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

Yesterday's rains came @ just the right time in the morning. They were steady rains without T-storms and soaked things nicely. They ended in time for me to take the morning safari with STWD and then get back in time for Adam and me to do a few errands and have lunch while we were out. All in all, a pleasant day.

The current temperature is 66° under partly cloudy skies. The NWS has forecast T-storms for later this evening, so I forecast that the annual Coat Guard Festival Car Show should go on with no interruptions. I'm expecting a good turnout. I'll take the appropriate amount of pictures and share them in a future blog.

Speaking of that car show, Adam and I plan to get to the show early and then get back to the PE for lunch. Mary has plans to go to the 1st annual Flea Market on 7th St. in GH. That sounds fancier than it is, but the beauty for us is that it will be within two blocks of the PE. I think I can walk that far after walking the length of Washington for the car show.

We didn't make it to the Waterfront Stadium last night for the Sounds of Summer, the Beach Boys tribute band. Instead, we chose to use the grill to make zucchini and bratwursts. Before you ask, Mary and I had vegan brats, and Steph and Adam had full on 100% meat from Frank's Market here in GH. The meal was accompanied by a delicious cucumber salad created from fresh from the garden cucumbers by Stephany earlier in the day. This was a vinegar based salad, not one based on sour cream or another cream style sauce. It was good enough to earn the Mary Seal of Approval and to cause her to ask Steph for the recipe. I agree on this one.

The homegrown cucumbers were combined with onions, garlic, rice vinegar, pepper flakes and ?. The  homegrown zucchini we grilled was also fresh from the gardens of the PE. I should note that Adam was once again the grill master for this meal and he knocked it out of the park.

My teams had a mixed day yesterday. The Cubs' starting pitcher, Jake Arrieta, was brilliant. He was sailing along with a 1 - 0 lead until he was relieved by manager Joe Maddon. His replacement, Aroldis Chapman, was finally tapped for a run and then another en-route to a 1 - 4 loss to the Mariners. That loss leaves the Cubs @ 62 - 41, solidly in 1st place in the N. L. Central, 6.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Cardinals who also lost. The Mariners and the Cubs play tonight @ 8:05 p.m. EDT in the "Friendly Confines."

The Tigers eked out another win over the Astros, 3 - 2, to stay firmly in 2nd place in the A. L. Central, with a record of 56 - 48. Justin Verlander tried to go for a complete game, but manager Brad Ausmus left JV in just a bit too long and he surrendered two runs in the top of the 9th to allow the game to become tied @ 2 - 2.

With runners in scoring position and two outs in the bottom of the 9th, the Tigers Jose Iglesias hit a sharp grounder that looked to be the final out, sending the game into extra innings. But Iglesias was running hard and beat out the throw to first, allowing the winning run to score and give the Tigers the win, 3 - 2 in regulation time. A thriller in Comerica Park for sure. The Tigers are still in 2nd place in the A. L. Central, 4.5 games behind the Indians who also won. The Tigers and the Astros play again today @ 1:10 p.m. EDT @ Comerica Park in Detroit.

My beloved Red Sox fell to the Angels, returning to their losing ways on their West Coast road trip. The lost to the Angels in Anaheim by a final score of 2 - 5. The Sox are still in 3rd place in the A. L. East, 2.0 games behind the Orioles who won. The Sox and the Angels play in Anaheim later today @ 3:35 p.m., PDT.

The Caps had a good day, defeating the Lake County Captains of Eastlake, OH, by a final score of 5 - 2. Sadly, the Caps are still in 5th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 15 - 17. The Caps and the Captains play @ 5th Third Ballpark in GR later this afternoon @ 1:00 p.m. EDT.

Adam and Steph will be heading home later today following another successful visit to the PE. I'll get back to highlighting after the car show and their departure. I'll probably do some additional highlighting this morning since I am awake.

Otherwise, not much is on tap after the morning safari with the intrepid one. We'll go in the opposite direction from downtown and away from 7th. Mary may opt to take Sugar on a solo safari, as Adam and I will be otherwise occupied. Then Mary can return to indexing.

That should make for a full day.  I can get back to my regular chores on Monday. The sun will rise @ 6:34 a.m. and set @ 9:06 p.m. Ciao.

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

Yesterday was a great day here in GH. The rains fell in the morning @ a steady rate that allowed me to escape the ritual watering. Mary and I had to wait to take the morning safari with STWD due to her reluctance to go out in the rain.

Worthy of note was the arrival of the Furminator™ for the benefit of Sugar and us. I have more work to do with Sugar, but the Furminator™ works as advertised. Sugar's coat looks much better as she was relieved of what seemed like pounds of excess hair.

Speaking of rain, the NWS predicted that we'd be having rain right now, and surprisingly, they were like the proverbial stopped clock, they predicted the rain accurately, a rare event. We have a current temperature outside the WW of 67° under cloudy skies. The rains are not heavy, but they may allow me to avoid the watering once again. I won't know until I go out later this morning.

Weather Update Alert!!!  The rains have continued, and @ 3:50 a.m., they continue to fall in yet another reprieve from the daily waterings. STWD is in her hide-e-hole upstairs, so I know that T-storms are in the area. 

The NWS is predicting a high for today of 80° with T-storms and showers occurring throughout the day with varying degrees of possibility, anywhere from 40% right now, to 60% @ 7:00 p.m. The showers or T-storms will be scattered and tapering off later tonight in time for the annual Coast Guard Festival car show on Sunday. As I noted previously, the car show participants will be watching the weather overnight tonight and into the morning on Sunday to make a final decision about bringing their cars to the show.

Sports news yesterday was mostly good. The Cubs' bats exploded in a flurry of home runs and multiple base hits in a 12 - 1 romp over the visiting Seattle Mariners. The Cubs occupy 1st place in the N. L. Central with a record of 62 - 40, 6.5 games ahead of the Cardinals who also won. The Cubs and the Mariners play again today @ 2:20 p.m.

The Tigers not to be outdone, also saw their bats explode as they romped over the Astros in a game @ Comerica Park in Detroit. The final score was a lopsided 14 - 6. Home runs and aggressive base running contributed to the Tigers' victory, as they continued their winning streak to go to an A. L. Central record of 55 - 48. They are still in 2nd place, but they are only 4.5 games behind the Indians who also won. The Tigers and the Astros play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. I may have been premature in my prediction of the demise of Brad Ausmus and the Tigers. They may even make the playoffs once again. Like I've said before, it is easy to become a homer and hop on and of the bandwagon.

My beloved Red Sox finally snapped their losing streak with a 6 - 2 win over the Angels last night in Anaheim. The Sox are now @ 56 - 45 in the A. L. East and in 2nd place, just 1.5 games behind the Orioles who lost to the 2nd place Blue Jays, The Sox and the Angels play again tonight @ 9:05 p.m.

We somehow managed to walk nearly five miles yesterday. The morning safari, a visit to the chiropractor and a walk downtown and back made that possible. We stopped in @ the Waterfront Stadium and caught the Old Friends during their pre-concert sound check. They played enough so that Mary's Simon and Garfunkel hunger was sated and we had no need to attend the actual show.

We supped @ the Double Deuce and then came home and spent some time on the front porch of the PE with Adam and Steph who are visiting.

It was on that same front porch that I did a complete trainspotting yesterday. Adam was there for the morning run on the RSTL and waved to the engineer occupying the cab of EMD GP 38 locomotive # 2019 and it's twin #2057 as they slowly passed through on their trip south @ 10:50 a.m. In tow were two BCs, one CHC, one DWTC, and one DBTC that was bringing up the rear of the empty cars.

Later @ 3:16 p.m., I watched out the WW as the same tandem of locomotives and the same engineer motored by during their northbound passage, 10 CHCs, two DWTCs, one GTC, and seven DBTCs were moving slowly due to a full load. That slow passage was a good thing on the rickety rails of the RSTL.

I did more highlighting and newspaper reading yesterday between meals and walks. I have more highlighting to do to stay ahead of Mary's efforts. The book is interesting, so the reading is going easy and well.

We may or may not walk down to the Waterfront Stadium to see the Beach Boys interpreters, Sound of Summer, later tonight. The rains and T-storms predicted by the NWS may preclude that activity. I'll be doing more highlighting and Mary will be doing more indexing after she and Steph make a visit to the annual quilt show @ St. Patrick;s Catholic church nearby. Adam and I will be staying home with the intrepid one. We may once again have a short morning safari if the rains continue to fall.

The sun will rise @ 6:33 a.m. and set @ 9:07 p.m. Ciao.

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

Yesterday was another day in GH, another day with the threat of T-storms that is. I was working outside yesterday when I felt the first drops. That was after watering and then quickly gathering up things from the deck to save them from the rain. Unfortunately, that was all we got, a few drops. Oddly, elsewhere in the West Michigan area, the rains came and they came in buckets. We did receive a few again later in the day, but it was barely enough to get the deck wet.

We have a current temperature of 68° with a report from the NWS of showers in the vicinity. I sprang from my chair to look out the WW for the results. Once again, I have to report that the showers may be in the vicinity, but they weren't outside the WW of the PE. Oops, I blogged too soon, as I just saw a flash of lightning and heard a clap of thunder. STWD was here, and I thought she had skedaddled to her hide-e-hole. Still no rain, yet. We are expecting a high today of 83° with showers in the evening both today and Saturday. But that's more of a guess than a forecast.

I was once again a busy beaver yesterday, as I power-washed several things from in and around the PE. Then I walked STWD and came in to do things inside the manse. Mary had been busy the whole time with her duties in the kitchen and then some indexing. By the time I was done for the day, I wanted no part of any activity that didn't involve the La-Z-Boy™.

