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

Whew! The Cubs closed the gap to 3 - 2, with coincidentally, a 3 - 2 win over the Cleveland Indians Sunday night. Jon Lester surrendered a home run early in the game that allowed the Indians to take the lead. But Kris Bryant finally broke out and deposited a home run of his own into the basket in left field. The Cubs' bats came to life long enough to give them a 3 -1 lead that was eroded to 3 - 2 by the Indians, the final score. The next game is Tuesday night in Cleveland @ 8:00 p.m. EDT.

It is now Halloween here in GH. The city is sponsoring an indoor Halloween party @ the community center for the ghosts, goblins, superheroes, princesses and the other assorted characters that ply the mean streets of "The City" on All-Hallows Eve. The downtown merchants offer a trick or treating opportunity this afternoon between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m. Trick or treating is allowed in the neighborhoods between 6:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. As a grown up, I understand the desire for safety, but when I was a wee bit younger, I would have chafed at the restrictions placed on my chance to gather as much candy as possible. How times have changed.

Collectively, Mary and I accomplished quite a bit between indoors and outdoors. Mary was busy in the kitchen part of the time while I took on the task of bagging the leaves that have fallen so far in and on the lawns and gardens of the vast PE. Mary and Ginger came out to join the fun and Mary cut back the various perennials that will be resting through the long winter months. I moved some lily plants to another location in the gardens that will allow them to grow more easily. While we haven't bagged all that much fall detritus, yet, we made a good start. I also got started on planting some grass seed too. We have more to do, but my yak feels fine right now and I am thankful that Mary was the voice of reason and kept me from my own inclinations.

We have recently been experiencing a fly invasion. Mary was and is trying to ameliorate the attack in her kitchen, as am I, but it is a tough fight. We're using fly trapping strips, but they are more a trap to us in many cases. Hopefully, the flies will soon be dead and gone.

Today I have to make the filling for my homemade pumpkin pie in preparation for making pies from scratch. We purchased the pie-pumpkins recently and so I have everything on hand that I should need to make the pie. I"ve go the crust down cold, so to speak, but it has been a while since I made the filling. I looked at various recipes on the web, but I think I'll be using the tried and true recipe found in Mary's Fanny Farmer cookbook. That book has never let me down.

The morning safari with the fur-children will take place as usual, but Ginger just went out @ 5:30 a.m., so she and the intrepid one should be good until later this morning. The two girls are learning to get along, but it is a process to be sure. STWD is not happy about having an interloper intrude upon her once solitary preserve after nine years of having the run of the house. We find ourselves saying, "Can't we all just get along", to paraphrase Rodney King.

John, our handyman, will be back today to work on the painting. We have to be sure that the doors stay closed to eliminate or reduce the chance for further fly invasions.

The current temperature is 40° under partly cloudy skies. We are anticipating a high-temperature today of 56° under those same partly cloudy skies. That should be good weather for the trick or treaters. Tuesday's high temperature is forecast by the NWS to be a balmy 64° under partly sunny skies. As the day progresses on Tuesday, the NWS is forecasting showers/T-storms in the evening @ 60% that will be the lead-in to the 100% chance of rain on Wednesday.

We plan to go nowhere on Tuesday, but Wednesday we are scheduled to go to the Tri-Cities History Museum for the monthly book club meeting where I'll hopefully be sharing my pumpkin pie. The sun will rise today @ 8:18 a.m. and set @ 6:37 p.m. Ciao.

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

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I'm in a slight funk following yesterday's sports news.

The now 2 - 6 Spartans of MSU fell to the now 8 - 0 Wolverines of Michigan by a score of 23 - 32. I'm not sure that the Spartans were in the game after taking the opening kickoff and marching it down the field for the first score. It was all downhill after that. Mary and I spent the afternoon @ the Post watching the game and talking to Sally who came in to see old friends. She is looking well, but tired. We had a good time.

In other sports news, the Cubs bats continued their somnambulistic ways. While some players got hits, they stranded too many men on base and are now facing an end to their fairytale season tonight. The Indians ace pitcher Corey Kluber was able to throttle the Cubs' power hitting and the final score of 2 - 7 could have been much worse. John Lackey and his relief corps were unable to contain the Indians and now the Cubs have their backs against the proverbial wall. There is no joy in Mudville.

We had a power outage yesterday morning that lasted about two hours. We'll have to wait for the Monday issue of the Grand Haven Tribune for full details. That power outage caused us to ask the handyman to delay his return until Monday. We did get out for a long walk with the fur-children to the big-box home center. While that store was also experiencing the same power outage, they  had some lighting and the ability to take your money due to an emergency generator. We got what we had set out to get and so life went on.

Ginger and STWD each got a treat @ the big-box home center and Sugar also got a treat @ the Bookman when we stopped there for the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. We don't want Ginger to learn about all of the possible places in "The City" to get free treats.

Today we'll be doing some work in the gardens of the vast PE. Leaves to be blown, raked, and bagged, kale to be harvested, and grass seed to be sown. I'm already tired just thinking about it.

Otherwise, not much is on tap. We are in a state of upheaval downstairs due to the painting activities.

I/we plan to get the yardwork out of the way. Then I can spend some time reading and singing and playing with the girls. I'm just too busy in retirement.  Mary plans to do some work in her kitchen, do some reading, and then do some knitting in some order. All of those activities are after the morning safari. I'm feeling the need for some downtime, as is Mary.

The current temperature is 50° under cloudy skies. As I perused the forecast from the NWS, I saw a 45%  chance of a.m. showers. If that happens, most of our outside activities will be put on hold. Time will tell. The high temperature for today is expected to be 55° under cloudy skies. The weather and high temperature are supposed to improve by Tuesday, so we wanted to get the yardwork out of the way on what was supposed to be a cool and dry day.

The sun will rise this morning @ 8:17 a.m. and set tonight @ 6:38 p.m. Ciao.

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

We had an interesting day yesterday. We got up early for our handyman's arrival, but he was detained so he didn't arrive until after we had returned from a successful visit to the veterinarian's office. Ginger is doing great. STWD is also doing great and that's all that matters.

Mary made a terrific lunch of vegan Canadian Maple Baked Beans. This is a stove top recipe that required some chopping and mixing of various liquid ingredients. The outcome was phenomenal and I would not change a thing. This is a definite keeper.

Dinner was room service in the media room.

The Cubs struggled all night in the first World Series game at Wrigley Field since 1945. Their big boppers could not get untracked and the Cubs left 13 players on base as they fell to the Indians in game three of the series, 1 - 0. Same two teams tomorrow night. The Indians now lead the series 2 - 1.

Today we'll be walking to the Post to view the MSU Spartans versus the Michigan Wolverines. I'd like the Spartans to win, but somehow I doubt that that will happen. The game begins @ 12:00 p.m.

The Huskies of NIU are off until Tuesday night when they will be playing the Cardinals of Bowling Green University.

We made it to the chiropractor and that made us both feel better. Mary spent two days in her office chair along with standing in her kitchen, so she needed a tune-up. I didn't spend so much time doing either endeavor. Mostly I spent my time with one of the fur-children in my lap and a crossword puzzle in front of me. All good.

Otherwise, our handyman will be returning after 10:00 a.m. this morning to do more of the painting. He anticipates getting the ceilings done in all three rooms today.

We'll be taking the morning safari with the fur-children before we head to the Post.

The current temperature is 60° under cloudy skies and with windy conditions. Today's high is expected to reach 62° under cloudy skies. It should be a good day for the safari and the walk to the Post. The sun will rise later this morning @ 8:16 a.m. and set @ 6:39 this evening. Ciao.

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

Ahhh that feels more like it. Given, that my last blog was a scant 13 hours ago, I don't have a lot to say.

We have a current temperature of 44° that feels like 44° under cloudy skies. Later today, after the sun rises @ 8:14 a.m., well have a forecast high of 60° under partly cloudy skies. That will last until the sun sets @ 6:41 p.m. Saturday promises 61°, also under partly cloudy skies.

That forecast is good news for the game between Michigan State and Michigan which kicks off  @ 12:00 p.m. We plan to be @ the Post for that game. While I generally root for the Spartans, Jim Harbaugh's Wolverines lost to MSU last year on a freak play so they will be out for revenge. Plus, this year's 2 - 5 Spartans are not a very good football team, especially when compared to this year's 7 - 0 Wolverine squad. I know that anything can happen, witness the 69 Cubs, but somehow I doubt that the Spartans have the players to defeat Michigan.

Speaking of the Cubs, they face the underdog Cleveland Indians tonight @ 7:00 p.m. One sports pundit has likened the Indians to a group of explorers going uphill wearing snowshoes. But as we all know, anything can happen. My money or at least my hopes are riding with the Cubs. This is a very special team, with the moxie to win the big games. Kyle Schwarber's return from a horrific injury five games into the season certainly proves something.  In addition, the Cubs Kyle Hendricks takes the mound tonight. I read somewhere that some Wrigleyville bars are charging $250.00 to watch the game on TV.

We got the index out yesterday by early afternoon. That gives us a breathing spell until December.

Mary made sandwiches for lunch yesterday accompanied by a small salad and cottage tofu. Dinner was also a variation on those sandwiches which Mary has dubbed spicy tomato loaf, lettuce, and tomato (STLLT) sandwiches accompanied by potato salad. Both meals were excellent.

