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

I am once again listening to Coast to Coast AM and George Noory, as he and his guest, Joe Nickell, a featured columnist with Skeptical Inquirer, science magazine, talk about ghosts, ghost sightings, aliens, and Mary's personal favorite, Bigfoot. Too bad Mary can never stay awake to hear Coast to Coast AM. I may wake her to hear George's theme song, Listening to Coast to Coast, as performed by UFO Phil. Here is a link to Phil's video. https://youtu.be/XqWPCsNke24

My thanks to Ellen for some additional info regarding my Chicago area reminiscences. We live in a small world, don't we?

Trainspotting yesterday was OK, but mostly pedestrian. At 10:29 a.m., the regular cast of locomotives passed by on "The reality scale train layout." Locomotives 2057 and 2019 looking grand in their freshly washed Mid-Michigan RR livery, were towing 10 CHCs, seven DBTCs, two looking older and rustier than usual even for this railroad, and two GTCs, with one at the end.

At 1:40 p.m., I heard that lonesome whistle once again as the locomotives approached from the south heading north. I was poised and ready in the living room, and in spite of her protestations to the contrary, so too was my apprentice poised upstairs in her office. What to our wondering eyes should appear? The same complement of locomotives, but no cars. Zip, zero, nil, nada.

When Mary, Adam, and I took a trip to Glacier National Park over 20 years ago on Amtrak's "The Empire Builder", we listened to a retired Amtrak employee pontificating about many things, ad nauseum. He had a lot to say about "Deadheading", a practice of riding a train without working to get home. I guess that same phrase is used by airline employees doing the same thing. At any rate, two locomotives traversing the rails burning diesel fuel without towing any cars is an expensive and wasteful activity just to get the locomotives and their crew back to their point of origin.

In sports news, the boys in blue defeated the hapless Braves by a score of 6 - 1. That gives the Cubs a record of 17 - 5, to remain in 1st place in the NL Central. Some good news on the injury front. Kris Bryant has a minor ankle sprain, and will not need a trip to the DL. However, some bad news too. The Cubs' veteran catcher, Miguel Montero, is on the 15 day DL due to back pains. Not a good thing for a catcher.

The Tigers handily defeated the Twins 9 - 2, to move up to 2nd place in the AL Central, with a record of 12 - 10. My beloved Red Sox didn't exactly crush the Yankees with a winning score of 4 - 2, but a win over the Yankees is always a good thing, The Sox are now sporting a record of 13 - 10 and are in 2nd in the AL East, while the Yankees languish in 5th place in that same AL East, with a record of 8 - 13. Ahhhh, that felt good to write. The Caps fell to the Quad Cities River Bandits by a score of 1 - 2. With a record of 10 - 11, they are now in 6th place in the Midwest League East. Yesterday, I read a lengthy treatise about the Caps, their owner, their ballpark Fifth-Third Ballpark, and the team's record over the last 20 plus years in West Michigan.

We took an extended walk with STWD yesterday before she and I got around to baking those previously mentioned chocolate chip cookies. With the able assistance of STSD, the cookies turned out great. Sugar can help with the cleanup, as long as she doesn't get any chocolate chips, which are bad for her health. Here are the cookies in all their tasty glory.

Looking good!

I don't know what happened to the cookie on the upper right, but I have it on good authority that it tasted great.

During the morning, I played exclusively with Susanna for about 45 minutes. Then, my thumb said Stop!

Later in the afternoon, we walked downtown to have dinner at our favorite watering hole.

I learned something earlier this morning. When I sit on a pillow while in my desk chair, my Yak feels much better. I noticed when I was downstairs a bit ago, that Mary appears to be done with her poncho knitting project. Maybe she has some spare time so that I can get her to sew up a pillow for my chair, or at least go to the store to get one that will fill the bill. I know that she has a date with our IT Guru this mornig at 11:00 a.m.

Otherwise, not much on tap for today. Perhaps a romance movie on The Hallmark Channel this evening, and a baseball game this afternoon if the Cubs are on. That's after the morning safari with the intrepid one and Mary's IT session,

The current temperature is 37° that feels like 37° with no wind. My desktop weather station, with its porch mounted sensor, is showing nearly 41°. Later this evening and into early tomorrow mornig, rain is in the forecast starting at about 6:00 p.m. this evening at 50% and then increasing overnight to 100%. Temperatures are forecast to stay on the cool side for several more days.

The sun will rise at 6:40 a.m. and set at 8:46 p.m. Ciao.

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

Once again I'm listening to George Noory on Coast to Coast AM. He is interviewing Dr. Gary Ridenour regarding the Zika Virus. People are calling with horror stories and conspiracy tales. In short, a normal night of talking about something other than the paranormal fare that usually dominates Coast to Coast A.M. on a regular night/morning. Later in the show, George and his guest, Linda Moulton Howe, will be discussing the dying off of oysters in the northwestern U.S., children with past life recollections, an alleged underground pyramid near Denali, AK, and house shaking booms in FL as reported by an U.S. Air Force veteran.

Ah, that's more like what I am used to. Now if they would just get to talking about the Loch Ness monster, Bigfoot, aliens and Martians and UFOs, or the Kennedy assassination conspiracies, my early morning hours would be complete.

I realized as I was reminiscing about TV programming that originated in Chicago, that I hadn't mentioned a few others that were part and parcel to our regular routine. Sunday mornings found us in front of the TV watching The Magic Door, a  Hebrew themed children's TV show that originated at WBBM TV in Chicago, and featured a host named Tiny Tov. Not to be forgotten should be Dick Coughlin, who hosted Bugs Bunny and Friends. Naturally, the show featured Dick with a rabbit in a tree and Bugs Bunny cartoons. My mother once took us to a personal appearance by Dick and Bugs at an early shopping mall in Arlington Heights, IL.

How could I have forgotten Ray Rayner and his morning show that featured Chelveston the Duck, Cuddly Duddly, a dog puppet voiced by Chicago TV alum Roy Brown, along with Ray's use of notes pinned to his ubiquitous coveralls to remind him about certain activities. Both Ray and Roy were also regular cast members on Bozo's Circus, along with Bob Bell as Bozo the Clown, whom I mentioned yesterday. They were regulars along with Ned Locke, a WGN TV weather man who moved from co hosting a daily show for children called Lunchtime Little Theater and another children's show called Paddleboat. He was the creator, writer and star of that show, which also featured Roy Brown as the puppeteer. Ned Locke also portrayed Ringmaster Ned on Bozo's Circus, a role for which he was most famous.

I got so carried away with my reminiscing, that I nearly forgot my sports report. The boys in blue handily defeated the Brewers, 7 - 2. That keeps them atop the NL Central with a record of 16 - 5. However, Kris Bryant rolled his ankle running the bases and had to get a "Precautionary MRI." The Tigers once again beat the As, this time by a score of 7 - 3. That means that they are still in 4th place in the AL Central with a record of 11 - 10. My beloved Red Sox lost to the Braves, 3 - 5. They are still in 2nd place in the AL East with a record of 12 - 10. The Caps also lost to the Kernels when the Caps visited Cedar Rapids. Alas, the Caps are in 5th place in the Midwest League East.

