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

The current temperature is 56° under mostly clear skies. Today's high will be 79° under sunny skies. We decided that yesterday's weather was just about as good as it gets here in West Michigan. The low 70s and low humidity coupled with a light breeze, made for a beautiful day. It's humid right now, and for the next several days, through the Fourth of July It will be in the low 80° range with no precipitation.

Mary said that I should spend a good portion of this blog describing the sheer joy I got when my new shoes arrived earlier yesterday. This is probably, no not probably, it is the first time that I tried on a pair of shoes that actually accommodated my wide feet without any problem. While that may not seem like a big deal to most people, to me it is like Christmas in June, only better. Later today, I am going to see the chiropractor to find out if the new orthotics that he ordered will work for me. As the late John Denver often said, "Far Out!"

Baseball news was mostly good. The Cubs handily defeated the Reds, 9 - 2, to move to 51 - 26 in the N. L,. Central, 10.5 games ahead of the Cardinals. The Cubs face the Mets tonight.

The Tigers also won, 10 - 3, over the Marlins. That gives the Tigers an A. L. Central record of 40 - 38, good enough for 3rd place, just 7.5 games behind the division leading Indians. The Tigers face the Rays tonight.

My beloved Red Sox are now 5.5 games behind the Orioles, after dropping a game to the Rays, 0 - 4. The Sox have the day off, before facing the Angels on Friday night. The Sox have a record of 42 - 36. They still need pitching.

The Caps finally beat the Bowling Green Hot Rods by a score of 10 - 7. That still leaves the Caps in the cellar of the Midwest League Eastern Division, with a record of 2 - 5. They do have company though, as the Hot Rods and the Dayton Dragons have the same record. The Caps play again tonight @ home against the Hot Rods.

I did get the watering done yesterday before settling in to read, and before I put on my editor's hat to give Mary's index my usual perusal. We got the index out of here about 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon That was before Mary and I walked downtown for dinner. I was wearing my new shoes and they felt great. In fact, I liked the fit so much, that I ordered another pair.

Mary tells me that today, we can take a nice long walk with STWD, well at least as long as the intrepid one can handle, and then she will get busy on the valances for the music room. She has them all cut out and pinned, so it is just a matter of stitching them on her sewing machine. The next indexing job is not due in until July 5th.

Other than more reading and watering, I have no plans. We will be going to the chiropractor this afternoon as I previously noted, but that's about it. Mary will knit more I'm sure.

I have to replace the battery in one of my larger helicopters, but that just takes two screws and some two-sided tape. I already have my FAA required license and as long as I don't fly them near airports, military bases or the area near the wildfires n CA, I am good to go.

The sun will rise today @ 6:08 a.m. and ser @ 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

Now that I have your attention, it is time to note that the sports news yesterday was 75% good.

The Cubs took 15 innings to defeat the Reds, but defeat them they did. Jon Lester pitched a very strong game as did the Reds' pitcher John Lamb, but neither pitcher was involved in the final decision. The Cubs tried to give the game away, when closer Hector Rendon, put a man on by hitting him in the bottom of the 9th. That allowed the Reds to push the tying run across for a 2 - 2 tie. It wasn't until Kris Bryant hit an RBI single and Javier Baez hit a grand slam in the top of the 15th that the score moved to the final of 7 - 2.

The Reds were set down by rookie pitcher Carl Edwards Jr.in the bottom of the 14th and 15th Cubs manager Joe Maddon used 24 position players and even had pitchers play left field to make the win possible. That gives the Cubs 50 wins this season and gives them a N. L. Central best record of 50 - 26, 10.0 games ahead of the Cardinals. The Cubs go for another win today @ 12:35.

The Tigers are trying, some might say very trying, as they beat the Marlins 7 - 5, to move to 39 - 38 in the A. L. Central, good for 3rd place, 7.5 games behind the surging Indians. The Tigers face the Marlins again today @ 1:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays, 7 - 2. That moves the Sox to 42 - 35 in the A. L. East, 4.0 games behind the Orioles. Same opponent today @12:10 p.m.

The Caps once again fell to the Bowling Green Hot Rods in a Midwest League East game, 2 - 5. That gives the Caps a last place record of 1 - 5. They face the Hot Rods again tonight at home @ 7:00 p.m.

All times are Eastern Daylight Time.

The weather yesterday was cool as forecast by the NWS. We have a current temperature of 55° under clear skies. Later today, the sun will shine on GH and the high will be 76°.

Lunch was served before Mary adjourned to her office for more indexing and chatting. I stayed downstairs to read my latest large print book that is 952 pages in length. I am on page 369. I do like the large print versions of most books. Lunch was sandwiches made from Mary's latest vegan beest loaf, vegan bologna, accompanied by a salad of lettuce from our gardens.

Speaking of which, we will be seeing a bountiful harvest of green beans, zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes, green peppers, and kale. It was during my watering of the lawns and gardens of the vast PE, that I discovered the latest defective hose nozzle mentioned in the next paragraph. I also mowed the lawn, pulled some weeds and trimmed the edges with one hand.

I almost forgot. I have one half of a trainspotting report from yesterday. While I was working in the gardens, the southbound run of the train came through the RSTL. Locomotives 2019 and 2057 looking freshly washed in their Mid Michigan Railroad livery were in the lead of one BC and 20 DBTCs, all empty, some old and rusty. I guess we were out when the northbound run came through.

We traveled to the medium-box hardware store to exchange another watering nozzle. The nozzles have a guarantee, so I'll keep exchanging them as often as necessary. We made a quick stop at the Bolt Park Market in East Town for some produce before stopping at Sporty's for some afternoon libations. Home for a dinner that Mary crafted while I napped in the La-Z-Boy.

The dinner meal was a pasta dish, made with a sauce that included almond butter, maple syrup, a lesser amount of cayenne pepper than the original recipe called for over spaghetti noodles. TYhere may have been other ingredients that I can't recall, but I liked it. The recipe calls for tofu cubes in a sauce, but Mary determined not to make that version last night.  A good choice. This recipe is a delicious keeper.

After dinner, I walked over to Central Park for the third in the Tuesdays in the Park concert series. A local band Sweet Justice, were the featured performers. The band consists of many current and former members of the local law enforcement community. For one song, our Director of Public Safety, Jeff Hawke, sat in on the drums.

I took a folding camp chair, but it wasn't until I had sat down that I thought about how I would get up with one hand. Mary stopped by for a couple of songs and purchased my requisite bag of popcorn so that I only had to get up once at the end. Fortunately, Mary had me try getting up before she left the park to make sure that I could, in fact, get up. I was able to rise without assistance for the trip home.

Here are some pictures of my activities last night in Central Park.

Rising from the chair was a challenge.

Fire Chief, Police Chief, and drummer, Jeff Hawke.

Even the dogs of GH attended the concert. 

As did many of the citizens of  "The City.

Mary decided to forego her sock knitting session today. That allows her to finish the index when she and I are fresh later this morning. She also commandeered the La-Z-Boy for knitting last evening while I was listening to the band in Central Park and later when I went up to the media room for sports viewing and reading.

Today, more reading, index editing, and watering. I'm fairly certain that once Mary is done with her indexing, more knitting is in her plans. All of our plans are for after the morning safari with STWD.

The sun will rise @ 6:08 a.m. and set @ 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

I guess since I have been giving the sports report prominence of late, I should continue that practice for at least one more day.

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!. There, I don't have to say those dreaded words I was forced to use yesterday about the month of June and the Cubs. In spite of Jake Arrieta's less than stellar outing, the Cubs defeated the Reds 11 - 8.

But the real story is 2nd year all everything player, Kris Bryant. His three home runs, five RBIs, two doubles, and 16 total bases are personal bests for Bryant. In addition, he is the only player, ever, in the Major Leagues™ to hit three home runs and two doubles in the same game. That's pretty rare air. The Cubs are still solidly in 1st place, with a record of 49 - 26 in the N. L. Central, 10 games ahead of the Cardinals, who lost to the Royals. The Cubs face the Reds again tonight. I'll paraphrase the late Ernie Banks, who might have said, "Let's get two!"

The Tigers had the day off, so their place in the standings as the 3rd or 4th place team didn't change, with their A. L. Central record of 38 - 38. They play tonight against the Marlins who had the Cubs' number in that last series.

My beloved Red Sox dropped another game to the Blue Jays, by a score of 7 - 13. They are still in 2nd place in the A. L. East with a record of 41 - 35, but they need starting pitching, Now! They face the Blue Jays again tonight.

The Caps finally won a game in the 2nd half of their Midwest League season, defeating the Bowling Green Hot Rods, 9 - 5. However, they are still in the cellar along with two other teams, also sporting records of 1 - 4. Same teams again tonight.

Part of the way yesterday, I walked with Mary and STWD to and from my O/T appointment at the hospital. They returned sooner to allow Mary to get to work and also to let the intrepid one survive a walk. As she gets older, long walks have become more of a challenge.