I've recently returned from the vast lawns of the PE after giving Ginger her early morning out. She was very accommodating. That allowed me to rescue Mary from her comfortable perch in the La-Z-Boy and move her to the bedroom where she and Ginger have returned to their previous symbiotic and peaceful resting state. All good.

Today we have our handyman, John, coming to begin the task of painting the kitchen, the mudroom, and the downstairs bathroom. His work is what precipitated our visit to the paint store on Wednesday. He anticipates that his painting will take three or four days as no patching of walls is required.

Otherwise today, we have the morning safari on our schedule, a visit to the vet for the fur-children, a chat session for Mary, and a stop at the chiropractor followed by collapse. I think that's enough for one day.

I still have books to pick up, books to read and the girls to play. Ciao.

Good early afternoon GH. It has just passed 12:00 p.m. in "The City."

With the myriad tasks I had before me yesterday, coupled with the over one-inch of rainfall, and watching the Cubs defeat the Indians, I was just too tired to blog any sooner than now. But that's okay because it gave me a chance to savor the fact that the Cubs Won! Now I have to wait until Friday night for the next installment of this saga. Can I make it? Of course, I can.

The weather yesterday was nonstop rain. The rains came about 6:00 a.m. and didn't let up until well after midnight. Ginger had to go out several times during the pouring rain, so both Mary and I were soaked in spite of our raingear. Today is much brighter. While the current temperature is a mere 44° according to the DTWS, the view out the WW is only partly cloudy. The sun keeps coming and going. We are anticipating a high today of 49°. There is no significant rain in the forecast for several days and the temperatures are expected to hover around the 60° mark.

Yesterday there were trains to spot. At 10:12 a.m., locomotives 2019 and 2057 passed by on the RSTL heading south. In tow were 24 CHCs and two DWTCs. At 2:21 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives passed by heading north towing 10 CHCs, six DBTCs, and one DWTC that was bringing up the rear.

Mary was hard at work yesterday between dog outings and trips to the paint and big-box everything stores, she still has more to finish. However, I now have the book on another screen, so I am certain that I will be editing soon.

We took the morning safari around 10:30 a.m. today and as STWD and I walked through Central Park, the public works crew decided it was the perfect time to use compressed air to clear the sprinkler lines in the park. Oddly, while it scared me, the normally skittish Sugar didn't even flinch. Go figure. Meanwhile, Ginger and Mary were trying to make progress, but as is nearly always the case, smells and stops got in the way. On our way home together, Ginger decided it was time to bark at every person she saw. A complete 180° from her usual behavior as she tries to meet everyone in a friendly manner. Once again, go figure.

After lunch, I journeyed to the man-cave to see how much water we had taken on from the torrential rains of yesterday. There was none. Again, go figure.

Today we have to finish the index and get it into the ether. I plan to do more reading and we also need to walk to the bank and the library, without the fur-children, for our own peace of mind.

The sun rose today @ 8:13 a.m. and it will set later this evening @ 6:42 p.m. Ciao.

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

Let's get it out of the way. The Cubs' bats didn't come to life in the first game of the 2016 World Series. John Lester and the relief corps struggled as the Indians put six runs on the board and cruised past the Cubs to a 6 - 0 victory. Game two is tonight and the starting time has been moved up by one hour to try to escape the expected precipitation.

Speaking of precipitation, the NWS has forecast a chance of rain for later today starting @ about 2:00 a.m. with 15% and continuing throughout the day with percentages ranging from 75% - 95%. In short, this will be a rainy stay indoors kind of day. The fur-children will have to accept that the morning safari and subsequent outings will be short and f or Ginger, farther apart. We have a current temperature of 42° under mostly cloudy skies as we await the rain. Today's high is forecast to be 45°.

We had a great day yesterday when we visited Newaygo to see the changing leaves. Unfortunately, this is not a good year for color and so the memories Mary and I have of falls gone by will have to suffice. We did stop in several shops in Newaygo, including The New Ewe Yarn and Quilt Shop. Mary bought some way cool yarn that she plans to turn into a shawl following a pattern that she also purchased. She claims that I enabled her as she was ready to leave without a purchase. Perhaps she is right, but the yarn is way cool and the shawl will look great when she is done. So I'm okay with the purchases.

We stopped at a place named Jimmy's Roadhouse for lunch where we had a terrific veggie burrito with an onion ring appetizer. The food was excellent and we put Newaygo and Jimmy's on our return list. We took a different route home and stopped in Spring Lake to have some adult beverages 2 Stans. Then home to let the fur-children out and feed them their dinners. STWD was more than willing to go out and come right in to eat, but ginger is still proving to be a difficult nut to crack. We'll get there soon, we hope.

I repaired to the media room to watch the Cubs fall to the Indians. Once again, Mary provided room service for my viewing pleasure. The intrepid one was there to assist with any leftovers. I shouldn't be spoiling her, but I am, so I know why I am her favorite human. Worthy of note is that Mary made another of her spicy tomato loaves and I think this one was the best so far. Some of that loaf was part of the room service delivery. Sugar can't have any loaf because one of its ingredients is onions. She had to make do with vegan cheese, crackers, pickles, potato chips, and crackers. She didn't get all that much, though.

Today I plan to read more, play with the girls more, and stay out of Mary's way as she puts in some serious time on the index that is due on Thursday. She assures me that the index will be ready for editing by Thursday afternoon and then we have Friday to do with as we will.

The sun will rise but remain unseen @ 8:12 a.m. and set @ 6:44 p.m. Ciao.

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

I took yesterday off from blogging because I was still in ecstasy from the Cubs' victory Sunday night that propelled them to the National League Pennant and then on to the World Series. I felt entitled after the long and arduous regular season and 58 years of being a Die-Hard Cubs' Fan. Maybe not as arduous an undertaking as that faced by the players and coaches and some even longer suffering fans, but the majority of the Cubs' weren't even born when most of us, myself included, began our personal journeys. However, I now feel entitled to just four more wins and a World Series title.
Call me greedy, but as the late Steve Goodman said in his song, A Dying Cub Fans Last Request,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFDWO5N7BpA, I now feel entitled. Just saying.

At any rate, the Cubs open the World Series in Cleveland tonight @ 8:00 p.m. The Indians also have a long record of futility that dates to 1948, but their suffering is a mere shadow of the suffering borne by us Die-Hard fans. I'm certain that Bonnie's mother-in-law and Ellen's father have suffered for the sins of the Cubs even more than yours truly. We've suffered so long, watching and listening to the broadcasts of the "Loveable Losers" by the late Jack Brickhouse, Vince Lloyd, Lou Boudreau, Milo Hamilton, Lloyd Pettit Harry Caray, Ron Santo and the current broadcasters such as Pat Hughes, Len Casper, Ron Coomer, and Mark Grote, that I/we want it all. So Hey Hey! Holy Cow! Holy Mackeral! Whee! Let's get them tonight and for three more after that.

I finished my final project yesterday. I got the balance of the hardware I needed to finish correctly mounting the resonator box to the back of Susanna, my ganjo or banjitar with a visit to the local big-box home center. After a short, one hour hiatus to cuddle Ginger following her much-needed bath, I got all of the pieces in place and tightened down. As the late Freddie Prinz used to say, "Looking good!"

I spotted the southbound run of the trains yesterday @ 12:10 p.m. while I was in the chair at the barbershop. My recollection is of locomotives 2019 and 2057 at the head of  about 17 mixed cars comprised of CHCs, DBTCS, and DWTCs. Later in the afternoon, @ 4:03 p.m., the same tandem of locomotives passed through on the RSTL heading north. They were towing fully laden cars which included 11 CHCs, nine DBTCs, and two DWTCs.

We got up early yesterday to make sure that Ginger was taken care of. That allowed Mary to get her latest Crockpot™ cooked vegan ham out of the Crockpot™ and that was coupled with a small salad for breakfast. Mary's late mother would have been appalled, as she came from the old-school belief system that breakfast was bacon and eggs. Lunch was a small President Nixon style lunch of cottage tofu topped with pineapple and sitting on a bed of lettuce. My cottage tofu luncheon also included a glass of almond milk that was something that Mr. Nixon didn't have when he was partaking of his everyday lunch meal.

Later, after we returned from casting our absentee ballots @ the GH City Hall, we traveled to JWs for adult libations and a small snack. When we returned home, we took care of the fur-children and then I repaired to the media room to watch Supergirl. Later, Mary gave me room service and brought up a delicious sandwich of her vegan ham which I accompanied with some potato chips washed down with a can of Squirt™. To paraphrase that old beer commercial, "It doesn't get any better than that."

Today, Mary has made enough progress on her index that she/we will be taking some time to go north and see the changing leaves in Newaygo, MI which is about 30 minuted north of GH. Newaygo is on the edge of the Manistee National Forest. Based on the forecast from the NWS for a 100% chance of rainy/windy conditions on Wednesday, this will be our best and perhaps last chance to see the leaves in all their glory. While we are in Newaygo, Mary will visit the local yarn store located there and we'll have lunch nearby. It should be a full day before I return to the media room for the opening game of the Cub's/Indians World Series matchup and Mary journeys to the La-Z-Boy for some serious knitting. All of that activity will be post morning safari and pre-evening meals for the fur-children.