Moving on, Mary and I stayed in bed all morning just because. Well it was raining outside, so the day's activities waited for us to get up and get going. STWD waited too, as she is never in a hurry to go out in the rain. Currently, the NWS is reporting a temperature of 42° that feels like 36°. That's about the same as my Desktop Weather Station here in the Weather Office/Music Room/Editorial Office is reporting. Today's high is forecast to be 54° chilly degrees with a slight chance of more rain later this morning. We'll have to wait until Monday for sunny skies and temperatures to approach 60°.

Mary went to her meditation session at the library while I stayed in after going out on safari with the intrepid one around 1:45 p.m. She and I picked up the Grand Haven Tribune, which leaves me with that one to read along with the one from the day before. Collectively we made it to our 3:30 p.m. chiropractor's appointments. Afterwards, we made some stops at the "Re-Store" for some hardware items. Not to be left out, were stops at a medium size home center and the nearby big-box home center. As you can imagine, our day got away from us once again.

Today, Mary has a long distance IT assistance visit for an indexing software glitch and her regularly scheduled chat session. I have a date with the girls and the morning safari with STWD. I should be able to get to the newspapers and the crosswords too, directly after I replace the dryer vent on the outside of the PE. Whew, I'm getting tired just thinking about my day. I have plans to bake some chocolate chip cookies, assisted by my trusty Sous Dog too.

The sun will rise at 6:41 a.m. and set at 8:44 p.m. Ciao.

Good mornig or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City." I'm listening to Coast to Coast AM, with host George Noory, the inspiration for my blog opening. He is interviewing Mr. Lobo, the host of Cinema Insomnia, a program that is syndicated in 30 markets. It is similar to Svengoolie, a program once hosted by the late Jerry G. Bishop, and now by Rich Koz. Or, Shock Theater that originated at WBKB TV in Chicago. A genuine no-prize to anyone who remembers what the call sign WBKB stood for. Also true for WGN and WLS too.

That program was hosted by Marvin and his lady friend "Dear", an off camera voice never seen by the audience. Marvin was portrayed by Terry Bennett, a ventriloquist who also had another program on WBKB called Jobblewocky Place, and "Dear" who was voiced by Bennett's wife, Joy, but who was never seen on camera. A house band called "The Deadbeats" provided the music for the show. There were and are similar shows throughout the country. Mr. Lobo is a  man who is into the paranormal and aliens, two of George's favorite topics.

In those halcyon days, shows like Shock Theater were produced locally. I'm sure that many of you may remember Bozo portrayed originally by WGN announcer Bob Bell, who also portrayed Andy Starr, the host of an after school kid's oriented show that showed old Three Stooges shorts and cartoons. Does anybody remember B. J. and Dirty Dragon, hosted by Chicago personality Bill Jackson in the after schools time slot on WFLD and later WGN? There was also a reason that WFLD used that call sign too. Phew, that's a lot of remembering at this hour of the morning.

Here is a sports/Cubs tie in for Shock Theater. The cast visited Wrigley Field in the 1950s and
"Dear" tossed a ball that knocked Marvin flat. "Dear" was covered during that visit.

Yesterday was mostly pedestrian. I like that phrase as a descriptor, as it describes things and events in fewer words than it just took me for that explanation.

Today's weather is different than we expected. We were supposed to be having rain right now, but so far the view out the WW is dry and the desktop weather station with its front porch mounted sensor is clear with a temperature of 50°. That's just one degree warmer than the NWS is reporting and apparently more accurate regarding precipitation. At any rate, the NWS is showing a current temperature of 49° that feels like 44°, with a high for today of 52°. Of course, they are showing rain right now and throughout the day, so take that with the proverbial grain of salt. By way of further explanation, that idiom is based on the idea that you should never take anything at face value, which like many foods, taste better with some salt on them. Hmmmm.

In trainspotting news, I was ready and waiting for the morning's southbound run. Well actually, my apprentice trainspotter heard the oncoming locomotives and their associated cars before I did. I like to attribute that phenomenon to my lying close to the radio on the nightstand. That's my story and I"m sticking to it. At 10:34 a.m. - 10:36 a.m., the southbound train passed by on the "Reality Scale Train Layout." Locomotives 2019 and 2057 were slowly towing 18 CHCs, three DWTCs, and seven DBTCs through "The City." My journeyman's experience told me that the cars were not loaded.

I was down in the mancave when I heard the sound of the train whistle as the same locomotives were heading north. I came upstairs to find that my apprentice trainspotter was on the job, so I allowed her to record the passage of the following. Locomotives 2019 and 2057 were once again towing a mixed bag of cars. 12 CHCs, three DBTCs, three DWTCs, two GTCs, with one BC bringing up the rear. All the cars felt loaded. My apprentice was ready to quit as she feels that the work is too difficult. I told her that she is doing fine, but I'm not sure that she was satisfied. Alas, good help is hard to find. However, her skills in the kitchen and her knitting and sewing skills make up for that lack of faith in her trainspotting skills.

An aside is in order. Our neighbor to the south was in the back preparing to take down the fence that separates his yard from the PE. He noted that the passage of trains over the last 100 years or so has shifted the terrain towards the tracks to the east of the PE. He has lived in the GH area his whole life, and was in fact born in the house in which he now lives, so he has some perspective. His is the house with the menagerie that I have mentioned periodically. He has plans to replace the fence with some lilac bushes similar to what was there many years ago. Fascinating.

Sports news yesterday was good all around. While the boys in blue and Jake Arrieta were postponed due to rain, they still maintain their 15 - 5 record and a hold on first place in the NL Central. I noted in my research, that that other team from Chicago is also in first place in the AL East with a record of 16 - 6. The Tigers righted the ship for one day, as they defeated the As of Oakland 9 - 4. However, that win still finds them in 4th place with a 10 - 10 record in the AL Central. My beloved Red Sox once again defeated the Braves, this time with a final score of 9 - 4. That places them in 2nd place in the AL East, with a record of 12 - 9. The Caps AKA the West Michigan Whitecaps, defeated the Cedar Rapids Kernels with a convincing 8 - 3 score. While they have a record of 10 - 9 in the Midwest League East, they are in 5th place. Sigh.

I did get to part of my tinkering yesterday afternoon after the morning walk with STWD. I didn't get as far as Mary and the intrepid one, due to circumstances beyond my control. Once in the mancave, I found the cause for the lack of pressure in the presure washer I inherited from Adam. The inlet connection was clogged with residue from the car wash soap that was last used by Adam, although the presence of the soap at that point is hard to understand. However once cleared, the machine is now able to produce the expected pressure. Go figure. I also sanded the drawer fronts from the upstairs bathroom to get them ready for the stain and sealer. I still have to remove the cabinet doors and prepare them the same way along with the fixed cabinets. All in all, a good day of tinkering.

I attempted to take another walk in the afternoon with Mary, but between my aching knees and my sore feet, we didn't get far. Instead, we made it to Central Park and then returned to JWs for dinner.

Today, we have another appointment at the chiropractor's office. I hope to get in some walking with STWD and Mary, and then hop on my bicycle to get a new dryer vent at the hardware store across the highway. Naturally, that is dependent on the possibility of precipitation. I am going to take her advice and use that activity in lieu of the walking for the Step It Up program. At the speed I ride, approx. 10 mph, each minute of riding equals 90 steps without the strain on my aging joints and feet. Otherwise, I want to get to yesterday's edition of  the Grand Haven Tribune and its crossword. Plus, I hope to read more pages in my novel. Mary has a session at the library for some meditation activities. I plan to skip that. I did get in some time with Leilani yesterday morning.