All went well during my appointment, but I need to check with the orthopedist later today to find out if I need to keep this removable cast on my arm for two more weeks. My O/T feels that the cast may be limiting my recovery at this point. However, I tend to overdo, as we all know, so it may be that the doctor wants to protect me from myself. As I've noted before, I don't want to take any risks that set me back.

Once home, Mary made lunch and then she went back to work on her indexing project, which she says is going well. She often says that and then discovers later that she forgot to do something that set the progress back. I walked to the library for the latest initials on my Beachcomber's Book Bingo card. I also picked up a book for Mary and two additional books for myself. one a requirement in my quest for nine books read over the summer.

I spent the afternoon reading a spy-craft novel and performing my second watering, before we went to the medium-box grocery store. They have just finished their huge remodeling project, so we had difficulty finding things. They may have more of the things we like/need, but finding them at this juncture is a challenge.

We stopped at our favorite watering hole for dinner before returning home. By then I was tired and fell asleep upstairs to the dulcet tones of Pat Hughes and Ron Coomer, as they were describing the Cubs' latest victory. Mary and I believe that aside from baseball being life, it is also best enjoyed in a good radio play-by-play.

Today, Mary thinks she will finish the index before she gets to go to Holland and enjoy her sock knitting class tomorrow. I'll be reading both days, after the morning safari and of course after more watering of the lawns and gardens of the PE. Today, I have to put on my editor's hat to assist in the finalization of the index.

The current temperature is a very comfortable 65° under partly cloudy skies. The skies will remain partly cloudy later today, as the temperature rises to a comfortable high of 73°. That is the forecast from the NWS for several more days this week. No precipitation is in the forecast through at least the Fourth of July holiday. That means more watering for yours truly.

The sun will rise today at 6:08 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

Dare I say it? To paraphrase W. P. Kinsella, "Say it ain't so Jack, say it ain't so." Sorry, dear readers, I can't. My teams once again went oh-fer. Yes, they all lost with varying degrees of ineptitude.

The Cubs looked hapless, as they lost again to the Marlins, this time by a score of 1 - 6. No amount of whitewash can cover up that fact. The Cubs did not mount an offense and they were inept in the field. They have dropped six of seven recent games, including an embarrassing sweep by the Cardinals at the not so friendly confines of Wrigley Field. That finds the Cubs still in 1st place in the N. L. Central, with a record of 48 - 26.

If there is any solace, it is that injuries have been a factor. But that's an excuse, not a reason. Major League™ players who are paid like Major League™ players, are expected to perform at a Major League™ level. Youthful mistakes are not an excuse at this level.

The Tigers too looked inept, as they fell to 38 - 38 in the A. L. Central, a record that ties them with that other team from Chicago. The final score of 3 - 9 in their loss to the Indians, doesn't adequately depict the Tigers' ineptitude. Justin Verlander, or JV, as the broadcasters call him, looked very mortal.. The sports news places the Tigers in 4th place, I suppose they could have been placed in 3rd, ahead of that other team, but what difference would that make? Inept is inept.

My beloved Red Sox are looking inept too, as they lost to the Rangers, 2 - 6. The Sox are now sporting a record of 41 - 34 in the A. L. East. That places them in 2nd place, 4.0 games behind the Orioles.

The Caps lost for the 4th time in a row, to the Lansing Lugnuts, by a score of 9 - 12. That puts the Caps in last place in the Midwest League East with a record of 0 - 4, while the Lugnuts are leading the division with a record of 4 - 0.

So once again, I'd like to "Say it ain't so", but I can't. Inept is inept.

The weather cooperated yesterday, as the rains fell early, thus negating a need for me to water the lawns and gardens of the vast PE. However, no additional precipitation is in the forecast from the NWS until Friday at the earliest. So I'll be back out there later today. We have a current temperature of 71/72°, with today's high forecast to be 81° under sunny skies.

We got up late yesterday, forced STWD to take a shortened safari, and then returned home for those indoor chores and reading towards my Beachcomber's Book Bingo goal. I am now 5/9 of the way to my goal of nine books by the end of the summer, and also towards my reward of a nifty looking bag.

Mary made lunch and a vegan bologna after we returned, and then went back to work on the index. Later she engaged in her favorite kitchen activity, chopping, as she prepared a delicious stir-fry dinner. Rice, baked tofu, mushrooms, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, ginger and other spices, combined to make this dish not just "pretty good" as Mary put it, but "great" as I would call it.

Today, I'll be walking to the hospital for my O/T appointment. Mary and the intrepid one will accompany me part of the way, and then return home, so that Mary can get back to work. I'll probably water before I leave.

That will be enough for one day. The sun will rise at 6:07 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

Okay, lets's get the bad news out of the way. In sports, all of my teams lost, they went oh-fer. The Cubs  now may be officially in that dreaded "June Swoon." They lost to the Marlins 6 - 9, leaving the Cubs with a record of 48 -25 in the N. L. Central. That's still good for a 10 game lead over the 2nd place Cardinals, who also lost.

I'd like to say that I'm sad to report that that other team from Chicago lost, but I can't. I mean that I can't say that I'm sad that they lost that is. Is that too much like Yoda speak? That's because they lost to the Blue Jays, 8 - 10 to fall to one game under .500 in the A. L. Central, one full game behind the Tigers. The Cubs face off, tee it up, play ball once again today against the Marlins, at 1:10 p.m.

Speaking of the Tigers, their bats fell asleep again, as they lost to the Indians, 0 - 6. Anibel Sanchez seemed to be pitching batting practice for the Indians, serving up home runs and long, loud outs to the Indians' hitters. That gives the Tigers an A. L. Central record of 38 -37, 6.0 games behind the Indians. Did I mention that they are one game ahead of the other team from Chicago? They Tigers face the Indians again this afternoon, also at 1:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox lost big time to the Rangers, 3 - 10. That leaves the Sox 3.0 games behind the Orioles, in the A. L. East with a record of 41 - 33. They play the Rangers again today at 3:05 p.m. Am I worried? Not any more than I am about the Cubs.

The Caps fell to the Lugnuts again, by an eerily similar score to their parent team, the Tigers, 0 - 6. That finds the Caps still looking up from the bottom of the Midwest League East with an 8th place record of 0 - 3.

I watered the lawns and gardens of the PE early yesterday morning and again yesterday afternoon. In between, I did some one-handed trimming and weeding. Unless the forecast from the NWS comes to fruition, they're calling for a.m. T-storms at 40%. However that forecast is for 11:00 a.m. @ 35%, while the 40% is for 2:00 p.m. I can't count on those rains or that forecast from the GR based NWS. Our current temperature is 74, humid degrees as we head for the forecast high of 83 also humid degrees. albeit with more breezy conditions.

Yesterday afternoon, Mary and I walked downtown to take a quick pass through the annual Art Fair in GH. As usual, we didn't buy anything. Mary has "chunked" out her index, but she will have to get more done today. We stopped at the Double Deuce for dinner and then at the Post for a quick libation before returning home. Not surprisingly, I got tired and went upstairs to bed to miss most of the Cubs loss to the Marlins and the Red Sox loss to the Rangers.

I did get up later to have a snack and to watch a romance on The Hallmark Channel. While I was downstairs, we witnessed an exodus of cars from GH, much like the ones we have witnessed following the fireworks on the Fourth of July or the ones that bring an end to the 10 day Coast Guard Festival™. We don't know what we missed that brought in the crowds, but so be it.

Today, more reading, more one-handed indoor chores, more one-handed watering, and hopefully better baseball outcomes for all my teams. No baking in the hot and humid temperatures, that's too much for the A/C to handle. We'll take an abbreviated walk with STWD whether the rains come or not. It is just too hot for the intrepid one and us. Plus, if the thunder boomers happen, Sugar will not even go out at all.

The sun will rise at 6:07 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

I feel sorry for those who lost their lives and property in West Virginia due to the once every 1,000 year floods that are happening there. We get rains, and sometimes the Grand River overflows its banks or jams with ice floes, but we don't generally lose everyone and everything that is important in our lives.

I also feel the same sorrow for the people who live out west. As high temperatures soar well past 100°, they re experiencing fires that have consumed thousands of acres and hundreds of buildings, and which are almost beyond the capabilities of the men and women who are tasked with ending the conflagrations. Whether you believe in global warming, climate change, or other forces, we are in a world of hurt.

Here in GH, the current temperature is 59° that feels like 59°. No rain is falling outside the WW, and none is expected until Sunday, when T-storms are forecast by the NWS at 60%. I'll have to water the gardens and lawns of the PE, but that is a regular chore that does not threaten anyone's life nor property.

