there are other book indexes awaiting completion by Mary and highlighting and editing by me.

The sun will rise today at 8:14 a.m. and set at  5:13 p.m. Ciao.

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

Did it rain yesterday? Only a lot. In Muskegon, they had over one inch of rainfall. In Holland where Mary and I were for our dental and car appointments, the rain also fell. No complaints from me, except that I had to take the morning safari with STWD while it was pouring. We both came home wet, and one of us smelled like a wet dog.

Prior to our departure for Holland, I watched the southbound train run. Two locomotives and 12 CHCs passed by at 10:00 a.m. Then, we were off. We took the back road, because the trucks out on the highway never seem to notice that the rest of us are not trucks. They speed, they pass, and they don't seem to let anything slow them down.

With a little assistance from our GPS, we were only a few minutes late to the dentist. He was a tad behind schedule, so it didn't really matter. Both Mary and I were done in less than one hour. Afterwards, I found our way to both the cook's store in downtown Holland and then to the car dealer without the GPS. Back home again on the back road with a stop at the big-box everything store in between.

Since it was getting late and we were getting hungry, we opted for dinner at JWs. As we were walking over, the northbound train passed by behind us at 3:45 p.m. The same locomotives, plus one BC, 10 CHCs, six DBTCs, and four DWTCs.

I just finished highlighting the latest indexing project. By the by, "That Book" did indeed return. The author agreed to the changes that Mary had suggested, so now it should be a matter of some tweaks, I think.

I have just a few chores to accomplish today, plus the regular morning walk with the intrepid weather dog. It should be drier today, as the forecast calls for partly cloudy skies, but no precipitation. Wednesday, while the temperatures will continue to warm, the rains will return. I plan to say in as much as possible. I doubt that Sugar will disagree.

I almost forgot to mention that the 5 - 9 Detroit Lions defeated the 5 - 9 New Orleans Saints, 35 - 27, in a battle of two teams playing for pride, not the post-season.

The sun will rise today at 8:13 a.m. and set at 5:13 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just passing 2:30 a.m. in "The City." I decided that I needed some additional information about the weather and the wind that goes with it, so I consulted the internet. Here is what I learned.

When the wind is described as being a southeast wind, that means that the wind is blowing out of the southeast and heading towards the northwest. Not something that most people will ever need to know, but I was curious.

I also learned that the winter solstice is not really the day of the year with the latest sunrise and the earliest sunset. That actually happened earlier this month. So, today, the sun will rise at 8:13 a.m. and set at 5:12 p.m., slightly less than 24 hours, but not the shortest day. The winter solstice is based on a Pagan ritual from long ago, on a day when King Arthur was supposedly born.

In addition, thousands of people gather at Stonehenge in England to celebrate the birth of the sun. The tilt of the earth is what makes winter colder than summer, even though we are closer to the sun at this time of year. The sun shines more on the Tropic of Capricorn at this time. The Tropic of Capricorn is an imaginary line that is 22 1/2 degrees south of the Equator. As I said earlier, not essential information, but something about which I was curious.

In other news, "That Index" left the building again yesterday. Both Mary and I are certain that it will be back. Now we can get on with the other work we have to do for a few days.

In sports news, the Lions play tonight as previously noted. The Bears fell to the Vikings, 17 - 38. Ouch. The Carolina Panthers were nearly upended by the N Y Giants, a sub .500 team, who overcame a 7 - 35 deficit at the end of the third quarter to tie the game. A literally last second drive and field goal by the Panthers won the game and moved their record to 14 - 0. However, it was a major defensive meltdown for them in the third quarter. The Broncos started strong, but ultimately fell to the Steelers, 27 - 34. I guess that the backup QB for Peyton Manning may not be the answer, in spite of his recent win over the Bears.

It was warmer yesterday, but with the strong winds, it felt much colder and that necessitated cold weather gear for the morning safari with STWD and later in the afternoon when we walked downtown. Speaking of temperatures, the current outdoor temperature is 46°. The forecast calls for an overnight low of 36° before we return to today's high of 46°. The ten day forecast doesn't call for any snow until the first part of 2016, and then not much. Sorry ski fans.

Today we have our dentist appointments in Holland along with an appointment for the Soul. Those will consume a good part of our day. We have also scheduled a few other stops while we are out.

I will pick up today's newspaper while I am out with the intrepid weather dog, and I may get it read after I read Saturday's edition. Like I said, "That Index" consumed a lot of time over the weekend.

I forgot to mention that the results of the tests for STWD were all good. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. We've just passed 5:45 a.m. in The City." I used the ephemeral "we" because I feel as though the writing of my blog makes me one with all of my readers.

Our current outdoor temperature according to the digital weather station here in the WW is 28°, whereas the indoor temperature is 65.7°.

The sun will be rising at 8:12 a.m. on a windy day, and the temperature is forecast to rise to 45°. Monday, the day that we are scheduled to travel to Holland, the temperature is expected to rise to 44° with a possibility of rain. It seems that whenever we travel to Holland, it rains. A very random phenomenon given the generally random nature of our trips to Holland, but there you have it.

The index from H E double hockey sticks, as Radar O'Reilly the fictional character from the old sit-com, M.A.S.H. used to say, is still with us and it is still causing major consternation. We'll try to finish it later this morning, I am trying, I guess that Mary would be like my long ago teachers and say that I am indeed very trying, but as I've often said to Mary, "If I had wanted to be an indexer, I'd have been one." I didn't, I still don't, and I have no plans to change my mind. I highlight, I edit, and I assist, but that's about the end of my involvement and interest. I like reading most of the books and I learn a great deal, and that's the way I like it.