The sun will rise at 6:43 a.m. and set at 8:43 p.m. Ciao.

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

Well, we got up extra early yesterday to begin our quest to walk that virtual 288 miles. We were supposed to start at Kirk Park just north of Holland, but when we arrived there were so many people already in line, that we travelled a bit farther south to Olives Shores County Park where we had the place to ourselves.

We walked some steps here.

We then worked our way back towards GH and stopped at Rosy Mound Natural Area, where we added more steps. To memorialize our visit, we took some additional pictures.

A map of Rosy Mound Natural Area.

Me on a bench there.

Mary on another bench.

The forest primeval. in Rosy Mound 

Finally, home and then a trip to the cook's store north of Muskegon for a veggie fry pan that Mary wanted for our grill. Once the weather cooperates, we can actually cook some veggies on the grill. 

Back home again, where Mary created a dinner of spaghetti noodles mixed with garlic infused olive oil and some additional garlic that I assisted in preparing. I play Sous Chef to Mary's Head Chef. STSD assisted by staying out of the way.

Looks great, tasted better.

Speaking of the weather, the current temperature is 41°, but it feels like 36°. According to the local meteorologist, that's a 30° drop from the high temperature of the previous day. Today, we expect cloudy skies and a high temperature of 63° before evening, when the showers that plagued us Monday night return without the thunder and lightning. Those showers are forecast to continue into Thursday, accompanied by a high temperature of  only 54°. At least the lawns, the vegetables, and the flowers of the PE will benefit. 

Since my dogs were barking after our day of stepping, Mary took a walk alone to the downtown to return a package at the UPS store, and then she made a stop at "That Hat", which is near the Portobello Italian Restaurant. She got a very attractive fedora style spring hat. Steph and Adam know where "That Hat" is located. She exceeded her 10,000 steps, I only made it to 6,860.

I did get in some time in the wee hours of the morning yesterday with the girls. I felt like the late Harry Chapin as he described his singing and playing in the living room of his wife in the home that she shared with her soon to be ex-husband. In his song I wanna Learn a Love Song, Harry sang lyrics that went something like this  "I sang so soft in the living room, too scared to make much noise", except I wasn't scared because Mary always says that I couldn't wake her with my playing and singing if I wanted to, which is true let me assure you. Still, I kept it down. I may do more playing this morning.

Mary had a good chat session with her internet colleagues yesterday regarding how to place words/names like MacDonald or McDonald in an index. Fascinating I'm sure, to all the other indexers out there.

In sports, the Cubs eked out a win over the Brewers to go to 15 - 5 in the NL Central, their best start since 1907. "That's all I have to say about that." The Tigers looked awful, again, as they lost to the As, this time by a score of 1 - 5. The Tigers are now in 4th place in the AL Central, given their record of 9 - 10. My beloved Red Sox defeated the hapless Braves with their record of 4 - 16 in the NL East, by a score of 11 - 4. That gives the Sox a 2nd place standing in the AL East, with a record of 11 - 9. The Caps lost to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, 0 - 1. At 9 - 9, they stand in 6th place in the Midwest League East.

Today we have nothing on tap except more stepping with STWD and more reading for me. Mary suggests that I may have to ride my bike more to avoid the wear and tear on my feet. I may have to heed her admonition. There is a conversion chart I can consult to incorporate that activity into the "Step It Up" program. There should be trains today too.

I should note that my computer shut down while I was blogging for no apparent reason. It restarted, but I have no idea why the shutdown occurred.

I have to ask Mary if she wants me to download the 438 pictures that are still stored in the memory of the camera phone.

The sun will rise today at 6:44 a.m. and set at 8:42 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."

Finally, the NWS was right! Their prediction for severe T-storms last night at about 8:00 p.m. became reality, as the rains fell, the thunder crashed, and best of all, the gardens and lawns of the vast PE got all the H2O they needed. The current temperature of 57° that feels like 54° will lead to today's high of 56°, if they are right two days in a row. Plus, they have indicated that no additional precipitation is in the offing.

That's good, because today we are off to Kirk County Park to get in on day two of the Step It Up Spring Waking  Program, sponsored by the Ottawa County Parks Department. Yesterday, Mary and I each walked nearly 11,000 steps by literally walking all over "The City." For me, that's the second time this year that I have exceeded 10,000 steps. I'm not sure about Mary. However, both of us agree that most Americans, with the exception of letter carriers, teachers, nurses, various tradespeople or workers in big-box stores, probably never approach that number of steps in an average day. 10,000 steps is approximately five miles, and take it from yours truly, that's a whole lot of steps.

Somewhere in there, Mary made her beest, and this one was truly her best effort to date. It did not have any black pepper, but did have an increased amount of paprika. In addition, the cooking time in the Crockpot™ was longer on the high heat setting. What was it that made this particular beest the best? The taste certainly, but whether it was the additional paprika, the lack of black pepper, or the extended cooking time I don't know. Whatever, I hope that Mary can remember her formula/recipe. Maybe it was my extra special attention with a whisk on the veggie broth, or my own personal efforts as Sous Chef that made the real difference. Once again, I don't know, but I'll take any credit I can.

At any rate, STWD was in her downstairs Hide-e-Hole during the T-storm activity. I was reading and then listening to the Blackhawks drop the deciding game in their NHL playoff game against the St. Louis Blues, 2 - 3. The Hawks will now be going home for the summer.

The Cubs had the day off and will play tonight against the Brewers. The Tigers romped over the A's, 7 - 3, on the strength of two home runs by Miggy. My beloved Red Sox took one from the Braves, 1 - 0, with former Tigers hurler Rick Porcello getting his fourth win. The Caps too had the day off, but they play again tonight against the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Trainspotting yesterday was more pedestrian than usual. However, my apprentice trainspotter is beginning to recognize what a fully loaded train sounds and looks like versus an unladen train. At 10:32 a.m., locomotive #2019 rolled through "The City" plying the rails of the "Reality Scale Train Layout" all alone. In tow were nine CHCs, one BC, and six DBTCs, that were bringing up the rear, all M/T. At 2:21 p.m., that same locomotive returned heading north. As it passed through "The City, it was towing one BC, followed by nine CHCs, six DWTCs, and six DBTCs with one at the end. These cars were all loaded. What happened to locomotive #2057? I don't know.

We made it to our chiropractor's appointments at the end of our walking yesterday. Those visits went well.

Today, Mary may get to her regularly scheduled chat session, or not. I may get to some of my tinkering in the man-cave, or not. I may get to some time with the girls, or not. We will start our day with the morning safari with STWD to kick off our daily walking session. We will make it to Kirk Park for the organized walking session, and the balance of our next 10,000 steps as we go for the 288 virtual miles. I will get in some reading time.

Speaking of reading, part of our walking yesterday was to the library to pick up some books we had on hold and some others that looked interesting to us.

The sun will rise today at 6:46 a.m. and set at 8:41 p.m. Ciao.

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

We had a relatively quiet day yesterday. We started out by watching CBS Sunday Morning as planned, accompanied by the previously mentioned bagel with a schmear. Those threatened rains came as just a few drops around 12:00 p.m. and that meant that the plantings we did in the gardens of the vast PE after lunch had to receive water from the hose instead of the heavens. We also did some other work that was not strictly gardening. The plantings and other activities occurred after the morning safari with STWD down to the waterfront. We picked up the Grand Haven Tribune on the return leg of our trip.

