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

No trains to spot yesterday. Apparently, after the recent concrete truck rollover north of GH in Ferrysburg, the train tracks or crossings need repair.

That's nothing when compared to the not so sanitary sewage released into the Grand River about one mile east of U.S. route 31. It seems that a pipe that runs under the Grand River that connects Spring Lake to GH has been leaking under pressure since February 17, 2017. As of now, the Ottawa, County Health Department is advising people to have no body contact, particularly submergence of the head. Ya think?

We were in Spring Lake yesterday afternoon and when we crossed the bridge on Rte. 31 north of GH to return home, Mary felt sick. If the pipe has been leaking for 11 days, that is very possible. The Ottawa, County Sheriffs Department became aware of the problem Sunday afternoon when a neighbor who lives along the river noticed something wrong and called the sheriff's police to inquire. They immediately got in touch with the people working at the plant, one of whom is a captain on the Spring Lake Fire Department. A leak in a high-pressure pipe under the Grand River is the likely culprit and a scuba diver was dispatched to check on the problem.

Like most pipelines, whether oil, gas or sanitary, many are old and in need of replacement. The Grand River feeds directly into the "Big Lake", the source of the drinking water for much of Western Michigan and Eastern Illinois. Should we be worried? Yes!

We are done with the painting of the manse, at least for a few months. Now we have to find a new mirror for the upstairs bathroom, one that doesn't clash with the other colors and materials in the room. We're thinking a stop at City Glass @ the corner is in order.

Today, I will be baking my world famous apple pie in preparation for our book club meeting tomorrow. We got the necessary apples at the grocery store yesterday. I have everything else.

The current temperature is 42° under partly cloudy skies. We are expecting a rainy day today with showers during the morning hours and T-storms in the afternoon with a high temperature of 53°.

I finished reading the book for our book club meeting and taking copious notes yesterday. This over 500-page book was filled with facts, figures, and charts/graphs. Next time I am the "Book Czar", I'll choose a book of less detail and of a shorter length.

Otherwise, the rain probably precludes a walk with the fur-children. STWD may not want to go out anyway and when the T-storms start to boom, she will go into her hide-e-hole.

The sun will rise later this morning @ 7:21 a.m. and set @ 6:33 p.m. Ciao.

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

We had a great afternoon watching the Daytona 500 on TV yesterday afternoon. Mary made a great spread that included barbecue sauce covered vegan hot dogs, green cauliflower "wings" with spicy orange glaze, vegan cheese, and crackers.

The race itself was marred a few times by big crashes that took out my favorite driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr.,

Mary's second favorite driver, Danica Patrick, and many others.

It became a race against attrition, finally won by Kurt Busch. in car #41. Chase Elliott was in the lead until he ran out of fuel.

Next week, NASCAR races @

While NASCAR is not Formula One, nor is it the "Greatest Spectacle in motor racing" The Indianapolis 500, it is racing, albeit with cars that are more like taxi cabs than race cars. 

We took a short walk with the fur-children yesterday before we all settled in to watch the race. Mostly, we just stayed inside.

The current temperature is 39° that feels like 31° due to the 10 - 20 mph winds. Today, the high is forecast to reach 44 sunny degrees. We should be able to take another walk with the fur-children and my walk to the barber shop should be quite comfortable. Tuesday, there is a 90% chance of T-storms with a high temperature of 53°. Sounds like another indoor day to me.

We have no additional plans for today, however, John will be painting the upstairs bathroom.

I have to finish reading the book for our book club meeting on Wednesday. I know that some of the members will be out of town, so the meeting will be interesting. I have to make a sweet munchie for the meeting, likely cookies. That way, any leftovers will be available for me.

The sun will rise today @ 7:23 a.m. and set @ 6:32 p.m. Ciao.

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

I was outside @ 1:15 a.m. with the fur-children. It was/is cold, quiet, and mostly cloudy, but not unpleasant. That much-ballyhooed storm that the NWS had predicted for the counties and communities on the shores of the "Big Lake" was mostly smoke. We may have gotten about one inch of snow and that will be melting later today as the high temperature reaches 43° with only a 20% chance of additional precipitation, We won't see a return to the 30s until Thursday's high of 33°. Unfortunately, precipitation is in the forecast from the NWS for Tuesday @ 70% and Wednesday @ 80%.