Mary and I started our chores after a lunch of barbecue baked tofu and Coleslaw, both made by Mary in her kitchen. We took a short safari with STWD afterwards, which was cut short by the sound of a 21 gun salute at the local funeral home. The Honor Guard from VFW Post 2326 was honoring a recently deceased member as we walked at about 1:30 p.m. The sound of the shots was enough to convince Sugar that it was time to get home, as fast as her little legs could carry her. I sat down to read and Mary went up to chat.

Yesterday, Mary had a double chat session, The first came after our IT guru lost track of time and the chat started and stopped at approximately 12:00 p.m., instead of the regular Friday chat time of 2:00 p.m. The regular chat began at 2:00 p.m. and that apparently went off without a hitch.

Mary worked more on her indexing project and I read until it was time to go to Muskegon to retrieve her yarn that she had left behind during her weaving class. If you recall, the last time we tried, we had forgotten that the store was closed on Mondays. When we arrived yesterday, we were surprised to see a for rent sign on an empty store front. Fortunately, I had the brilliant idea to call the store. In checking for the phone number, we learned that the store had moved 200 yards to the west and that they were indeed still in business.

We stopped in, retrieved the yarn filled bag that had made the move with the store and Mary selected some yarn for pair of yoga socks for Steph. As we were leaving, I had to remind Mary to take the bag of yarn that we had originally come to retrieve.

We stopped at our favorite watering hole for dinner, just ahead of the crush of tourists that descended following a busy day of vacationing. The regulars had mostly departed, so we were able to get a seat at the bar.

Sports news yesterday was once again a mixed bag. The Cubs eked out a win over the Marlins, 5 - 4, on the strength of two home runs, one by Kris Bryant and another by rookie catcher/first baseman Wilson Contreras that drove in two RBIs.

When I first tuned, in the Cubs were up by four runs after a torrid four run first inning. But a grand slam home run by the Marlins quickly tied the score and it was the second RBI by Contreras who started the game at catcher, but moved to 1st base when an injury to 2nd baseman Ben Zobrist, caused Cubs' manager Joe Maddon to reshuffle his team. Zobrist had been hit in the ankle by a pitch, but X-rays were negative. Contreras added another game winning RBI later in the game.  The Cubs now have a 10 game lead over the 2nd place Cardinals in the N. L. Central.

The Tigers fell to the Indians, 4 - 7. Sadly, the Indians are leading the A. L. Central over the 3rd place Tigers by 5.0 games. The Tigers have a record of 38 - 36. Pitching is still a real concern for the Tigers.

My beloved Red Sox also eked out a win, in their case over the Rangers, 8 - 7. That finds the Sox still in 2nd place in the A. L. East, 1.5 games behind the division leading Orioles. The Sox have a record of 41 - 32,

The Caps fell to the Lugnuts, 7 - 12. That gives the Caps an 0 - 2 record in the Midwest League Eastern Division, good enough to maintain their hold on 8th place.

Today, not much is on tap.Water the lawns and gardens of the PE, finish the indoor chores, and read after the morning safari with the intrepid one. Mary will get back to indexing, and surfing the Internet.

The sun will rise at 6:06 a.m., and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

It is not quite time to panic, but it may be time to worry about the Cubs, as they lost their 4th in a row to the Marlins. That comes on the heels of being swept by the Cardinals earlier this week. The final score of this game versus the Marlins was 2- 4. Jon Lester surrendered two home runs early in the game, as the announcers noted that he was pitching well. To me, pitching well means you aren't surrendering home runs. The Cubs loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't move the runners across.

Lester's battery mate and personal catcher, David Ross, did tie the game early with a home run of his own, but the results were still a loss. Javier Baez, made a spectacular play at 3rd base after throwing the ball wildly to first base on an earlier play. Rookie catcher Wilson Contreras, playing first base in place of Anthony Rizzo looked good, but the Cubs now have a record of 47 - 24 in the N. L. Central, nine games ahead of the 2nd place Cardinals. The Cubs face the Marlins again tonight.

The Tigers eked out a win over the Mariners in 10 innings 5 - 4, when a walk off wild pitch from the Marlins pitcher allowed the runner on the loaded bases to scamper home from third base. That gives the Tigers a record of 38 - 35 in the A. L. Central, four games behind the Orioles. The Tigers are in Cleveland tonight to face the A. L. East 1st place Indians.

My beloved Red Sox defeated that other team from Chicago, also in 10 innings, with a walk off single from Xander Bogaerts, that allowed the winning run in the person of Mookie Betts to score and avoid the sweep by that other team. The Sox have an A. L. East record of 40 - 32, good for 2nd place behind the Orioles, whom they face tonight. It should be a good game.

The Caps started off the 2nd half of their season in the Midwest League East, with a loss to the Lansing Lugnuts, 1 - 5. That means that the Caps have a record of 0 - 1, good for 8th place and the cellar in their division, Not to worry, they have a long time to make up ground. The Caps face the Lugnuts again tonight.

Yesterday, it looked like the rain would miss us and I'd have to water, but the rains came and soaked things in the lawns and gardens of the PE nicely, I did have to water the vegetables near the deck, because they are in the sun and dry out quickly. I'll be watering again today, as the next chance of rain is Sunday.

Worthy of note, is that the seedlings in the front lawn are beginning to sprout in response to the rains and watering. We are experiencing a current temperature of 61° under clear skies. Later today, the high is forecast to be 81° under sunny skies.

My visit to the hospital went smoothly yesterday.

Mary made a new recipe for potato salad for dinner to accompany the hot dogs with onions and mustard that we had obtained the day before. This particular mustard, is made in the UP of Michigan by the Backwoods Mustard Company™ and it tasted great.

With more than a little assistance from Mary, I made vegetable soup in the Crockpot™ too. My one-handed cooking skills still need polishing. I haven't tasted the soup yet, but it sure smells great and has provided a great fragrance for the main house of the PE. Fortunately, after I went to the media to watch the Cubs' loss, Mary placed "our" soup in the refrigerator.

Mary worked on her index and then we traveled to the UPS Store™, to send back the frame that we ordered for my new picture. That's the one that Adam and Steph gave me for Father's Day. We are going to have to take that picture to our regular framing place for a decent frame, since the one that was received from the big-box e-retailer was not to our liking.

Today, Mary goes back to indexing and I go back to watering after the morning safari with STWD. Mary has a chat at 2:00 p.m. today and I have a date with the La-Z-Boy for crossword solving and reading, while doing some household chores that will require extra time.

The sun will rise at 6:06 a.m. and set at 9:28 p,m. Ciao.

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

Yes, this is an early edition, but Mary roused me to watch the chaos on the floor of the House of Representative, and so I am up to blog. I won't be long.

The current temperature is 71° with the high temperature forecast for today to be 81° under partly cloudy skies. Earlier this evening, the NWS was warning of severe storms, but they passed well to the south of GH. That's a long way of saying I guess that I'll be watering for the foreseeable future. There is no significant precipitation/storm activity in the forecast until Sunday @ 70%. I'll take that with a grain of salt.

Mary had a good time at her sock knitting class yesterday, but not so much during her stop at the big-box everything store. However, we spent a nice afternoon traveling to and from Comstock Park to visit the Flowerland™ store there to get some plants and things for Mary's $.95 new terrarium. Plus, we learned that what we thought were slugs eating our roses, are not slugs at all, but an insect called a sawfly. We go some spray that should solve the problem.

I did hear and see the train rolling southbound at 9:38 a.m., but I never saw nor heard the northbound run. The early train consisted of locomotives 2019 and 2057 towing two BCs, 19 CHCs, four DBTCs, and four DWTCs, with two of those at the end. All the cars were empty.

Sports news was not good yesterday. The Cubs were swept by their N. L. Central division rivals, the Cardinals, with a 2 - 7 final series game. The Cubs have a record of 47 - 23, good for a 1st place lead over the Cardinals of 9.5 games. I guess that turn about really is fair play, because the Cubs swept the Cardinals in St. Louis earlier in the season. Let's hope that the Cubs' next stop in Miami goes better.

The Tigers fared better, as they defeated the Mariners 5 - 1, to go to an A. L. Central record of 37 - 35, good for 3rd place, 4.5 games behind the division leading Indians. The same two teams meet again later today.

My beloved Red Sox fell to that other team from Chicago by a score of 6 - 8. That leaves the Sox 2.0 games behind the A. L. East leading Orioles, and in 2nd place. The Sox once again face that other team this afternoon.

The Caps return to action tonight, following a great first half of the season in the Midwest League Eastern Division. They are in Lansing, MI tonight to face the Lugnuts.

Yesterday while Mary was at her knitting class, STSD and I made our famous banana nut bread. I did have Mary chop the walnuts before she left, but after that, I mashed, stirred, poured, and baked one-handed. I also cleaned up with that same one-hand system. It was challenging, but I did it. STSD as usual, was there to provide moral support and assist in the clean up.