In the foreground are the remaining bags of  Dairy Doo™ that Mary and I picked up last Thursday. They are earmarked for the pots pictured below. Next to them is the cucumber pot, freshly planted and sprouting in about two weeks. In the background. surrounding the cold frame, are the soon to bloom tulips and the lavender that we planted yesterday. 

Soon to be green, after the addition of  Dairy Doo™, Mary's tomatoes, some peppers and ????

Part of our gardens near the deck. The Red Rooster in the middle came home last year from GR. It now is home to a pant that Mary chose the other day., called Dragon's Wings, I think. 

Another picture, showing some of the flat gardens, pots and mounds that will be growing potatoes, beans, kale, spinach, and horseradish.

I think we are done in the gardens, except for the watering every other day, the addition of the Dairy Doo™ to the pots and the planting of the as yet procured other vegetables. All photos courtesy of Mary.

Along with our morning safari with the intrepid one, the gardening, and another walk for Mary and yours truly to the downtown in the afternoon, we reached the 10,000 step mark on our pedometers. That gave us a prelude to the Step It Up! Walking Challenge being sponsored by the Ottawa County, MI Parks system that officially starts today. We signed up for that a couple of weeks ago. We will be walking in some of the county parks along with daily walking and other activities everyday as we attempt to recreate a "virtual walk" from St. Ignace, MI in the north to Connor Bayou County Park in GH, a distance of 288 "virtual" miles over the next eight weeks. Three years ago, Mary and I actually travelled that route as we did our around Lake Michigan tour in the car.

At any rate, we are off and "running" as of today. Tomorrow, we are participating in one sponsored leg of the challenge at Kirk County Park, a few miles south of here along the shores of the "Big Lake." We have a form to record our progress and a conversion chart to add in steps that come from our other non-walking activities such as gardening, housework, etc. Mary's activities in her kitchen and my housecleaning will aid us in our quest. For example, yesterday we did the planting of the new flowers and I mowed the lawn, so that counted as 93 steps. Phew, I feel healthier already.

Speaking of the weather, we have a current temperature of 58° that feels like 54° as we head towards today's forecast high of 71°. That high may or maynot be accompanied by isolated T-storms. Tomorrow for the official launch of our Step It Up! Walking Challenge at Kirk County Park, the high temperature is forecast to be 56° under cloudy skies. No actual nor virtual rain is in the forecast. But, this being GH and that forecast coming from the NWS, who knows what will happen. Outside the WW, nothing is happening in the precipitation department.

In sports news, Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!, by a score of 9 - 0 over the Reds of Cincinnati, OH. That leaves the boys with a record of 14 - 5 and a firm hold on first place in the NL Central. The Tigers once again imploded. They lost to the Indians, 3 - 6, to fall to 8 - 9 in the AL Central and 4th place. Ouch!. My beloved Red Sox just finished last night's game in 12 innings, with a 7 - 5 victory over the Astraos of Houston. The Sox are now at 8 - 9 in the AL East and in 3rd place. They are playing as predicted by the baseball experts, the Tigers not so much, and of course the Cubs are playing as predicted, consistently winning with strong pitching and hitting. The Caps also did not fare so well, as they were slain by the Dayton Dragons, 3 - 4. The are not moving up or down in the Midwest League Eastern division, with a record of 9 - 8, good enough for 4th place.

Today, the morning safari, more watering if it isn't raining or storming, and some indoor chores. I'd also like to get to some of the backlog of things that Adam and I texted about yesterday too. He and Steph get a few days off starting next weekend, while Mary and I have to get on with being retired. I'll take our schedule over that of Steph and Adam.

I will also try to read some additional pages in The Wolves, a novel by Alex Berenson, that I am reading along with playing with the girls and some of those aforementioned indoor chores. Once again, the internet blipped at 1:30 a.m. Mary is going to try to make her beest or ham too. She has been fixing to get to that the last few days, but this may be the day.

The sun will rise at 6:47 a.m. and set at 8:40 p.m. Ciao.

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

Well, it had to happen, the boys in blue were thoroughly drubbed by the Reds, 5 - 13. Once the floodgates opened in the bottom of the 5th, when the Reds poured it on and John Lackey and Trevor Cahill were like the fire department in Fahrenheit 451, where the firemen came to pour gasoline on a fire for books. The results were not pretty. Baseballs were flying out of the yard so fast, that Cubs' outfielders must have gotten whiplash watching them pass overhead. Sadly, that means that the Cubs will only tie a record and will not set one for most games won at the start of the season. However, they still have a record of 13 - 5 and are still leading the NL Central. The boys play in Cincinnati again this afternoon, before taking Monday off and then welcoming the Brewers on Tuesday night.

The Tigers too were thoroughly outplayed, as Anibal Sanchez and his teammates were simply outplayed by the Indians who romped, winning over the Tigers, 1 - 10. The Tigers now have a 4th place standing in the AL Central with a record of 8 - 8. My beloved Red Sox also fell down on the job, losing to the Astros, 3 - 8. The Sox now have a record of 8 - 9 in the AL East, good for 3rd place. The Caps were the only winner, defeating the Dayton Dragons, 4 - 2. The Caps have moved up to 4th in the Midwest League Eastern division.

We did spend some time in the gardens of the PE yesterday. I dug the soil as Mary planted. Fortunately, Mary did not let me overdo and saved my Yak from too much exertion. We'll do more today. We had planned on the rains coming last night and this a.m. to water everything, but there is nothing in the forecast from the NWS until the T-storms that are expected with an 80% chance Monday night. A personal look out the WW confirms the absence of any precipitation. Today, we'll finish planting the items we picked up yesterday afternoon. Some perennials for long lasting greenery and beauty, along with some annuals and a hanging basket for color. Plus, we got some additional seeds for herbs and spices. Mary planted those seeds and all of the annuals while I hung the basket after we got home.after we stopped in at our favorite watering hole for dinner.

I had sent a recipe for vegan egg salad sandwiches to Mary which she tried for lunch yesterday prior to walking with STWD. Alas, the recipe was better on paper. Oh well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. We took an extended morning walk yesterday, which led to a visit to the big-box home center/garden store, and later to a visit to the big-box garden center near Allendale.

I did get in some time with four out of five of the girls yesterday, and that was all good. Plus, I started another novel last night which I'll continue today after the morning safari and I'm sure, a more satisfying breakfast/lunch. Mary says that she may or may not get to the creation of a beest or ham after gardening and the mornig walk.

Other than the previously mentioned gardening activities, we will be watching CBS Sunday Morning and enjoying a breakfast of bagels and a schmear. I think we have an onion that we were given the other day to add to the mix. We don't have a tomato, as that went into the faux egg salad yesterday. So, I'm not sure of Mary's plans for that activity.

The sun will rise at 6:49 a.m. and set at 8:39 p.m. Ciao.

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

We have a current temperature, according to the desktop weather station with its front porch sensor, of 47°. Oddly, that is very close to the temperature that the NWS is reporting for GR. Later today, the expectation is for a high temperature of 57° under partly cloudy skies. Tomorrow's forecast high is for 67°, also under partly skies. Both days should be good for the morning safari with STWD.