The current temperature is 34 chilly degrees under clear skies. Later today, the NWS is predicting a high of 54° under mostly cloudy skies. The sun will rise @ 8:11 a.m. and set @ 6:45 p.m. Ciao.

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

This shouldn't take long, Yeah right! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! It only took 71 years since their last World Series appearance in 1945. That was six years before I was born and the year that the U.S. defeated the Axis Powers to end World War II. I have been a Die-Hard Cubs Fan for about 57 years, so I can't lay claim to being the longest-suffering fan, but I have had my share of disappointments. I was dashed on the rocks of despair so many times I felt like a ship lost @ sea.1969, 1984, 1993, 2003... No more goat curses, no more Bartman baseballs, no more Leon Durham, and best of all, no more "Wait til' next year." The wait is over, next year is here. The Cubs are on their way to Cleveland to face the American League Champion Indians, as the World Series opens there on Tuesday night. Wahoo! Oops, that's the Indians mascot, Chief Wahoo.

Instead, I'll just say Hey! Hey! Holy Mackeral! Holy Cow! and Whee! following the Cubs 5 - 0 victory in game 6 of the NLCS. The Cubs sent the Dodgers home for the winter with a 4 - 2 convincing series finale. Cubs' pitcher Kyle Hendricks dominated the Dodgers and their ace pitcher Clayton Kershaw. Joe Maddon, Anthony Rizzo Kris Bryant, Addison Russell, Jon Lester Javier Baez, and all of the Cubs, your table is ready. I took a few screen-shots last night just to enjoy the moment, so I"ll share a few now.

Pandemonium @ "The Friendly Confines."

Kris Bryant, one of the many reasons the drought is over. 

Kyle Hendricks, nuff said

Cubs manager, Joe Maddon

Team owner, Tom Ricketts, receiving the National League Championship trophy.

The Cubs players leaping out of the dugout after the final out. 

I could include more, but these few pictures show what I have been waiting for for 57 years. Young players, older players, new and old fans, and retired players like Sweet Swinging Billy Williams and Ryne Sandberg were on hand to celebrate the sweet smell of success. It is too bad that Ernie Banks and Ron Santo passed before this momentous occasion, but I like to believe that up on the Chicago Cloud, they are smiling with a glass of their favorite adult beverage in their hands.

As a sports report aside, the 7 - 0 Wolverines of Michigan crushed the 2 - 5 Fighting Illini of Illinois, 41 - 8. The 2 - 5 Spartans of MSU fell once again, this time to the 4 - 2 Terrapins of Maryland by a score of 17 - 28. The 2 - 6 Huskies of NIU trounced the 1 - 6 Buffalos of the University of Buffalo by a score of 44 - 7. Oh, the Red Wings and the Griffins won too. The 3 - 3 Detroit Lions host the NFL team from Washington, D.C, today @ 1:00 p.m.

We joined the kids for lunch in Saugatuck yesterday afternoon. Saugatuck is a great tourist destination and parking in the downtown are was at a premium. We found a place using the dumb-luck or right place, right time systems  Ginger and STWD were kept apart after the morning safari to the GHFM, and we returned home to find them well rested and problem free after our dinner stop at our favorite watering hole. We're still working on the behavioral issues, but we are making progress.

Today, Mary has to put her nose the proverbial grindstone and get cracking on the index which is due next Thursday, I believe. She has made a lot of progress on her "Chunking", but it takes dedication that I don't have. I'll be traveling to the local big-box home center for some additional supplies to complete my projects in the man-cave.

Since the Cubs are off, the Bears played last Thursday and the Lions can be listened to while doping other activities, I'll be doing what feels fight for the day.

We'll take the morning safari and then I can settle in to do as much or as little as I desire. Like I say, I'm retired, Mary isn't. However, I hope to assist in the kitchen with something for today's meals. Perhaps some indoor chores, but they can wait.

The current temperature is 41.5° according to the DTWS. The NWS is predicting a high today in the low 60s. But, we are always cooler here on the shores of the"Big Lake." The sun will rise today @ 8:08 a.m. and set @ 6:49 p.m. Ciao.

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

This should turn out to be a short blog as there was not much happening in Michigan sports news, at least from the perspective of college and pro sports. However, since I do have an interest in some sports teams from Illinois, I'll be reporting on those too.

Let's start with the weather. The current temperature is a brisk 41° under cloudy skies. Yesterday it was partly cloudy and some scant precipitation fell as we were sitting in JWs for the post-chiropractic visit. The high temperature never left the 50s, but that only required a fleece or vest to keep us warm. Today's high will reach 55° under partly cloudy skies. By Sunday, we should reach the mid-60s.

By the time we arose yesterday for the morning safari with the fur-children, it was almost 12:00 p.m. We walked downtown and worked our way home shortly after 1:00 p.m. We did see a freighter unloading coal at the Board of Light and Power plant. Mary took pictures with the smartphone. Here is one of those pictures of the self-unloading self-discharging bulk carrier, Manitowoc. She was built in Lorain, Ohio in 1973, and her home port is Cleveland, OH. The Manitowoc is capable of carrying nearly 20,000 tons of any bulk cargo, such as the coal for this delivery.

The coal must come to the Municipally Owned Board of Light and Power generating station by ship.

Sugar and Ginger were mostly ignoring each other and that made the walk go easier. However with the frequent stops for each fur-child to smell the scenery, the walk which was less than two miles in distance took more than one hour.

Lunch was the remainder of Mary's famous mushroom gravy, the balance of her roast beest, and some potatoes, all slathered with the gravy. Naturally, I loved lunch.

I did some work in the man-cave and completed two of three projects I had planned. I am now rethinking the third project design, so I may have to alter my original plan. No big deal, as that is how I often work, in an evolutionary style.

Mary didn't get much done on the index between chatting, the late wake-up time, the long morning safari, planning and creating lunch, and our weekly visit to the chiropractor, which went well for each of us, the day got away. I'd like to say that that's okay since I'm retired, but Mary isn't. so that means that she will have to get busy on Sunday since we'll be visiting with the kids for lunch in Saugatuck, MI. Between the morning safari, driving to and from Saugatuck, and lunch with the kids, much of our time today is already spoken for. Oh well, I'm retired. : - ).

Sports today will mean another chance for the Cubs to land a berth in this year's World Series™. The Cubs and the Dodgers play game six of the NLCS @ 8:00 p.m. I am feeling good about the Cubs' chances. Ron Santo said for the last several years of his life, that "This is the Year!" Here's hoping his statement is accurate this year.

In college football, the 6 - 0 Wolverines of Michigan play host to the  2 - 4 Fighting Illini of Illinois @ 3:30 p.m. The 2 - 4 Spartans of MSU, fresh from their loss to the Northwestern Wildcats, visit the 4 - 2 University of Maryland Terrapins @ 7:30 p.m. The 1 - 6 Huskies of NIU host the 1 - 5 Bulls of the University of Buffalo @ 3:30 p.m.

There were no trains to spot yesterday.

As previously noted, our time today is mostly spoken for. The sun will rise @ 8:07 a.m. and set @ 6:50 p.m. Ciao.

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

It is official, the Cubs' bats have found new life, Anthony Rizzo switched to using bats made for Matt Szcur and so Rizzo found his batting stroke. Is it the bat? Probably not, but baseball players being among the most superstitious people going, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 

Starting pitcher Jon Lester was dominant during his seven innings of work, holding the Dodgers to just one run. Addison Russell got a clutch home run, along with Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant has found his stroke, and the Dodgers seem to have lost their Mojo. All of those factors combined to give the Cubs an 8 - 4 win over the Dodgers. The Cubs now have a 3 - 2 NLCS lead and they will be back in the "Friendly Confines" again Saturday night @ 8:00 p.m. to try for that needed win to propel them to the World Series™. Keep the faith!

Yesterday we took the morning safari with both of the fur-children,  Everything went well as we walked downtown and then stopped at the library to return and check out some books. Mary went in while I sat outside with the girls. Here is a picture of us on the bench out front. I think the guy in the hat was a nice perch for Ginger while Sugar was at his feet. A lady entering the library thought that we were all cute. I have to agree.

Late last night, Mary was knitting in  the La-Z-Boy with Ginger in her lap. Ginger seems to have the bathroom habit thing mostly worked out with one minor exception. She did not please Mary later when Mary left the room. We'll work on that. 

After semi-completing, some work in the man-cave, I did get in some bike riding in the early afternoon while Mary worked on the index. I traveled to the local big-box home center in search of some hardware items and grass seed. My search was totally successful. As always, it felt great to get out on my bike, if even for a short ride. 

The current temperature is 44° under partly cloudy skies. Later today, the NWS has forecast a high of 53° under mostly cloudy skies. The sun will rise @ 8:06 a.m. and set @ 6:51 p.m. There is only a limited 20% chance of rain in that forecast.

No other plans for today. We will take the morning safari and then I'll settle in to do some repairs to Susanna's resonator box using the hardware items I picked up yesterday. I also have a project in the man-cave for which I'll be using another of the items I found. All in all, I'll have a good day of reading, tinkering, and watching the world go by. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City."

My Desktop Weather Station (DTWS) shows a current temperature of 52° under cloudy skies. Later this morning, the NWS is forecasting a chance of passing showers, whatever that means. They are also forecasting a high for today of 58° by 1:00 p.m. I was planning on going out on my bicycle today, so perhaps waiting until early afternoon would be prudent. The sun will rise @ 8:05 a.m. and set @ 6:53 p.m.