I was there when Mary finished her activities, which included making the latest and apparently permanent version of her roast beest. I like this version the best. She wanted to walk to the Post, but I had just enough energy to make it to JWs. We came home to a dinner of beest sandwiches. I had mine with muffuletta, a garnish of olive and chopped vegetables in olive oil, popular in New Orleans on the sandwich of the same name.

I am sad to report that STSD has been attacking the blueberry pie when no one is looking. The remaining pie keeps shrinking. While the pie has been kept in the refrigerator, I have personally observed the shrinkage. How Sugar is getting the door open and leaving no crumbs is beyond me. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

Speaking of STWD and the Furminator™, it did not arrive as scheduled. The usually reliable big-box everything on-line e-tailer did not deliver the next day as promised. So Mary's plans for the intrepid one were thwarted. However, Mary contacted the online e-tailer and they refunded her next day delivery fee and gave her a credit for extended two-day delivery. Except for the fact that the Furminator™ never came, they delivered excellent customer service, beginning by saying they were sorry for the problem. Oh well, they have promised to get it here early today.

Sports news yesterday was very mixed. The Cubs won over that other team from Chicago to split the season series @ 2 - 2. The Cubs are still solidly atop the N. L. Central with a record of 61 - 40, 6.5 games ahead of the Cardinals who also won. The Cubs welcome the Mariners today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers had the day off before they open a weekend series against the Astros in Houston tonight @ 7:10 p.m. The Tigers' are still in 2nd place with a record of 54 - 48 in the A. L. Central.

My beloved Red Sox traveled to Southern CA to take on the Angels in Anaheim. Sadly, the Sox' losing ways followed them to the west coast. They lost the game to the Angels, 1 - 2, giving the Sox a record of 55 - 45 in the A. L. East. That finds them in 3rd place, 2.5 games behind the Orioles who also lost. Same teams again tonight @ 10:05 p.m. EDT.

The Caps just can't catch a break. They fell to the Ft. Wayne TinCaps 1 - 3. They are still in 4th place in the Midwest League East with a 14 - 16 record. The are in Ft Wayne again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. EDT.

I played with the girls for a short time yesterday afternoon. I am still not strong enough to play for an extended period. Mary thinks that I may have overdone it earlier in the day, but I think it is just too soon in my recovery. What I did accomplish sounded good, so that is a saving grace.

I am taking the day off today. I just don't have any more in me beyond the morning safari and the ritual watering. I do have to do more highlighting, but I can sit at my desk and do that. Mary is going to work on the index and make the meals along with her regular chat session in the afternoon. We do have an appointment at the chiropractor too.

The sun will rise @ 6:32 a.m. and set @ 9:08 p.m.

A side note. The opening concert of Coast Guard Festival™ 2016 is tonight @ the Waterfront Stadium on the banks of the Grand River. The performers are Old Friends, a Simon & Garfunkel tribute band, complete with a full eight-piece backup orchestra. They will be faithfully recreating the Concert in Central Park. If the weather cooperates, we plan to be there.

Saturday night, the concerts continue with Sounds of Summer, a Beach Boys tribute band. I want to see them, but that too is weather dependent. I guess that we've all come full-circle when the performers of our youth have tribute bands, just like all of the Elvis Presley interpreters that are out there. Ciao.

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

Yesterday's weather was hot and humid. Nuff said! We have a current temperature of 69°. Today's high will be 86° with high humidity. Also, Nuff said! The 50 % chance for T-storms originally predicted by the NWS is now down to a low of 20%. The next best chance is 50% on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. Bill Steffens, Chief Meteorologist for WOOD TV/Radio in GR, says that there is a 20% chance of isolated showers today. One can only hope. Sigh.

I guess that means more watering, but it also means that the annual Coast Guard Festival Car Show should also attract more entrants on Sunday this year than it did a few years ago. That was when the rains kept many "Nice" cars away and a young woman won the "Best of Show" trophy for a "Plain Jane" Camaro.

Sports news from yesterday was mixed. The Cubs must be thinking the following link is true.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooM-RGUTe2E

They won their game against that other team from Chicago at the "Beautiful Confines" by a lopsided final score of 8 - 1. Great pitching by Jason Hammel was accompanied by a Grand Slam off the bat of shortstop Addison Russell. Hammell's only mistake was allowing that other team's pitcher to hit a dinger. Kris Bryant tied the game with a home run shortly thereafter. In the bottom of the 7th, Javier Baez got the Cubs back into the game with a two-run go-ahead homer. Russell's Grand Slam came in the bottom of the 8th. Newly acquired Cubs' closer, Aroldis Chapman, was impressive in his Cubs' debut, with one pitch being clocked at 103 mph! Wow!

The Cubs are still firmly in 1st place in the N. L. Central with a record of 60 - 40, 6.5 games ahead of the Cardinals who also won. The Cubs and that other team play again tonight in the "Friendly Confines" @ 8:05 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers won over my beloved Red Sox 4 - 3, to move to 54 - 48 in the A. L. Central. Conversely, the beloved fell to 55 - 44 and 3rd place in the A. L. East, following their loss to the Tigers, 3 - 4. The Red Sox travel to Anaheim to face the Angels tonight @ 10:05 p.m. EDT. The Tigers have the day off before welcoming the Astros on Friday @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.

I was a busy beaver while Mary was knitting in Holland. Outdoors, I used the Weed Whacker™, mowed the lawns of the vast PE, and watered everything before harvesting some tomatoes. Then I moved indoors to do more chores. I was just finishing when Mary returned. Somewhere in there, I recorded the southbound passage of locomotives 2057 & 2019. In tow, were empty cars consisting of 23 CHCs, three DWTCs, one very rusty, a single GTC, and three DBTCs, with one of those at the end. I never witnessed the northbound run on the RSTL.

The I moved to my indoor chores, I was equally busy, but indoors with the A/C, the working conditions were far more pleasant. I like being outdoors, but it was hot and humid.

Mary made lunch upon her return, and then she did some indexing activity. I was lounging in the La-Z-Boy when she showed me a text message from Steph desperately seeking some spinach dip from Lucy's Deli here in GH. We walked there in the heat and humidity, only to find that Lucy's had none and no ingredients to make more. : - (.

We did make a short trip to the big-box drug and sundry store to pick up some things that Mary wanted and then stopped @ Sporty's for a quick refreshment. Home for a dinner of Mary's vegan Mongolian stir fry and then I moved up to the media room for the Cubs' game, some car based TV shows before I was off to bed to finish my day. I didn't last long due to being exhausted from my earlier activities.

STWD will be accompanying us on the morning safari and then she too can settle in for the day. Mary ordered a new brush called The Furminator™ that will be delivered later today, and which is supposed to bring an end to the intrepid one's shedding issues. We'll see.

I'll finish my indoor chores and then get back to reading and highlighting. As long as I'm indoors, all will be well.

Mary wants to do a bit of cleaning in the mud room, but that means more outdoor chores for me. A man's work is never done. Sigh.

The sun will rise @ 6:31 a.m. and set @ 9:10 p.m. Ciao.

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

I'm going to try again for that KISS blog.

Currently, 67° fair, Later today, 84° & partly cloudy. Thursday, 40% T-storms a.m. Humidity drops after those storms. STWD will let me know.

Sports: Cubs lost to that other team, 0 - 3. Lumber slumber. 59 - 40 N. L. Central. 1str, 6.5 > Cards, also losers. Same teams tonight @ Wrigley, 8:05 p.m.

Tigers, 9 - 8 over my beloved Red Sox. Tigers now 53 - 48 A. L. Central, 2nd, 5.5 < Indians, also winners.

Beloved, 8 - 9 loss to Tigers. Pig Papi three-run homer. Sox now in 3rd A. L. East, record 55 - 43, 2.5 games < Orioles, losers, .5 games < Blue Jays, winners. Tigers and beloved today @ 1:35 in Fenway.

Caps, off. Still 14 - 14 M . W. E. 14 - 14. 4th. Tonight @ TinCaps, 7:05 p.m.

Watered and harvested. Sliced a zucchini for chips, overcooked, made into charcoal chips. STWD seems OK w/ them, good for her health. Intrepid one still shedding, in spite of Shed No More™ tablets w/ morning and night meals.

Mary rode her bike yesterday for the 1st time to P/U a baguette. I was happily in dreamland. Walked w/ STWD. As noted below, O/T appointment @ the hospital and then salad bar lunch @ same afterwards. Off to new favorite grocery store. 74 cans returned, discounts received for being a loyal customer and not much purchased. All good.

Made it to O/T. Officially given the go-ahead to forego additional O/T. Need to keep working at home to improve results of the final range of motion and strength tests. May take up to one year for full recovery. No limitations, just don't cause excessive or acute pain as I work and exercise. All good.

Went to the library for copies, new books, and signatures on Mary's Beachcomber's Book Bingo 2016 card. She is w/in one book of achieving her quest for a beach book bag too. Learned that Uneven Ground w/b appearing @ Post for Coast Guard Fest. Stopped @ Post & met Judy and Linda. Nice ladies who work Tuesdays now that Sally is still ailing and in the hospital. Walked over four miles yesterday. Home for hot dogs and that charcoal making.

Mary is still downstairs in the La-Z-Boy, STWD is on the bed in Mary's place. I know that Mary was doing some batch cooking earlier in the evening. I was in the media watching the Cubs and my beloved lose. Ouch!

Today, morning safari, indoor chores, reading. puzzle solving, highlighting the new book that is now on my desk. Limits pleasure reading for a while. Mary will be in Holland for sock knitting.

Sunrise @ 6:30 a.m. sunset @ 9:11 p.m. Ciao.

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

I'm going to try once again to follow the KISS formula.