Elsewhere in my life, the Irish Jam session was a total success yesterday. A great turn out of players, a good sized audience, and a good time on a cold Saturday afternoon. In short, a perfect afternoon without an index.

Mary decided that the old bread that we had in the cabinet should become French toast for breakfast yesterday. She prepared it the night before in her kitchen futzing and then reheated it yesterday morning. It was great. Lunch was a bit more pedestrian, as Mary had wanted veggie hot dogs. STWD was down with that, as she always gets the water from the container. Dinner was Tot-choes, and I always like those.

Speaking of the intrepid weather dog she and I started westward for the morning safari but quickly changed directions when we headed into the teeth of a strong wind in our faces early yesterday. We headed south then east and finally back west behind some buildings to make it home again. I think we were spoiled by the relatively balmy days we've been enjoying of late. I'm trying to change my comma usage as I endeavor to adapt to the more modern grammatical standards of the 21st century. It will be a tough fight.

Today, the Bears face off to use a hockey metaphor against the MN Vikings at 1:00 p.m. EST. The Lions don't play until a Monday night game against an equally unspectacular Saints team for a seat on the sidelines during the playoffs. The Blackhawks are having a solid if unspectacular season thus far in 2015. However they beat the Buffalo Sabers 3 - 2 in a shootout last night. The Redwings fell to the Vancouver Canucks 3 - 4, also in a shootout. The Bulls, following their extended game loss to the Pistons the night before fell to the NY Knicks, 91 - 107.

So it's back to highlighting then more editing and then perhaps a bit of retirement. The sun will set at 5:12 p.m. Don't forget to set your internal clocks in anticipation of the increasing length of daylight time after the winter solstice on Monday. Ciao.

Good morning GH. it is just past 8:30 a.m. in "The City." With a current temperature outside the WW of 26.6°, winter is definitely arriving in GH. However by tomorrow, the temperature will be in the mid 40s, and will continue to rise to the 50s by Wednesday, with wind and rain a strong possibility. White Christmas? Probably not, which is OK by me.

Last night, the Detroit Pistons outlasted the Chicago Bulls through four overtime periods to win, 147 - 144. I think it was the last man standing by the time it was over. The Grand Rapids Griffins have won 13 in a row with last night's 5 - 4 win over the Texas Stars. The Griffins are a farm team for the Detroit Red Wings.

Trainspotting yesterday was as expected. At 10:11 a.m. the usual coterie of locomotives rolled through, towing one BC, seven CHCs, one DWTC, one GTC, and two DBTCs, with one of those bringing up the rear. At 2:11 p.m., the same cast of locomotives rolled through "The City" towing a much shorter line of 12 CHCs, fully loaded by the feel of the vibrations rumbling neath he floor. A small homage on my part to the late Steve Goodman from his song City of New Orleans.

I edited the index for Mary yesterday that had returned from the author. To paraphrase that long ago ad, it is a "Chocolate Mess." Today, I'll have to give up a few more hours of my life to something that long ago ceased to have any meaning.

Later this afternoon, I'll be walking to the library for the Irish Jam session. We'll be playing in the upstairs area to the delight of the patrons, we hope, that are in the library at the time.

None of that will happen without the morning walk with the intrepid weather dog on this cold morning. I'm hoping that she will be content with a shortened walk, because I am going to do my best to urge her along.

Later today, I have to get back to highlighting when I return from the jam session.

The sun already rose at 8:12 a.m., and it will set a mere 23 hours and 59 minutes later at 5:11 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:45 a.m. in "The City."

It still feels like winter here in West MI, but that will be changing by Sunday, when the temperature will rise into the 40° plus range and stay there through at least Tuesday. The chance for a proverbial "White Christmas" looks dim. IN addition, windy conditions are forecast for Sunday.

Yesterday, I can honestly say I didn't accomplish very much. In the morning, I walked with the intrepid weather dog to her doctor's appointment, where with the exception of her having gained about 10% more weight than she should have, everything went just fine. There are some test results due in today, but her wellness exam went well. In the afternoon, I greeted the furnace technician and after about 1/2 hour, he pronounced the furnace good for another year. How long will it last? It was installed in 1999, so it could be anywhere from five to ten years. My bet is on the long end of that forecast.

I placed a few pieces in my jigsaw puzzle and we traveled about in the afternoon to do some errands. We stopped at our favorite watering hole for diner and then visited the Post, where we learned that Sally was in the hospital, but on the mend.

Today, some highlighting, some play with the girls in preparation for Saturday's Irish Jam, and the regular walk with STWD later this morning. Mary has a chat session in the afternoon along with work on one or two indexes. In addition, one of the previous indexes has returned for reprocessing. I have heard that the mess made by the editors will necessitate some wizardry from our IT guru and then some magic wand waving by Mary. I have a part in the process too, but I'll know more later.

Right now, the temperature outside the WW is 34°, even though the overnight low is supposed to be 24° before the high later today of, wait for it, 33°. Our setback T-stat is working fine, as the temperature in the Weather Office is 65.7°. The sun will rise at 8:11 a.m. and set at 5:11 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature outside the Weather Window is a more seasonal 39°. We're supposed to hit a forecast low of 26° before the sun rises at 8:10 a.m. and long before it sets at 5:11 p.m. We are inexorably inching towards 12/21/2015, the winter solstice, when the days will be as short as they will get. Then its all longer days after that.

Trainspotting yesterday allowed me to witness the passage of two trains. At 9:45 a.m., the passage of EMD GP 38 locomotives #2019 and #2057 passed by heading south. In tow, were a lone BC, three CHCs, three DWTCs, and six DBTCs, all moving at a fast rate of relative speed.