Mary made a tasty lunch of her famous mushroom gravy that topped smashed garlic potatoes and her extraordinary beest. Then we read for a while before we finally made it out yesterday to the big-box home center in Muskegon to get that aforementioned humidifier. We chose one that uses evaporation rather than a cool mist variety that produces humidity by heat. This one does have a pad that will require replacement each season, but that is a small price to pay when compared to the pink mold that was produced in the old cool mist humidifier that we had before.

We also made it to the Sherwin-WIlliams™ paint store near that big-box home center to buy what should be our last gallon of paint for a few months. Maybe we can get the manse back into shape after that last room is done.

In change, I got a 2016-P Ft. Moultrie quarter that was issued to represent S. Carolina in my National Parks collection. We usually get "D" series quarters produced at the Denver mint, whereas the
"P" series is minted in Philadelphia. There are many quarters that I still need to procure, but I'm getting there.

I never watched the various first spring training games yesterday. The Cubs split two with the Oakland As and are now in 8th place in the NL Central with a 1 - 1 record. My beloved Red Sox are also sporting a record of 1 - 1, but they are in 5th place in the AL East. The Detroit Tigers also have a record of 1 - 1 which is also good enough for 5th place, in their case in the AL Central.

At this early point in the spring schedule, the big name players are not playing much. This is a time for the younger players to showcase their talents and maybe earn a spot on the bench of the major league team. However, it is hard to earn a major league roster spot, especially with teams like the Cubs or the Red Spox who had good seasons in 2016.

Speaking of sports, today is the first NASCAR race of 2017 @ Daytona. Unfortunately, we don't have a car in the Daytona 500 this year, as our favorite driver, Leilani Münter, drove in the ARCA race @ Daytona on February 18th, finishing 19th out of 40 starters driving a car sponsored by VeganPowered.org/Plants4Hunger with the words "Vegan Powered" emblazoned on its hood, for the Venturini Motor Sports Team. I guess that we can root for Junior instead, just because.

The Venturini team will be manning a vegan foods tent outside the Daytona 500 this year, distributing vegan food samples to thousands of race fans. A tough row to hoe @ a NASCAR race attended by people who will be tailgating and grilling tons of meats and ribs. Small steps as they say.

I was downstairs but I forgot where I was going with that reference. We plan to stay in today and watch the Daytona 500 in the Media Room while eating vegan snack foods. Otherwise, we have no specific plans for the day.

The sun will rise @ 7:25 a.m. and set @ 6:31 p.m. Ciao.

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

I was outside with GTTSD @ 1:20 a.m., and it was cooler than it has been of late, but at that time, there was no rain falling. However, the NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Ottawa, County, between 3:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. We have a 70% chance of snow showers including winds possibly gusting to 35 mph. Right now, the temperature is 33° under cloudy skies. Today's high will be 31° Naturally, MDOT has urged people to drive carefully and use extra caution when they go out. Duh!

I did it! I made rye bread yesterday using the recipe from the Betty Crocker™ cookbook that is a staple in Mary's kitchen. It tastes great, but I have to work on my loaf formation. It is flatter than it is tall. Once again, my trusty Kitchenaid™ stand mixer did its magic. See the picture below.

Speaking of Ginger, as I noted yesterday, she is like a different dog following her recent grooming. I took a picture of her and she looks great, except, that she closed her eyes. I also have included a picture from a few weeks ago for contrast.

This is a picture from several weeks ago. Her hair had grown even longer since then.

I train spotted yesterday, but GTTSD didn't even stir from her bed in the living room. I only observed the southbound run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 @ 1:12 p.m. I don't know if there was a northbound run. At any rate, in tow were four CHCs, one GTC, and 10 DBTCs.

I also found time to change the bulbs in the light fixture over the sink in the kitchen. Unfortunately, as is all too often the case, of the three LED bulbs that we recently purchased, one was defective, necessitating a run to the big-box home center for a replacement. All better now, but that was just one more thing I didn't want nor need to do.

