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

We have a current temperature of 42° as reported by the NWS from GR, and on my Desktop Weather Station with its front porch mounted sensor. That is unusual. According to the NWS, that 42° feels like 35°. However the prediction for later today is 60° in "The City" and the mid 60s in GR and its environs. Friday's forecast calls for 67 sunny degrees. Saturday, not so good, as the temperature may reach 60° with scattered T-storms. STWD will not be happy and may return to her hide-e-hole where she spent some time yesterday, since it rained all day. When she and I were out for the mornig safari, the intrepid one was not so intrepid nor excited about getting wet, but she was even more reluctant to walk home in the rain. Go figure.

We got up late, but when we got downstairs the rains were still coming down. I was behind Mary, and I found her in her kitchen making another of her famous vegan gluten based hams, The two hams that resulted from her efforts spent about 6 1/2 hours in the Crockpot™ and both Chef Mary and yours truly believe that this is a new best.

Since Mary mostly used up her supply of wheat gluten flour on those hams, she determined that it might be a good day to go to GR and visit G.B. Russo for more, along with some additional spices and Chicago style giardiniera. We forgot that the rains were forecast to continue all day in GR, but as it turned out, they also continued here in GH.

Our trip to GR would have been uneventful, if it wasn't for the guy who ultimately passed us on Lake Michigan Drive. He actually took two tries to pass. On his first try, he passed two cars and then had to jump back in behind us at 70 mph or more. He nearly lost control because he didn't allow enough space before oncoming traffic forced him to abort his ill-timed passing attempt. In so doing, he nearly lost control. When we looked in the mirror, the grill of a large SUV type vehicle seemed to be in the back seat. Once he had more room, he finally passed us on a two-lane road, so that he could get to the big-box garden center just down the road one minute sooner. We know how the need to get to the big-box garden center can be overwhelming, but on a rainy day? His poor driving nearly caused us to be involved in a multi-vehicle accident.

Trainspotting yesterday was interesting. I watched the passage of the morning southbound run of fully loaded cars at 11:15 a.m. as locomotives 2057 and 2019 passed by on the "Reality Scale Train Layout." In tow were 17 CHCs, one with grain still on top, two BCs, seven DBTCs, and four DWTCs, with two of those at the end.

Since we were out in the early afternoon, we passed the northbound run at 2:25 p.m. as it slowly made its way up the tracks. Same locomotives, but this time there were two DWTCs, two DBTCs, 27 CHCs, and a lone BC. I surmise that the train passed through "The City" about 2:30 p.m.

I did get in some reading time yesterday in my novel, but the Wednesday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune that Mary picked up while Sugar and I walked on, has yet to be read. Once again, I'll have two to read in the same day.

In sports, it was another mixed bag. The boys in blue moved to 20 - 6, to continue their torrid pace in the NL Central, with a sweep of the Pirates, by a score of 6 - 2. The Cubs are the first team to win 20 games in the majors this season. The Tigers didn't fare very well, as they fell to the Indians, 0 - 4. They still cling to 2nd place in the AL Central with a record of 14 - 12. Very good news, my beloved Red Sox topped that other team from Chicago, 5 - 2. That puts the Red Sox back in 1st place in the AL East, with a record of 16 - 11. The Caps were cancelled due to inclement weather.

Today, walking with and without STWD since the weather will be more pleasant. We didn't get in many steps yesterday. I'll read more, play with the girls more, assist Mary with the cover for my chair pillow, and stay out of the way.

The sun will rise at 6:33 a.m. and set at 8:51 p.m. Ciao.