Today, I have to go to the hospital for some preventative care, nothing serious, and then I hope to spend some time reading. Mary has to get to work on that index, so I should be able to do as I please after visiting the hospital, and watering the gardens and lawns of the PE.

The sun will rise at 6:06 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m., as the days once again get shorter. Ciao.

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

Our current temperature is 64° and the view out the WW is partly cloudy. Later today, the high is forecast to be 74 °. The NWS forecast for rain later this evening, has been reduced to a 20% chance for scattered T-storms. I had planned to water this morning, so no real change for me.

The sun will rise at 6:05 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m.

Yesterday, during the morning safari, STWD, had a new and surprising greeting for our USPS letter carrier, Dave, when we met him in his truck nearby. Normally, Sugar is always happy to see Dave, but then she can't seem to decide if she really wants to be petted. Generally she won't let Dave pet her. Yesterday it was different, as she happily greeted him and allowed the long sought after petting. Go figure.

Sports news yesterday was not good. The Cubs dropped their second in a row to the Cardinals, 3 - 4. That leaves the Cubs just 10.5 games ahead of the Cardinals in the N. L. Central with a record of 47 - 22. Can the Cubs stop the slide and avoid a sweep? Here'a hoping.

The Tigers fared better, as they topped the Mariners 4 - 2. That gives the Tigers an A. L. Central record of 36 -35, however the Tigers are still in 3rd place, 4.5 games behind the Indians.

My beloved Red Sox lost to that other team from Chicago, 1 - 3. That leaves the Sox with an A. L. East record of 39 - 31, but still only 1.0 games in back of the Orioles who also lost. Big Papi is sorry that he announced his retirement, as he is having a monster year.

The Caps as a team were off yesterday, but their Midwest League East All-Stars helped defeat the Midwest League West All-Stars by a final score of 11 - 10. The Caps return to regular action on Thursday against the Lansing Lugnuts.

We traveled to Coopersville yesterday for some grocery shopping and a stop at the South-Side Bar and Grill for dinner. A nice family run place that will receive a visit when next we are out that way.

Prior to that trip, Mary had a nice chat session which caused her to rethink our plans to go south to New Orleans. Instead, our new plans are for travel to Philadelphia and Washington, D. C. in November for an indexing conference. Stay tuned for future changes.

While Mary was chatting I was in the man-cave, performing repairs on the weed whacker that Adam and Steph bequeathed to us. The weed whacker had an unfortunate accident when it met the door of Adam's Jeep™ over the past weekend. A little glue and a wire tie and it should be as good as new. It is amazing what I can do one-handed.

Later in the evening, I walked to Central Park to see Natchez Trace, a band that plays acoustic classic rock. The band was represented by only three people last night instead of their full line up. They played and sang music from John Denver, the Beatles, the Eagles, and many others. They are professional and sounded great. Plus, I found another reason to eat popcorn, so what's not to like?

I took some pictures to give the flavor of the park, the band, and the crowd in attendance.

Throughout the summer during Tuesdays in the Park, we have free concerts.

Good tunes and a happy crowd were the order of the evening, 

I captured this young man juggling, I wonder if Adam can still juggle as he could when he was younger.

Central Park is more than a wedding venue and a fountain, as the large crowd showed.

Today, Mary is once again off to Holland for her weekly sock knitting session. She had to complete more of her latest effort to stay apace. That was where I last saw her, happily knitting in the dining room. I'll be on my own for lunch today, but there is no shortage of good things to eat, so I'll be fine while she is away. Plus, STSD will be here to keep me company while I eat and to assist in the baking of my famous banana nut bread. 

All of those activities will occur post morning safari, and post watering. Ciao. 

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

The weather is a good place to begin, because as usual, here in GH, the weather is unpredictable. On the other hand, we could be in the Western US, so I have no real complaints. The current temperature is 64° under clear but dark skies outside the WW. Later today, we have a forecast high from the NWS of 77° under sunny skies. No rain is in the forecast until late Wednesday at 50% . So that means that my new hose will be getting a workout. In fact, with the exception of that one day, we'll be having highs in the upper 70s or lower 80s and no rain.

Trainspotting yesterday was hit and miss. Since I had that appointment for O/T at the hospital at 1:00 p.m., we traveled too soon to see the southbound passage. However, I got a late report from Marcia, the chiropractor's office manager, when we were there later in the day, regarding the southbound passage that happened at lunch time. She reported it as a long, slow-moving train, that required the blowing of the train whistle for extended blasts at every crossing in GH. I'm thinking that the horn-happy engineer was back at the throttles. Therefore, the only thing I know for sure is from Marcia's report about the time and length of the train.

I was able to spot the northbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019, as they made their way north, moving very slowly. 11 CHCs, one BC, and three DBTCs. I wonder if the extreme heat slowed the progress in both directions, as the railroad might have been worried about the spacing of the rails due to the heat. Given what I have personally observed regarding the condition of those rails, I think that their concern was warranted.

My O/T appointment went well. I am healing nicely, but I still have many weeks to go in this accursed cast. Sigh. New therapies were employed and encouragement was offered, but you can't rush the healing process. Sigh again.

STWD was in her various hide-e-holes most of the day. She didn't venture forth until we got back from the hospital, when Mary took her on safari as I watered. I had planted the plants in the pot earlier in the day, so I made sure to water them well then and later too, along with the new grass seeds.

Mary had a scare with her computer yesterday, as she seemed to have been attacked by that ransom-ware that I mentioned a few weeks ago. She followed the recommended protocols and everything seems to be OK. However, her plans to get to work on the index were dashed on the rocks of despair.

Sports news was not so good. as the Cubs lost to the Cardinals, 2 - 3. The Cubs are still 11.5 games ahead of the Cardinals and in 1st place in the N. L. Central.

The Tigers edged the visiting Mariners, 8 - 7 to go to 35 - 35 in the A. L. Central, still good enough for 3rd place, 4.5 games behind the Indians, but 1.0 games ahead of that other team from Chicago.

Speaking of that other team, they visited my beloved Red Sox and beat them, 1 - 3. However, the A. L. East division leading Orioles lost too, so nothing changed. The Sox are still in 2nd place, with a record of 39 - 30.

The Caps were off, as they savor their appearance in the playoffs as a wildcard team later this summer, with a record of 39 - 28 in the first half. Those playoffs begin at the end of the season, with a one and done for the Caps. First there is the Midwest League All-Star game tonight. The Caps have three players on the roster for that game.

Mary served a dinner of vegan Mongolian beef, well actually soy curls marinated in a special blend of herbs and spices, served over a bed of Couscous. I liked it, and it is a keeper.

Today, more watering, Mary has a chat, and I have reading to do towards my Beachcomber's Book Bingo goal. Those things occur after the morning safari with the intrepid one. Mary lost work time to that ransom-ware attack yesterday, so she needs to make up for lost time.

The sun will rise at 6"05 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

Well, Father's Day has come and gone, as have our children, but we had a great time. Adam and Steph gave me an appropriate card, and a personalized picture of several Chevrolet Camaros from my favorite year, 1969, as a gift. I still have to get the picture framed, but when I do, I'll take a photo of it in its new home. Thanks kids, I love it, you, and the card.

This is the longest day of the year, the summer solstice, and coincidentally, the first Strawberry Moon since 1967 and the last for another 46 years. If the clouds cooperate, you'll see the not really pink, but possibly amber moon, at sunset. You might look to the Druids of ancient England and their famous Stonehenge observatory, for one explanation. In North America, the Native Americans of the Algonquin tribe, believed that the moon at the solstice, signaled the start of the strawberry picking season. Scientists will tell you that the explanation for the solstice is the tilt of the earth's axis toward the sun on the first day of summer. Whatever your beliefs, if you can, get out and take a look at this very rare occurrence.

Sorry Steph, the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship with a 93 - 89 win over the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, as the Cavs became both the new champions and the first NBA team to come back from a 3 - 1 deficit in the championship series.

The Cubs defeated the Pirates 10 - 5, as the Cubs swept the Pirates to go to 47 - 20 in the N.L. Central, behind Kyle Hendricks' 12 Ks. Included in the sweep, were home runs from rookie catching prospect Wilson Contreras, in his first MLB™ at bat, as he pinch hit for Hendricks in the 6th inning. Plus back to back home runs by Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo. The Cubs are still solidly in 1st place. They host the Cardinals tonight.

The Tigers bats fell asleep again, as they lost to the Royals, 1 - 2. A solid pitching performance by Jordan Zimmerman was wasted when the relief corps gave up a hit in the bottom of the 12th with the bases loaded with Royals. Stephen Moya hit his first MLB™ home run to plate the Tigers' only score. The Tigers are still in 3rd place in the A. L. Central, with a 34 - 35 record, 1.0 game ahead of that other team from Chicago, but 4.5 games behind the division leading Indians. The Tigers once again return home to face the Mariners tonight.