Trainspotting yesterday was good. At 10:07 a.m., Mary heard the approach of southbound locomotive #2019, so I leapt from the bed to watch it's passage from the WW. It was towing four CHCs, with two of those bringing up the rear, seven DBTCs, one very old and rusty, and a lone GTC. All of the cars were empty. I base that judgement on years of being an experienced trainspotting journeyman The northbound run occurred while I was working in the man-cave. That meant that I didn't hear the return of locomotive #2019. Fortunately, my apprentice trainspotter was on the job. She still has further training to become a journeyman trainspotter, but her efforts are appreciated. At this point in time, she is a far better cook than trainspotter. This might be a lengthy apprenticeship.

Speaking of her skills as a cook, yesterday she tried another new recipe for pasta sauce. It consisted of chopping of various vegetables, so that made her day.

At any rate, she reported that the same locomotive, once again minus its partner locomotive #2057, was seen passing the PE on its run. In tow were five CHCs, three DBTCs, and one DWTC. By her description, they were not swaying much, so that was an indicator that they were fully laden.

Sports news was excellent yesterday. Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!, Cubs Win! The final score was Cubs 8, the Reds 1. That gives the boys in blue a NL Central division leading record of 13 - 4. For those of us who care, that equals their record from 1969 and is also one of their best starts to a season in 100 years. It was way back in 1908 when they started the season at 14 - 4. I should mention that that 13 - 4 is the best in the Major Leagues. The Tigers did not fare so well, as they lost to the Indians, 1 - 2. They now have an AL Central record of 8 - 7, just good enough for third place. My beloved Red Sox did better, as they moved their AL East division record to 8 - 8, following their defeat of the Astros 6 - 2 last night. That leaves the Sox in second place in the AL East division. The Caps also fared well, handily defeating the Dayton Dragons, 8 - 1. While they are still in fifth place with a record of 8 - 7, in the Midwest League division, they are only 1.5 games behind the league leading Lake County, OH Captains with a record of 10 - 6.

I was getting warm, so I went downstairs and found that my apprentice trainspotter had gotten cold last evening, so she had set the thermostat to 70 degrees and placed it in hold mode. I returned it to the automatic setting. While downstairs, I emptied the dishwasher.

I spent some time playing with the girls yesterday. That always feels good. I also found my way to the man-cave to do that sanding that was necessary for the trip to the paint store. More tinkering to be done after we work in the gardens today, but nothing that can't wait. We did get the various supplies needed for phase two of the deck refinishing and the refinishing of the bathroom cabinetry.

Later today, we'll take an extended walk with STWD, most likely down to the waterfront. Yesterday. we all went downtown to buy the newspaper and get in some steps. Then we can get to the gardening. We have zucchini and kale to plant in the newly placed Dairy Doo™ Pro Vegetable 301 that we picked up Thursday. We learned about Diary Doo™ at a seminar at Flowerland™ a couple of years ago. It works like magic when growing vegetables in gardens or containers. We are still on hold for tomatoes and peppers until the weather gets warmer.

Other than that, we have no plans. Mary still wants to make her beest or ham. She finished her hook rug project, but it will be a wall hanging, not a rug in the kitchen, as originally planned. She feels it would get too dirty on the kitchen floor. She says that this is her final rug, and comes nearly 42 years after her first rug, an ABC rug she made while expecting Adam.

The sun will rise today at 6:50 a.m. and set at 8:37 p.m. Ciao.





























E

Good morning GH. It is just past 7:00 a.m. in "The City", meaning that the sun rose a little while ago at 6:52 a.m. We have a current temperature of 49° in GR, but 52° on the front porch of the PE. We are expecting clouds and fog this morning, with a high of 56°, followed by a sunny afternoon. Right now, the fog is developing and enveloping the mean streets of "The City", outside the WW. Tomorrow, the sunny skies will continue with an anticipated high of 58°. The sun will set this evening at 8:36 p.m.

In sports yesterday, the most important thing was: Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Behind another superb pitching effort by Jake Arrieta, who threw the first no-hit game in the majors this year, along with six RBIs  from Kris Bryant, including a grand slam, and a total meltdown by the Reds pitching staff, the boys in blue won the game 16 - 0. They now have a  NL Central division leading record of 12 - 4. The Tigers were eaten by the Royals, 0 - 4. They are now saddled with a record of 8 - 6, good enough for a third place position in the AL Central. My beloved Red Sox also fared poorly against the Rays, losing by a score of 8 - 12, leaving them at 7 - 8 in the AL East, giving them a third place position. The Caps slipped by the Dayton Dragons, to even up their record at 7 - 7. However, they still find themselves 2.5 games behind the division leading Cleveland, OH based Lake County Captains, who lead the Midwest League Eastern Division with a record of 10 - 5.

We did make it out yesterday to pick up the soil we need to use in our gardens. In addition, another stop yielded the seeds we needed to make our garden's harvest a rich and diverse one this summer. Mary is not convinced that the tomato plants she started from seeds this spring will be big and strong enough for a substantial yield this year, but I keep talking to the little plants and assuring them that everything will be okay. I'm betting that Mary will want to buy "insurance" plants at one of the local garden centers. But I have faith.

Otherwise, I never made it to the man-cave for tinkering yesterday. I just wasn't up to it. But there is always another day. We did make it to the favorite watering hole for dinner. Lunch was sandwiches on the fresh loaf of marble rye bread that we picked up in Spring Lake yesterday, accompanied by the remaining cauliflower stir fry that Mary had created the day before.

Today, I may get to the man-cave, or not. I may play with the girls, or not. I will walk with STWD, and Mary for sure. Mostly I plan to keep a low profile. Mary will be preparing the beest or the ham, that's a game time decision. We should get out to the paint store too, but that is dependent on my working in the man-cave.

The trains may pass through, or not. Since  today is Friday, trains passing are never a sure thing anymore. Ciao.

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

Yesterday's trainspotting was interesting. At 9:38 a.m. - 9:40 a.m., locomotives 2057 and 2019, looking freshly washed and sporting the regular Mid-MI RR livery, passed by heading south with the following empty cars in tow. 11 CHCs, eight DWTCs, a single GTC, and three DWTCs that were bringing up the rear. Worthy of note, was the various ages of the DBTCs. Some looked very new and were probably the latest, though hardly safe design, while others looked as though they had been is service since the joining of the railroads at Promontory Point, UT.

Like often happens, Mary heard the afternoon northbound passage before I did. This time, the passing took only one minute. The same cast of locomotives passed by towing 13 DBTCs, some marked with a cargo of anhydrous ammonia, one DWTC, one GTC, and finally, a single BC that was bringing up the rear.

Sports news was not so good, as the now 11 - 4 boys in blue lost to the Cardinals, 3 - 5. The Cubs are still leading the NL Central. The Tigers slipped past the Royals 3 - 2, leaving them with a record of 8 - 5, good enough for third place in the AL Central. My beloved Red Sox handily dispatched the Rays, 7 - 3. With a record of 7 - 7, the Six reside in second place in the AL East. The Caps played a game at noon yesterday., and fell to the Lake County, OH Captains, 1 - 8. Sadly, a record of 6 - 7, leaves them 3.5 games behind the division leading Captains, Sigh.

The forecast delivered by the NWS for rainy overnight conditions missed the mark once again. As I gaze out the WW, just a little rain has fallen. The NWS was giving the forecast for precipitation a  90% chance. A current temperature of 57° matches the desktop weather station temperature of 57° and also feels like 57°. As of now, the NWS is predicting a morning of scattered T-storms. Sure, and I've got a bridge etc.

