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.