Today, we have to pick up some paint for the bathroom, weather permitting, and also go to the big-box everything store for a replacement humidifier. It is just too dry without one. Sigh, I hate the big-box everything store. I'd like to go the local Ace Hardware™, but they have very limited stock of humidifiers.

Otherwise, not much on tap for today. A few things that can wait, but the humidifier cannot. If I get lucky, the Word Champion Chicago Cubs could be on TV today. It depends on whether our cable system has that option.

The sun will rise @7:26 a.m. and set @ 6:29 a.m. Ciao.

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

It's raining. The temperature is a brisk 40° that feels like 33° due to the 12 mph winds. Later today, the temperature has been forecast to be 49° with a 90% chance of T-storms. That's after the sun rises @ 7:28 a.m. and well before it sets @ 6:28 p.m. In short, a less than pleasant day in GH.

Yesterday morning was far more pleasant, and so we walked both STWD and GTTSD to the groomers in Centertown. Ginger is a changed dog. I should have taken a picture and maybe I'll include one in tomorrow's blog. She looks like a new dog. No more shaggy curls and she has a very small body that was hidden under all of that fur. We walked there and back with both girls and then when it was time to pick up Ginger, we walked back again with Sugar to pick up her sister. All in all, I logged just shy of four miles walking. Then it was time for a trip to Holland.

I can say for certain that the trip we took to Holland yesterday afternoon was a success for two reasons. First, we succeeded @ getting the enameled Dutch oven and a small stirring spoon that Mary wanted @ Teermans. Second, we enjoyed a ride there and back during good weather, traveling along Lakeshore Drive in Ottawa, County.

We stopped @ an estate sale here in GH on the way home, but the place had been picked over by professionals long before we arrived. We ended up at Double Deuce for dinner and that was a nice cap to the evening,

We arrived home to find that John was just finishing the painting, but I also learned that Mary contracted with him to repaint the upstairs bathroom. So, the smell of paint drying will linger for another day or two early next week.

I finished my latest pulp-fiction novel late last night. I was set in the old west. I liked the story, but I feel that it ended too abruptly. Just one man's opinion.

Today, I'm going to attempt to bake a loaf of rye bread. Have stand mixer and oven, will bake. I just have to find the right recipe.

I also have to get busy reading and taking notes on that book for our book club.

Chiropractor then downtime. Ciao.

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

It doesn't get any better than "Leave the gun, take the cannoli", or "Someday, and that day may never come, I'll call upon you to do a service,..." Well. I suppose it does for many people, but for me, three hours of The Godfather is the epitome of how to spend a retired afternoon.Our local theater, Goodrich Quality Theaters, Grand Haven 9, shows classic movies on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Last week we were going to see It Happened One Night, but that was when my yak went out. This week, as is sometimes the case, the movie was not a "Chick Flick." Next week we can see Singing in the Rain. That will be followed by Rear Window, Dirty Dancing and finally, Young Frankenstein, as the weeks unfold. What's not to like? Mary probably had a better time at home crafting than she would have had watching yesterday's movie. Me, I got into the movie for $6.50 and then used my accumulated points on my "Frequent Movie Watcher's" card to get a humongous cherry-cola and a ginormous bucket of popcorn @ no additional cost. Once again, "What's not to like?"

Our house painting is nearly done. John has been hard at work and should finish up today. Yes, I could have attempted this myself, but when you get to be a certain age, you defer and let someone do the work for you.

GTTSD and I spotted the southbound train @ 10:45 a.m. EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2057 were leading a pack of cars that included 18 CHCs, seven DBTCs, and four DWTCs, all moving slowly on the RSTL. I was The Godfather when the afternoon run of those same locomotives passed by the manse. However, my apprentice trainspotter recorded the passage. I heard the sound of the locomotives over the machine guns in the movie @ 3:00 p.m. and Mary tells me that the train passed by here @ 3:02 p.m. However, her recording was accurate enough to tell me that the northbound run consisted of seven DBTCs, 12 CHCs, nine DWTCs, and one GTC.

Today, we have to walk to the groomer to get a haircut for Ginger and a pawdicure for Sugar. Ginger is looking like a walking mop, so we need to get her tuned up. Sugar just needs some basic upkeep.