We didn't get up until late yesterday, so my plans for tinkering in the man-cave got pushed back until today. That's okay, because I'm retired. Mary made a superb lunch of fried cauliflower that she had shredded, mixed with the mushrooms that she had also prepared and shared with STSD, along with julienned carrots, onions, molasses, tamari, and other assorted spices. This one's a keeper.

Dinner was the remainder of the roast beest that is now all gone, along with sweet potatoes. Now Mary has to decide whether to make another beest or a vegan ham roast. I don't care, as I like them both. I think they are about the same in prep time, but I think one takes more cooking time than the other.

In between, we journeyed to the Sherwin-Williams paint store to get an additional gallon of stain for the deck and some stain and sealer for the bathroom cabinetry. We were advised by the young man at the store that we should wait until Friday to buy the deck stain at a significantly lower price and also that we needed to sand one of the drawer fronts that I plan to refinish in the bathroom, down to the bare wood to ensure the best color match. So that got added to my man-cave tinkering later today.

We also are now able to drive on the newly poured concrete driveway approach, so our Soul is now in the garage. That's a good thing, because today the garden center that sells the soil that we like to use to grow our vegetables opens for the season. We'll do that directly after the mornig safari. Since we can now get the car into the driveway, unloading the bags of soil and other things that we purchase, will be much easier.

We both took the morning walk with STWD to pick up the Grand Haven Tribune, but Mary wanted to walk farther than I, so she and the intrepid one continued on while I returned home. Once there, I pulled more dandelions and moved some of my tinkering items through the outer doors of the man-cave to the downstairs. I got in some time with the girls and revised some music too.

That about sums up yesterday and today. Don't tell Mary, but since I was downstairs earlier, I emptied the dishwasher and individually washed and rinsed the stack of dishes and utensils that she had used to prepare that superb luncheon and dinner. When they had dried, I returned them to their rightful places and arranged the measuring cups and spoons in their proper order in the storage drawer. I also cleaned the oven and stovetop. I know she likes to do those things, but I only get to be in the kitchen sometimes.

The sun will rise at 6:53 a.m. and set at 8:33 p.m. Ciao.

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

This time for sure, I am going to keep it short and sweet.

Current temperature 55 degrees on the shores of the "Big Lake." Feels like 49 degrees. Today's high, 69 degrees under cloudy, then sunny, then rainy skies. The Sun will rise at 6:55 a.m., and set at 8:34 p.m. as the rains come down.

No trains to spot.

In sports, Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!, Cubs Win! over the Cardinals with a final score of 2 - 1, to remain in first place in the NL Central, with a record of 11 - 3. The Tigers lost to the Royals 6 - 8, to move their record 7 - 5 and third place in the AL Central. My beloved Red Sox lost to the Rays, 3 - 6, to go 6 - 7, good for third place in the AL East. The Caps lost to the Lake County, OH Captains 3 - 6 and are mired in 5th place in the Midwest League Eastern Division.

The abbreviated 2016 West Michigan Yarn Quest finished up yesterday afternoon at the Embassy Bar and Grill with onion straws that taste uncannily like those at Hackneys in IL. Altogether, we covered 102.9 miles yesterday on that abbreviated quest.

A good place to "Dine."

Oh Yeah!

I had an Irish Mule, which is very similar to the Dark and Stormy served in Bermuda.

However, our quest began at the Flying Pig Yarn Shop in Holland, as Mary's picture in front can attest.

Mary couldn't get out without buying something, 

We next visited Henny's Yarn Shop in Caledonia, MI.

This shop qualifies as Mary's favorite on the quest.

Finally, we stopped at Threadbenders Yarn Shop in Wyoming, MI.

A nice shop that is just too far for a regular visit.

I know, I started in reverse order, but that's the way it goes, to quote my late mother-in-law and Adam's G'ma, Eleanore. Then it was time for home to await the start of NCIS, and NCIS NOLA. Mary decided that a dinner of nachos with refried beans would be a good end to the day. Following the two NCIS  programs, I repaired to the media room to watch the baseball game.

Mine included tamed jalapeno peppers.

Today I plan some time in the man-cave as Mary works in her woman's room. I'll be tinkering and she'll be sewing. I like it.

That's enough for today. I finished Montezuma's Ferrari, and now I want to start another novel. I'm not sure which yet, after the morning safari with STWD to pick up the  Grand Haven Tribune, Ciao.

with the consumption of these onion straws that taste uncannily like the ones at Hackneys in IL.

Oh yes!

Along with the straws, I had a

A very similar drink toi a Dark and Stormy as served in Bermuda.

Before that, we started at The Flying Pig Yarn Shop, in Holland. Here's a picture of Mary out front. 

Add caption

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

Once again, we enjoyed beautiful weather. Not according to the NWS, but from my own anecdotal experience. The sun was shining in an azure sky, so the mornig walk with STWD was a delight when we she and I picked up the Grand Haven Tribune and brought it home. Mary and I started the safari together, but she peeled of at the library to return and pick up some books as the intrepid one and I continued on our way. As luck would have it, we met Mary on our return leg and so we finished as we began.

But I digress. Along with those sunny skies, the temperature was in the mid 70s and the timing was right for staining the deck, so I did. As I was doing that, Mary went off to the big-box everything store and did some shopping. I'm thinking that I got the better end of the deal. It took me about 2 1/2 hours, and I went through nearly two gallons of stain, but I'm done for another five years. Afterwards, we had a lunch of veggie burgers and broccoli. Then we walked downtown, as Cheech and Chong said in their tale of their summer vacation activities in Sister Mary Elephant back in 1972. They were describing their summer vacation, but it seemed apropos. We went to pick up a card for Sally.

Later, we journeyed to the chiropractor, which for both of us seemed an appropriate stop given the way our day had begun with deck staining and a trip to the big-box everything store.

But I digress once more. During my activities on the deck, I heard that lonesome whistle blow, my thanks to the late Hank Williams Sr, for the use of the lyrics from his song of the same name. l had Mary record the train's passage before she left. That was at 10:50 a.m. and locomotives 2019 and 2057 didn't take long to pass heading south, as they were towing a lone BC and two CHCs, all apparently empty. I never witnessed the northbound run, but I was here or in town and yet, I never heard the lonesome afternoon whistle. So I have to assume that I either missed it, or they never returned, and their fate is still unlearned. A short homage and my thanks to the Kingston Trio for that lyric from their classic song, M.T.A., a story/song about an infamous ride on the "T" in Boston.

But I am digressing once again. Before we went to the chiropractor, we spent some time on the front porch of the Palatial Estate just reading and doing the crossword. Then we went to the chiropractor followed by a stop at JWs for happy hour and dinner. Once home, we watched an old episode of our favorite TV series, NCIS, and then I travelled to the media room where I watched the start of the Cubs game which I finished listening to the game on Sirius.

Speaking of the Cubs, they were triumphant over their division rivals, the Cardinals, 5 - 0. That leaves the boys in blue atop the standings in the NL Central division, with a record of 10 - 3. They face the Cardinals in St; Louis again tonight. The Tigers had the day off, before starting a series in Kansas City tonight. They are now in second place in the AL Central division with a record of 7 - 4. My beloved Red Sox gave it a good try, but they fell to the Blue Jays 3 - 4. They have maintained their second place standing in the AL East, with a record of 6 - 6. They look forward to a visit from the Rays tonight. The Caps handily defeated the Lake County, OH Captains, 9 - 3, leaving the Caps with a record of 6 - 5 in the Midwest League Eastern Division. Next game tonight, against those same Captains.