What a great way to segue into my activities for tonight. Like last night, I plan to be sitting in the media room with STWD watching the Cubs take on the Dodgers. Game 4 last night saw the Cubs slumbering lumber come to life as Addison Russell went 3/5 as did Anthony Rizzo. Both men hit home runs as they ran up the score to a final of 10 - 2.

Tonight, the Cubs will have Jon Lester starting the game and hopefully their newly awakened offense will stay awake and hand the Dodgers another loss prior to both teams returning to the "Friendly Confines" for game 6 Saturday night @ 8:00 p.m.

The Blue Jays fell to the Indians in game 5 of the ALCS last evening which gave the Indians the American League Pennant. The Indians will host game one of the World Series™ on Tuesday, October 24 against either the Cubs or the Dodgers.

In a tangential relation to the Cubs, the late Lou Boudreau a former Cubs broadcaster was the player/manager for the 1948 Indians. He was an All-Star shortstop for the Indians and for one season in 1960, he left the Cubs' broadcast booth to manage the Cubs. His lack of success sent him back to the booth the following season.

In a further tangential connection, Boudreau's daughter, Sharyn, married former Detroit Tigers 31 game winning pitcher, Denny McClain. What a Kevin Baconish set of circumstances.

Sandwiched in there was the visit by the plumber to replace the corroded sink strainer. That stop came shortly after 8:00 a.m. and necessitated some serious hammer therapy, but everything went well for a professional. I also learned that the disposal was partially clogged by some stringy debris that we had put down it in the past. In another revelation, I learned that the front of the cabinets directly in front of and below the sinks folds out to reveal a debris trap for countertop debris. I never knew it was there and that it had leftovers from the mice that had visited our house before we moved in five years ago. All clean now.

Trainspotting yesterday took on a hi-tech aspect in the afternoon. In the morning, I used the traditional pencil and paper method of recording the southbound passage of locomotives 2019 and 2057 as they plied the rails of the RSTL @ 10:22 a.m. This was by far the longest train I have personally witnessed. Behind the locomotives were 20 CHCs and 47 DBTCs.

I was out in the yard with Mary and Ginger @ 4:54 p.m. when locomotives 2057 and 2019 passed by on their way north. Since I didn't have a paper or pencil available, Mary handed me the Smart Phone and I used the memo app to record the pertinent details of that passage. 14 CHCs, two DWTCs, and 17 DBTCs passed by.

Speaking of Ginger, she, Mary, STWD and I collectively took the morning safari, We stopped off at the Baker's Wife for a loaf of bread that was a delicious platform for Mary's Spicy Tomato Loaf, (STL), sandwiches that we had for lunch. I made my World famous Coleslaw as a side. I think I've got the Coleslaw recipe down to perfection now. Our dinner was some leftovers and Mary's roast beest slathered with her mushroom gravy. You know how I feel about that. No snacks for last night's Cubs' game, as dinner was eaten shortly before the first pitch. Sugar and I did share some potato chips that were in the mdia room.

Much of Mary's day was taken up with walking Ginger all over GH in an attempt to get Ginger trained for outdoor bathroom stops. We are making progress. I was able to get Ginger to do her duty last night and just a few short minutes ago. Mary also tried to do some indexing, but Ginger had other plans.

We finally got out to the Ace Hardware™ store in Spring Lake after a stop at the grocery store here in GH. Unfortunately, the Ace Hardware™ closed @ 6:00 p.m. and we arrived about 6:20 p.m. Naturally since we were on the other side of the bridge, we stopped @ Stan's for adult libations. As noted earlier, I plan to go out on my bicycle today to finish my hardware errands.

Mary plans to spend the day indexing. I have completely finished my highlighting work, so I will take my trip and perhaps do some household chores, or not.

That looks like enough for one day and so I'll finish with, Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:15 a.m. in "The City."

I did a lot of work in and on the lawns and gardens of the vast PE yesterday. I pulled the fading crops and raked some leaves. I ended with two bags full to paraphrase the old nursery rhyme. All of that was following the morning safari with both fur babies. STWD is being her usual self, while Ginger needs some serious housebreaking, I also found time to put the final coat of paint on the lid for the cold frame.

A busy day to say the least. Oops, I believe that one of my professors from long ago might have equated stating that with the need to not say something is obvious if it is actually obvious. Oh well. Oops, is that obvious too?

At any rate, yesterday we had a terrific/delicious lunch of roast beest with garlic smashed cauliflower and the remaining garden grown potatoes all covered with Mary's mushroom gravy. I'll risk being redundant when I note that anything with gravy is okay by me.

We traveled to the big-box home center later in the afternoon to buy some needed items and to take advantage of their 11% rebate program. We got most everything we sought with the exception of the desired grass seed as was recommended by our neighbor and various websites. It was not available there. We'll try to get some @ the Ace Hardware™ in Spring Lake later this week.

A nice segue to the stop we made @ Stan's Bar and Grill in Spring Lake after the stop at the big-box home center. As always, the regular cast of characters, us included I guess, had assembled @ about 4:00 p.m. Some adult libations and we were off to home.

In lieu of a formal dinner, Mary prepared a nice snack tray for STWD and I as we watched the Cubs fail.

Sadly, the Cubs fell to the Dodgers in LA by a score of 0 - 6 last night. The Cubs are now down in the NLCS 1 - 2. The Cubs big boppers, ie those in the batting order who got them to the post-season, still have too much slumber in the lumber. The Dodgers had a journeyman pitcher on the mound to face Jake Arrieta so the big RBI guys were expected to break out. Clearly, they didn't. Oops, I'm stating the obvious again. The Cubs and the Dodgers play again tonight @ 8:00 p.m.

The Blue Jays staved off elimination from the post-season as they defeated the Indians 5 - 1. The Blue Jays now have an ALCS record of 1 - 3. The Blue Jays would not be the first team to come back after being down  0 - 3, but it is an uphill climb. They will play the Indians again today @ 4:00 p.m.

Today I'll finish the highlighting as Mary continues to work on the index. Collectively, we'll work on Ginger's housebreaking. We are spoiled as Sugar has been perfect for so long. I believe that the pundits say that housebreaking is more about the pet parents than the pet. We'll see. Ginger is too cute to give up now.

Otherwise, I'd best get busy as the plumber is due here in about four hours to fix the kitchen sink drain.

The current temperature is 51° under partly cloudy skies. Today's high has been forecast to be 66° under sunny skies. According to the local meteorologists in GR, the temperatures will be dropping by Thursday. There is no rain in the forecast for several more days. The sun will rise @ 8:03 a,m, and set @ 6:54 p.m. Ciao.

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

Yesterday dawned cloudy but comfortable. It was a great morning for a morning safari, albeit in different directions for our expanded family. Mary walked all over GH with Ginger, while STWD and I walked east and south before returning home.

We have a current temperature of 68° under cloudy skies with strong winds. Later today, the temperature will remain @ a comfortable 68° with those same conditions according to the NWS. There is no rain of note in the forecast for several days which allowed me to kill the crabgrass and other noxious weeds in preparation for the planting of new grass seed for growth next spring. Research has shown me that perennial ryegrass would be the best seed. However, I will also ask my neighbor, Ron, what he is using to produce the new lawn over his recently disturbed lawn areas. His grass is coming up nicely.

Speaking of Ginger and Sugar, they are working it out, but Sugar has been the alpha dog for nine years, so her jealousy is not surprising. We are learning about Ginger's bathroom habits, but we still have much to learn.

We did have two trains to spot yesterday. I heard and felt the southbound run @ 10:35 a.m., but I didn't directly observe its passage. My apprentice trainspotter could only tell me that she saw some DBTCs and DWTCs being pulled bu some locomotives, but their number was not determined. I am reasonably certain that the regular contingent of locomotives was in the lead.

At 4:54 p.m., I personally observed the northbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019. They had a short list of cars, eight DWTCs, and four DBTCs.

I didn't get much accomplished on my list of to-dos yesterday. I got Shanghaied into the kitchen to do some batch cooking while Mary worked on the index. I also did some other household chores both indoors and out.

Mary and I found a great recipe for goulash, that Mary wanted to try for lunch, but I had to make an unanticipated trip to Health Hutt for chopped tomatoes to complete the recipe. While there were other alterations made to the recipe to utilize the vegetables we had on hand, the overall outcome was delicious. I do have just one slight criticism. Too many green chiles. With that alteration, this is a keeper.

I do have plans to watch NCIS and BULL tonight along with watching the Cubs defeat the Dodgers starting @ 8:00 p.m. The Blue Jays fell to the Indians last night to fall to 0 - 3 and put themselves on the brink of being swept by those same Indians. Those two teams play again this afternoon in Toronto @ 4:00 p.m.

Today, I am going to get to the man-cave and get that painting done. The lid for the cold-frame needs to go back on before the snows fly. I need to do some reading and play with the girls too. Mary will continue to work and chat.

The sun will rise @ 8:02 a.m. and set @ 6:56 p.m. Ciao.

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

The current temperature is 63° with foggy skies. Later today after the sun rises @ 8:01 p.m., the skies will be cloudy with a high temperature forecast to be 73° by the NWS. The sun will set, pardon the pun, like clockwork @ 6:57 p.m.