The return run heading north was the same tandem of locomotives in reverse order towing many more cars, all seemingly empty. Three BCs, 22 CHCs, nine DBTCs, four GTCs, and four DWTCs, one with a red band girdling its mid-section. I did a little research on the internet and discovered that this stripe signifies that the car was carrying hydrogen cyanide, and I thought that hydrochloric acid was bad.

That other team from Chicago completed a trade for third baseman Todd Frazier yesterday. They traded with the Cincinnati Reds and the L.A. Dodgers to complete the deal. Frazier has two years remaining before he becomes a free agent. That other team from Chicago had to cede several solid prospects to complete the deal. Some pundits suggest that we are seeing the dismantling of the Reds and the continued stockpiling of prospects by the Dodgers. Only time will tell.

Did I mention that the San Francisco Giants signed one-time Cub's and that other team's pitcher Jeff Samardzija to a $90,000,000 five year deal the other day? They did. Jeff throws hard, 90 mph plus, and pitches over 200 innings every year. Maybe a change of scenery is what he needs to finally achieve more than a modicum of success.

The Bulls defeated the Memphis Grizzles 98 - 85 last night, behind strong efforts by D' Rose and Jimmy Butler. D' Rose was without the face shield he has been wearing to protest his eye socket, which was injured earlier this season. He has had a very star crossed injury filled career so far in the NBA.

Abby Wambach finished her pro-soccer career, playing a game for the U.S. women's national team against China. She failed to score a goal in the 0 - 1 loss. She is the all-time leading scorer in international women's soccer and played on the U.S. team that won the World Cup last summer. She says that at 35, she is ready to retire and get on with life.

I took the morning safari with STWD yesterday while it rained and the wind blew at a good clip. By the time we returned, the sun came out and the skies looked much less threatening. That didn't last for long, and the rains returned later in the day. By then, I was in the midst of my chores that took all afternoon.

I started on that highlighting late yesterday. I am highlighting two books in a row, while Mary is indexing them in the same fashion. Apparently, one of the authors relies heavily on end notes in which a great deal of the information in the book is contained. My first task was to highlight the introductions and conclusions for both books so that Mary can do what she calls chunking.

I have an appointment later this morning for Sugar at her doctor for her annual vaccinations and tests, along with a wellness check. In addition, since this is Sugar's birth month, she is getting a complimentary pawdicure. Later in the day, we have someone coming to do a tune-up and safety check on our furnace. If all goes according to plan, the majority of the cost for that visit will be returned to us in the form of a rebate from the gas company. In any event, the furnace needed to be checked anyway.

Those two things along with the aforementioned highlighting, should fill my day. Ciao.

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

Well folks, it's a done deal. Next year is here. Yesterday, the Cubs signed outfielder Jason Heyward to an eight year, 184 million dollar contract. He does have some opt out clauses in that contract, but he will be paid a huge amount of money to help put the Cubs over the top. Along with recent the signings of pitchers John Lackey and Adam Warren, (You gotta love that first name) and infielder Ben Zobrist, the Cubs should be the team to beat in 2016. Am I  die hard? Looks like it.

Lunch was had  after I assembled my new chair. While it was a good nutritional lunch, the chickpea salad was on the bland side. Edible and nutritional yes, but tasty? Not really. The soup I had for dinner was accompanied by that same bland salad.

I did the cleanup after lunch, while Mary went off to chat. A fair trade, as she took the morning safari with STWD while I assembled that chair.

Yesterday afternoon, we traveled to the local garden center and dog biscuit purveyor, where we also got two large ornaments for our front porch. They were 50% off. Next we traveled to the big-box home center for that aforementioned return and to get some "needed" things. Then we walked next door to the big-box electronics store to get a new Bluetooth™ speaker for use with our phone. Finally, we made our way to the grocery store in Spring Lake to pick up a few items to get us through the balance of 2015. No visit to Spring Lake would be complete without a visit to our favorite watering hole north of the bridge. I'm worn out again just writing about it.

Today I have to get to that highlighting and addressing our holidaycards. My puzzle is going along, but Mary doesn't think I'll finish by year's end. I beg to differ.

I am typing on my new keyboard and it feels great to the touch.

The sun will rise this morning at 8:10 a.m. and set at 5:10 p.m. Today's high will be 51° with rain and windy conditions. Currently, the temperature outside the WW is 42°, while the indoor temperature is 69°. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:45 a.m. in "The City."

I had an interesting day yesterday. Overnight last night, my wireless keyboard stopped working. Upon further review, to use a sports analogy, I discovered that one of the batteries had leaked and rendered the keyboard inoperable. Since the battery was a name brand, I emailed the manufacturer regarding a resolution. I received a prompt reply yesterday morning and I got money to replace the keyboard, and the batteries. A great resolution.

That necessitated traveling to one of the big-box office supply stores to purchase a new keyboard, which Mary and I did late yesterday. Since I had already decided to replace my old office chair, while we were there, we also purchased a new one of those too.

Also yesterday, I received a reply from the city's director of public works regarding my recent query regarding the sidewalk in front of our home. Apparently, GH has a program that will assist in the replacement of the concrete, that had been displaced by the roots of the big tree in the parkway. Unfortunately, that will require removal of the tree. I'll miss the tree, which was dying due to the restriction of its roots, I won't miss raking the leaves from that tree. The new concrete next spring will be a significant improvement.

On to the mundane things of life. Trainspotting yesterday was a bit different. The southbound run at 10:20 a.m. consisted of only locomotive #2019 moving very slowly through town, towing two BCs, and seven CHCs, one very long.

