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

A current temperature of 46° according to the DTWS, will lead to today's forecast high from the NWS of 66 sunny degrees. No precipitation is in the five day forecast and by Monday, we are forecast to see 73° under sunny skies. Wowser!

I have one-half of a train spot, since I personally witnessed only the southbound passage of locomotives 2057 and 2019 on the RSTL (Reality Scale Train Layout). Those two locomotives were at the head of a lone BC, 16 CHCs, six DBTCs, and two DWTCs. All of the tank cars were of varying vintage and therefore of varying safety standards per FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) regulations, which at their best, are inadequate. All of the cars were empty judging by their rocking and rolling motion on the rails and the sounds that only unladen cars make.

Baseball news was a mixed bag. The boys in blue took 13 innings to defeat the Brewers in Milwaukee as they continued to experience slumber in their lumber. The "Big Boppers" couldn't solve Brewers' pitcher, Jimmy Rollins, as he pitched shutout baseball into the ninth inning before Brewer's closer Jeremy Jeffress surrendered a ground ball hit to Addison Russell allowing the first Cubs base-runner to cross the plate, that allowed the Cubs managed to tie the game at 1 - 1.

It took another four innings before Cubs' relief pitcher Travis Wood was walked with the bases loaded in the top of the 13th to force in the winning run. Wood got the Brewers out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th and then won the game by drawing a bases loaded walk in the top of the 13th. The Cubs close out their series in Milwaukee this afternoon and then move on to San Francisco to face the Giants. The Cubs are at 28 -10 atop the NL Central.

The Tigers swept the Twins with a 6 - 3 win over the Twins. Tigers' pitcher Justin Verlander, recorded his 2,000th strikeout in that win. That means the Tigers are still in 4th place in the AL Central with a record of 19 - 21. So far, Brad Ausmus has his job.

My beloved Red Sox split a double header with the Royals, losing the first game 2 - 3, but winning the second, 5 - 2. Their record of 25 - 16 coupled with the Orioles win yesterday, leaves the Sox .5 games back of the Orioles in the AL East.

The Caps lost to the Bowling Green Hot Rods 2 - 6 in a rare day game. That places the Caps in 5th place in the MWL East.

In spite of my original plans, I finished the balance of my outdoor work on the PE yesterday afternoon while Mary enjoyed the second of her weaving lessons. She turned out a very nice effort that she says could have been better. She liked the activity so much, that she purchased a loom of her own. I also finished my latest novel while listening to the Cubs' game on the radio last evening. Frankly the reading got tedious by the end. Before that, STWD and I took a nice tour of "The City" to "smell the sights" so to speak. Sugar also got to see her favorite newspaper delivery person who always has a biscuit or tow for the intrepid one in her Jeep™ delivery vehicle. Her Jeep™ is right hand drive to accommodate her deliveries.

Today we are off to the hospital and then to that aforementioned cruise aboard the Grand Lady Riverboat, as part of the series offered by the Friends of the Ottawa County parks. It should be a nice day for cruising the Grand River. After that, we have no plans, which is fine by me. The sun will rise at 6:16 a.m. and set at 9:06 p.m. Ciao.