Sports news yesterday was only good if you are a Lions fan. In a game of NFL ping-pong, the Lions emerged victorious over the L. A, Rams by a score of 31 - 28. Overall the Lions are now a 3 - 3 team. They host the NFL team from Washington next wee @ 1:00 p.m.

The Bears once again were able to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as they lost 16 - 17 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bears are now a 1 - 5 team and they will travel to Green Bay to face the Packers for a game Thursday night @ 8:25 p.m. The Packers are a team that is underachieving @ 3 - 2. The Bears? Well, you decide.

Finally, the Cubs. Sigh. Their bats are experiencing slumber in the lumber once again. Their "Big Boppers" are not hitting the ball and the Dodgers Clayton  Kershaw dominated the Cubs in an 0 - 1 Cubs'loss. The Cubs and the Dodgers play again on Tuesday night in L.A. @ 8:00 p.m.

It was a weird day yesterday weatherwise. Kind of gray following some a.m. T-storms, somewhat rainy, and certainly not a good day for walking.

Mary stretched her walking endurance to the max as she walked Ginger all over GH in a vain attempt to get Ginger to give a clue to her bathroom habits. Hopefully soon. We both walked over to the local pet supplies purveyor, Chow Hound, with Ginger to get her a harness for. We looked at some raincoats, but they didn't have the correct size. That turned out to be a good thing, as Mary in her on-line research learned that raincoats on dogs produce submissive behavior due to the pressure on their backs. Who knew? Needless to say, Ginger will be getting wet, just as she would if she were in the wild.

I didn't get to a lot of my planned activities yesterday. Oh well, that's the beauty of being retired, there is always tomorrow.

Today, we will be walking each dog independently. Sugar and Ginger are learning to tolerate each other, but it will take time.

I have more highlighting to do, but unlike the last book, I am enjoying the topic of this tome. Actually, @ 140 pages, the word tome doesn't really describe this book.

Mary has to get to work on the index as I am highlighting. I hope to get to those planned activities, but one day one way or the other won't make a difference. I expect trains on the RSTL @ some point in the day.  Ciao.

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

This may or may not be a short blog. I guess it depends on what comes to mind as I write.

According to the NWS, the rain should be falling now. But this being GH, it isn't, yet. The current temperature is 67° under mostly cloudy skies. Cloudy yes, rainy, no. The rains were supposed to begin around 1:15 a.m. @ 60% and gradually increase to 100% by 6:00 a.m. Oh well, I am reasonably certain that the rains will come at some point this morning. They are supposed to continue off and on throughout today and into early Monday. At any rate, the sun will rise today @ 8:00 a.m. and set @ 6:59 p.m.

Sports news yesterday was only partially good. Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! 8 - 4 over the Dodgers on the strength of solid pitching by Jon Lester and a pinch-hit grand-slam home run by Miguel Montero. According to baseball historians, there have only been three such grand-slams in the history of post-season baseball. In addition, Dexter Fowler led off the game with a hit and he was doubled in by Kris Bryant to give the Cubs an early lead. Javier Baez scored on a suicide squeeze play that happened after a missed bunt. It was quite a thrilling game, to say the least. The Cubs and the Dodgers play again tonight @ 8:00 p.m. EDT. They then skip a day before playing again Tuesday night in Los Angeles.

The Blue Jays fell once again to the Indians 1 - 2. That gives the Indians a 2 - 0 game lead in the ALCS. They play again tomorrow night @ 8:00 p.m.

College football was not a good day if you are an MSU or NIU fan. The Spartans fell to the Wildcats of Northwestern by a score of 40 - 54. That leaves the Spartans with an 0 - 3 record in the Big 10 and an overall record of 2 - 4.

The Huskies of NIU fell to the Central Michigan Chippewas 28 - 34. That gives the Huskies a record of 1 - 2 in the Mac 10 and an overall record of 1 - 6. Ouch!

The 2 - 3 Lions play the Los Angeles Rams today @ 1:00 p.m. The 1 - 4 Chicago Bears play the 1 - 3 Jacksonville Jaguars, also @ 1:00 p.m.

Ginger is doing well. She has adjusted to the "Cone of Shame" that she has to wear, but I don't believe that she likes it. Six more days Ginger, six more days. STWD is still adjusting to having a roommate. Once Ginger is free to get away, things should improve. Plus, we are getting a handle on her bathroom habits. It is s learning experience for everyone in the family.

I made it to the Irish Jam @ the library yesterday. We didn't have a large number of players, but we did have a nice cross-section of instrumentation. I hadn't played for an extended period before yesterday, but my bionic thumb held up well. I will give myself a day off today.

Mary did one of her least favorite things while I was out. She went to the grocery store. I believe that it was an overall good experience.

Today I'll be in the man-cave painting while Mary does some batch cooking. Those activities will occur post morning safari. Mary will go one way with Ginger and I'll go another with the intrepid one. Both of us will find time to read the newspapers and do some reading.

Otherwise, the day should shape up to be a quiet one. That's okay with me. Ciao.

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

I've come to a not so startling conclusion. When you get up early in the morning and then walk all over town in support of your latest fur-child, Mary walked even more than me, you get tired and you don't get up to blog until after 5:00 a.m. Of course, somewhere in there, you do household chores that needed doing, which also makes you tired. What a revelation.

At any rate, the current temperature is 48° under mostly clear skies. Later today when I am walking to the Irish Jam session @ the library, the high is expected to reach 67° under mostly cloudy skies. The 80% chance of T-storms predicted for tomorrow will come in the morning, but should not manifest themselves today.

The Cubs play tonight @ 8:00 p.m. EDT against the Dodgers in the Friendly Confines. Later this afternoon, the Blue Jays and the Indians resume their series @ 4:00 p.m. Last night, the Indians defeated the Blue Jays by a score of 2 - 0.

Later today, the MSU Spartans take the field against the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, IL. The Spartans are reeling and have limited chances for a meaningful post-season game.Sigh.

The Wolverines of Michigan have a bye this week.

The Huskies of NIU host the Central Michigan Chippewas. The Huskies are also struggling like MSU.

Our visit to the vet for Ginger went well. Ginger now has a "Cone of Shame" to prevent her from disturbing her recent surgical site. Overall, Ginger was pronounced in good health by the doctor. She also had her boosters for other canine related medical issues. She is still as cute as a button, but it is not an inexpensive proposition to be a pet-parent. Oh well, nobody said the job was easy when we took it.

Today, other than the Irish Jam session, I have no plans except to do some highlighting in one color, pink. I only have about 140 pages to read, comment upon, and highlight. I always say I won't be adding comments and I start out with good intentions, but then something comes over me and...

Mary is still awaiting some additional input from the publisher before she can begin her efforts. Maybe she can run-up my valences in the interim.

So there you have. Not much is happening in our little corner of the Tri-Cities. I'm fine with that. The sun will rise in about 2 1/2 hours @ 7:56 a.m. and set later @ 7:01 p.m. I'll be watching the Cubs latest efforts to make it to the World Series. Ciao.

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

You probably noticed that I didn't get around to blogging early yesterday morning. I was just too pooped to pop, so to speak. I didn't get to bed until late on Tuesday night after getting up early, so I opted not to blog.

Phew, not that I've got that out of the way, I can tell you what happened yesterday. It was the first day at her new home for Ginger, She is adorable. She and STWD have reached detente in a manner of speaking. I think that as time goes by, the two of them may not become as thick as thieves, but they will be able to coexist. That's all we can ask.

Speaking of Ginger and her big sister, I find that they are a perfect sandwich with me as the filling. Here are some pictures of the two of them on the couch with yours truly sandwiched in the middle, along with one of Ginger in Mary's soft chair that is located in her office. I think we have a case of cute overload.

We placed a call to the vet to get Ginger in tomorrow so that we can allay our concerns regarding her overall health following her recent surgery. We think she is fine, but as the neurotic pet parents that we are, we like to be safe.

I just finished watching the end of the game between the Dodgers and the Nats. The Dodgers won the game 4 - 3 and the series 3 - 2. The Dodgers come to the Friendly Confines to face the Cubs Saturday night @ 8:00 p.m. I feel good about the chances of the Cubs defeating the Dodgers.

We will be walking to the vet for Ginger's appointment later this morning. The time has yet to be determined as I am expecting a call from the vet's office, also later this morning.

I finished the book I started a few days ago. This one was entitled Among the Dead, written by Linda Castillo. This is another in my latest obsession with books that depict mysteries set in Amish country. Mary sent me down this wormhole last year and now I can't seem to get enough. I do have some detective thrillers on order from the library to keep my other obsessions going too.

The latest book for indexing has arrived from the publisher and I will now have to get to highlighting that one. My task is a scant 140 pages so it shouldn't take long, which will allow me to get back to my other reading pursuits/obsessions.

We are still learning Ginger's bathroom habits, so I am at the ready if she asks from her crate to go out. I sleep light, so I should be able to hear her.

I did get in some play time with the girls yesterday in preparation for the Irish Jam session on Saturday. We have taken the last few months off, so I am eager to get back to it.