The return run of the same locomotive occurred while I was out with STWD, at 2:05 p.m. Sugar did not like the roaring of the locomotive as it passed. Once again, the train was moving very slowly, but the mix of cars had changed. Four CHCs, four DBTCs, one very new, one GTC, and one very rusty tank car of unknown contents, but which I suspect contained acid of some type based on the missing paint.

Today, I need to make a run to the big-box home center in Muskegon to make a return. While there, I'll pick up anything else that I may "need." In addition, I'll get to some of those indoor chores that I put off yesterday.

Mary has more indexing to do, while I have no assigned duties other than reading the newspapers from yesterday and today. Naturally, I'll also be doing the crosswords. I know I have to do more highlighting too.  I may try to place a few more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle. I'm making slow but steady progress.

The temperatures are heading down here in GH. Currently, we have an outdoor temperature of 42.3° under mostly clear skies. As the days pass, the temperatures will continue their downward trend. Saturday's high will be a more seasonal 33°. The precipitation that is forecast to fall on Wednesday will be in the form of rain, so I'm not complaining. Last year, the street looked like the photo below that I took out the window of the weather office.

Today's high is expected to reach 43° and tomorrow, 49°, with that aforementioned rain. I guess that that isn't a downward trend, yet.  The sun will be rising at 8:09 a.m. and setting at 5:10 p.m. today. Ciao.

Not much was happening in "The City." The temperature is still 58° at 12:30 a.m. Not bad for December 14.

Yesterday was a great day. I placed more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle and the pieces left in the box are getting fewer.

I guessed right on the football results, both the Lions and the Bears lost. Maybe Adam is right, the Bears should not try to win and hurt their draft picks further. They aren't going to the Super Bowl again this year.

Today, I plan to do some additional chores, and then get down to the serious business of doing as little as possible. Of course, I have more highlighting to do, but that is going to be drawing to a close very soon. Then I may be able to find time to do the things that I had planned to do when I retired.

STWD and I will take the morning safari and pick up the newspaper.

Mary has to get back to work on another index, but she only has two left in the pipeline, along with a couple that should be returning from the authors for updates.

Today, the sun will rise at 8:08 a.m. and set at 5:10 p.m. Ciao

Good afternoon GH. It is just past 3:30 p.m. in "The City." Sometimes a blog waits for just the right time, which is now. The current temperature according to the weather station is 61.9° with rain and a total overcast sky.

Another successful visit by "The Kids", Steph and Adam, yesterday, and today. They came, they saw, they conquered, well at least they conquered STWD's usual disdain for their visits. In fact, the intrepid weather dog actually snuggled up to Adam on the couch. She has been especially needy the last few days, so maybe this is a manifestation that resulted from that neediness.

We had a great dinner last night crafted by Mary and to a small extent by yours truly. I did some peeling and chopping, but Mary was responsible for the majority of the preparations. The results were an excellent vegan "Roast Beast", roasted butternut squash, dressing, mushroom gravy, and for me, jellied cranberry sauce from a can. In all cases, the meal was vegan.

Otherwise, not much was happening. With the assistance of both Adam and Steph, I placed a few more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle.

I also edited more with Mary yesterday and then we stopped for the day, because "The Kids" arrived. We just finished that editing and sent the index on it's way.

I have no additional plans for this afternoon. Perhaps some TV, reading the Grand Haven Tribune, and that's about it.

As I am writing, the Lions and the Bears are losing, so I haven't wasted my time watching those disasters.

The sun rose this morning at 8:07 a.m. and it will set in less than two hours at 5:10 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just after 3:45 a.m. in "The City", on 12-12-15. Not really significant, but I thought I'd add that information anyway.

Well, I did it, I took time out of my busy retirement to set up our Christmas tree for another year. I took a few pictures, but I like the two below the best, because they show the tree in the brightness of day and the darkness of night. 

# 1

In the picture below taken after sunset, I was able to capture the reflection of the tree in the window facing the street. I like it a lot. In both pictures, the ornaments shown are either made by Mary or myself, or in the case of the topper, purchased at the Christkindlmarket in downtown Chicago. There is one ornament near the top, that depicts an angel. It was a gift from Sally. We like the idea that our ornaments reflect places we've been or experiences that we've shared.

#2

I still have to learn how to locate the pictures once I download them from my camera.

No trains yesterday, which is odd, considering that it was Friday. 

We took the morning safari to the post office and the bank, where STWD was able to make a biscuit withdrawal. It was a windy day, so our attire was reflective of what we saw out the window, not the reality of the actual weather. We were under-dressed. Right now, the outdoor temperature is 43° Fahrenheit, with a relative humidity reading of 82% Indoors, it is 66.6° and the humidity is a tad lower at 50%. actually not bad for a late fall day/night.

Today, the temperature is expected to be 54° with the possibility of morning showers. That possibility is a reality, as it is current;y wet outside the WW. Just like with that famous weather rock in Bermuda, if it is wet, it is raining. Sunday, we may see 58°, but the chance of showers in the forecast is more a sure thing than a forecast.

In sports, the Cubs signed outfielder Jason Heyward. The Cardinals also wanted to sign Heyward, so the Cubs get a twofer; they get a quality outfielder and they steal a player from the Cardinals, their division rivals. I believe that next year is finally here. Am I a hopeless die-hard Cubs Fan or what? With a bit of good fortune, the Tigers may contend again too. 

I had a good day puzzling yesterday. I placed numerous pieces, including one in the lower edge that I hadn't recognized before. Today, I'd like to place more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle, but first, I have to assist Mary in the kitchen and walk with the intrepid weather dog.

Other than that, I have no specific plans. I did get in some time with the girls last night, but it was not one of my better days, or is that nights? It happens. I enjoyed myself anyway.