Otherwise, I have no plans and I'm not sure about Mary. We will pick up the newspaper on the way back from the groomer.

We have a current temperature of 50° under partly cloudy skies, as we head for today's high of 53° with cloudy conditions in the morning and sunny skies in the afternoon. The sun will rise today @ 7:29 a.m. and set later @ 6:27 p.m. For those of you with WGN-TV, the Cubs will be on @ 1:00 p.m. CST or 2:00 p.m. EST Saturday. Ciao.

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

A current temperature of 49° on the display of the DTWS as reported from the FPMS, and 47° according to the NWS in GR, are the current conditions here in GH. In addition, the view out the WW and also per the NWS shows dense fog that has caused the issuance of a Dense Fog Advisory by that self-same NWS. Their recommendations? Drive carefully and leave extra time this morning. Duh!

We will see that fog, and I mean literally see that fog, lifting @ 9:00 a.m. today. Then we'll experience temperatures rising to a high of 58° by early this afternoon and then falling slowly tonight to an overnight low of 43°. The sun will rise @ 7:31 a.m. and set @ 6:25 p.m. Temperatures will stay in the 40s to 50s for several days before they fall to the 30s by Saturday. We won't see temperatures returning to the 50s until Saturday, March, 4 and then they will plunge again back into the 30s. Even the arrival of all of the mulch, seeds, and other gardening supplies @ the big-box home center can't change what will happen. Maybe Punxatawney Phil was right.

I was active in the kitchen yesterday, once again exhibiting my evolving baking skills. This time, I used that recipe that I found on the internet as I baked some whole-wheat hamburger buns. After a few hours of time devoted to watching the dough rise, which I mixed and kneaded it in my Kitchenaid™ stand mixer voila, I had the buns pictured below.

In a totally unbiased opinion, John, our handyman/painter, gave them two thumbs up, as did Mary. I won't disagree.

No trains were witnessed yesterday. Either I and GTTSD missed them, or they didn't pass by. Maybe today. I went to the chiropractor yesterday and got the all clear. I don't have to incessantly wear my yak brace, but I still have to be careful how I bend, lift, and sit. I can also use the brace when I am going to do something that requires/causes extra strain on my yak.

While I was baking, Mary was chatting and John was painting. The downstairs bedroom looks 100% better. You never realize how dingy a room gets over time. Once I was back from the chiropractor, the baking was done, and Mary had finished chatting, she made lunch using her extraordinary beest on my freshly baked buns. What can I say? Wunderbar!

We finally ran some errands yesterday afternoon and ended our day @ our favorite watering hole for some onion rings and adult libations. Home in time to watch the evening news, some game shows, and NCIS on TV. Once those activities were over, I took the fur-children out and then moved to the upstairs media room while Mary happily knitted in the La-Z-Boy.

Today, I plan to do some reading, and some jigsaw puzzle solving. I finally found all of the edge pieces, so now Mary can help me. She is not a big fan of the tedium that is making the edge of a puzzle. I'd like to play with the girls too, but I don't want to place undue pressure on my healing yak, so that may be put off for another day. I also have to read more of the non-fiction book that I recommended for out monthly book club @ the Tri-Cities History Museum.

Don't forget, all of the Major League Baseball™ teams are fully engage in spring training as they head towards the first game of spring this weekend. Ciao.

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

I was outside with GTTSD and the overnight temperature was a mild 51° under partly cloudy skies. STWD didn't want to go out, so I didn't force the issue. Later today, we expect to see a high temperature of 51° under cloudy skies with a 90% chance of rain showers in the morning. We'll also see the sun rise this morning @ 7:32 a.m. and set later this afternoon @ 6:24 p.m. We anticipate temperatures peaking with a high of 58° on Thursday. The mild temperatures, in the 50s, will continue through Friday, and then plunge into the 30s on Saturday.

Bill Steffen, Chief Meteorologist for WOOD TV/Radio, is watching the approach of that storm from the west that will bring snow to the midwest, possibly one to two feet, but which should mostly spare Michigan. with the exception of the UP and some northern counties of the lower part of the state. Here's hoping.