My beloved Red Sox eked out a win over the Mariners in Seattle, as Big Papi stole 2nd base, a rare occurrence indeed, nearly rivaling the appearance of the Strawberry Moon. The final score was 2 - 1, as the Sox remained in 2nd place, 1.0 games behind the Orioles, who defeated the Blue Jays in an A. L. East match-up, 11 - 6. Next up, that other team from Chicago tonight.

The Caps fell to the Lugnuts, 4 - 5, but the Caps are a wildcard team for the first half playoffs in the Midwest League Eastern Division, with a record of 39 - 28. Go Caps!

We went out yesterday afternoon to get some plants for Mary's vision in the pot that gave us our recent spinach crop. I agree that next year we will plant crops that deliver a larger yield of more fruitful vegetables, like beans or tomatoes. When you prepare the spinach, it cooks down to a small serving or when cold, two small salads. Plus, spinach is not a good hot weather crop. We also got some additional support stakes for the pole beans that are overwhelming their area of the garden. The beans should deliver a bumper crop along with the tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers. We have already seen a bumper crop of basil, cilantro, and lettuce.

Today, I have an O/T appointment at the hospital and we also have an appointment at the chiropractor later this afternoon. We need to get the new plants in the pot and I have to water again, if the rain doesn't materialize. Adam finally convinced me after five years, that a lighter hose and a reel were appropriate for my watering of the gardens and lawns of the PE. I can be stubborn sometimes, well most times, when it comes to spending money.

The sun will rise today at 6:05 a.m. and set at 9:28 p.m. after our busy day. Ciao

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

Welcome to Father's Day. I already got my gift on Friday morning, when I awoke and my children, Stephanie and Adam, had come to visit the night before. They will be leaving today. Every time a man gets the chance to see his kids is Father's Day, at least to me.

Friday morning, Adam took me for a short ride in their Jeep™, Otto, and that is a terrific ride when Adam drives. On Saturday, I walked to the library for the latest initials on my Beachcomber's Book Bingo tally card, where Adam picked my up and we were off.

We took a longer trip that found us near Silver Lake State Park, where we saw the lighthouse at Little Sable Point, one of many lighthouses that surround the shores of  the "Big Lake." I've included the website address to "Visit Luddington", one of the towns that is nearby, which contains a nice description and history of this over 100 year old structure.

http://www.visitludington.com/stories/little_sable_point_lighthouse_silver_lake_sand_dunes_lake_michigan

To get there, we discovered a "seasonal road" that the Oceana County Highway Department does not plow in the winter time. Naturally, Adam being a true Jeep™ driver, saw this road as nothing more than a route that most cars could not traverse, but one that was made for a visit in a Jeep™. We saw things that most people never see en-route to the lighthouse. As Adam and the commercials say, "Only in a Jeep!"

We meandered our way back to GH via the same route, and added some additional Jeep™ roads to our route. What a trip.

Later in the day, Mary and I took a walk downtown for dinner, while Adam and Steph walked to another location for theirs. We got home, I got tired and went to the media room and then to my bed. Mary stayed up to welcome our children, and then she too came up to the media room to watch some TV or a movie.

Sports yesterday was mostly good news. The Cubs eked out a win over the Pirates @ The Beautiful Confines, 5 - 4. They play again tonight. With a record of 46 - 20 in the N. L. Central, they have both the best record in baseball, and a solid 11.5 game lead over the Cardinals, and 14.0 games over the Pirates.

The Tigers were crushed in Kansas City by the Royals, 5 - 16. That drops the Tigers back to .500 in the A. L. Central, but still in 3rd place, 3.5 games behind the Indians and .5 games behind the Royals.

My beloved Red Sox fared much better, as they defeated the Mariners in Seattle, 6 - 2, behind a great pitching performance by former Tiger Rick Porcello, accompanied by home-runs from Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. They are now in 2nd place, 1.0 game in back of the Orioles in the A. L. East.

The Caps were once again victorious over the Lansing Lugnuts, 4 - 0. That still leaves them in a statistical tie with the South Bend Cubs in the Midwest League East, with a record of 39 - 27.

Not much on tap for today. More watering of the lawns on the PE, which Adam helped me with yesterday, and reading a new book on my Beachcomber's quest. Adam suggested that I need a new hose and reel to make watering easier, so I may get those today. His theory, and it is a good one, is that you should enjoy the small things in life, whatever it takes to do them.

The current temperature is 63° as we head for another beautiful day here in GH, under sunny skies and a high of 84°. We'll bid adieu to our children and then take the morning safari with STWD. I'll finish my highlighting and then settle in for more of less after watering. We also have to do some transplanting in the gardens, but that should not take too long.

The sun will rise at 6:05 a.m. on one of the the longest days of the year, as we near the summer solstice. It will set later this evening at 9:27 p.m. after a great Father's Day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

Once again, it is time for a KISS blog.

Current temp = 59° per NWS. 62° per DTWS. Forecast for today, sunny & 84°. Tomorrow, same. Mon., chance of scattered T-storms, 60%. Sunrise, 6:04 a.m. Sunset, 9:27 p.m.

Sports, Cubs /6 - 0 over Pirates. 45 - 20, 1st place, N.L.C., 10.5 > 2nd place Cards, 13.0 > Pirates. Arrieta, 11 Ks, record, 11 - 1. Mariners/Tigers, 3 - 10, 3rd place A.L.C., 34 - 33, 2.5 < Indians, .5 < Royals, 1.0 > other team from Chi., also losers. Beloved, Mariners/Sox, 4 - 8. Stat. tie w/ Orioles for 1st, A.L.E.. Os, also losers. Caps, 7 - 0 / Lugnuts, 39 - 26. = w/ S. B. Cubs in M.W.L.E. 1st.

Daily activities yesterday. Ride with Adam as Steph worked. M walked w/ STWD, crafted. Lunch at favorite watering hole M shopped as did S after lunch. Home, read and talked on front porch, S, part time in chaise on deck. All good. Dinner, takeout sandwiches for S & A, beest and Coleslaw for M & J. More talk, more highlighting for J, almost done, fascinating, then bed time for J. M watched TV in media room after talking w/ S & A. All good.

Today, J waters lawns of vast PE, as M walks w/ STWD and S to GHFM. Later, A & S, more doing nothing. Otherwise unknown as of yet. Perhaps all visit beach to see sand castle, or not. Otherwise, M crafting, J not very much. Time to start new book.

That's all folks. Ciao.

Addendum: I was listening to Jimmy Church as he subbed for George Noory on Coast to Coast AM. The topic was primarily time travel. Sorry Mary. I know that this is one of your favorite topics, either 1st or 2nd when compared with Bigfoot.

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

Yesterdays high temperature was very fall like, which would be good if it weren't just a few days away from summer. We never got out of the 60s and it felt quite cool for the morning safari and our trip to my O/T appointment. Still, after the huge storm that passed through on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, it was a welcome change.

I was in my usual summer uniform, shorts and a T-shirt, while Mary was in hers, jeans and a T-shirt, She had goosebumps during the morning safari with STWD. We both added jackets for our walk to the hospital, but they were too warm by the time we reached the  hospital, and we needed them on the way home. We did decide to wear the jackets when we walked downtown later, but that's because the temperatures had never rebounded.

Right now, the view out the WW is clear and the current temperature is a cool 62°. Later today, the high will be 83° under sunny skies. Much like San Diego, that will be the forecast through Sunday, with no precipitation. It should be great for the kids' visit and our gardening activities on the PE.

Speaking of the gardens, we are now seeing our first tomatoes. The beans are climbing, the kale is doing great, and the peppers. zucchini, and cucumbers look great and healthy too. The potatoes I planted have purple flowers, something I didn't expect, as I've always seen white flowers. The balance of the gardens also seem to have benefited from the recent rains.

My O/T appointment went great. I am on track, nearly four weeks post surgery, and the therapist says that I am doing well. Limited pain, good healing, and my flexibility is as expected. However, I still have to wear this accursed removable cast for several more weeks. I am impatient, as previously noted, but I won't do anything to jeopardize my recovery and set myself back in any way.

Our trip downtown netted me a new hat, similar in style to my favorite Irish type driving hat, only in white and of light, summer weight fabric. My previous summer weight hat had gotten too dirty to be cleaned, so out it went. We stopped in at the Post, which was open on a Thursday, due to a dinner for the local Chamber of Commerce. We learned that Sally is in a hospital getting ready for further treatment. She wants to be working, but that will have to await her recovery.

The Cubs had the day off yesterday, and they are set to meet the 3rd place Pirates this afternoon. With a record of 44 - 20, the Cubs still have a 9.5 game lead over the 2nd place Cardinals in the N. L. Central. The Cubs have called up catching prospect Wilson Contreras from the triple AAA Iowa Cubs. He has a hot bat, but will only see limited playing time behind the current catchers.