Yesterday's weather was mostly pleasant. We have a current temperature of 65° per the NWS and 70° per the DTWS. Later today, the NWS is forecasting a high of 83° under skies that are expected to be clear and sunny after the sun rises @ 6:28 a.m. and well before it sets at 9:12 p.m. No T-storms are in the forecast until Thursday evening, with a 50% confidence rating. The showers will continue until Friday morning with a 60% chance.

Sports news was hard to take. The Cubs lost to that other team from Chicago 4 - 5, despite a rally in the top of the 9th to tie the game. That other team scored a run in the bottom of the inning, for a win. That leaves the Cubs in sole possession of 1st place in the N. L. Central, 7.0 games ahead of the losing Cardinals, who have a record of 59 - 39. The Cubs and that other team, play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Tigers and my beloved Red Sox squared off last night in Fenway Park. The Tigers came away with the win, 4 - 2, while the Sox lost the same game 2 - 4. That means that the Tigers are still in 2nd place in the A. L. Central, with a record of 52 - 48, 5.5 games behind the losing Indians, while the Sox stayed in 2nd place too, now 2.5 games behind the victorious Orioles in the A. L. East. Those same teams play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Caps eked out a home win over the Burlington, IA Bees, 4 - 3. That moves the team to 14 - 14 in the Midwest League East, but they are still in 4th place. The Caps are off today before traveling to Ft. Wayne to face the TinCaps @ 7:05 p.m. Wednesday night.

The regular cast of locomotives came through on the RSTL. The morning southbound run occurred @ 11:32 a.m., with empty cars following locomotives 2019 and 2057. Those cars were two BCs, one with Union Pacific identification, two CHCs, and two DBTCs, that were bringing up the rear.

The northbound run occurred after we returned from Holland. That was @ 4:21 p.m. with the same locomotives towing two BCs, with one @ the end, nine CHCs with one of those being extra long, two DBTCs, and one DWTC.

We had a nice trip to Holland yesterday for our dental appointments. We made a short stop @ two ethnic grocery stores for some essential items. We made it home in time for Mary and I to do a combined edit on the index and then I soloed before we once again combined to finish and send the index on its way. Then we were off to JWs for dinner.

Today, I have my O/T appointment @ the hospital and then we'll do lunch before a quick grocery stop for some additional essentials. Otherwise, we have the usual morning safari with the intrepid one before I settle in to read and relax. Mary will be printing out the manuscript for the next index that I will be highlighting over the next several days.

Last night. Mary was enjoying the DNC convention coverage while I fell asleep upstairs in the media room. I made it to bed to fall asleep once again with Sugar nearby. Ciao.

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

All of those T-storms promised yesterday came to pass. We had what I like to call a gully washer, not unlike what was experienced in Northern Illinois, including Chicago, but it was a serious storm. Naturally, STWD accurately predicted the onslaught and moved to her hide-e-hole for the duration. Mary had to attach her leash in order to ger her to go for a shortened safari shortly before noon. That was the extent of Sugar's desire to experience the outdoors.

We have a current temperature of 74° with clear skies. The view out the WW is dark but calm. Today's high has been forecast by the NWS to be 81° under sunny skies. There is no precipitation activity in their forecast until a 50% chance of T-storms on Thursday. Those T-storms and their nearly two inches of rain should allow me to escape watering for today, but I do need to spray the roses for sawflies and the tomatoes for blossom rot.

However, I did have to use the wet-dry vacuum to clear out the water that came in during the heavy downpour. I need to look into grading the ground away from the foundation that area outside the PE.

Speaking of the gardens on the vast PE, the tomato plants are ready to burst with tomatoes that should be ready to ripen and then pick in the next week or so. I do anticipate a harvest from two plants either today or tomorrow.

Yesterday afternoon, I made my first blueberry pie. My pie crusts are still good and the pie tasted great. I didn't take a picture, but that was my bad. STSD didn't get to assist, unlike when I bake my famous banana nut bread. Oh well, that's the problem with being a sous dog, sometimes all you get is the thrill of victory.

Mary spent the day hard at work on the index. It is mostly done, and I have to edit it this morning before we go to our dental appointments @ 12:00 p.m. When we return, Mary and I can apply the final fixes and send it on its way.

The sports news yesterday was mostly good, that is if you are not a Tigers fan. They lost two games yesterday to that other team from Chicago. The first was a completion of the game suspended by rain Saturday night. The final score was 3- 4. The second loss was a regularly scheduled game, which the Tigers lost after a strong comeback in the top of the 9th tied the score at four all. That other team came back in the bottom of the 9th to win the game. Final score, 4 - 5. That leaves the Tigers with a record of 51 - 48 in the A. L. Central. The Tigers still lead that other team by 2.5 games, and they are still in 2nd place, but they could have improved, not lost ground. Just saying.

The Tigers travel to play my beloved Red Sox tonight @ 7:10 p.m. Once again, I'll have to divide my loyalties and root for both teams. However, I think that the Sox have a solid chance to win their division, while the Tigers are going nowhere and are probably going to be selling off their assets.

My beloved Red Sox eked out a win over the Twins, 8 - 7. Former Tigers' pitcher Rick Porcello (10 - 0) was aided by three home runs, two off the bats of Hanley Ramirez andTravis Shaw, both three-run dingers, along with a solo homer off the bat of Dustin Pedroia. The Sox have an A. L. East record of 55 - 41, but they are still in 2nd place by 1. 5 games, following the win by the Orioles over the Indians. As noted above, the Sox host the Tigers tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Cubs tried to give their game away in Milwaukee yesterday before winning with a final score of 6 - 5. That gives the Cubs a 59 - 38 record in the N. L. Central, still good for a 7.5 game lead over the Cardinals who lost. The Cubs are at that other team from Chicago tonight @ 8:10 p.m. I'll have no problem with my loyalties for that game.

The Caps hammered the Burlington, IA Bees, 8- 0 yesterday afternoon. The Caps still languish in 4th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 13 - 14. The Caps host the Bees tonight @ 7:00 p.m.

Mary made a vegan bologna on Saturday night, which became sandwiches for our lunch yesterday.

Other than the dental appointments and the work on the index, I have no plans, and I assume that Mary's plans are similar.

The sun will rise @ 6:28 a.m. and set @ 9:23 p.m. Ciao.

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

So far the only significant thing to report about the weather is that the NWS had predicted that T-storms should have begun @ 1:00 a.m., but neither the DTWS nor STWD gave any indication that the forecast was correct. The view out the WW is dark, and @ 1:30 a,m., the rain began to fall, but so far, no T-storms.

We have a current temperature of 74° with 85% relative humidity. Later today, the high is forecast to be 85° with similar relative humidity. Yesterday's safari was a hot and humid one, even by Mary's usually optimistic standards. STWD was soon panting as we walked, so our trip was cut short.

We returned to the PE and I watered the gardens and Mary harvested another cucumber. The cukes are coming fast and furious now. In addition, the tomatoes should also be coming at a quickening pace too. Worthy of note is that the scientifically developed tomato plants that Mary planted in the living room in early spring, and which I encouraged through my daily pep talks, are developing fruit. They should also be contributing to the bountiful harvest by early August from their home in our cold frame. The green peppers in the pots are doing great, but the pole beans in the garden have produced nothing but blossoms and vines.

Next year, I am planting bush beans if anything. My kale is doing great, as are the potatoes which were planted based on having some red potatoes that had gone to seed status. If you want basil, we've got it in abundance. Lettuce too. Being a city farmer is a challenge.

Sports news was mostly bad. The majority of my teams went 0  for 3. The Cubs lost to the Brew Crew 1 - 6 in a game that they were never going to win. They are still in 1st place in the N. L. Central with a record of 58 - 38, 6.5 games ahead of the 2nd place Cardinals who also lost. The Cubs and the Brewers square off again this afternoon @ 2:10 p.m. I'm hoping for a rebound.

The Tigers and that other team from Chicago were suspended last night, tied at 3 - 3. The Tigers have an A. L:. Central record of 51 - 46, still good enough for 2nd place, but they are not improving. However, the Tigers still lead that other team by 4.5 games, while they are also 5.5 games in back of the Indians who lost to the Orioles. The Tigers and that other team play again this afternoon, also @ 2:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox played the Twins, who tried to let the Sox win, but the Sox refused to do so. The Sox fell by a final score of 9 - 11 in windy Fenway Park. It was so windy that outfielders couldn't catch up to fly balls hit into the swirling winds. In fact, it was so windy that one of the Sox' broadcasters was hit in the head by a television monitor that blew down in the booth during the first inning. Sadly, the Sox fell deeper into 2nd place as the Orioles beat the Indians. The Sox and the Twins play this afternoon @ 1:35 p.m.

The Caps played the Burlington Bees yesterday and lost 5 - 8. That leaves the Caps in 4th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 12 - 14. I'd like to say that the late hour of play the night before was at fault, but the Bees also could have used that same excuse. Those same two teams play again today @ 1:00 p.m.

Today, we'll try to get the morning safari in if the T-storms/showers let up. The possible T-storms and actual showers mean I won't have to water today. STWD will not agree to the morning safari if it is raining or storming. Mary hopes to finish the index today while I relax and let my surgically repaired hand rest more. I am experiencing a little aching, probably due to overuse during the last few days. All I can do is keep the ice pack in place as I read. I do have one indoor chore to perform, but that's it for physical activity.

The sun will rise @ 6:27 a.m. and set @ 9:14 p.m. Ciao.

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

I'm going to take yesterday as it unfolded.

The weather started out hot and humid and it stayed that way. The high temperature reached 86°, and the humidity stayed high too, making for a rather uncomfortable day. Not to be deterred, Mary and I took an abbreviated safari with STWD. Mary seemed to believe it was comfortable until later in the day. I knew it was uncomfortable from Jump St. When we returned home, I stayed outdoors to do some watering, weeding, and harvesting, while Mary went indoors to make a cucumber salad and then get to work on the index.

