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

Yesterday, the train moved slowly through the reality scale trainboard. At 10:47 a.m. locomotive #2019, an EMD GP38, was soloing once again, as it headed south. He was towing seven CHCs, and two DBTCs. At 3:25 p.m., that same locomotive returned, with six CHCs, seven DBTCs, two DWTCs, and two GTCs, that were bringing up the rear.

In additional train spotting news, there was a report yesterday of the derailment of 24 CHCs in Howell, Township, MI. I learned that typically, CHCs carry grain, but these cars were empty at the time of the derailment. The locomotive remained upright on the tracks when the broken three foot section of track near Owosso, MI, caused the derailment according to officials.

This was/is a different railroad, the Great Lakes Central, from the short line railroad that plies the tracks near the palatial estate. Our tracks belong to the Mid-Michigan Railroad, a subsidiary of Genesee & Wyoming Inc. The Mid-Michigan operates over a much shorter route than the Great Lakes Central. They operate over 400 miles of track in Central and Northern, MI. Both railroads have excellent safety records.

The weather today calls for a high temperature of 58° under partly cloudy skies. We have a current temperature of 37° that feels like 37°  under dark skies. As of now, the fog has lifted.

In sports news, the Tigers defeated the Mets yesterday, 9 - 3 in a Grapefruit League spring training game to move their record to 8 - 6. My beloved Red Sox, fell to the Pirates 1 - 3 to fall to 5 - 8 in that same league. The boys in blue play in the Cactus League, and their record of  3 - 10 is even worse, as they fell to the Padres 2 - 10. Ouch.

Yesterday, we got up late, I walked with STWD to pick up the newspaper while Mary went to Health Hutt. When we got back, Mary served up some delicious BLT sandwiches which utilized the remaining vegan bacon she had prepared the day before for breakfast. In addition, she made a slaw that consisted of shredded broccoli mixed with her now perfected slaw dressing, also delicious.

I finished my highlighting yesterday as Mary worked with our IT guru across the country. I also found time to change the strings on Leilani. I was trepidatious at first, but I got them properly secured. Now I have to spend a few days re-tuning her as they adjust to being under tension. I hope to take her to the upcoming Irish Jam on Saturday.

Dinner was at the favorite watering hole.

Today, we plan to go to the Hemlock Crossing Park in nearby West Olive, MI,  for a presentation on the Eastmanville Poor Farm, a place that housed those too young, too old, too sick, or too poor to live independently. This presentation will be by local author and historian Marjie Viveen. Given the keen interest in local history that both Mary and I share, I'm certain that we'll have many questions. Hopefully, there will be time.

Otherwise, we'll walk with the intrepid one and then after breakfast, Mary has her regular chat at noon today while I read and relax. The sun will rise at 7:57 a.m. and set at 7:52 p.m. Ciao.