The Tigers crushed that other team from Chicago, 10 - 4, to move to 34 - 32 in the A. L. Central. That means that they are still in 3rd place, one full game ahead of that other team from Chicago and 2.5 games behind the Indians. The Tigers face the Royals tonight.

Sadly, there is no joy in Bean-town. My beloved Red Sox fell to the Orioles in an A. L. East contest, 1 - 5. With a record of 37 - 28, the Sox are now 1.0 game behind the Orioles and in 2nd place. Same teams tonight.

The Caps also won big, with a 9 - 2 defeat of the Lansing Lugnuts in the M. W. L. East. With a record of 38 - 26, they are doing great, but they are still behind the South Bend Cubs, by 1.0 game. Same teams there tonight too.

Instead of making a stand for Bo, I ordered one from the big online retailer. I couldn't make one as cheaply, and this one will match the ones the other girls are using.

Today, not much is on tap. Walking, reading, the morning safari with the intrepid one, and visiting with the kids when they are done working from home. Ah, the wonders of telecommuting.

Yesterday, with all of our walking, we passed the five mile mark again. Believe me when I say that 10,000 steps/five miles is a lot of walking.

Worthy of note, is that George Noory, host of Coast to Coast AM, is speaking with guest, Gerald Celente about UFOs, robots, the tragedy in Orlando and other items of interest. George will also cover all things paranormal later in the show, but sadly, no Bigfoot stories.

The sun will rise at 6:04 a.m. and set at 9:27 p.m. Ciao.

Good mornig or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 66° according to the NWS and the DTWS. Today's high is forecast to be 73° according to the NWS. The chance of showers has decreased to about 15% for the next several hours and then they are over. No additional showers or T-storms are expected until Monday. I should be able to avoid watering anything on the PE until Saturday. The view outside the WW is dark, but no rain is falling right now.

Speaking of storms, Wow!, we had a HUGE T-storm late last night and into the early morning hours. Neither Mary nor I could recall a storm of that magnitude at any point in our lives. The thunder continued to roll and the lightning flashed  for about 45 minutes. The power was out all over "The City." When I checked my email about one hour ago, there were four alerts for severe weather @ about 11:00 p.m. last night. I didn't need those alerts, I was here.

I believe that the power returned after about one hour, but I fell asleep with visions of the Cubs loss to the Nats dancing in my head. Yes my friends the Cubs are all too human. They lost two of three to the Nats, this one in 12 innings, when the Nats pushed across two runs in the bottom of the 12th, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The Cubs are now only 9.5 games ahead of the Cardinals in the N. L. Central, with a record of 44 - 20. The Cubs are off today, before hosting the Pirates Friday afternoon,

The Tigers fared poorly too, as they lost to that other team from Chicago, 3 - 5. They had opportunities, but they could not move the runs across. That gives the Tigers an A. L. Central of 33 - 32, .5 games ahead of that other team from Chicago, and 2 games behind the Indians and the Royals. The Tigers play tonight at Kansas City.

My beloved Red Sox fared better, as they defeated the Orioles 6 - 4, to move into a tie with the Orioles for 1st place in the A. L. East @ 37 - 27. The Sox host the Orioles again tonight.

The Caps took it on the chin from the Ft. Wayne TinCaps, 0 - 5. They are still in 2nd place in the M. W. L. League East, with a record of 37 - 26. The Caps are in Lansing tonight to play the Lugnuts.

It took me a while to ruminate on a name for the latest addition to my harem. With some help from Mary, I've landed on Bo as her name. She is round, so it seemed natural to give her a girl's name. However, much like Sugar's bark, she does have a distinctly masculine sound, so perhaps the unisex name of Bo is appropriate. Here are some pictures of her in her new home next to her sister, Blue. I have to get a stand for her, so that she stays safe like all the other girls. I may be able to make one for her when my thumb is healed, That' about the same time frame for being able to play her.

Here is a pictures of her in her new home in the music room.

As of now, she is residing in her shipping container, pictured below.

I won't be buying a traveling case until this box is worn out. It is sturdy and came with a handle. 

I only spotted the southbound run of the train as it traversed the RSTL through "The City." Locomotives 2057 and 2019 were at the head of a long line of empty cars, which were, 22 CHCs, some very rusty in appearance, three DBTCs, five DWTCs, two with red stripes, but all carrying HCl acid, with one rusty GTC with a stripe, bringing up the rear. 

While Mary was at her sock knitting class in Holland, I was a busy housekeeper, I dusted, vacuumed, and washed the floors, all with one hand. I believe that every activity takes me about 1/3 more additional time in my current state. That's OK. I still don't do windows though. Mary said that her class was not for the faint of heart. Previous knitting experience, preferably on socks, was needed. She liked it. 

We walked downtown to get some laminating done at the UPS Store™. It is officially official, my Medicare card and the accompanying supplemental card are now encased in plastic and ready for my wallet. In addition, we had some new "ornaments" laminated for our Christmas tree. They commemorate our attendance at local events in Spring Lake and at Grand Haven High School.

Today, we are off to the O/T appointment for more therapy. I am nearing four weeks post-op. Three more weeks in the cast, plus more therapy. I still don't do sick type things well.

That's enough for one day. The kids will be visiting for a few days, and I'll be highlighting and reading. We'll take the mornig safari with STWD. Yesterday's sojourn was uneventful, unlike Monday's walk. 

The sun will rise into a partly cloudy sky at 6:04 a.m. and set from that same sky, at 9:26 p.m. Ciao.

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

Since we have to get up early today to walk STWD and to allow Mary to get to Holland for her knitting activity by 10:00 a.m., I am going to attempt to create a truncated blog. Only time will tell how well I do.

Sports news was interesting yesterday. The Cubs needed all of their innings in Washington, D.C. to win 4 - 3 over the Nats. That win ended the Nats winning streak and gave the Cubs a record of 44 - 19, which is 9.5 games ahead of the Cardinals and also gives the Cubs the best record in the major leagues and in the N. L. Central.

The Tigers dropped that other team from Chicago by a score of 11 - 8, as the Tigers' bats came to life. That gives the Tigers a record of 33 - 31 in the A.L. Central, 2.0 games behind the Indians, and 1.5 games ahead of that other team.

My beloved Red Sox fell to the Orioles, 2 - 3 for a division record of 36 - 27. That moves them into 2nd place, 1.0 games behind the Orioles in the A.L. East.

The Caps fared better, as they beat the Ft. Wayne TinCaps 7 - 4. That gives the Caps a M.W. L. East record of 37 - 25, 1.0 games behind the division leading South Bend Cubs.

We didn't get up until late yesterday and then it was time for Mary to chat with her indexing colleagues. She had gotten up earlier to craft a new version of her vegan ham, which became a portion of our luncheon sandwiches. While she was chatting, I was one-handed cleaning. I think I did well, and collectively, we divided up things according to our preferred likes and abilities. STWD was waiting on her morning meal, which became an afternoon meal. Somewhere in there, the tree trimmers were clearing the electrical wires in the back of the PE of excessive foliage. They were careful to watch out for our new plantings, so all is good.

Finally, it was time for the afternoon safari with the intrepid one. Therein lies a tale. As we started down the sidewalk, the dog that lives across the street came charging across in front of two cars to attack Sugar, and I do mean attack. With teeth bared, growling and ready for conflict, the dog attacked Sugar. Mary pulled Sugar, and I kicked the dog to end the attack. For once, the question of why is there never a cop around when you need one, was answered.

A local GHDPS officer was just heading out from the DPS (Department of Public Safety) near the PE and saw the whole incident. He didn't talk to us, but the owner of the dog was issued a ticket for not having the dog on a leash, as required by local ordinance. Sadly, later in the evening, we saw that dog and two others in the yard across the street, all without leashes.

According to a February, 2015 article in the Chicago Tribune, science finally proved that, "You can't fix stupid." That's according to a study done by a professor at Cornell University, whose premise is based on interviews with thousands of people that seems to demonstrate that dumb people don't, or rather can't, tell they are stupid. I don't know what to add to that.

After the attack, all three of us had a case of increased pulse rate. In addition, Sugar was so excited, that the lady who brought Sugar's dog food couldn't even get past Sugar to deliver the food and get paid. Mary had to lock Sugar in the downstairs hide-e-hole while she wrote the check for payment. Finally, we made our way down the block to get on with our day.

We returned and walked to the library so that I could get two additional initials on my Beachcomber's Book Bingo card. one for non-fiction and one for mystery. We also picked up some additional books for my reading pleasure. Mary got some books too, one a cookbook of vegan casseroles that looks very promising.

Then we were off to the grocery and fabric stores in Spring Lake. Those stops were uneventful and ended with a stop at our favorite watering hole on the other side of the bridge. Dinner became bean tacos from the local purveyor of all good Mexican food things. That was after Mary went to the nearby yarn store, the Needlesmith™ for some knitting needles to take with her to the class in Holland today.