This is a good place to add a picture of the results of our activities.

The salad represents Mary's culinary activities, while the two tomatoes and the two peppers represent mine.

I actually had harvested two additional peppers earlier, but I decided to show these two.  Once again, we remembered why we don't buy tomatoes during the "off-season." The tomato on the right became part of lunch, and it was juicy, delicious and everything you'd want in a tomato fresh from the vine.

By the time I was done with my activities on the PE, I was ready for lunch, and then I had plans to do some indoor chores. Mary dissuaded me, which didn't really take too much effort on her part.

Instead, I worked a crossword and then played with the girls. I still haven't tried playing/learning my Irish drum, Bo, but she is on the agenda in the near future. I have given attention to all of the  other girls.

Sports news yesterday was mostly good. I'd like to say that it was perfect, but I can't. I just finished listening to the Caps game which was called at the end of 15 innings with the score knotted at nine all. The late hour invoked a curfew, so the game goes down as a tie with the Peoria Chiefs. The Caps and the Chiefs will not meet again this season, so the Caps move to a record of 12 - 13 in the Midwest League East, They play again @ home tonight against the Burlington, IA Bees @ 7:00 p.m.

The Cubs took one from the Brew Crew in Milwaukee, 5 - 2. That gives the Cubs a record of 58 - 37 in the N. L. Central. Centerfielder Dexter Fowler returned from the DL following an extended stay for an injured hamstring. He led off the game with a home run and then went on to get a two- run double and a single en route to three RBIS. He missed only a triple to complete the "Cycle." The Cubs face the Brewers again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Tigers had a great game, as they defeated that other team from Chicago, 7 - 5. That gives the Tigers a record of 51 - 46 in the A. L. Central, 6.0 games behind the Indians who lost yesterday. Another bit of great news, the Tigers are now 4.5 games ahead of that other team. The Tigers and that other team play again tonight, also @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox fell to 2nd place in the A. L. East, 1 - 2 to the Twins, That finds the Sox .5 games behind the Orioles, who beat the Indians. Still, the Sox have a record of 54 - 40 and play again tonight against the Twins, also @ 7:10 p.m.

We made it to our chiropractor's appointment and then stopped at JWs for adult libations. When we got home, Mary served some of my recently created soup for my dinner and then shooed me upstairs to the media room. She stayed down to watch the news and cook.

I didn't last long in the media room before I was off to bed to listen to the Red Sox drop a heartbreaker to the Twins.

Today after the morning safari, Mary has to get the majority of the index completed and I have to water, again. Then I can settle in to do some reading and find some time to relax. There are some things I can do, but they can wait.

The sun will rise @ 6:26 a.m. and set @ 9:15 p.m. Ciao.

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

I just have to start with the sports report. The Cubs had the day off, still leading the N. L Central by 6.5 games over the Cardinals. The Cubs return to action tonight in Milwaukee, as they face the Brewers @ 8:10 p.m.

The Tigers had a great game, defeating that other team from Chicago, 2 - 1 in a game of A. L. Central rivals. However, the 50 - 46 Tigers lead that other team by 3.5 games, due in large measure to the sub-.500 record of 46 - 49 owned by that other team.

This is a great place to insert the information about my latest book, Terror in the City of Champions, a story of murder, baseball, and the secret society that shocked Depression-Era Detroit. This non-fiction book was written by Tom Stanton, a journalist, and teacher at the University of Detroit. He lives in Michigan, and this book about the Tigers was inspired by the stories told by his family during holiday gatherings, as they "talked" about the Black Legion, and the 1935-36 season when the city of Detroit had three championships in baseball, hockey, and football. So far, I like it.

Now for the greatest news. My beloved Red Sox pummeled the hapless Twins, 13 - 2, with their record of 35 - 60, to move to 54 - 40 in the A. L. East. In a game at Fenway Park, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Big Papi, David Ortiz, combined to go 14 for 19, with 10 runs and nine RBIs. Knuckleballer Steven Wright pitched a superb game and yielded only two runs, one earned, over his eight innings of work. In addition, the Sox' Dustin Pedroia had his fifth five-hit game. Big Papi, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., all went yard.

In batting practice before the game, Big Papi, hit a ball so hard, that it stuck in Pesky's Pole. According to legend, Pesky's Pole was given that name because it is only 302 feet down the right field line to the corner where the foul pole is located. The legend has it, that former infielder Johnny Pesky wrapped a home run around the pole for two runs in the bottom of the 1st inning. The Sox lost that game, but the legend continued to grow and in 2006, the Sox officially dubbed the right field foul pole, Pesky's Pole, to honor Pesky. Johnny Pesky only hit six home runs @ Fenway and so the legend is more myth than fact, but there you have it.

The weather yesterday was interesting. Mostly cloudy, hot and humid, and T-storms happened around noon. Those storms were not as severe here in GH as they were in Southeast Michigan, where tree limbs were snapped, trailers were overturned and what has been called a Gustnado occurred. We got a good steady rain and a few claps of thunder that drove STWD to her hide-e-hole after the morning safari. As always, Sugar senses a front when it is moving in and she goes to her spot in one of the bathrooms.

We traveled to the big-box hardware and home center in Norton Shores late yesterday, to redeem my rebate form at that store and ended up spending an additional $45. A good gimmick to say the least. We stopped off at Sporty's on the way home and then Mary picked up tacos from Arturo's. After that, I went to bed to drift off to sleep to the sounds of baseballs leaving the yard and leaping off the bats at Fenway Park as the Red Sox defeated the Twins.

We have a current temperature of 75° under clear skies. However, the DTWS is showing clouds and precipitation on its display due to the falling barometric pressure. Our high today is forecast to be 84° with 74% relative humidity.

My plans for today include some indoor chores and then reading. Mary is hard at work on the index. Somewhere in there, she will join her regularly scheduled chat session.

We have an appointment at the chiropractor later in the afternoon. Naturally, we'll be taking the mornig safari with the intrepid one too.

The sun wil rise @ 6:25 a.m. and set @ 9:16 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

They say that an optimist is someone who sees the glass as 1/2 full rather than 1/2 empty, or that they see the light at the end of the tunnel. A pessimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel too, but they are sure that it is a train. My glass is 3/4 full. With the exception of the Tigers, my teams were winners.

The Cubs and Kyle Hendricks looked solid, as they split the series with the hated Mets, 2 - 2. Following their 6 - 2 win yesterday afternoon in the N. L, Central, the Cubs now have a record of 57 - 37. Their next game is Friday night @ 8:10 p.m. in Milwaukee, against the Brewers. Somehow, the Cubs struggle against the Brewers, regardless of the less than stellar record of the "Brew Crew." Go figure.

The Tigers are still a mid-pack team. Not good enough to really contend, not bad enough to give up on. In baseball, and in NASCAR racing, the mid-pack drivers, and cars or the mid-pack teams make for a race. Once in a great while, one of those cars and drivers wins a race and keep the fans coming back for more. Adam believes that the races in NASCAR have preordained winners, just like in professional wrestling. I think he may be right.

But I digress, the Tigers fell to the last place Twins, 1 - 4. So that means that the Tigers are still in 2nd place in the A. L. Central with their record of 49 - 46, a full 2.5 games ahead of their opponents for tonight, that other team from Chicago. The game begins in the "Windy City" @ 8:10 p.m.

There is joy in Bean Town, as my beloved Red Sox trounced the Giants, 11 - 7. Hanley Ramirez swatted three home runs and added 6 RBIs to his totals. He even got hit by a pitch and then still hit another home run in his final at-bat. All of that is my way of gloating over my continued faith in the Sox as they now have a slim .5 game lead in the A. L. East, good enough for 1st place over the losing Orioles, who lost to the Yankees, 0 - 5. The Sox host the Twins tonight @ 8:10 p.m.

The Caps were convincing as they defeated the Peoria Chiefs, 11 - 1. That keeps the Caps firmly in 4th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 9 - 11. Next up those same Chiefs @ 7:00 p.m. tonight.

The weather here in GH is hot and humid and getting hotter. Like much of the nation, we are under a heat advisory for the next several days, culminating with a forecast high of 93° on Saturday. Sunday looks like the next chance of scattered T-storms or showers @ 60%. I guess that I'll be watering for the next several days too. I need to mow the lawns of the vast PE, but coupled with watering, that will be the extent of my outdoor activities today. As I watered and walked wit the intrepid one yesterday, Mary soloed to the GHFM @ 8:00 a.m. for some produce to replace what I would be using up during my endeavors in the kitchen,

Mary returned yesterday from her sojourn to Holland, unscathed by the traffic. While she was absent from her kitchen, I chopped, stirred and sauteed over four quarts of my famous squash and kale soup. I harvested the kale just before watering yesterday morning. I had some for dinner, and it was delicious. Not being a soup fan, Mary is unlikely to say. "Please sir, may I have some more?" That's the line spoken by one of the orphans from Oliver Twist, A little Dickens in the morning is good for the soul.

I nearly forgot trainspotting, EMD GP 38 locomotives 2057 and 2019 passed through the RSTL heading south @ 10:22 a.m. In tow, were two BCs, 11 CHCs, and four DBTCs. At 2:10 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives passed through heading north, towing seven CHCs, one DWTC, and three DBTCs that were bringing u the rear.

We have a current temperature of 75 sultry degrees with 100% relative  humidity. A quick glance out the WW shows that in spite of the falling barometric pressure and that 100% relative humidity, no rain is falling. Today's high is forecast to be 88° under partly cloudy skies with 80% relative humidity.