The sun will rise today at 8:06 a.m. and set at 5:10 p.m. Ciao.

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

Speaking of sports, although I wasn't, the Bulls defeated the L.A. Clippers 83 - 80 last night at the United Center. The Cubs appear to be in pursuit of Jason Heyward, a 26 year old outfielder currently in the employ of the St. Louis Cardinals. He is a free agent, and may be just the player the Cubs need to solidify their outfield following the departure of Dexter Fowler. Stay tuned.

I got all of my chores done yesterday. Now I have time to set up the Christmas tree. In addition, I have some editing to do for Mary on the index for the book I finished highlighting earlier this month.

I did get in some time with the girls early yesterday before STWD and I took the morning walk, while Mary went to Health Hutt for some cooking supplies. When she returned from her outing, I learned that we were off to the local antiques store to pick up our new to us storage chest for the mud room. It needs some paint, but I feel confident that I can accomplish that task. I'm just waiting for Mary to decide on the color.

I made it to my doctor's appointment late yesterday afternoon. The results of the visit were all good, so the doctor said, "Have a nice life, I don't need to see you again." I liked that.

Later yesterday afternoon, Mary and I walked downtown to get something laminated and then dropped into our favorite watering hole for dinner. It was windy, but as Mary likes to say, we held hands and stuck together on the way home and made it safely. There was a John Denver special on the PBS TV station that we watched in the media room. Mary had originally thought she would watch the TV news, but opted to join me instead. It is amazing how the music that was popular when we met and married 42 years ago, still sounded fresh so many years later.

Today, I haven't much on my agenda. No doctors and no chores. I do have some chickpeas to bake into a spicy snack, but Mary did the hard part yesterday, pressure cooking the beans that I had soaked overnight, so mixing with hot sauce and baking them for 30 minutes is easy.

According to my digital weather station located here in the Weather Office of the PE, the current temperature is 48.2°, with relative humidity of 75%. Indoors, the temperature is 69.4° and the humidity is 52%. No rain is in the forecast until Sunday, when the temperature is forecast to be 58°.

The sun will rise today at 8:06 a.m. and set at 5:10 p.m., before the new moon takes over the sky in all of its invisibility. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City." According to the digital weather station in the Weather Office, the current temperature on the front porch is 43°. In addition, the sky is partly cloudy and the relative humidity is 88%. That seems high, but as of now, I'll go with that. Indoors, the temperature in the Weather Office is 68° and the relative humidity is 53%. Like I remarked yesterday, the digital weather station needs a few weeks to learn about the barometric pressure trend to give more accurate readings. Stay tuned.

I got almost all of my indoor chores done yesterday. I only have to do the floors. That should be easy enough. It is also time to set up our Christmas tree. That can take a few hours, but I enjoy the activity as it reminds me of Christmases long, long ago, when I was younger and when Adam was younger. We add new ornaments each year, following the example of Steph and Adam when they gather ornaments that memorialize places they have visited. In our case, the new ornaments are more of the activity type than the places type.

Our outdoor decorations consist of a green bulb in our porch light, but that is just fine with me.

I did some trainspotting yesterday. At 9:42 a.m., the southbound run rumbled through. EMD GP 38 locomotives 2019 and 2057 were pulling one BC, 14 CHCs, six DBTCs, one GTC, and six total DWTCs, one with a big primer colored strip around it's mid-section. I have no idea what that stripe means. In any event, the cars were heavily laden, judging by the way the ground shook as they passed.

At 1:03 p.m., the same locomotive tandem reversed order and headed north. The mix of cars was much smaller, with one CHC, one BC, three DBTCs, and one GTC.

I did get in some time with the girls yesterday. Not much, but that's okay, because any time is good time. I also added some additional pieces to my jigsaw puzzle. In addition, Mary and I read the newspaper and I finished two crossword puzzles. Plus, I also finished my latest novel from the library. That means that when we take the morning safari with STWD, I can return it so that the next person in the queue can pick it up.

We walked to Washington Square with the intrepid weather dog about lunch time yesterday, so that we could get some furniture polish at Frank's Market. We made a short stop at the accountants to drop off a payment for his professional services. Mary made lunch of vegan Gouda Cheese atop veggie patties before we left. I liked them. Dinner was my all time favorite pasta, small shells, to which Mary added a version of her down and dirty pasta sauce with more of those patties chopped up in the sauce.

Today, I don't have any specific plans, just the aforementioned floors, a start on setting up the Christmas tree, and some time with the newspaper and the girls after the morning safari. I do have an appointment at the doctor later in the afternoon for an annual routine checkup that men of a certain age must get. The sun will rise today at 8:05 a.m.,and set at 5:09 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:45 a.m. in "The City." I'm reporting from the newly equipped Weather Office where the new digital Weather Station is showing an image of a partly cloudy night sky, with an outdoor temperature of 48.6°, and 75% relative humidity. Indoors, the display shows that here in the Weather Office, the temperature is 68.2°, with 50% humidity. As time passes, I'll be able to include additional information as the station"learns" the prevailing barometric pressures and thereby can be more accurate. Such things as the Dew Point and the Heat Index will be available. I'm into the 21st century now.

In other news, Mary and I both worked hard yesterday. I did the chores in the downstairs while she multi-tasked, indexing, chatting, and surveying the various news sources. I'm nearly finished, she is not. We both accompanied STWD on the morning safari before Mary sat down to her chat. She did a nice job of adapting the menus as the applesauce that I made a few weeks ago had become a science experiment. I also printed out a copy of the novel I have been working on for many years.

No trains yesterday, but given the regularity of the non-holiday week runs, I should see two today.