We will be taking the morning safari with both of our fur babies this morning. By the time that the sun rises @ 7:56 a.m. the current temperature of 38° will have dropped to 36° under partly cloudy skies. Once the sun rises, the temperature is forecast to rise to 62° under sunny skies. The sun will set @ 7:04 this evening. Thanks for reading. Ciao.

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

The answer to the question of who won the game is a simple one. Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!, 6 - 5 over the San Francisco Giants in a game that went the regulation nine innings. A game in which the Cubs seemed to be on the ropes as late as the 8th inning. A game in which the Cubs were down by three runs. A game in which the Cubs scored four runs in the top of the ninth in a dramatic come from behind win. Yes, Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

The Cubs now await the winner of the series between the Dodgers and the Nats, a series which is tied @ 2 - 2 following yesterday's game. Both of those teams get today off before playing again on Thursday in Washington, D.C. The winning team will have until Saturday before they have to face the Cubs.

We spent the afternoon in GR yesterday. It really is a great small city. It is also home to the Kent, County Animal Shelter, the temporary home to our newest family member, Ginger. She has to stay there today for some medical care and then she will be home with us forever as of tonight. A soon as I have a picture available, I'll post it. I can say with certainty that she is a cutie and we are already smitten. Her ancestry is a bit murky, but she is a real cuddle-bug and exactly the dog we were supposed to adopt.

I finally spotted the missing afternoon train from Monday. It passed through yesterday afternoon heading north. EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2057 and 2019 passed through on the RSTL @ a good clip towing 12 CHCs, 22 DBTCS, two DWTCs and three GTCs, all fully loaded. I noticed for the first time that several of the DBTCs were loaded with Anhydrous Ammonia and Sodium Hydroxide rather than crude oil.

Anhydrous Ammonia is used as a commercial refrigerant in ice rinks and also on the farm as a source of nitrogen for fertilizer. It is a highly toxic chemical widely used as a cheap source of nitrogen for those farm crops. It can explode as it did in Texas in 2013.

Sodium Hydroxide is more commonly called lye or caustic soda. Sodium Hydroxide is used in drain cleaners and as one method for peeling fruits, processing cocoa, and thickening ice cream. It is also used with other substances for making black olives, black, among many other uses.

The DWTCs carrying Hydrochloric Acid are regular users of the short-line railroad that runs through GH. Hydrochloric Acid is often marketed as Muriatic Acid, which is used to clean the extra mortar off of newly erected brick buildings, cleaning algae off of boats, and also for cleaning the grout in shower stalls and tubs. If people realized what's in those cars, they might have strong objections to them moving through neighborhoods where children play.

Sugar and I have an appointment at her doctor's for a follow-up exam later this morning. Sugar is doing much better now. If it is raining, I may have to drive there instead of our usual walk. Once again. a game-time decision. While there, I will make an appointment for Ginger's first visit @ our veterinarian early next week.

Mary had another go at the index yesterday and it should now be done. The latest book for indexing is now due from the publisher. I don't remember the topic.

The current temperature is 56° under clear skies. The NWS is forecasting scattered T-storms this morning and then mainly cloudy conditions this afternoon with T-storms likely @ 80%. Today's high is predicted to be a very comfortable 68°. However, the 80% chance of T-storms will not make our return trip to GR to pick up Ginger any easier. The sun will rise @ 7:56 a.m. and set @ 7:06 p.m. Ciao.

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

Well, ladies and gentlemen, there is no joy in Beantown nor in GH. My beloved Red Sox were swept by the Indians. David "Big Papi" Ortiz took his final bow before he fades into retirement and the record books. There will be no World Series between the Sox and the Cubs. Big Papi deserved a better ending to a storybook season. Sigh.

Speaking of the Cubs, they went into extra innings before surrendering to the Giants late last night in extra innings. I listened until the game ended here well after 2:00 a.m. The game started well for the Cubs and starting pitcher Jake Arietta. Arietta hit a three-run dinger in the top of the 2nd and pitched well for six innings. Then the relief staff took over and after four pitchers surrendered the lead, Kris Bryant tied the game @ five-all in the top of the 9th. The Giants failed to change the score in the bottom of the inning and so the game went into extra innings, finally ending when the Giants scored in the bottom of the 13th with a walk-off 6 - 5 win. We'll get them tonight @ 8:30/7:30 p.m.

The Nats lead the Dodgers in their playoff series 2 - 1. The Nats may finish off the Dodgers tonight or the Dodgers may tie the series starting @ 5:00 p.m.

Both the Blue Jays and the Indians are off until the ALCS begins on Friday @ 8:00 p.m. One of those teams will be the AL representative in the World Series.

Trainspotting yesterday was only half achieved. I saw the southbound run of locomotives 2057 & 2019 @ 11:51 a.m. I think the horn-happy engineer was at the throttles. The horns never stopped from one end of GH to the other. In tow were three BCs, seven CHCs, 10 DBTCs, some with anhydrous ammonia as their intended cargo, and two DWTCs marked hydrochloric acid. that were bringing up the rear.

I had a great day yesterday. I played with Susanna in the mid-afternoon and then I went outdoors to repair that back door I've been meaning to get around to for about three years. I also added some additional screws to the deck to take the place of some that had rusted away. All in all, a good day for me.

Mary had to revise the latest index and that occupied a goodly portion of her day. She wants it to be done, but somehow I think it will be back for further revisions. She did take some time to put together a nice salad for lunch.

We traveled to the animal shelter in West Olive to check out the small dogs available for adoption. None yet, but sadly, there will always be more. We may go out today to check @ another shelter in Muskegon. The latest book for indexing is not due in until Wednesday, so we have a day to spare for frivolous activities.

We returned from the shelter visit and a stop @ Sporty's, and then Mary created what I would call lasagna, but which she wouldn't. Nevertheless, it was delicious.

I hope to read more today and play more with the girls after the morning safari. Mary will be chatting in the early afternoon. Other than those few things and the possible visit to the animal shelter, we have no specific plans. I may have to mow the lawns of the PE, but that shouldn't take long.

The current temperature is 55° under partly cloudy skies. We expect a high today of 68° under partly cloudy skies. Rain is in the forecast from the NWS for Wednesday evening with an 80% probability.

The sun will rise today @ 7:55 a.m. and set @ 7:06 p.m. Ciao.

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

My loyal readers probably noticed that I never got around to blogging yesterday. That's because I didn't feel the urge, my muse deserted me, I just didn't have anything to say. Well, all of that has changed now, as the new day is dawning in a matter of hours and I have much to say.

The Cubs, of course, are now in San Francisco to take on the Giants in game 3 of their best of 5 series. The Cubs need to win only one more in this series to move on to the NLCS games against the either the Nats or the Dodgers. They play tonight @ 9:30 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox have their backs against the proverbial wall. They are down 0 - 2 to the Indians. They were forced to reschedule Saturday's game until Sunday due to the weather. Unfortunately, that game was also postponed until today @ 6:00 p.m. The Blue Jays swept the Rangers, so they will be the opponent of whichever team emerges victorious from the series between the Red Sox and the Indians

The Detroit Lions eked out a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, 24 - 23. The Lions are scheduled to play the Rams next Sunday @ 1:00 p.m.

The Bears are still struggling, as they fell to the Indianapolis Colts 23 - 29. The Bears face the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday @ noon.

We spent too much time yesterday visiting big-box stores. Neither Mary nor I like the shopping experience, but we got all of the big-box stores out of the way, so we have no more shopping at big-box stores for a while. We may go to Holland today to pick up some spices, but that will be a game- time decision.

Yesterday, we had a terrific breakfast of toasted English muffins slathered with Mary's world famous mushroom gravy along with a side of vegan breakfast sausages. It was the first chance that Mary has had to get into her kitchen and do more than pass through. It was worth the wait.

We had an evening snack of chickpeas, breadcrumbs, and spices sandwich spread that was supposed to be more like a loaf, but which morphed into a sandwich spread. We broke down and bought a mini food processor that works very well. No matter, the sandwiches were good. Dinner was leftover pizza with Mary's spicy tomato loaf as a sausage substitute, following and preceded by some popcorn. Healthy, yes, if you consider popcorn one of the food groups as I do.

We had set aside some time to watch the presidential debate. Who won? Honestly, I don't know, but we had a good time.

Today as I noted previously, we may go to Holland after the morning safari with STWD. Yesterday's safari was abbreviated for the intrepid one and I, as Sugar heard the booms from the hunter's guns and could not wait to get home to the safety of her hide-e-hole. Mary walked further as I proceeded home.

I didn't get in any time with the girls, so I hope to remedy that today before we go out. if we do.

Mary wants to kick back and do as little as possible before the next indexing job comes in. We finished the last one early yesterday afternoon and it is now in the hands of the author and publisher.

The current temperature is 46° under clear skies. Today's high is forecast to be 66° under sunny skies. There is no rain in the forecast from the NWS until Wednesday afternoon with a 100% chance.

The sun will rise later today @ 7:53 a.m. and set @ 7:09 p.m. Somewhere in there, the trains should be passing through on the RSTL. Ciao.

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

I'll dispense with this blog as quickly as I can. Not much happened yesterday, so It shouldn't take much time.

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win! They beat the Giants by a score of 1 - 0 late last night. Jon Lester pitched a gem and only needed an 8th inning home run from Javy Baez to notch the win. Needless to say, the Cubs offense forgot to come to the game. Those same two teams play again tonight @ 8:08 p.m.