So there you have my days in a nutshell. Mary has to work, I have to do chores, and stay out of the heat and humidity. We will take the morning safari with STWD. Yesterday, Sugar got spooked by a loud noise and so she was ready to come home almost before we left. I insisted we go farther, but it was a short walk nonetheless.

The sun will rise today @ 6:24 a.m. and set @ 9:17 p.m. Ciao.

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

There is no joy in Wrigleyville nor in GH tonight, the Cubs lost to the hated Mets, 1 - 2. Jake Arrieta pitched a great game, but the Cubs were unable to score beyond a freak play that allowed a runner to score from 2nd base on a throwing error. That loss finds the Cubs still in 1st place in the N. L. Central, with a record of 58 - 37, 7.5 games ahead of the Cardinals They beat the Padres 10 - 2. The Cubs and the Mets play again this afternoon @ 2:20 p.m.

The Tigers also dropped a game that they should have won, in a 2 - 6 loss to the Twins. That still finds the Tigers in 2nd place in the A. L. Central with a record of 49 - 45. They are 6.5 games behind the Indians, who defeated the Royals, 7 - 3. There is some good news to report, the Tigers are a full 3.0 games ahead of that other team from Chicago, as that team lost to the Mariners, 3 - 4. Same teams this afternoon @ 1:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox are on a tear, with a 4 - 0 win over the Giants in an interleague matchup. Big Papi contributed a three-run home run to that victory. The Sox are still in 2nd place in the A. L. East but they are just .5 games behind the Orioles, as the Orioles lost to the Yankees, 1 - 7. The Sox and the Giants play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

As previously noted, the Caps had the day off to lick their wounds from their recent trip to Clinton IA. The Caps still languish in 4th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 10 - 13. They return home tonight to face the Peoria Chiefs @ 1:00 p.m.

Now for the unpredictable weather here in the Tri-Cities area. We have a current temperature of 64° under mostly clear skies. It was hot and humid earlier yesterday, with a high in the mid-80s, but by early evening, the temperature had fallen to a comfortable 78° with lower relative humidity. Today's high is expected to be 86° with mostly sunny skies and 0% precipitation in the forecast from the NWS.

Oddly, the DTWS is showing raindrops on the display due to its ability to sense the barometric pressure with its front porch mounted weather sensor. STWD was reacting to something yesterday afternoon/evening, as she took up residence in her upstairs hide-e-hole. However, no rain drops fell nor thunder crashed.

All of that is my way of saying that I watered yesterday and I'll have to water again today while Mary is in Holland. Oh well, that's what is great about living in the upper midwest. No rain today nor T-storms are in the forecast until late Wednesday or Thursday at the earliest.

While I was out watering, I harvested a cucumber from the garden and that led to another harvest later in the day of fresh basil. Mary and I combined that basil with the zucchini that I had harvested over the previous weekend and spiralized, along with some carrots that I had julienned earlier yesterday afternoon, to make a very tasty salad that we enjoyed for dinner. With some creativity from Mary, the ingredients morphed into the salad pictured below.

We also collaborated on a recipe for chickpea burgers that was too thin to form into patties, so with some additional creativity, that recipe also morphed into something new, a sandwich spread that we ate with the salad. It took some additional spices and green Tobasco™ sauce to make that burger recipe, which became a dip, and then finally became a delicious sandwich spread, but it turned out great on toasted rye bread. Sometimes it is a matter of finding a solution to a problem to come up with a new taste treat sensation, 

Today with Mary in Holland, I'll be making my famous kale and squash soup with onions. I 'll be using fresh kale from the gardens of the PE, along with squash and onions from the grocery store. I have plans to save the skin from the squash for possible inclusion in Sugar's breakfasts. I'll also save the kale stems for another recipe that Mary has in mind. Normally, we'd throw those two things into the disposal or trash, but we are trying out some recipes from a cookbook in which the author claims a use for everything. We shall see about that claim.  

Other than cooking, I'll be reading and relaxing after the morning walk with the intrepid one and watering, again. I'm hoping that the calcium spray that we got the other day to prevent blossom rot on the tomatoes will prove effective.  

The sun will rise this morning @ 6:23 a.m. and set @ 98:18 p.m. Ciao. 

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

 Right now, the weather is calm with a side of calm. A current temperature of 65° under partly cloudy skies will lead to today's steamy high of 84°, also under partly cloudy skies. The NWS is forecasting T-storms from Wednesday evening through Friday, anywhere from 40% to 60%. This being GH, I'll wait until STWD tenders her forecast tomorrow.

Speaking of the intrepid one, I didn't go on the morning safari, choosing instead to do some indoor chores as Sugar walked with Mary. Their walk didn't last long. Mary said that because Sugar heard a loud noise that sounded like thunder to Sugar, they were off to the races. That means that Mary was an impediment to Sugar as she desperately wanted to get home to her hide-e-hole. Unfortunately, one of those indoor chores was vacuuming, so Sugar couldn't immediately repair to her upstairs hide-e-hole.

Mary was hard at work, trying to pare the index down to a shorter size, a Sisyphusian task that has not yielded the desired outcome. I get to assist in that endeavor later today.

Somewhere in there, I rode my bicycle to the hospital for my O/T appointment and lunch. After that, I spent some time resealing the tub in the upstairs hide-e-hole, so that was upsetting to Sugar too. I was successful, but it took over one hour of Sugar's precious time.

During that process, Mary heard the sound of the southbound train run on the RSTL, so I had to ask her to use her skills as the apprentice trainspotter to record its passage @ 1:59 p.m. The regular cast of locomotives was ins the lead of nine CHCs, six DBTCs, and three GTCs, all empty Mary believes.

Later in the afternoon @ 5:35 p.m., the northbound run of locomotives 2019 and 2057 passed through towing four CHCs, and a single BC that was bringing up the rear. Their load status was indeterminate.

Somewhere in between, we made a run to the newly remodeled D & W Fresh Market grocery store that Mary has proclaimed as vastly improved and her new favorite.

On the way home, we stopped at our favorite watering hole for dinner and then made it back in time to record the passage of that northbound train.

I was able to enjoy another Cubs' victory over the hated NY Mets last night, as the Cubs were victorious, 5 - 1. That gives the Cubs a 1st place record of 56 - 36 in the N; L. Central, a full 8.0 games ahead of the 2nd place Cardinals. The Cubs and the Mets play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

The Tigers needed a great pitching performance in yesterday's game, as their bats were experiencing a bout of baseball phobia. The only run tallied by the Tigers in their 1 - 0 win over the Twins, was a solo home run off the bat of Justin Upton. Starting pitcher Matt Boyd tossed his best effort for the Tigers so far this year. However, since he has only pitched 19 games in the majors, that is not a meaningful statistic or fact.

The Tigers are still in 2nd place in the A. L. Central with a record of 49 - 44, but they have moved to within 5.5 games of the Indians, who lost to the Royals. The Tigers are now 3.5 games ahead of that other team from Chicago. The Tigers and the Twins play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox had the day off, so their A.L. East record of 51 - 39 didn't change. But good news, the division-leading Orioles lost to the Yankees, allowing the Sox to move up 1/2 game to 1.5 games behind the Orioles.

Sadly, the Caps did not have the day off, as they will today. They fell to the Clinton, IA Lumberkings 2 - 3. They still have a firm hold on 4th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 10 - 13. They play @ home tomorrow night versus the Peoria Chiefs @ 7:00 p.m.

Today I plan to do more reading after Mary's work assignment. We'll take a joint morning safari and then I can get down to work. Retirement can be so exhausting, even if your computer is working just fine.

That looks like enough activity for one hot and humid day. The sun will rise @ 6:22 a.m. and set @ 9:15 p.m. as the days get continuously shorter. Ciao.

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

We have a current temperature of 75° under partly cloudy skies. That threatened T-storm never materialized, so the fears of STWD were unfounded. She did spend some time in her hide-e-hole yesterday, and when we finally coaxed her out and placed the leash on her at about 12:30 p.m., she was shaking in fear and wanted to get home as soon as possible. Needless to say, the walk was short.

Later today, the temperature is forecast to rise to 81° under partly cloudy skies with a 20% chance of precipitation, That means that the small amount of rain that fell yesterday morning was insufficient to preclude any watering today. Sigh.

We watched CBS Sunday Morning in our media room yesterday while munching on bagels with a schmear of vegan cream cheese, onions, and Mary's beest. Mary was kind enough to walk the stairs and carry a tray with tea and those bagels. I know my limitations, so I don't attempt carrying a loaded tray up the stairs of the PE. Our media room is a comfortable place to watch TV on a Sunday morning or later in the day.

I have it on good authority that the stir-fry that I prepared for a late lunch yesterday was excellent, as it received the coveted and prestigious seal of approval from the chief cook and dishwasher of the PE. I incorporated a fresh green pepper from our garden, mushrooms, water chestnuts, julienned carrots, onions, bean sprouts, celery, and myriad spices. Mary says it was my best effort so far, but since I never follow a specific recipe nor do I really know what veggies I will have available, I never know for sure how my stir-frys will turn out. Still, I like to think that the addition of a garden fresh green pepper was the key ingredient.

In the afternoon, Mary was plugging away on the index, but it was slow going. I was doing the indoor chores, cooking, and reading, so I can't bear witness to the degree of difficulty. I'll have to leave that to the Russian judges.

I did finish my latest book, so now I am on to other books that I'd like to read, including one by Sinclair Lewis written in 1935. It is a semi-satirical political novel that chronicles politics from nearly 100 years ago. However so far, the story is oddly familiar and timely.

After Mary finished up indexing for the day, we walked downtown to get some exercise. All in all, we covered about three miles. Here are some random pictures that I took on our walk,

This is a hidden gem behind the Waterfront Stadium downtown.