However, I'd be remiss if I didn't note that today, I get to plant some seeds in the vegetable garden of the Palatial Estate before we set out on an abbreviated West Michigan Yarn Quest 2016. Stops will include a new shop in Holland called the Flying Pig Yarn Shop, along with stops in Wyoming, MI, at Threadbenders Yarn Shop, and Henny's Yarn Shop in Caledonia, MI. Mary assures me that the quest will be shorter this year. Oddly or fortuitously, the return leg of our trip will allow us to pass the Embassy Bar and Grill, where we must stop for some of the Hackney's style onion straws that the Embassy serves. All of that follows the morning safari with STWD.

Tonight, we'll be back in front of the TV for new episodes of NCIS and NCIS NOLA,

The sun will rise at 6:56 a.m.on a cloudy day with a high of 66° the expectation, As of now, we have a temperature of 62° according to the desktop weather station, while the NWS, which reports conditions for GR of 57°. We always have different weather along the shores of the "Big Lake", being either warmer or cooler by an often significant number. Snow accumulation is often significantly different too. The sun will set this evening at 8:33 p.m. Ciao.

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

I think I'm going to try to keep this one shorter. I want to get back to my nice warm bed. In fact, I awoke to find Mary reading things on her Smartphone. Go figure.

Yesterday, Mary revised an index, while after a little help from Mary with the placement of some things, I was left to my own devices in the backyard. I spent some time cleaning the deck, and washing the front porch and the furniture that is now in its summer home. I did try the pressure washer that I inherited from Adam and Steph, but it would not create any pressure. In fact, it didn't even let the water pass through. Maybe the next time they are here, Adam can show me what I was doing wrong.

Today, I hope to apply fresh stain to the deck and its railings, and then then let the stain dry before the precipitation moves back in Wednesday evening.

The outdoor temperature yesterday was fantastic. Sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s have led to the current temperature of 50° that feels like 50°. Later today, we are anticipating a high temperature of 72° under sunny skies.

At 4:00 p.m. yesterday afternoon, we journeyed to the First Presbyterian Church to enjoy one of their concert series presentations. In this case, we listened to the band Blackthorn, a Detroit based group that plays mostly traditional Irish music, but they also add in some music from Scotland. In addition to entertaining storytelling, collectively they play a myriad number of instruments such as; keyboards, tin whistle, flute, guitars, fiddle, banjo squeeze box, mandolin and mandola. Most of the singing was done as a group or by lead vocalist Richard McMullan, a native of Belfast, Ireland. We enjoyed ourselves for the second year in a row. The band has been playing together for 32 years.

We enjoyed Mary's now famous vegan Swiss cheese and sauerkraut sandwiches on sourdough bread for lunch after I took STWD for the morning safari. That followed our regular morning bagels with vegan cream cheese, onions, tomatoes and in my case, vegan ham. I think they call that a Schmear in Yiddish. Hopefully I got that right.

Dinner was another serving of Mary's roast beest, served with broccoli and topped with vegan Worcestershire sauce. All in all, a very satisfying day of meals.

Sadly, the four teams in baseball that I follow all lost. The Cubs remain in first place following a loss to the Rockies, 0 - 2. The Tigers are still in third place, in spite of a neat trick played by Ian Kinsler when he let a ball drop and the tossed out the runner who never ran to second. Since there was only one runner on first base, the infield fly rule was not invoked. Still, the final score was 4 - 5 as the Tigers lost to the Astros. My beloved Red Sox also maintained their divisional place of second, as they lost to the Blue Jays, 3 - 5. The Caps lost to the Dayton Dragons, 0 - 1. Their record of 5 - 5 places them in the middle of the Midwest League Eastern Division.

I'm starting to run long in spite of my efforts, so I'll close by saying that the sun will rise at 6:58 a.m., and set at 8:32 p.m. Ciao.

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

To quote that old beer ad, no not the one where Leo "The Lip" Durocher said during the season that dashed my hopes during the 1969 baseball season, "How about another Slitz!" (sic), but the one in which an actor noted to a group of faux friends on a set made up to look like a deck on a lake, "It doesn't get any better than this." That's how I would have described yesterday. The temperature was in the mid 70s, the skies were sunny, and the Irish Jam session moved to the porch deck at the library. Since it was Earth Day, we had a lot of passersby to hear our efforts. In addition, the chance to "open" for the band that would be playing just across the street at 3:00 p.m. for Earth Day in Central Park, was an extra bonus. We had a smaller turnout, but we still sounded great. That's my story and I"m sticking to it.

Mary stayed behind to do some household chores and that means that I won't have to do them myself. Plus, she had to edit some recent indexes, so that was a win-win for both of us.

After my Irish Jam, I dropped Abigael off at home and then we collectively walked downtown to mail our tax returns and stop in one of the local watering holes for dinner and libations.
As expected, the influx of tourists into "The City" was, to borrow a phrase from  one of the presidential candidates, "Huge!" Plus, as also anticipated, the number of boats in the channel increased over the day before. Like we often say, we've lost our town to the tourists for another year. That's the price we pay for living in one of "The Big Lake's" best communities.

Speaking of sports, the Cubs' game was not on any free TV channel, so I had to make do with periodic reports on Twitter. That's okay, because I got the final score of a 6 - 2 victory over the Rockies anyway. It was another gem pitched by Jake Arrieta. The boys in blue are now 9 - 2 and still leading their division. The Tigers, who are now 7 - 3 and in third place in their division, defeated the Astros, 5 - 3. My beloved Red Sox, at 6 - 4 in their division, and in second place, also won over the Blue Jays, 4 - 2.

We had planned some gardening today on the Palatial Estate, but we decided that it could wait until Monday. As the immortal Bob Apa used to say, "Put off until tomorrow, what you can put off until tomorrow", so we will. That means more time for reading, more time for listening to the Cubs game, and more time for retirement. At the risk of repeating myself, "It doesn't get any better than this."

We'll take the morning safari with STWD, while avoiding the tourist infestation downtown. There are plenty of things to see and smell in other directions. Monday, we'll get "The City" back for another few days. Technically, tourist season doesn't begin until Memorial Day, but the nice weather here is too enticing.

We made a short stop at the Post and learned that Sally is under the weather, again. Our wishes for a quick recovery go out to her.

Mary has promised to make her now famous vegan Swiss cheese and sauerkraut sandwiches on the San Francisco Sourdough bread we picked up on the way home yesterday, for dinner. That's after we watch CBS Sunday Morning and do all of the other mostly unplanned things we have planned for today.

Finally, speaking of the weather, the current temperature provided by the porch mounted sensor for the desktop weather station, shows a current temperature of 57° that feels like 54°. The NWS is forecasting a high of 72° under mostly sunny skies for later today. There is no precipitation in the forecast until Thursday. The sun will rise at 6:59 a.m. and set at 8:30 p.m. Ciao.

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

Sadly, even a Diehard Cubs fan has to admit that the boys in blue are human, as they lost in ChiTown, to the Rockies, 1 - 6. Oh my, now they have a record of 8 - 2, and they are still leading their division. I also noticed that that other team from Chicago has an identical record and they too are leading their division. The Tigers also had a rough day, as they are still in 3d place, losing to the Astros, 0 - 1. My beloved Red Sox have moved up to 2nd place with a record of 5 - 4, after they defeated the Blue Jays, 5 - 3.