In sports, the Cubs traded infielder Starlin Castro to the Yankees for a pitcher and a player to be named later, possibly another infielder. They also signed 34 year old free agent infielder Ben Zobrist to a $56,000,000 contract for four years. The pitcher in the trade Castro with the Yankees, Adam Warren, is a 28 year old right handed pitcher with a solid strikeout to walks ratio. He is projected to be able to start in the National League on a regular basis. At 28, he is just coming into the prime age for a starting pitcher. He spent his entire career in the Yankees organization. You have to like his name. Given the emphasis that Theo Epstein places on pitching, hopefully, Theo and his executive team have done their homework.

Today, I'll finish more of my chores, read more of my latest novel that I got from the library, and hopefully place more pieces in the jigsaw puzzle. I may even find time to play with the girls; all of that after the morning safari. Whew, I'm tired just thinking about my day.

The sun will rise at 8:04 a.m. and set at 5:09 P.M. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City." A current temperature outside the WW of 39° will give way to today's high of 47°, under cloudy skies. Tomorrow, we are expecting showers in the morning with the same high temperature. By this time tomorrow, I hope to have my new weather station added to the equipment here in the Weather Office/Music Room/Editing Center/Blogging Central. I'll let you know how that works out once it is installed. That reminds me, I need to replace the battery in the indoor digital thermometer here in the office.

I made it to my tonsorial appointment yesterday at Hale's Barber Shop. A great experience! The young lady, Laura, provided the best hair cutting experience since Joe retired. Actually, I think she was better. Personable, talkative in  positive way, and very efficient. Plus, the cost for my hair, such as it is, my beard, and my brows was only $14.00. I've paid more and gotten less too many times, so this was a very positive experience.

I missed the morning train run yesterday. I was unavailable for that one, but I know it happened at 10:30 a.m. as the train headed south. Mary assures me that it was heavily laden. The southbound run went by when I was puzzle solving in the dining room during the early afternoon in the PE. Good old #s 2057 and 2019 were at the front of the following: two BCs, 10 CHCs, two DBTCs, and four DWTCs, with two bringing up the rear at 2:07 p.m.

Mary enlisted my aid in cleaning the pepper grinder yesterday. I was doing great until I decided to speed up the drying process with the aid of the heat gun I have in the man-cave. Let's just say, that the plastic of the grinder did not hold up well under the additional heat. The now misshapen grinder made it necessary to travel to Holland to shop for a replacement for that grinder and one to replace the now mismatched salt grinder. I came away chagrined and with a new appreciation for the power of the heat gun.

Since we were out, we shopped at the big-box everything store and that's where I got my new weather station. On the return from Holland, we stopped in at our favorite watering hole in East Town. Mary says it has the best jukebox in the area, and I have to agree.

Today I plan to get started on my indoor chores. I am going to take it easy and spread them over several days. That way, I know that I can emulate Marshall and still get the chores all completed.
But first, I'll take the morning walk with STWD and then read the newspaper before starting on those chores.

I think that's enough for one day, don't you? The sun will rise at 8:03 a.m. and set at 5:09 p.m. Ciao.

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

Once again, I didn't watch much pro football yesterday. Unfortunately, I tuned in long enough to watch the Bears lose to the Forty-Niners, 20 - 26. The Lions had the day off. The MSU Spartans are on their way to the Cotton Bowl to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. It should be a good game, especially if Connor Cook's ailing shoulder gets a chance to recover.

We took the morning safari with STWD yesterday morning. She did what dog's do on a nice day in "The City", she smelled every blade of grass, bush, tree, hydrant, and post along the route. But that's OK, because I enjoyed being out too.

I placed many more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle yesterday afternoon and evening. I also edited a short index for Mary. Most importantly, I spent about one hour of time that I'll never get back in the man-cave trying to see the small holes and fine wire of a Christmas ornament set that Mary got for me to assemble. Unfortunately, the old orbs are not what they used to be, so what should have taken 15 minutes to complete, took me an hour to get half finished. I think the kit will be donated to a resale store like Goodwill™.

Mary made that French toast that I mentioned yesterday. Naturally, it was delicious with maple syrup. Lunch/dinner was bean tacos with Spanish rice. I think Mary was right, the rice needed more spice.

We both spent time in the kitchen doing clean-up after the various meals. However, Mary did the last clean-up after making her barbecue sauce that is always delicious on just about anything. My roast beast will have to wait until a supply of bullion cubes arrives on Tuesday.

Today, I have that appointment for my tonsorial tuneup. It won't be like going to Joe's and talking about the Spartans, the Lions, my beloved Red Sox, or the Cubs, but I'll make do.

Otherwise, I'll read the newspaper after the morning safari, and then do more on my jigsaw puzzle before I go to that hair appointment.

The sun will rise at 8:02 a.m. and set at 5:10 p.m. The temperature will bottom out at 29° with foggy conditions, and then rise again to 46° by the early afternoon. No precipitation is in the forecast until Wednesday. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in The City."

Outside the Weather Window, we have a current temperature of 33°. We'll increase to today's high of 43° after the sun rises at 8:01 a.m. and long before it sets in preparation for a waning gibbous moon at 5:09 p.m.

Speaking of rising, Mary and I spent time in the media room last evening watching the Spartans of MSU defeat the previously undefeated Hawkeyes of Iowa 16 - 13. This may well be the best game I have ever witnessed. Down by four points to the Hawkeyes, the Spartans used moxie and muscle to march down the field in an over nine minute drive and then push the ball over the goal line in the final seconds of the game. I believe that the zebras jobbed the Spartans all night. Admittedly, I am a partisan, but I still believe it. That made the Spartans the Big 10 Champions and likely propelled them to a playoff game to determine the ultimate National Collegiate Football Champion. The game was on:

(Courtesy of Fox Sports)

And it was for the Big 10 Championship. (Courtesy of Fox Sports)

The day itself evolved over many hours after we arose at 12:00 p.m., much to the chagrin of  STWD. Lunch ensued, which even Chef Mary says was not her best pasta. She redeemed herself later with the spread she prepared for the game feast. I had a hand in the chopping of the carrots and celery. Naturally, I had to have a few Natural Light beers with the game.