The anchor is once again atop Dewey Hill for Coat Guard Fest™.

This is another view of that hidden gem, 

The channel of the Grand River leading to the "Big Lake" was choppy and devoid of most traffic as a result. 

Mixed sports news yesterday. The Cubs dropped the rubber game of their series with the Rangers, 1 - 3. That gives the Cubs a record of 55 - 36, still firmly in 1st place in the N. L. Central, a full 8.0 games ahead of the Cardinals who also lost. The Cubs host the Mets tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

The Tigers were victorious over the Royals, 4 - 2. That gives the Tigers a record of 48 - 44 in the A. L. Central, good for 2nd place, 6.5 games behind the Indians. Good news, the Tigers are 2.5 games ahead of the other team from Chicago, which has fallen to 45 - 46. The Tigers host the Twins tonight at 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox lost to the Yankees after winning six straight. The final score was 1 - 3 in an A. L. East game, leaving the Sox still in second place, 2.0 games behind the Orioles who also lost. The Sox host the Giants tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Caps are struggling, as they lost to the Clinton, IA Lumberkings, 3 - 7. The Caps are still in 4th place in the Midwest League East, with a record of 10 - 12. The Caps are in IA again this afternoon @ 12:00 p.m.

Mary made dinner consisting of barbecue tofu on rye bread accompanied by potato chips. My stir-fry was better. Just saying.

Today, I have another O/T appointment and I believe that I'll be walking to the hospital. I'd also like to go to the library for another book. I checked, and the book I am now reading isn't due until July 25.

Otherwise, we'll take the morning safari, I'll do the requisite watering of the gardens, and then I can settle in for some additional reading. Mary tells me that there is something I need to do for the index, so that may impinge on my plans.

The sun will rise @ 6:22 a.m. and set @ 9:19 p.m. Ciao.

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

I'm hoping for a shortened version of my blog this morning.

The weather report shows a current temperature of 57° under clear skies. Later today, the same forecast calls for a high temperature of 83° under partly cloudy skies that will hopefully lead to p.m. T-storms. The chance of those is 50% as of now. The storms forecast for Monday are no longer present. That's my way of saying that I may be watering again today.

We had a nice conversation with Adam as he sat on his balcony in Chicago and we laid in our bed. He says he is feeling well, and that's all good.

Yesterday's morning safari took place with STWD and Mary on a solo trip while I was watering and doing some light yard work. I did some transplanting, fertilizing, spraying, and weed pulling after I watered.

Mary made a salad for lunch and a terrific taco bake casserole for dinner. She had decided to rearrange some of her cookbooks the night before, and in the process, she discovered an old book that had been lost in the crush of cookbooks on the shelf. That was the genesis for the casserole. It has been a long time since her last taco bake, and I liked it.

I spent the balance of the day reading and watching the Cubs defeat the Rangers, 3 - 1. The Cubs have won three in a row and go for the sweep today @ 2:20 p.m. The are still solidly in 1st place in the N. L. Central. with a  record of 55 - 35, 8.0 games ahead of the Cardinals. The Cubs and the Rangers square off again this afternoon @ 2:20 p.m.

The Tigers didn't fare so well, as they lost to the Royals, 4 - 8. The Tigers have fallen to 47 - 44 in the A. L. Central but they are now just 6.5 games behind the Indians who also lost. More importantly, they are now 1.5 games ahead of that other team from Chicago as they lost too.

My beloved Red Sox defeated the Yankees 5 - 2. That moves the Sox to 51 - 38 in the A. L. East. However, the Sox are still in 2nd place, 2.0 games behind the Orioles who won yesterday too. The Sox and the Yankees play again tonight @ 8:05 p.m.

The Caps fell to a Midwest League East record of 10 - 11, following their latest loss to the Clinton, IA Lumberkings, 3 - 4. They Caps are still languishing in 4th place. Same teams this afternoon @ 3:00 p.m.

I nearly forgot to mention that I spent a few additional minutes with the girls yesterday. My thumb is feeling better with each session.

We walked to the Post yesterday afternoon and learned the Sally is still in the hospital. She is recovering, albeit slowly. We had some adult libations during the club's happy hour and then walked home for that great dinner that I highlighted earlier.

Today, the morning safari, in all likelihood another session with the water hose, and then more reading. I do have to get to some indoor chores, and Mary has to work on the index too. I may get to use the kitchen to prepare a stir-fry if Mary will stay out of the way. She means well, but I can cook when left to my own devices and do not have to endure any kibbitzing from the chief cook and dishwasher. Just saying.

The sun will rise later this morning @ 6:21 a.m. and set @ 9:20 p.m. Ciao.

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

I think I'll start with trainspotting because I never actually spotted any. At 11:40 a.m., I heard the southbound train while we were on safari, but I never actually saw it. Later in the afternoon, while we were at the chiropractor, I heard the northbound run, but once again, I didn't see the train. Oh well, that's life on the RSTL.

A nice segue, since while I was at the chiropractor, I did get my new inserts. They are very well made, and will require some break in time, but they are a good addition for comfort.

Since it was Mary's birthday, she got a call from her brother, Ed. They had a nice conversation and then we had to go to make it to the Social Security office before it closed. We made it to the office in time, where a nice young woman answered all of our questions. While we didn't like the answers we heard, at least we now know where we stand. That visit took over one hour that we will never get back. We had to make it back to GH for that 3:30 appointment at the chiropractor.

After the chiropractor, we stopped at JWs for libations and then we came home, where the birthday girl made dinner. I know some might suggest that as it was her birthday, she shouldn't have to be in the kitchen, but for Mary, that seems to be a form of therapy. Lunch consisted of a cucumber salad made with a fresh cucumber from the gardens of the PE. That was the side to go with sandwiches made with Mary's now famous beest. All good.

Mary received a very nice Bonsai plant from Adam and Steph for her birthday. All I got for her was a card and some blueberry butter. I like to think that she appreciated both things. It took me two trips to downtown GH on an especially hot and humid Wednesday afternoon, but she was/is worth two trips.

Since I had to go to the library on Wednesday while Mary was in Holland, I thought I could combine that trip with a trip to the downtown. However, I arrived downtown at 9:30 a.m., about one-half hour before the stores opened. So, I had to reprise my route in the afternoon. Don't tell Mary, but I took my bike for the second trip. I was careful, and so all went well.

Adam called yesterday to say that he is doing well, as we'd expected.

Sports news yesterday was mostly good. The Cubs appear to have righted the ship, as they defeated the Texas Rangers 6 - 0 in a game that featured some outstanding defense and even better pitching. The Cubs now have a record of 54 - 35 in the N. L. Central, still good enough for a solid hold on 1st place, with a full 8.0 game lead over the 2nd place St. Loius Cardinals, who lost to the Marlins. The Cubs and the Rangers face each other again today at 2:20 p.m.

The Tigers also won 4 - 2 over the Kansas City Royals. The Tigers now have an A. L. Central record of 47 - 43, but they are still in 2nd place, 6.5 games behind the Indians. The Tigers face the Royals again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox are on a tear, as they defeated the Yankees, 5 - 3. Three home runs helped the Sox win again and move to 50 - 38 in the A. L. East. Unfortunately, the Orioles also won, so the Sox are still in 2nd place, 2.0 games back. The Sox and the Yankees play again this afternoon @ 4:05 p.m. @ Yankee Stadium.

Sadly, the Caps fell to the Kane County Cougars in Geneva, IL, 2 - 8. That moves the Caps back to even with a Midwest League East record of 10 - 10, good enough for 4th place. Same teams tonight @ 7:30 p.m.

We have to take the morning safari and then Mary has to get to work on the index. She ahs received some additional guidance, so hopefully, that will be enough to get the work started again.

I have to water and then do some pleasure reading after the morning safari. We have a current temperature of 59° under clear skies. Those clear skies will become sunny skies later today as we reach a high of 77°. There is a forecast from the NWS of p.m. T-storms for Sunday with a 60% chance. Monday's forecast is for a.m. T-storms, also with a 60% chance. However, this being GH, I will once again await the forecast from STWD.

The sun will rise today @ 6:20 a.m. and set @9:21 p.m. Ciao.

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

Well, it is now official. I mailed the forms for a pension from an employer that I left over 20 years ago. This pension is one of the few that was vested due to over 13 years of service with that employer. With a little help from the folks at the bank when a notary was required, a few signatures from me, and one from Mary, my pension benefits will begin on September 1, 2016. Coincidentally, that is also our 43rd anniversary. The signature from Mary allows her to receive the same benefits that accrued to me in the very unlikely event of my passing. All good.

Yesterday's weather was sweeter than the day before. Oops, I was channeling Dennis Yost and the Classics IV there for a second. However, when I was out watering, tree trimming, weeding, mowing, and edging, the humidity was high enough, 81%, for me to work up a sweat. We have a current temperature of 67°. Later today, when we are out on safari, the high temperature will reach all the way up to 69° under cloudy skies with 74% relative humidity. What the hey, I think I'll add a link to the song, Everyday With You Girl, in honor of Mary all the friends and lovers out there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANGZ73bUW9s

Baseball time is here again! Well, it actually has been here all along, but all of the Major League™ teams have been off for the All-Star™ break. The Cubs return to action this afternoon against the Texas Rangers. The first pitch at the "Friendly Confines" is set for 2:20 p.m. The Cubs are still in 1st place with their N. L. Central-leading  record of 53 - 35. That's 7.0 full games ahead of the 2nd place Cardinals.