The Sidewalk Saga continued yesterday. The city crews showed up before 8:00 a.m. to remove the forms from yesterday's work and to change the height of the Buffalo Box in the driveway approach. The Buffalo Box is used to control the water main that feeds the Palatial Estate. By way of information, the term Buffalo Box is derived from B-Box, the means the city has for turning off the water coming into a home. The phrase originated in Buffalo, NY.

At any rate, they soon laid the forms for the driveway approach and the concrete truck came more quickly to drop the last of the concrete. Here are some pictures of their activities.

Start 

To

Almost finished 

Finished

While the men were hard at work, Mary, STWD and yours truly decided that the first really great spring day in "The City", required a safari to the waterfront. So, we walked east on Columbus, stopped at the library to make some returns, and then a second stop so that Mary could pick up a baguette at The Baker's Wife, more on that later. We finally we made it to the waterfront.

The channel leading to the "Big Lake", was calm and at first we thought it to be free of boats, something that will likely change today. 

Calm and peaceful.

But alas, the boats were just farther out and returning from their morning sojourns. 

Though small in this picture, they were there.

Still, the morning on the waterfront in "The City" is a sight to behold. With the intrepid one stopping every few feet to take in the spring smells, we finally made it home, although I had to make a detour to Health Hutt myself. That's where the baguette comes in. Mary had a plan. She had picked up some eggplants from Health Hutt previously, but needed some mozzarella cheese to make Eggplant Parmesan, which turned into Eggplant Parmesan sandwiches for our lunch. They were excellent.

You'd think we were done, but those rocks that the city crew dug up on Thursday, became what we have named, Havenhenge in one of the flowerbeds of the Palatial Estate.

Mary had the vision. I like it.

Strangely, we resisted the urge to place our initials in the wet concrete out front. I guess that means that, "The world will little note, nor long remember", our time in "The City." Oops, I was channeling our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, there for a second.

However, the trains have returned to the reality scale train board, at least yesterday. At 9:11 a.m., locomotives 2057 and 2019 were slowly making their way down the tracks towing two BCs, two CHCs, four GTCs, and four DBTCs that were bringing up the rear. Later, at 2:20 p.m., those same locomotives returned heading north. In tow were a lone CHC, and two DBTCs that were bringing up the rear. As proof of their passage, I offer the following. 

In freshly washed livery, the locomotives crossed our street.

Yes, that is a DBTC behind a CHC as viewed from the front porch of the PE, and overlooking the newly laid driveway approach.

Once lunch was over, I repaired to the gardens to plant some potatoes and do a bit of cleanup work, and build Havnehenge. Not too much work, so as not to overtax my Yak. Then we were off to the accountant on tax day. We finished there, stopped for our chiropractor appointments, and capped off our outdoor activities with a stop at JWs. 

Today, is my Irish Jam at the library and it is also Earth Day here in "The City." I guess that is true many places today. The weather promises to be perfect. We are currently at 50°, but we have a real feel of 47° due to almost no wind. Today's high is predicted to be 71 sunny degrees by the NWS. Tomorrow, 68° with similar sunny skies. Other than reading the last two days of the Grand Haven Tribune, taking the morning safari with STWD, jamming, and doing the crosswords, I have no plans. Mary is finally going to get started on the backlog of projects that have been in abeyance in her craft room. I am sure that she has other plans too, since I will be out in the afternoon. 

The sun will rise at 7:01 a.m. and set at 8:29 p.m. Ciao.

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

We have a current temperature of 48° that feels like 43°. According to the NWS, we'll be seeing a high temperature 66° later today and 69° on Saturday. If they are accurate, then we can get out to the vast gardens of the Palatial Estate and do some digging and planting later.

Yesterday began with the continuation of the "Sidewalk Saga." We awoke to the sound of a machine grinding away the stump of that once mighty maple tree that formerly stood in the parkway. 20 minutes later, and a lot of thrown dirt and chips, and the stump was mostly history.

While I took numerous pictures, this one illustrates the activity as well as any.

Were we done with the process? Nope. Now it was the city's turn. They came with their truck, a tractor with a smaller grinder attachment, and men to clean up the mess and grind away some additional roots.

Sometimes it gets down to manual labor.

Were they done? Not quite, as they returned with their smaller grinder that was attached to their tractor, a dump truck, and some strong men.

Once again, dirt and chips flew.

These men were hard workers.

In the process of removing the final roots, they uncovered some stones buried beneath the roots of a decades old tree. Mary decided that the accumulation will become a new to our gardens rock sculpture of some type. So we picked them up, placed them in our folding wheelbarrow, and set them on the patio for today's festivities. More on that later. They appear to be limestone quarried locally decades before the workers and probably us, were born.

According to the workers, if the concrete truck had not been an hour late, they would have finished sooner.

Once the concrete was poured, the finishing could begin. They have more pouring and finishing to go in order to complete the concrete part of the job. 

This is indeed back breaking work. 

The pouring and finishing of the final approach will have to wait until the forms from yesterday's action can be removed, but so far, the job looks terrific. 

This photo is a great application of the skills that Mary and I learned in our short class on photo taking.  A  nice way to depict the results.

Since the day's activities were nearly over, we decided it was time to visit two of the stops  on the West Michigan Yarn Quest 2016. Here are a couple of pictures of Mary as she visited the shop in "The City", and another in Muskegon later in the day.

The Needlesmith.

And,

Angel Knits and Purls.

More shops to visit on "The Quest."

During a very busy day, Mary found time to make that aforementioned vegan roast beest in the Crockpot™. That beest accompanied by some green beans and the mushroom gravy she also made yesterday, tasted great to me. She doesn't think it was her best effort. However, as I've often said, pour gravy on something and Adam and I will think it tastes great.

Before we returned home, we stopped in at Sporty's for some adult libations. 

In sports news, the boys in blue, AKA the Cubs, were once again victorious over the Reds, 8 - 1. They now have a division leading record of 8 - 1, the forst time that has happened since the 1969 season. Coincidentally, that's the year that I graduated high school. A coincidence of great things to come? I like to think so. Their next game is this afternoon at 1:20 p.m. Chicago time, against the visiting Rockies. 

The Tigers defeated the PIrates once again, this time by a score of 7 - 4. That gives then a record of 6 - 2 in their division and three wins in a row, However, they are in third place in their division, My beloved Red Sox had the day off, so noting has changed for them.

We took a shortened safari with STWD due to the activities around the Palatial Estate. Hopefully today we can take a more lengthy walk and enjoy the weather that the NWS has predicted for today. 

Then it will be time for Mary to chat and get started on some other activities that have been on hold. Me, I'll finish yesterday's crossword, read today's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, and then do the crossword from today's edition that we'll have picked up on our morning safari. I should be able to find time to play with the girls too. Irish Jam is tomorrow. I think that in spite of the arrival of Susanna, I'll be taking Abigael to the jam. I am liking playing Susanna, but I'm not quite comfortable enough with her for a PDA. 

The sun will rise today at 7:03 a.m. and set at 8:28 p.m. Ciao.

Oh, here's a throw in picture. 

I took this picture of this for sale 4.6 liter, SVO prepared Mustang, just outside the Bookman when I was walking with the intrepid one. Is it rare or desirable? I don't know, it needs an expert's opinion.