Speaking of GTTSD, we didn't see nor hear any trains yesterday. However, we had to go out in the afternoon, so while Ginger was in her crate and Mary and I were out, a train may have passed through.

I didn't get a lot accomplished yesterday, but Mary made a nice lunch. While I was otherwise occupied yesterday afternoon, Mary made it to the grocery store, the veterinarian's office for more dog food, and to the big-box home center before retrieving me. I was @ my first, and I guess only, "Welcome to Medicare" exam @ my internist. Everything went smoothly. Speaking of doctors, I have to return to the chiropractor later this morning to get a reevaluation of my yak. I am feeling much better, so I don't anticipate any problems there either. We also made a stop @ Sporty's and then home for dinner for both the fur-children and ourselves.

Today, after the chiropractor, I plan to spend some time reading, doing another crossword, and perhaps some baking. Mary and I have to find just the right recipe for some hamburger buns, which I may have just done with a bit of internet research. I'll check with Mary later this morning and see if she agrees. I also want to spend some time with the girls, if I can. That may depend on the visit to the chiropractor.

I think that's enough for one day. Ciao.

Special shoutout to Adam. Everything will go well for you today too. I love you.

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

I will attempt to keep this one short. Note I said, attempt, but that is subject to change without notice.

We have a current temperature of 37° under clear skies. We actually saw several high-temperature records shattered yesterday, with one location reporting 69°! Here in GH, on the shores of the "Big Lake", the temperatures didn't get out of the 50s, but it was still a very pleasant day. We anticipate a high today of 51 sunny degrees with a 60° day to follow on Monday. We'll have temperatures in the 50s most of the week until we drop down for few days next weekend.

We walked downtown with the fur-children for a loaf of bread yesterday morning so that Mary could make a modified version of her famous sauerkraut and Swiss cheese sandwiches for lunch. In this case, she also added some thin slices of her extraordinary beest, accompanied by her homemade thousand island dressing and mustard. They were a very tasty and able replacement for the traditional Reuben sandwiches.

I walked to my Irish Jam session yesterday using my backpack guitar case to make the load more bearable. That made the walk much easier. We had a small crowd of listeners and a limited number of players, but we sounded good and received accolades from the appreciative audience.

Mary picked me up from the jam and then we traveled to Spring Lake to go to Field's Fabrics and Stans. A stop @ the take and bake pizza purveyor on the way home, and we were in for the night. We watched just enough of the news from Florida to convince me to go upstairs to the media room to watch TV. I got tired and so I was off to bed while Mary watched apocalyptic movies downstairs.

Today, a few indoor chores, some indexing for Mary and reading for me. That looks like a full day. Monday, I am off to my internist for my "Welcome to Medicare" exam and then I have an appointment at the chiropractor on Tuesday for a follow up on my yak. I'm feeling much better, but I still want to keep that appointment and then see where I go from there. I am also being sure to follow the doctor's directions regarding posture, bending, and lifting.

The sun will rise today @ 7:36 a.m. into those sunny skies and then set later @ 6:21 p.m. I nearly forgot, we are just one week away from spring training games. Yes! Ciao.

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

I have been observing radio silence for a couple of days because my yak has been really baking. I awoke Wednesday morning and had great difficulty even moving. I have no idea why, but that may just be one of the negatives of being of a certain age. I went to the chiropractor and got an adjustment and an admonishment about proper posture, sitting position and myriad other things, along with getting a back brace. Thursday, I still was having difficulty and I asked Mary to accompany me for my appointment, just in case. Yesterday, I was vastly improved after judicious use of that back brace and observation of all the required precautions. I have to be sure to not bend over to pick things up.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in GH and in the Tri-Cities area as a whole. We had temperatures in the lower 50s and sunny skies. That will continue today and for several more days. We'll be dropping back into the 30s in about five days, but we'll enjoy it while it lasts. We have a current temperature of 46° that feels more like 39° due to the wind. We anticipate a high today of 47° to 50° under sunny skies, Our peak temperature is forecast by the NWS to reach 56° on Monday, however, we will have showers in the evening. Then we'll slowly drop back into the mid to upper 30s for about 10 days.