What the hey, why not go for a trifecta of songs. Here is a link to Steve Goodman singing about the Cubs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlRI767lNhA

A side note, I just read a description of the demolition that is now occurring at Addison & Clark adjacent to the ballpark. Eventually, the entire area will be rebuilt to include more parking, apartments, and other amenities. As one Cubs' official noted, the entire character of the "Wrigleyville" area will be transformed. Gone will be the old feel of the area, replaced by attractions that are designed to draw people to the area year-round. As a long suffering Cubs fan, I'm not sure how I feel, but I guess that time marches on. The area was not all that attractive to many of the not so long-suffering fans and millennials. Sigh.

The Tigers host the Royals tonight @ 7:10 p.m. The Tigers are in 2nd place in the A. L. Central with a record of 46 - 43, 6.5 games behind the Indians, but more importantly, 0.5 games ahead of that other team from Chicago.

My beloved Red Sox are @ the Yankees tonight in an A. L. East matchup. The Yankees are a shadow of the powerhouse that they had been, while the Sox are a team once again on the rise, with players like Mookie Betts, and Xander Bogaerts. The Sox have a record of 49 - 38, just 2.0 games in back of the Orioles.

The Caps were once again victorious, 5 - 1 over the Kane County Cougars, to move their Midwest League East record to 10 - 9, good for 4th place. They are in Geneva, IL again tonight, to face the Cougars @ 7:05 tonight.

Today my bride of nearly 43 years has a birthday. Every time I hear Tony Bennett sing Once Upon a Time, I am reminded of how lucky I am. In case you've forgotten, here is a link to Tony's version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmwApZaMNe0

There have been many versions by some very famous artists, but I like Tony Bennett's version the most. He just sells it better than the others.

They say you  can never go back, but the memories are still just as sweet. Happy birthday Mary. I love you.

I have it on good authority that all is well with Adam and Steph. As a parent, you never stop worrying about your children.

Today, not much is on tap. A visit to the Social Security office following the morning safari and probably some additional watering. Mary is hoping to enjoy her birthday after that visit. Since we'll be in Muskegon, we may have to stop at Apple Knits & Purls too. We have to avoid the gathering of the motorcycle enthusiasts that is also happening there.

We should have nice weather for walking and watering. STWD will be happy about the cooler temperatures too. She will be visiting her doctor next Monday for her senior wellness exam to make sure she is staying as healthy as possible.

The sun will rise today @ 6:19 a.m. and set @ 9:21 p.m.l Ciao.

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

The forecast for precipitation proved to be inaccurate, from both the NWS and from the DTWS. Those p.m. T-storms which I referenced in my previous blog never came to pass. Instead, I watered in the a.m., and then sometime shortly thereafter, a few drops of rain fell, and I do mean a few. Today we have a 20% chance of rain, but this being GH, I doubt that that means that anything will come of that forecast from the NWS. Any significant chance of T-storms has been moved to Sunday @ 50%.

The view out the WW is dark but clear. A current temperature of 75° will lead to 81° later this morning. That means that watering is on the agenda today too.

We are seeing the first ripening of the tomatoes that we planted. There are also some green peppers ripening, and they too look about ready for harvest. I harvested the first zucchini yesterday. I've already harvested the first two cucumbers too. Our pole beans have yet to produce any beans, just blossoms and lots of vines. The only beans that I picked have come from the bush bean plants. Mary thinks that we aren't getting enough sun in that location. Our potato plants are beginning to die back, so potatoes should be coming soon. We may have to rethink what we plant in next year's garden.

As long as I keep the balance of the flower garden well watered, it does fine. It seems that the annuals require more watering than the perennials. but that is to be expected, especially in the sandy soil that predominates here in West Michigan.
I made it to the library yesterday while Mary was in Holland. I turned in my Beachcomber's Book Bingo 2016 card and I received my bag. It will look nice next to the bag I received last year. I like this 2016 version better. Both bags are/were courtesy of the Friends of Loutit District Library. See the pictures below.

A solid handle and a larger capacity.

More of a backpack style, so perhaps it is unfair to compare.

Trainspotting. I only spotted the southbound run @ 11:44 a.m. yesterday. The regular cadre of locomotives, 2057 and 2019, were in front as they traversed the RSTL. In tow were one BC, 24 CHCs, three DWTCs, and 15 DBTCs of various ages and configurations, with a few of those bringing up the rear. I do not believe that any cars were loaded. 

I finished the indoor chores and then I spent some time reading the Grand Haven Tribune and my latest novel after I did more highlighting. I finished the highlighting later in the afternoon after Mary returned from Holland. 

There are no major league teams in action until tomorrow. However, the Caps did play and they beat the Kane County, IL Cougars, 7 - 6. That moves the Caps back into 4th place, with a Midwest League East record of 9 - 9. Based on the Caps overall league record of 48 - 37, they are are still set to go to the playoffs @ season's end.

Today Mary is awaiting a response from the editors of the book we are indexing. I believe that she needs clarification on some concerns in order to proceed further. 

I will be watering today after the morning safari with STWD. Mary's trip to Holland yesterday caused she and Sugar to solo yesterday morning while I watered. Mary wanted to get on the road in case of heavy traffic. Apparently, her concerns about traffic in the Holland area were unfounded, as she arrived early. 

I have no specific plans for today. My part of the indexing process is done for now. 

I am currently using a new grammar check extension for Google Chrome™ that is interesting to observe. The software is making some good suggestions, but in one case, it didn't know what to suggest. Whoa, I'm describing a software program as though it is a living, sentient being. At any rate, the software program is suggesting where and when to use commas. For a writer like yours truly, that may be a good thing, as I have a tendency to overuse commas.  

The sun will rise @ 6:18 a.m. and set @ 9:22 p.m. Ciao.

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

This should be mini-blog if all goes well.

The only baseball news is that the N. L. All-Stars 2, the A. L. All-stars, 4. The Caps had the day off Tuesday, before traveling to Geneva, IL to face the Kane County Cougars tonight.

Yesterday was a stormy day, if you weren't in "The City." Here, nothing happened. All of the storm activity being reported and warned about by the NWS occurred east and south of GH. The next possibility for T-storms is this evening at 40%. That's my way of saying that I'll be watering the gardens of the PE later this morning.

We have a current temperature of 73° that feels like 73° with 85% relative humidity. Today's high is forecast to be 85° with a slightly lower relative humidity of 71%. In short, it is warm out there.

I finished reading my latest novel, and much like the previous one, the author was writing a screenplay. That would be fine, but it was much like a movie that Mary and I watched on TV a long time ago. In that movie, the detective pulled the incriminating diary out of a kitchen light fixture in the apartment of a single woman. There were two problems with that. First, there was no reason given as to why the detective would look in that fixture. Second, why would a single woman feel compelled to hide her diary in a place where no one would find it, since no one would be looking for it.

In the case of my latest novel, there were some clues, but the story wrapped up much too quickly, as though the author was tired of writing the book. His fans demand a new book every year or so, but it felt like the author was satisfying a contract, not writing for the reader's pleasure. Just saying.

At least I have now read the requisite nine books for the Beachcomber's Book Bingo 2016. I've qualified for the nifty book bag that is being offered as the prize for the reading. I'll be picking up that bag later today.

Mary spent the day indexing and also multi-tasking while on her regular chat. She is making progress on the index, but she is finding that this index is more dense than expected, in other words, it has more entries than expected. That means that there are more pages of index than the publisher had planned to print.

I did get some time in with one of the girls as I worked on some music transcription, There is story in that activity, as I hit the delete button for the wrong song when I was finished, so I had to start again. Sigh.

Right now, Mary is happily cooking a new beest in the kitchen and also once again multi-tasking, as she knits and watches the latest news on TV.

I am up to page 316 of 354 with my highlighting duties. That's 89% complete. I should finish today while Mary is in Holland knitting socks. That of course comes after the morning safari with STWD and the watering. Otherwise, I have another pleasure book to start and finish by week's end. Sugar has some power napping to do.

The sun will rise @ 6:17 a.m. and set @ 9:23 p.m. Ciao.

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

Starting with the weather here in West Michigan seems like a good idea. When I arose yesterday, the T-storms had arrived early. STWD was making a beeline for her hide-e-hole, and the bedroom was dark enough to obscure the dawn's early light. When I looked out the WW, the rain was literally coming down in buckets. Well not exactly, but the bucket that we keep on the deck for additional watering had become filled, due to being directly below the drain hole in one of the planters located there.

Right now, the DTWS has a prediction for the forthcoming T-storms that have been forecast by the NWS for later tonight and into Wednesday. A current temperature of 77° will lead to today's humid high temperature of 86°. Tonight around 6:00 p.m., those storms are expected to begin with a 50% probability, while Wednesday's forecast shows the chance of a.m. T-storms at 60%. Of course the forecast for yesterday morning came with only a 20% certainty. My reliance on the forecasting skills of the intrepid weather dog proved to be the best way to go.

I made it to my O/T appointment yesterday as the rain was falling. I put off going to the big-box everything store until later yesterday afternoon, in order to avoid carrying soggy groceries into the house. I did take time to enjoy a lunch at the hospital's salad bar before returning home. Mary had stayed behind to work on the index, so I took my book with to read as I ate.

Trainspotting yesterday was great. At 10:44 A.M., locomotives 2057 and 2019 were like apparitions, as they appeared in the heavy rains heading south. Their diesel engines were generating so much heat in that rain, that the steam rising off of the top mounted radiators made them look eerie. In tow, were one BC, nine CHCs, and 22 DBTCs at the end, all empty.

Oddly, I was able to spot the northbound run at 4:18 p.m., as the same tandem of locomotives plied their route on the RSTL. What was also odd, was that the return run was also composed of empty cars. Six CHCs, one GTC, three BCs, four DWTCs and 22 DBTCs were in the lineup. Some of those DBTCs were rusty and some were of odd proportions and configurations. Go figure.