The current temperature is 69° per the NWS and the DTWS. 6:00 a.m. is supposed to see the start  of showers and possible T-storms with a 95% certainty. While I won't have to water, I think I'm safe in assuming that Mary hopes that the prediction for rain throughout the day is inaccurate for her drive. I'll be staying home, and STWD will likely be in her hide-e-hole and unwilling to go out if the forecast is accurate.

I guess I didn't succeed in a truncated version of this blog. Sigh.

The sun will rise at 6:04 a.m. and set at 9:26 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, per the NWS of 60°, or 64° per the DTWS prevails. The NWS is forecasting a chance of showers of anywhere from 15% to 50% throughout these early and later a.m. hours. However, the DTWS has nothing on its display, so... my DTWS forecast is as good as theirs. By early Wednesday, the NWS forecasts an increase to 60% that morphs into an 80% chance of T-storms as the day progresses. I think I'll rely on the DTWS and STWD for additional forecasts.

Update, 4:54 a.m. STWD is in her upstairs hide-e-hole as the T-storms move in. Nothing on the DTWS.

Bill Steffens, Chief Meteorologist for WOOD TV/Radio, says the showers will be sporadic throughout the day. However, he relies on input from the NWS for his forecast too, and he is in GR, so I can't always count on him either.

I have one-half of a train spot for this blog. At 10:22 a.m., locomotive #2019 was soloing as it headed south. In tow were two BCs, eight CHCs, one DWTC, and at the end, a lone DBTC. What happened to locomotive #2057 and also the northbound run will forever be a mystery to me. I don't know about the northbound run, because we were out, and I have no way to check on the missing locomotive.

Sadly, sports news was not good yesterday for the Cubs They were outclassed by the Nats, 1 - 4, when former Tiger Max Scherzer fanned 11 Cubs in a 1 - 4 victory by the Nats. That leaves the Cubs a scant 8.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Cardinals, with a record of 43 - 19 in the N. L. Central. I erred yesterday, when I placed the Pirates in 2nd place. They are actually 11.5 games behind the Cubs. Still, an 8.5 game lead over the Cardinals feels good to this long suffering fan halfway through June.

Also sadly, the Tigers fell to that other team from Chicago last night, 9 - 10. Neither team's pitcher was dominating. The Tigers now have a scant .5 game lead over that team with a 32 - 31 in the A. L. Central. The Tigers face that same team tonight.

Fortunately, my beloved Red Sox were off and are still tied with their opponent for the next several games, the Orioles, with an A. L. East record of 36 - 26.

Also fortunately, the Caps were victorious over the Ft. Wayne TinCaps, 8 - 3. The Caps are still stuck in 3rd place with a record of 36 - 25 in the M.W.L. East.

We traveled to the great north of our little environs, first to Muskegon to visit a closed yarn shop. Neither of us remembered that many shops are closed on Mondays, this one included. Our next stop was at the tool outlet where we only got 2/3 of my desired items. But, after a few stops on the way home, that elusive third item, a tool called a file card made of wood and steel bristles, not paper, and which is  used for cleaning metallic files in the workshop, was ordered from an on-line retailer.

We also stopped at the mall to have a new pin placed in my recently purchased watch band. That stop went smoothly.

We traveled to the hospital for my P/T appointment, which was actually an O/T (occupational therapy) appointment, Once again, we ate a salad for lunch in the hospital cafeteria prior to that appointment. The appointment was enlightening and I have a long way to go towards recovery and full use of my thumb, according to the therapist. It means a lot of work for me, but in order to play with the girls once again, I will do my part.

Our final stop was at the chiropractor. That went well, and I was fitted for my new Orthotic inserts. The doctor wants to wait until they come in to decide if they are the answer to my issues.

Finally a stop at JWs and then home for additional reading and crossword solving.

My new Irish bodhran arrived yesterday, I'll try it out today to see if I can play with my removable cast. If not, it will have to wait for a few weeks. It's OK if I can't, because I have nothing but time in my retired state.

Today, I want to stay in and enjoy the life giving rains that are in the forecast from the NWS. That's after the morning safari with the intrepid one. If it is raining, I won't have to water the lawns and gardens of the vast PE. However, that will also mean that Sugar won't be happy about having to go out. That's where her forecasting skills come in. If she repairs to her hide-e-hole, I'll know that storms are coming or in progress.

More highlighting is in store for me along with reading and lazing about. Mary baked her bread loaf last night, but I don't know what the result is yet. I'll await her critique this morning. I did get an email from her that did not include an Aaugh ala Peanuts©, or other negative critical comment about the bread, so perhaps the news will be good. She was watching another in her favorite movie genre, apocalyptic disasters, aptly named Contagion, when she sent that email from downstairs.

That's enough for today. The weather will determine much of my activities for later this morning, and throughout the day. The sun will rise at 6:04 a.m. and set at 9:26 p.m. Ciao.

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

It is a sad day in America. 50 of our fellow citizens were slain and over 52 more were wounded by a hate filled crazy man with an automatic-type rifle early yesterday morning. A moment of prayer is good, but action on the root cause of this massacre is better.

But that's enough on a topic that is too serious for my generally lighthearted blog.

Yesterday, the Cubs crushed the Braves, 13 - 2, to go to 25 games over .500, their best start since 1907. That keeps them 9.0 games ahead of the 2nd place Pirates in the N. L. Central. Jon Lester won his 4th in a row as the Cubs' bats came to life once again. Next up, the Nats in D.C. tonight.

Did I mention that that other team from Chicago is now under .500 with a record of 31 - 32 in the A. L. Central, following a loss to the Royals. That means that the Tigers are 1.5 games ahead of them. "Put it on the board, Yes!"

The Tigers are now at 32 - 30 in the A. L. Central, following a 4 - 1 victory over the Yankees. The Tigers aren't dead yet, and they are in 2nd place in their division. Next up, that other team from Chicago tonight.

My beloved Red Sox fell to the Twins, 4 - 7. Ouch! That gives them a record of 36 - 26 in the A. L. East, tied with the Orioles. The Sox host the Orioles Tuesday night.

The Caps fell in 11 innings to the Lansing, MI Lugnuts, 0 - 2. That drops the Caps to 3rd place in the M. W. L. East with a record of 35 - 25. Also Ouch!

Yesterday, we grilled out and ate on the deck of the PE for the first time. Before and after lunch, I finished non-fiction book,  The Court Martial of Paul Revere. Now I am on to pulp fiction, Mickey Spillane's The Legend of Caleb York. Although Mickey Spillane died in 2006, his estate asked a friend and fellow fiction writer, Max Allan Collins to complete many unfinished manuscripts found in Spillane's treasure vaults. None were found by Geraldo Rivera. So, I now know that there are other books in the Mike Hammer series that await my reading.

One handed grilling is a challenge

Mary's preparations made the task easier.

Unfortunately, our high hopes for the Jerk Seasoning recipe used on the tofu, were dashed. 

Later, after I spent some time reading, we walked downtown to add to our step count and to get a pitcher of adult beverages. Along the way, Mary used her two hands and took some pictures at my direction with our shared camera.

One of the first signs of summer in "The City", the fountain in Central Park is running daily.

Plus, the trolley is also in daily operation. 

Downtown, the expanded "Before I die wall" is attracting people, also daily.

Once our thirsts were slaked, we headed home where Mary took some pictures, without direction, of the gardens, old and new on the PE. We both think that our efforts are paying off nicely. The latest gardens were planted one-handed.

The view from our recently stained deck, with horseradish and some of our veggies in the foreground.

The newest addition of shade tolerant plants to the ever expanding garden space. 

Mary's gnome garden directly at the back of the gardens, also shade tolerant. 

At home again, I sat on the front porch and read. Sadly, earlier in the day while we were outside grilling and eating, STWD got spooked by the thunder of cannons, as the Feast of the Strawberry Moon closed for what may be its last feast. Sugar shook, scratched at the door, and when I let her in, ran to her hide-e-holes, downstairs and up. She was still there when we returned from our walk downtown. It took several hours before she would venture forth for anything but dinner.

Today, errands, reading, household chores, watering, unless the 10% chance of rain comes to fruition, and further adventures in indexing. I also have a P/T appointment for my thumb and we both have appointments at the chiropractor. I'm once again worn out just thinking about our day. The current temperature is 54° per the NWS, which is also forecasting a high for today of 77° under partly cloudy skies. Tuesday's forecast shows a 40% chance of showers and Wednesday's forecast is for an 80% chance of T-storms. Poor Sugar. 

The sun will rise once again at 6:04 a.m. and set at 9:25 p.m. Ciao.

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

This blog is going to be a tad longer, as I just have too much to say.