GTTSD and I observed the morning run of locomotives 2057 and 2019 as they rumbled south towing eight CHCs, two DWTCs, one DBTC and one GTC, all empty. Mary and I were sitting in JWs when the northbound run of those same locomotives rolled by @ 4:17 on the RSTL. In tow were 15 CHCs, 12 CHCs, two DWTCs, and one very rusty GTC. Let me say here and now that it was UGLY!

John, our handyman/painter, started work yesterday on the final interior painting of the many rooms of our manse. We needed to have the ceiling repaired in the stairwell along with painting the downstairs bedroom and the foyer. It will take some patching to repair the various cracks caused by the passage of trains and some shoddy repairs done over the years. This house is 114 years old, so through many remodels and owners, that's not surprising. We are staying with the basic color scheme in all of the areas being painted.

Mary has been using up various leftovers from the refrigerator as well as creating some new and tasty meals. In addition, she has been forced into walking the fur-children most of the time along with caring for my whiny self. She has been a trouper. And yes, the use of trouper versus trooper is correct in this case, as a trooper is a member of a scout troop, a police force or army, while a trouper is a reliable and uncomplaining person. I think that's an apropos description.

Today, I will be going to what is likely to be a shortened Irish Jam session @ the library. My tenure may be determined by my yak. Only time will tell. If you had asked me Thursday or even yesterday morning, I would have nixed even going. I like the sessions, so I want to go.

Mary is going to have to wrangle one more time with that index from H E double hockey sticks in an attempt to assuage the author's demand/concerns. I can honestly say that my work is done. I'll be happy to be at my jam session.

I have no other plans for today and that's how I like it. I have a stack of books to read in my bolt upright sitting position and that means more time at the dining room table versus my La-Z-Boy. Sigh.

All of my teams, the World Champion Chicago Cubs, my beloved Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers have all of their players in spring training camp and they have begun or they will begin full-squad workouts today.

That's enough for now. The sun will rise into sunny skies today @ 7:37 a.m. and set @ 6:20 p.m. Ciao.

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

I'm about to try for the KISS version of my blog once again. Let's see how I do.

GTTSD was under the bed when Mary alerted me to the passage of the train yesterday. Being a Tuesday moring, I hadn't anticipated any train yesterday and I was surprised and also disappointed. The return of locomotive #2057 to the yard north of here was a very short train, as that was all I saw, #2057 soloing with no cars in tow. Perhaps things will get back to normal later today, perhaps not.

We have a current temperature of 33° that feels more like 29° under mostly cloudy skies. The NWS is forecasting a winter weather advisory this morning @ 5:45 a.m.,  that is expected to last until 9:00 a.m. We may or may not get up to two inches of snow, making rush hour driving hazardous and slow. In addition, the NWS has also predicted that the temperatures will drop to the upper twenties before the high temperature of 30° is reached. Good news, though, the NWS is still forecasting a high temperature on Saturday of 53° under sunny skies. Great weather for walking to my Irish Jam session @ the library.

We had a great day yesterday after the wash machine repairman had departed. The final bill was $269.83, which was approximately 41% of the cost of a new machine. The repairman replaced the water pump and we were good to go.

Mary had to get to her chat session while I kept track of the extraordinary beest that she had started along with finishing the laundry. Part of the beest became dunch, or was it linner accompanied by sweet potatoes. At any rate, I liked it.

STWD and I took a walk to The Bookman, but she was unrequited in her quest for a treat.

We traveled to the grocery store in mid-afternoon and then to Sporty's for some adult libations. We picked up a take and bake pizza on the way home and then it was time for some TV news, game shows, and NCIS.  I took the fur-children out for their final run after that and then I headed upstairs to watch NCIS New Orleans, which was part two of the NCIS saga. I fell asleep in my chair for a while and then I wound up here.

Today, I plan to stay in bed and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Mary has no work nor other activities scheduled, so I believe that once the fur-children have had their breakfast and their morning out, we can all settle in for the morning.

I did play with the girls yesterday afternoon and I think I was playing and singing well. I can't say the same about the day before.

The sun will rise this morning @ 7:21 a.m. and set @ 6:16 p.m. Ciao.