What more could you  want for a "Game Party?"

Prior to that, we had walked downtown to see the annual Jingle Bell Parade, which drew large crowds to "The City." I've randomly selected some pictures from that event.

Many decorated dogs were in or at the parade.

Blurry, but representative.

Same here.

I should mention that the traffic leaving "The City" was very heavy on the street in front of the PE. Not as heavy as that following Fourth of July fireworks nor the egress following the fireworks and the annual Coast Guard Festival Parade, but still, there were a lot of vehicles. As Mary said, "This city knows how to have a parade."

I'm finished with my highlighting and now I can get down to the serious business I have in the man-cave. That could take hours with any luck. 

Mary has promised to make French toast for breakfast, which I always love. She also has plans to make a roast beast, similar but not exactly like our Thanksgiving ham. I'm counting on her after she works on an indexing project. 

Otherwise, there will be the regular morning safari with the intrepid weather dog. Yesterday, she heard gun shots and almost wouldn't leave the deck. Things calmed down, and we walked over to Center Town for the newspaper and some Liquid Smoke that Mary needed. 

I should mention that we returned to the Bookman, our local indie book shop, to buy a book to donate to the Loutit Library collection. I can't remember the exact title, but it is a collection of pictures and poems that are related to the Earth. We'll get a brass plaque in our name as the donors too, but that's not why we did it.

That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

I was sitting here and thinking about a song I once penned that I entitled Home Again. In my dotage, I can't remember most of the lyrics, but the opening went something like this. "They say you can't go home again, but ain't it worth a try." There was something in there about people being unable to do the things that they really should because they were possessed with feet of clay. But, that's about all I can remember. The genesis for the memory was thinking about all of the places that Mary, Adam, and I visited when we were younger. Later when we were a tad older, we added Stephany to our entourage.

One such place, or places really, was Dixon, IL. My grandmother's son, my mother's brother, and my uncle, Harold, lived in a state facility for the handicapped there. We'd all go to visit the him at the school about once per month and depending on the time of year, we'd usually go to a place called Lowell Park, a facility on the Rock River that was perfect for kids to play and enjoy. Trees, trails, the river, and all of the things that make being outdoors for a kid a great place to be.

My grandmother, Nane, would prepare burgers for grilling at Lowell Park. We'd just enjoy the ride and the atmosphere.  In the winter, we'd have lunch at the school's commissary where instead of burgers, we'd have Sloppy Joe's that my grandmother prepared at home in her covered pot and then reheated on the industrial stoves there. At that time, Dixon was a small city that had as it's main claim to fame, that it was the boyhood home of President Ronald Reagan. We'd pass through towns along the route like Elgin, St. Charles, Sycamore, Oregon, and a little town called Grand Detour, a town that John Deere once called home, and where he invented the self-cleaning plow.

Today, Deere's family home and it's grounds have an archaeological site to showcase Deere's original forge that sits alongside the family home. I'm sure that Adam remembers it because we traveled there with him when he was a child. Strangely enough, Mary thought I had lost my mind when I described visiting Harold and Lowell Park as one of my fondest childhood memories. It wasn't until I took her there that she got the idea. There are so many things to recall, that I could spend reams writing about them. But the point is, sometimes the memories are probably better than the reality, as the memories grow sweeter with the remembering.

Trainspotting yesterday was good. At 9:55 a.m., the regular cast of locomotives passed by heading south, towing a mix of one BC, 13 CHCs, three DBTCs. and a single GTC, all heavily laden. The same tandem of locomotives passed by again heading north at 1:19 p.m., with a lone BC, 11 CHCs, followed by two DWTCs bringing up the rear.

Sports news yesterday was not good for the NIU Huskies. Adam encouraged me to watch the game, but the Huskies lost to the Bowling Green Falcons, 14 - 34. Bowing Green is now the MAC champion. Oh well, wait til next year. The Spartans of MSU take on the Iowa Hawkeyes for the Big 10 Championship at 8:17 tonight. As of now, the Spartans are the favorite. The Cubs paid 32 million dollars for two years of service from John Lackey, a 37 year old pitcher, to strengthen the starting rotation on a team that won 97 games this past season. Here's hoping.

I made an appointment yesterday morning at the nearby barber/stylist for next Monday. Since Joe retired to Florida, I've been doing my own hair and beard, but they have gotten out of control. It's time for professional help. STWD accompanied me to the shop, where she received a treat. As is often the case with Sugar, it will take time for her to get used to new people in her life.

We made it out yesterday afternoon to the hardware store to pick up a blade for my new to me hacksaw. Then we returned home, parked the car, and walked downtown to go to our favorite watering hole and the Post.

Today, the morning safari, football in the evening, and possibly the Jingle Bell Parade downtown in between. I'll also find time to finish the highlighting to get it off my desk.

The weather will go from the current temperature of 44°, to 34° and then back to 44° under partly cloudy skies. The sun will rise today at 8:00 a.m. and set at 5:10 p.m. Ciao.