Sports news is very short from yesterday, as Major Leagues Baseball™ and its players, are enjoying the All-Star™ break. Unfortunately, the Caps did play and lost to the Ft. Wayne TinCaps, 3 - 4. That moves them to a record of 8 - 9 and 4th place in the Midwest League East, 5.0 games behind the 14 - 5 Lansing Lugnuts. The Caps have the day off today, before traveling to Kane County, IL to play the Kane County Cougars, who are now a farm team for the Arizona D'Backs. Major League Baseball™ has their All-Star™ game tonight, before resuming regular season play on Friday, which is also coincidentally Mary's birthday. At 63 she is just a kid, just like when she agreed to marry me 43 years ago. More on that in a few weeks.

I did get in a lot of reading yesterday. I am about 1/3 of the way through my latest novel. Once this book is done, I will have qualified for my free Beachcomber's Book Bingo bag. Not bad, since I started this quest a scant six weeks ago.

Mary has her regular chat session later today, along with working on the index. I have more highlighting to do along with my pleasure reading. STWD waited until the rains subsided yesterday, before being willing to go for the morning safari with Mary while I was at my O/T appointment and lunch. Sugar should be willing to go out this morning, although since she reacts to the changes in the force caused by barometric pressure, there is a possibility that she won't be willing.

The sun will rise today @ 6:16 a.m. and set @ 9:23 p.m. Ciao.

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

One of my friends, Ellen, reminded me that that this is indeed "The Year!" The Cubs may have been struggling, but she reminded me that her father was an even longer suffering fan than me, so to honor his recent passing, the Cubs just have to "Win it all!" I assured her that I had not given up, I was just hedging my bets. As a long suffering fan myself, a survivor of too many :June Swoons", Leon Durham boots, lights being installed at the "Friendly Confines", lights that were not employed due to rain for the first night game, drops by Keith Moreland in the outfield, the disastrous trade of Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio, and too many managers to name, I have to be realistic and hedge my bets.

But not to worry, I haven't given up, and I won't, until they put a Dome on Wrigley Field, as the old song, Don't Wait on Me by the Statler Brothers described. Below is a link is their version from You Tube: The original version had a lyric about when the lights go on at Wrigley Field, but that got amended when they did in fact, put lights in Wrigley Field for that ill-fated night game in August, 1988. I have suffered too long to give up now. So here's to Ellen's father, "Let's play two!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyWrVlb83A4

Since I'm already there, It is time to once again mention, "Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!, Cubs Win!" While it is just another squeaker in a long line of squeakers, at the "Friendly Confines", it renews my hope. The boys in blue eked out a win over the now 3rd place Pirates, 6 - 5. That moves the Cubs a full 7. games ahead of the 2nd place Cardinals and 7.5 games ahead of the 3rd place Pirates in the N. L. Central, with a record of 53 - 35 as the Cubs wander towards the All-Star Game™. Personally, I'm glad that so many Cubs' players got to be on the squad for the game, however, I'd rather that the players get some rest, especially the starting pitchers. The Cubs have five players in the starting lineup.

The Tigers are once again staggering into the All-Star Game™, following a 1 - 6 loss to the Blue Jays. The Tigers are back to 46 - 43 in the A. L. Central, with their record, good enough for 2nd place. Once again, my favorite Tigers' player, Miguel Cabrera, was selected to represent the Tigers. Injuries and snubs have limited the Tiger's to one representatives on this year's team.

My beloved Red Sox swept the Tampa Bay Rays, with a 4 - 0 win. That gives the Sox a record of 49 - 38 in the A. L. East, 2.0 games in back of the Orioles. That win was powered by a strong outing from David Price, and another great game by All-Star, "Big Papi", David Ortiz, another of my favorites, as he caps a very strong 1st half in his retirement season. There are other six other Sox players four starters, who will also be representing the team.

All of the Major League™ teams are off of the All-Star™ break.

The Caps are once again even in the Midwest League East, after a 2 - 1 win over the Ft. Wayne TinCaps. The Caps have a record of 8 - 8, good for 3rd place, behind both the Lansing Lug Nuts, and the South Bend Cubs, each with identical 13 - 5 records. The Caps play this afternoon at home against the TinCaps.

We took an abbreviated walk with STWD yesterday, and then STSD and I baked another loaf of my famous banana nut bread, which turned out great. We'll be having some before I go to my O/T appointment at the hospital.

Mary made what I have decided was a great lunch yesterday, Roast beest and steamed broccoli with a chickpea based cheesy sauce that tasted good.  However, Mary believes that the cheesy sauce needed some turmeric. Who am I to disagree with the cook? Dinner was homemade pesto sauce made from freshly harvested basil atop whole wheat spaghetti noodles. I liked it.

Our current temperature is 64° per the NWS and 68° per the DTWS. The NWS has upped their forecast for precipitation to a 50% chance of T-storms this morning between 9:00 a.m. and 11:a.m. So I may or may not have to water today. Today's high is forecast to be 85°, following beautiful day yesterday.

Today, more highlighting for me, more indexing for Mary, and some walking with the intrepid one. My personal dogs are still barking following the long walk that Mary and I took on Saturday, so I'll be driving to the hospital and then soloing at the big-box everything store for some grocery shopping.

The sun will rise @ 6:15 a.m. and set at 9:25 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:45 a.m, in "The City."

We have a current temperature outside the WW of somewhere between 59° & 60°. That follows a day that is best described as nearly perfect. For us, it was a great day for a walk to the pier that juts out into the "Big Lake" to see the waves crashing into the shore and the pier itself. There was a bright red flag warning about dangerous conditions due to rip currents that meant no swimming, but that didn't deter people from swimming anyway. But as you can see, the skies were azure blue and the lake was inviting. So.....

The next chance for precipitation is Tuesday @ 20% or Wednesday's T-storms @ 60%. That may mean that I'll have to water today, or at the latest, Monday morning. It will be a game time decision.

Speaking of game time decisions, I'll have to admit that Mary may, and I stress may, have been right. I should not have let my early season fever, that's "Cubs Fever", get the better of me. As a long suffering Cubs fan, I should know better. I should realize that in spite of Ron Santo's exclamation that, "This is the year!", that it may not be the year. I should, but I'm not ready to give up yet. Why should I? Just like those tomatoes that Mary nearly gave up on, there is always hope until the boys in blue pinstripes are mathematically eliminated. 

That being said, the Cubs fell big time yesterday to the surging 2nd place Pirates, 6 - 12 in a N. L. Central match up. The Cubs are now a mere 6.5 games ahead of the Pirates, with a record of  52 - 35 for the Cubs. That's only 17 games over .500. The Cubs had been many more games over.500 not so long ago. As of now, it looks like the Pirates are playing and the Cubs are sleepwalking. They have been doing that lately as they limp towards the All-Star break. 

I don't care what excuses Cubs' manager Joe Maddon offers, the Cubs are not a very good team right now. Their starting pitching has been woeful, only slightly better than their relief pitching. Their hitters are only hitting, sometimes. Those same teams play again today @1:35 p.m. Sigh. 

The Tigers fared better, as they eked out a win over the Blue Jays, 3 - 2 in an A. L. Central game. That gives the Tigers a record of 46 - 42, good enough for a solid hold on 2nd place, just 6.5 games in back of the Indians, who are starting to show the wear and tear of the torrid pace they had been on, much like the Cubs. Same teams this afternoon @ 1:07 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox have been on the roll like that the Cubs were on earlier this year. The Sox defeated the Rays, 4 - 1, to move to 48 - 38 in the A. L. East, 2.5 games in back of the Orioles, The Sox play the Rays again today @1:35 p.m.

The Caps also eked out a win over the Ft. Wayne TinCaps, 2 - 0. That moves the Caps up to 4th place in the Midwest League East with a record of 7 - 8, 4. 0 games behind the Lansing Lugnuts. Same teams today @ 1:00 p.m.

Otherwise the day was rather uneventful. We took the morning safari with STWD, and then walked to the library to pick up some books and make some copies of some recipes that Mary wants to try. We tried to get out without any additional books beyond the ones that Mary had on hold, but we didn't make it. She gained another cookbook and I gained a novel that looked interesting as I sat near the quick pick shelves  and waited for her to return. Oh well, the best laid plans etc. 

As I noted earlier, we walked to the pier to view the waves and along the way, we took a few pictures of a novel wedding in Central Park. The attendants included two dogs dressed in wedding regalia that matched that of the human attendants, complete with French cuffs and cuff-links for the male dog, and a bridesmaid dress for the female dog.. 

The bride looked beautiful too. 

As I noted earlier, although the day started out cloudy, by the early afternoon wedding time it was a perfect day for a wedding in the park, or a drive in a roadster. 

We stopped in at the favor watering hole for a quick libation that morphed into dinner and then we wandered the rest of the way home. I walked nearly six miles yesterday, and Mary even more, before I settled on the deck to listen to the oldies station and finish my latest novel. I liked the story, but I didn't like what has become a commonplace way for the author set up a sequel, changing the travel plans of the main characters on their way home.

Mary has to get to work on the index today. I am nearly done with my part, so I can take the day for myself. I think that STSD and I will get to that banana nut bread today. Mary got some new bananas yesterday, so the ones that are in the basket should be ready for banana nut bread. 

I also have to do more of my O/T homework again today. As of now, that consists of using a Silly Putty™ like substance into which 10 beads of varying sizes have been placed. I have to flatten out the putty, extract those beads, place them into the palm of my hand, and then finally place them into the storage cup for that putty, all using only my left hand. To give you an idea of what I have to do, I used to have my students crumple up a piece of paper with one hand. Not to difficult you say? Then came the hard part, unfolding that same paper with one hand. Easy if you have a fully functional thumb. 

The sun will rise today @ 6:15 a.m. and set @ 9:25 p.m. Ciao.