Yesterday it did rain, but not as much as forecast by the NWS. Today, they promise mostly sunny skies and a high temperature of 74°. Currently, the temperature is 64° according to the NWS, while here in the Weather Center, the DTWS shows 65.8°. There are T-storms in the forecast from the NWS for Wednesday evening with a 90% chance. We'll see.

Sporting news yesterday was mostly good. The boys in blue, behind Jake Arrieta, stopped the Braves 8 - 2, with Bryant, Rizzo, Heyward and Montero hitting home runs in support of Arrieta's seven strong innings. That gives the Cubs a MLB™ and N. L. C. best record of 42 - 18, nine games better than the 2nd place Pirates. That other team from Chicago is now 31 - 31, good enough for 4th place in the A. L. C. .5 games behind the Tigers.

The Tigers solidly defeated the Yankees 6 - 1 behind another string pitching performance, this one by Justin Verlander. That gives the Tigers a record of 31 - 30 in the A. L. C. good for 2nd place, 3.0 games behind the Indians.

My beloved Red Sox crushed the Twins 15 - 4, for an overall record of 36 - 25 in the A. L. East, tied for 1st place with the Orioles. Xander Bogaerts had another monster game, with a two run homer and four RBIs. Wow! Not to be outdone, Jackie Bradley Jr., Big Papi, Mookie Betts, Sandy Leon, and Chris Young had solid days too. The Sox are the highest scoring team in the major leagues. Again, Wow!

The Caps fell hard to the Lansing Lug Nuts, 1 - 9. That gives the Caps a solid hold on 2nd place in the M. W. L. East with a record of 35 - 24, one game behind the South Bend Cubs.

We had a nice safari to the GHFM with STWD yesterday. While on our safari, we discovered that one of our local brew pubs was having a fest with live music on the waterfront. But later in the afternoon, we felt that a fest in an open parking lot was not appealing, thus we ended up at the Double Deuce, 22 Below, for dinner.

In between, I did more reading in The Court Martial of Paul Revere, by Michael M. Greenburg. An interesting take on one of the heroes of the American Revolution. I'm about half way through another book for my Beachcomber's Book Bingo effort. Some of my reading was done in bed, some on the deck, and some on the front porch as I enjoyed the nice temperatures of yesterday. It had seemed warmer while we were on the morning safari, but relaxing time spent reading was much better.

Mary placed the dividers in the latest book for indexing, and then placed the manuscript on my desk. I may or may not get to highlighting it later this morning. I had to order more pink highlighters, Mary's favorite highlighter color, because I am down to one. They'll be here Tuesday, one day after my bodhran. Mary's new breadbox arrived yesterday, necessitating a revised kitchen organization plan.

Today, grilling out is possible, as Mary got some veggies at the GHFM to go with the tofu she marinated in the jerk seasoning she had made the previous day. When last seen last night, before I retired to the media room, she was making bread dough. Yesterday, she also had a busy day of chopping, stirring/mixing, and baking in her kitchen. Our midday repast was a salad fresh from our gardens which she harvested a few minutes before serving. Lettuce and basil were the featured items to accompany sandwiches made with her roast beest.

Today TV, walking,  reading, and maybe grilling are on tap. That should keep us busy. Mary will be working on the index, or not, and I may be highlighting, or not. The sun will rise at 6:04 a.m. and set at 9:25 p.m. Ciao.

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

Once again, I plan to follow the KISS formula.

C. T. per the NWS 65°. Severe weather alert issued by NWS for GH fizzled, but some rain happened. Next chance for significant rain, Thursday, 80%. Hot yesterday, same today.

Sports, Cubs lose to Braves, 1 - 5. Slumber in lumber. Still 9.0 games > Pirates in N. L. C. @ 41 - 18.

Tigers, lose to Yankees, 0 - 4. Likewise on the lumber. 3.5 games < Indians, 3rd place in A. L. C. @ 30 - 30.

Beloved R. S. win over Twins, 8 - 1. 2nd place in A. L. E. 1.0 games < Indians @ 35 - 25.

Caps, win over Lansing Lug Nuts, 11 - 3. 2nd place in M. W. L. E. 1.0 games < S. B. Cubs @ 35 - 23.

No trains to spot.

Activities yesterday. Morning safari w/ STWD. Stopped @ bookstore for NP. Stopped @ chiropractor for info x-change, home, gardening on PE, new plants in, chat, read, X-words, laundry, quick trip to B. B. H. C. Got everything. Stop @ 2nd/3rd fave W. H. this side of bridge. Home. Dinner on deck of PE. Excellent D. & D pasta. Tired. L-Z -B. Bed time.

Today, listen to radio, stay in out of heat and ozone advisory air after walk w/ STWD & B'fast.  P/U NP, read, X-words, lunch, 0 watering required. Watch B'ball in p.m. Get started on indexing project that came in yesterday. Dinner. TV. Bed time.

S R, 6:05 a.m. S S, 9:24 p.m. Ciao.

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

The NWS is reporting a temperature of 59° F, while the DTWS is displaying 61.3° F. The NWS is forecasting a 40% chance of T-storms this morning and a 60% chance of T- storms tomorrow, Saturday.

That leads me to an explanation of our activities yesterday. We took the morning safari with STWD before we traveled to the hospital for those aforementioned X-rays and my final knee treatment. I have another appointment in four weeks for my thumb, but before that, I have some P/T appointments. Mostly, the therapy will be done by me at home following the doctor's advice and that of the P/T therapist. The X-rays looked fine according to the doctor, as did the various incision sites. I still have four weeks in the removable cast.

Once we returned from lunch at the hospital cafeteria, we got down to work in the gardens and lawns of the PE. Mary spent some of her time watering, carrying my tools back and forth to the garage and actually using the leaf blower that we inherited from Adam and Steph. She still prefers a broom, but allows as how the quiet leaf blower is acceptable. I used both the smaller and the larger of the two blowers we had inherited. I had started by one hand raking the soil in the front parkway in preparation for the new grass seed. Mary dragged the hose to the front so that I could water the newly placed seeds after I had raked them into the soil, also one handed.

Since the car was out of the garage, Mary rightfully decided the garage needed a thorough cleaning. I tried to convince her that this was, in fact, organized dirt, but she wasn't buying, That led me to recall one of my favorite phrases from a long ago M & Ms™ TV commercial. It is the phrase that goes, "What a chocolate mess", that refers to the mess that happens on your face and hands when you eat a regular chocolate bar instead of candy coated M & Ms™. I use the phrase when anything needs to be cleaned up, like the garage, or when anything doesn't go as planned. Mary was right, as there were things in the garage for which I didn't even know the purpose, along with dirt that had accumulated over the years. At any rate, the garage is all clean and organized now.

As an aside, I didn't know that the word Fizzies™, a brand name from long ago, can be used to refer to any noisy social gathering, as in "This place has the Fizzies™."

But I digress. I also moved a bean and a tomato plant to better locations and then strung two strings for the bean plants to climb as they grow. Here's hoping. I actually found the edge of the bricks that form the edge of our patio that leads to the vast back lawn and gardens of the PE. I had to chop my way through the trees and vines that have overtaken the gardens in the back. Mary was sweeping, adding beach sand to my shell collection, and creating a shell garden for indoors, along with organizing the garage while I was using the leaf blowers. I finished up weeding as she watered the gardens. Once again, all of this one handed.

We still have to amend the soil and plant the new plants, but we are almost there. As usual, Mary had to make me stop so that I didn't overdo. That's something I did while she was at her recent weaving activity in Muskegon a few weeks ago, before my thumb surgery.

After that we walked to the library to turn in my first book and get my card signed for credit towards my beach bag. We also picked up some books that we both want to read. Mary also accepted a job for a new indexing task. The topic looks interesting, but Mary is fairly certain that the book has end notes, the bane of her existence. We'll know when it comes in to the indexing office and we print it out.

Most of my teams were off yesterday, but they resume action tonight, still in the same relative positions that they enjoyed yesterday. Worthy of note, is that that other team from Chicago has dropped to 30 - 30 in the A. L. Central, three full games in back of the division leading Indians, and one-half game behind the 2nd place Tigers and the Kansas City Royals. Isn't life grand?

We'll take today's morning safari with the intrepid one if it isn't raining. Sugar was in her hide -e-hole yesterday afternoon, so I guess that she felt a disturbance in the force. She won't go out if she feels a disturbance later this morning. Right now, she is sleeping next to the bed. Then we'll finish the amendment to the soil, plant the plants, and then water the new grass seed and those plants. Did I mention that I'll be doing these activities one handed once again?

Mary has a chat session this afternoon, but that is the extent of our level of ambition for today. We may also walk downtown to get some things laminated, but that will be a game time decision. That walk can depend on the level of post-treatment pain in my knees, which sometimes occurs on the day following treatment.

The sun will rise at 6:05 a.m. and set at 9:24 p.m. Ciao.