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

Most of my day yesterday was taken up with highlighting and walking in the morning. The afternoon saw us making a trip to the big box tool purveyor in Muskegon for a few things I "Needed."
We made a stop at the fabric store in Spring Lake to get some material for our Christmas tree skirt and then stopped in at our favorite watering hole over the bridge for a quick libation. Oh. I also got a new to me hacksaw for 0.95 cents at the re-purposing store. Mary and I agreed that 2016 will be the year where we only buy things that are re-purposed. Obviously, some things can't be gotten that way, but where we can, we will. All the hacksaw needs is a little cleaning and a blade and I'm set to go.

Mary was hard at work yesterday as I was highlighting, but she still found time to craft some tasty meals from items in the pantry. We stopped at the Post to check on Sally, well actually Mary checked, I listened to the radio. Sally is doing fine.

No trains yesterday. Given the current M-W-F train schedule, I should see some today.

The Lions fell to the Packers 23 - 27 on Thursday Night Football. It does look like they gave as good as they got.

I just finished highlighting another chapter for the latest index. I'm up to page 120 of 202, so that means that I'm 59% done. Mary is on the horns of a dilemma with this index, as her main contact at the publisher seems to be temporarily unable to communicate due to the weather conditions where he is located.

Otherwise, not much on tap for today. The regular morning safari with STWD and reading the newspaper. I'll do more highlighting of what has turned out to be an interesting book. I hope to stay in today after the morning walk and a short stop at Health Hutt.

The sun will rise today at 7:59 a.m. and set at 5:10 p.m.. Until the winter solstice later this month, the days will continue to be shorter and shorter. Ciao.

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

As you can well imagine, since I didn't get around to blogging until late yesterday, I really don't have much to add, but I can't disappoint my loyal readers. So I'll give you another down and dirty version.

We made it to the grocer's about 7:00 p.m. last evening before we stopped at the favorite watering hole for my final pay on the last index. The grocery story was very lightly populated on a Wednesday evening, and we liked it.

Home, more depressing TV news, and then it was time for me to retire.

The sun will rise later today at 7:58 a.m. as the new day dawns with mostly cloudy skies and  a temperature that rebounded from our current low of 34° to a more robust high of 42°. Tomorrow the temperatures will continue to rise towards Saturday's high of 49°. By Michigan standards, that's balmy.

The sun will set later this afternoon at 5:10 p.m. as the new moon continues to shine. Ciao.

Good afternoon GH. It is 4:00 p.m. in "The City", a rainy, dreary, wintry looking city.

I got a late start on this blog, because Mary and I were up until nearly 2:00 a.m. this morning, putting the finishing touches on the latest indexing project. It went out at about 1:20 a.m. Is it done? Not likely, because the author will probably be making changes. Be that as it may, I was exhausted.

I took the morning safari this morning with the intrepid weather dog. It wasn't raining at the time, so we enjoyed our little sojourn. Mary had some additional work to get out, so Sugar and I were on our own. Prior to that, Mary made pancakes that tasted delicious. When we returned from our outing, I was basically like a zombie. No energy and of single minded purpose. I placed a few pieces in my jigsaw puzzle, and then when I came upstairs, I was pressed into service to do some additional highlighting on the next project. Oh well, less pages in my future.

At 11:10 a.m., the southbound train appeared. Locomotives 2057 and 2019 were plying the rails to parts south of here. In tow were two BCs, six CHCs, then two DBTCs, that were followed by one rusty DBTC, then six additional rusty CHCs, with four DWTCs two GTCs, and then various DBTCs were bringing up the rear. One of those cars seemed tiny when compared to the others. It was probably laden with the most dangerous liquid.

After a nice lunch, I gathered up the trash and the recycling for future carriage to the curb. At 2:32 p.m., the locomotives reappeared heading north, oddly in the same order as before. In their wake were five CHCs, one DBTC, and four GTCs.

I have no plans beyond the moment. The sun rose at 7:57 a.m., and it will set this evening at 5:10 p.m. The rainy conditions are expected to continue until late this evening and then clear out overnight. A current temperature of 38° gives lie to the prediction of today's high of 41°. Fortunately for Sugar, no T-storms are in the forecast. Ciao.

Good morning GH. Since it is approximately 6:00 a.m. in "The City", I think I'll dispense with my usual opening.

Yesterday was the first trainspotting day since early last week. We saw and heard the southbound run at 10:41 a.m., when locomotive #2057 was just ahead of locomotive #2019. Collectively they were towing the following combination of cars. 20 CHCs, seven DBTCs, three DWTCs, a lone GT, and a final, very rusty, CHC was bringing up the rear. Given the way the ground was shaking, some of the cars were loaded. However, some were rocking on the rails, so they were not full. The train was moving at a good clip.

At 3:02 p.m., the locomotives reversed position and headed north towing two BCs, four CHCs, five DBTCs, two WTCs, one GT, and seven additional CHCs were at the end of the train. I think that the railroad is buying cars that are well past the prime of their life, based on their appearance.

I spent much of my day assisting Mary in her indexing work. My latest role was that of a data entry clerk. Not hard work, but I have a new appreciation for people who spend their days in that activity. I did some editing work too as Mary had the hard slog, trying to add the appropriate diacritics to an index of names.

I did take the morning walk with STWD as is our custom. It was a beautiful morning for a walk in GH. Many other people were out with their K9 companions. Sugar and I aren't usually out at that early hour. We returned and then I got to work.

I got in a bit of time with the newspaper later in the day and solved the crossword contained therein. I added a few more pieces to my jigsaw too.

Somewhere in there, Mary made a lunch of sauerkraut and faux Swiss cheese sandwiches, slathered with mustard and her homemade thousand island dressing, along with a side of sweet potatoes. Dinner was a Mary's variation of macaroni and cheese fettuccine. I liked both meals.

Today the sun will rise at 7:55 a.m. and set ate 5:10 p.m. Ciao.