There is still no joy in Beantown nor in GH, as my beloved Red Sox fell once again to the Indians by a score of 0 - 6. The puts the Sox in an 0 - 2 hole. They have the day off today before returning to Fenway Park to try to right the ship. Game time Sunday is 4:00 p.m.

The Toronto Blue Jays also have today off as they travel back to Toronto with a 2 - 0 post-season record. They will meet the Rangers Sunday @ 7:30 p.m.

The Dodgers chased former Tigers' hurler, Max Scherzer, to gain a 4 - 3 victory over the Nats yesterday. The Dodgers face the Nats again today @ 4:08 p.m.

Today the 1 - 4 NIU Huskies take on the 5 - 0 Western MI Broncos @ 6:30 p.m.

The 5 - 0 Wolverines of Michigan take on the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers @ 7:00 p.m.

The 2 - 2 MSU Spartans take on the 2 - 3 Cougars of BYU @ 3:30 p.m.

Mary worked hard on the index yesterday before we went to the chiropractor. I've been spending too much time hunched over in the man-cave, so my yak is baking. I have to force myself to do the exercises that I should, so no need to remind me, Adam.

No trains to spot.

I tried out a new book, but it is going back as the author has a style that is incompatible with my psyche.

Lunch yesterday was the balance of the vegan chickpea loaf accompanied by a side of my soon to be famous Coleslaw. It was a solid addition to the loaf. We had a terrific dinner of faux tuna tacos for dinner. Mary outdid herself with these.

Today, we have to finish the index and get it out of here. I have my usual editing chores for this one.

STWD and I will be taking the morning safari. I'll be switching to my long jeans as the temperature is forecast to be no higher than 54° under sunny skies. We have a current temperature of 53° under clear skies.

The sun will rise @ 7:51 a.m. and set @ 7:13 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 Beantown nor in GH, as my beloved Red Sox fell to the Cleveland Indians by a final score of 4 - 5 last night. Red Sox starting pitcher Rick Porcello was not on his game and the Indians had his number as baseballs were leaving the yard, as though drawn to the outfield seats like moths to a flame. We'll get them today @ 4:00 p.m. EDT.

Earlier yesterday, the Blue Jays handily dispatched the Rangers by a lopsided score of 10 - 1. Rangers' ace Cole Hamels was definitely not on his game as the Blue Jays could do no wrong. Game two today @ 1:00 p.m.EDT.

The first game of the NL post-season series between the Dodgers and the Nats is later today @ 5:30 p.m. EDT. I'm rooting for the Dodgers just because.

Finally, the Cubs return to post-season action tonight against the Giants as they open their post-season play @ 9:00 p.m. EDT. As a Die-Hard and long-time Cubs fan, I have just one wish.

Yesterday was a mostly quiet day here at the PE. No trains, a walk with STWD, and rainy weather that kept me indoors reading. I never played with the girls so as not to disturb Mary's work. I sing and play too loud for her to concentrate. The index goes out today and then I can get back to my regular schedule after assisting in the final editing. I did manage to finish a large-print novel in about three hours.

Mary has been taking early morning walks without me and the intrepid one so that she can put in a full day of indexing. I get up and stumble through the morning rituals in my usual slow and steady fashion. Not that I am literally slow, but she is all the way downtown and back before I have even focused my eyes. Sugar is ambivalent. She likes to have both of us together on the morning safari, but she can also be easily persuaded to take it easy. She will also be disappointed that she will be done with the morning pill ritual for her insect bite. I have been using almond butter to disguise the pill. Sometimes I wonder if she is like my grandmother's old dog who only ate cooked ground sirloin,

We do have a chiropractor's appointment later this afternoon. I think I've been spending too much time in our Michigan basement with its low ceiling height. I have to mostly walk around in a bent over fashion down under, as the ceiling is about six feet and I am about six feet four inches tall. I am going to ask the doctor to give me a good working over.

We have a current temperature of 67° under cloudy skies. The NWS has forecast that there may or may not be T-storms right about now, but I have neither seen nor heard any evidence of them. STWD is sleeping soundly next to the bed, so I am going with her forecast. The NWS has also forecast today's high will be 68° with a 50% chance of showers off and on throughout the day. This being GH, who knows.

The trains may or may not pass by too. They generally run on Mondays and Wednesdays, but Fridays may or may not be on their schedule. I guess I'll know later.

The sun will rise today @ 7:49 a.m. and set @ 7:14 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."

I really am going to make this blog short so that I can finish before the sun rises @ 7:48 a.m. That same sun will set later today @ 7:16 p.m.

The NWS is forecasting a 50% chance of T-storms for later today, so naturally, the skies will be cloudy all day. Ye Hah! Our high temperature is also forecast to be 76° too.

Good news for those of you who are Cubs' fans and not Mets' fans. The Giants defeated the Mets last night in the NL Wild Card game by a final score of 3 - 0. The Giants come to Wrigley field Friday for the first game of their playoff series.

Tonight, my beloved Red Sox travel to Cleveland fort their first playoff game. The Blue Jays also travel, in their case to Texas, to face the Rangers.

Trainspotting yesterday was very fulfilling. At 10:10 a.m., locomotives 2019 and 2057 motored through our fair city at a relatively high rate of speed for the RSTL. In tow were 11 CHCs, two DBTCs, one GTC, and four DWTCs.

Later @4:20 p.m., the same locomotives rolled through, but I only know that they went through, I don't know about what type nor how many cars were in tow.

Why so you ask? Because Mary and I had just arrived @ Sporty's for some adult libations after my solo visit to the book club. I must note that my pie, pictured below, was a smash hit drawing rave reviews from everyone in the club.



Of course, now, the pie plate is empty. So you'll have to accept my opinion. I did save a piece for Mary and she too pronounced it super.

Speaking of super, before I left for the book club, I made a version of Coleslaw for lunch that both Mary and yours truly pronounced outstanding. I left out Mary's personal favorite ingredient, celery seeds, that I think have been making previous efforts taste too bitter.

Speaking of outstanding efforts in the kitchen, Mary tried a new recipe for vegan meatloaf that turned out great. The taste was excellent, but it may be necessary for her to get a food processor to more effectively blend the ingredients. The jury is out at this time.

I revised my paper cutting jig for our desktop pads and the new design works great. No need to buy pre-made refills as we can use the leftover paper from the indexing projects which we have in abundance. I also added a second coat of paint to the lid for the cold frame.

Today, Mary will continue indexing, I'll hopefully play with the girls and then read the Grand Haven Tribune. If the T-storms the NWS has forecast come to pass, STWD will be in her hide-e-hole again today. Me too. Ciao.

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

What is it that they say about it not being over until it's over? Well, it is over for the Orioles, as they lost to the Blue Jays on a walk-off home run that gave the Blue Jays a 5 - 3 win in the AL Wild Card game last night. Tonight, the Mets face the Giants in the NL Wild Card game @ 8:00 p.m. If I had a choice, I'd like to see the Giants win so that the Mets don't get past the Wild Card game. Call it sour grapes that come from 1969, but that's how I feel.

I took the morning safari with STWD yesterday because Mary had already gone out for a walk so that she could get home and get back to work. That's okay because I walk slower and it gave both myself and the intrepid one a chance to smell the flowers so to speak. We picked up the newspaper and then we continued on from there.

I had to edit the index for Mary yesterday to help get it out to the publisher by the new Friday deadline. We had lunch and then I got down to the serious business of baking an apple pie. The resulting pie is my best effort to date. I haven't tasted it yet as I plan to take it to the book club meeting later this afternoon. Here is a picture of my pie.

The crust turned out great and the pie should be delicious if it tastes as good as it looks.

I did manage to finish The Wright Brothers in between editing and pie baking. The book gave me new insights into the Wright brothers and their contribution to aviation.

I put in only a few minutes with the girls yesterday. So much to do, so little time to spare.

Today, I have more things planned before the rain/T-storms begin in the late afternoon. The NWS has forecast the rains to begin about around 2:00 p.m., so I'd best take an umbrella to the book club along with my pie.

I expect that the rains later today and on Friday will preclude my doing any weed killing on the lawns of the PE. Oh well, there is always another day.

I should be able to get in some time with the girls and watch the trains pass by on the RSTL. Along with the book club meeting, that's a full day for me. I may have more editing to do, but I don't know yet.

We did go out to the favorite watering hole for dinner last evening. I got an advance on my salary for working on the index.

The current temperature is 63° under mostly cloudy skies. Later today, the high is forecast to be 77° under cloudy/rainy skies.

The sun will rise @ 7:47 a.m. and set @ 7:18 p.m. Ciao.

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

It is officially here, the Wild Card contests open tonight in Major League Baseball. The Blue Jays and the Orioles square off @ 8:00 p.m. in a battle of 2nd and 3rd place teams from the AL East, to determine the Wild Card winner for the AL. The winner of that game plays the Texas Rangers on Thursday, 10/6, while my beloved AL East champion Red Sox meet the AL Central champion Cleveland Indians. that same night.

Tomorrow night, the NL Wild Card teams, the Mets, and the Giants, face each other for the chance to face the Cubs on Friday, 10/7,  @ a time to be announced. Also on that same night? the NL West champion Giants and the NL East Mets play, also @ a time to be announced. Confused yet?

Good trainspotting yesterday. @ 12:40 p.m., locomotives 2019 and 2057 rolled through on the RSTL heading south in the lead of eight CHCs, six DBTCs, one DWTC and one GTC.

I had to wait until 4:14 p..m. to view those same locomotives heading north. In tow were 19 CHCs, 15 DBTCs and three DWTCs, all fully laden judging by the shaking of the manse.

Mary was upstairs getting bleary-eyed as she had to pick up the pace on the index that was originally due Monday of next week, but which the publisher called from India to ask if she could have it ready by this Friday, as the author will be attending a conference in a few weeks and they need to get the book into print. As is all too often the case, lack of prior planning on their part constitutes an emergency on our part. I have had to stop my planned and unplanned activities to assist. Sigh, I 'm retired?

The current temperature is 56° under mostly cloudy skies with just a hint of fog. Today's high has been forecast by the NWS to be 74° under partly cloudy skies. I had plans to get the weed killer on the lawns of the vast PE, but with the sewer construction @ our neighbors and the 80% chance of T-storms on Wednesday afternoon, I am putting that on hold. The weed killer needs 48 hours of no rain to be effective. Plus, with the need for my services on the index, I just don't have the time. Sigh.

We did take a long walk with STWD yesterday morning because we needed to get out and about. In between the appointment at the chiropractor and the safari, we had a nice lunch of vegan ham sandwiches and leftover scalloped potatoes. Dinner followed a post-chiropractor stop @ JWs. Mary crafted a very tasty faux tuna casserole for that.

I did get in a few minutes of time with the girls yesterday morning, but not as much as I desired. I worked a crossword from the Grand Haven Tribune and read more from The Wright Brothers too. It is likely that I'll be soloing to the book club meeting @ the Tri-Cities Historical Museum on Wednesday afternoon as Mary soldiers on with the index.

Once the sun rises today @ 7:46 a.m. today, we'll get to the morning safari long before we see the sunset @ 7:20 p.m. All of the above activities will leave little time for pleasure reading and playing with the girls. Ciao.

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

This should be a short blog, as I don't have much to report about what happened in GH yesterday.

We took a long morning safari with STWD and then returned home so that I could assist in the kitchen and Mary could prepare our lunch of veggie hot dogs and I could prepare my latest version of Coleslaw. We enjoyed both. Somewhere in there, Mary put her vegan ham roasts into the Crockpot™ and then went upstairs to do some indexing. I watched just enough of the Lions/Bears game to satisfy my need for NFL football, and then I repaired to the man-cave for those aforementioned planned activities.

I revised my paper cutting jig for our desktop notepads and put the first coat of paint on the lid for the cold frame. It felt great to use a large number of tools while listening to WGVU, the Real Oldies station out of GR.

Mary informed me through the open outer doors of the man-cave that she was off to the medium-box grocery store for some desired/needed items. That was fine with me because I was happily working in the man-cave.

I returned upstairs to find that she was just arriving home and then she returned to her office to sort out a problem with the latest index. Our CA based IT guru assisted Mary by phone and in short order, the problem was solved. I'm not sure of the chronology, but it is close enough.

I spent some time reading in the afternoon along with the reading I did late last night, I am up to page 315 out of 473. This being a large-print edition, I should finish later today or Tuesday, just in time for our book club meeting on Wednesday.

Later in the afternoon, Mary came down to prepare a side dish of scalloped potatoes that was based on a recipe that we recently got from the internet. They turned out wonderful as did the vegan ham roast. The potatoes are a keeper and of course, the ham always was. Mary allowed the hams to cook in the Crockpot™ for the time specified in the recipe and so they were also great.

Sports news is rather brief. The Cubs defeated the Reds 7 - 4 and await the winner of the NL Wild Card contest on Friday. The Cubs ended the regular season with a record of 103 - 58,

The Tigers crashed and burned in their final game, losing 0 - 1 to the cellar-dwelling Braves. That loss ensures that the Tigers will be watching the playoffs from their couches @ home. What will become of Tigers' manager Brad Ausmus? Did the players save his job for another year? We should know soon.

My beloved Red Sox fell to the Blue Jays @ Fenway Park by a score of 1 - 2. The Sox await the winning Indians for a game on Thursday, time to be announced.

In pro-football, the Lions fell to the Bears by a score of 14 - 17. Both teams are now 1 - 3 in the NFL Central.

Today, I need to call the Four Pointes Center for Successful Aging, if we don't get there in person, in order to make an appointment for a hearing check  later this month. Neither Mary nor I can hear as well as we would like, so it is time to get checked and make whatever accommodations are deemed appropriate.

Otherwise, Mary has to work on the index and I have to read. I never got to play with the girls yesterday, so I'd also like to get to that activity.

We show a current temperature of 58° under fair skies. There is no rain in the forecast from the NWS and so I may get to that lawn repair that I'd like to do. I need a few days of no rain to allow the weed killer to take effect. I can plant grass seed after two additional weeks have elapsed. Today's high is expected to be 69° under partly cloudy skies. If the forecast from the meteorologists @ WOOD TV/Radio is accurate, we are in for a warm up later this week.

The sun will rise @ 7:45 a.m. and set @ 7:01 p.m. Ciao.

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

I think I'll start with the morning's activities because a chronological flow seems natural to me.

We took the morning safari to the GHFM, where STWD and I stayed outside as Mary perused the various fruits, vegetables, and flowers for sale there. Mary purchased a head of red cabbage, a couple of sweet potatoes, and a bouquet of flowers that look nice in her office. I can always count on her to brighten up any living space. She is far more creative than me. I tend to be more on the practical side, so I go for utilitarian rather than aesthetic.

As an example, here is the bouquet that she picked out @ the GHFM sitting atop our dresser in a vase that we purchased many years ago during a trip to Assisi in Italy. Underneath is a runner that she created during a class at the local library using inks and burlap. I enjoy the beauty, but I am not by nature creative when it comes to this type of visual activity. I am more creative as a writer and a musician. I guess that that is a good way for us to complement each other.

On the other hand, I can be creative in the kitchen, within a limited range. I like to bake or cook things using fresh fruits and vegetables. So after our morning safari, I made applesauce using some of the apples that we bought last weekend. Mary has labeled the outcome "Apple Smash" rather than calling it applesauce due to the chunky nature of the finished product. Mary did the smashing, I like to peel the apples the old-fashioned way by paring them with a knife as my grandmother taught me many, many yeas ago.

Yesterday's sports news was mixed. The 5 - 0 in the Big 10 Wolverines of Michigan were victorious over the Badgers of Wisconsin by a final score of 14 - 7. However, three missed field goals were also part of the game, so Head Coach Jim Harbaugh is planning a kicking contest for this coming week. No surprise there. Michigan visits Rutgers next Saturday @ 7:00 p.m.

The Spartans of MSU fell to 2 - 2 after a late rally by the Hoosiers of Indiana made the final score 24 - 21 in OT. As I like to say, "Not good, not good." The Spartans host BYU next weekend for a 3:30 p.m. clash.

The Huskies of NIU visited Muncie, IN yesterday and came away with their first win, 31 - 24 over the Cardinals of Ball State. The Huskies visit Western Michigan next Saturday for a 6:30 p.m. game.

The Cubs are in what some pundits have termed spring training mode as they are not going out of their way to be winners at this time, opting to give some regular players some rest and some bench players some playing time. They fell to the Reds by a score of 4 - 7. The Cubs play the Reds again today @ 3:10 p.m.

The Tigers were losers to the Braves yesterday by a score of 3 - 5. With the loss by the Orioles, the Tigers had a chance at a Wild Card berth, but things are not looking good. as they fell to 1.5 games back in that race. The Tigers face the Braves later today @ 3:10 p.m. Unless a miracle occurs, the Tigers will be watching the post-season on TV.

My beloved Red Sox lost to the Blue Jays by a score of 3 - 4. The division champion Sox still have a shot at home field advantage, but it is tenuous at this time. The Sox play the Blue Jays again today @ 3:05 p.m.

For those who are still paying attention, the 1 - 2 Lions visit the 0 - 3 Bears in a Central Division game @ 1:00 p.m. EDT.

We didn't accomplish much yesterday. We walked quite a bit and visited some stores downtown so that Mary could add to her fall wardrobe. She has many lighter weight tops, but not so many fall-weight ones. We picked up two additional fall-weight tops and an additional nightshirt for her.

Then we were off the Post for some libations and football before heading home. Mary had been wanting hot dogs of the veggie variety, so those became dinner.

I did get in some reading time, but that was about the extent of my ambition yesterday. I never got to playing with the girls after expending my energy reserves on peeling apples and going walkabout.

Today I have some plans in the man-cave and then I'll set aside some time for the girls and more reading. I am currently reading a large-print edition of The Wright Brothers, authored by David McCullough, for our book club meeting @ the Tri-Cities History Museum next Wednesday. I like the way McCullough writes, and in large-print, it is even more enjoyable for a man of a certain age.

Yesterday's weather was crisp and cool with some rain spritzes during the day. We have a current temperature of 54° under partly cloudy skies. Today we expect a high of 67°under cloudy skies. No significant rain is in the forecast until Wednesday evening @ 60% into Thursday morning when T-storms may develop with a 40% probability.

The sun will rise today @ 7:44 a.m. and set @ 7:23 p.m. Ciao.