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

It is official. I am now in possession of my "Free" insulated lunch bag from the library. I finished my last book early yesterday afternoon, so I just had to go and pick up my "Free" insulated lunch bag and some additional books. I've taken the liberty of adding a picture of my "Free" gift below.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it is as cool as it looks!

Mary has three more books to complete and then she too will qualify for her "Free" insulated lunch bag.

Speaking of Mary, she finally finished the index from H E double hockey sticks and sent it on its way. In fact, the publisher's representative just emailed her to say he had received it. Sadly, she now needs the chiropractor more than ever, having spent multiple hours in her office chair. TANSTAFL. That's an acronym from the early 20th century, popularized in the Kurt Vonnegut science-fiction novel, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and it is a stand in for "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." There is, however, such a thing as a "Free" insulated lunch bag. Just saying. To put it into plain English, to get something, you've got to give something, a quid pro quo.

Mary and I got up late, again, yesterday. Mary made sandwiches using her extraordinary beest made into sloppy joes on my pretzel buns and accompanied by a side of sweet potatoes. Dinner was a salad with chickpeas, mushrooms, bean sprouts, and for me, some salad olives and chow mein noodles. Each of us had Mary's homemade French dressing on top.

GTTSD and I spotted the southbound train run @ 12:08 p.m. yesterday. Locomotive #2057 was soloing towing 14 CHCs, some extra long, two DBTCs, and one DWTC. Neither of us observed the northbound run, so either we missed it, which is unlikely for Ginger, or it will be returning today.

The current temperature is 37° under clear skies, but it feels like 28° due to the wind. The high today will reach 41° before we experience rain/snow showers in the evening. We'll be experiencing a few cool days before we warm up by the weekend.

STWD and I did make it to The Bookman for her treat and the Monday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. However, my indoor chores took a turn for the worse, as our wash machine refused to work properly. We have the repairman scheduled for between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. today. Since a new machine is anywhere from $600.00 - $800.00, or more, a repair seems prudent. However, if the repair cost is more than 40% of the cost of a new machine, it might be time to consign the current machine, which is 20 years old, to the ash heap of history.

Once we have made that determination, we will get on with the business of retirement. If we have to buy a new machine, we'll have to devote as much time as needed to going to the big-box home center near here to make the purchase and arrange for delivery.

Otherwise, we have no specific plans. The sun will rise today @ 7:43 a.m. and set @ 6:15 p.m.

You thought I forgot, didn't you? Wrong! The pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers reported to camp yesterday and the pitchers and catchers for the Cubs report today. Life is good!

Ciao.

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

I was just outside with the fur-children @ about 12:15 a.m. and I can testify with certainty that the winds are indeed blowing @ 18 mph. Since the back-forty of the PE is somewhat screened, I was able to accompany GTTSD on her nightly rounds and enjoy my time. However, I also had to take STWD out, but she insists on going to the front forty of the PE and there, the winds are blowing without restriction. So, we didn't stay out long.

We have a current temperature of 35° that feels like 25° with the presence of those 18 mph winds. Brrrrr! Later today, the high will only reach a sunny 38° but the winds will have abated a bit down to 11 mph. The sun will rise @ 7:44 a.m. and set @ 6:14 p.m.

Does anyone really know what day this is? You get a genuine no-prize if you correctly identified this as the day that the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers officially report to training camp The Cubs pitchers and catchers report tomorrow. Yes, my friends, baseball time is here again! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw5vNMrGcps Sadly, the references that the late Steve Goodman made to WGN are no longer as valid as they once were.

But I digress. Mary spent much of yesterday working on that index from H E double hockey sticks. Let's just say that there were other things she would rather have been doing. She did get the chance to make breakfast which consisted of blueberry pancakes with maple syrup. They were delicious. She also put together a nice salad for lunch with chickpeas and her homemade ranch dressing. I had some of that supplemented with some store-bought vegan blue cheese dressing as there wasn't enough of her dressing to use for both salads.

I got a sweet tooth after lunch and so I baked a batch of my soon to be famous oatmeal raisin cookies assisted by the presence of two sous dogs. I think the cookies turned out great. That was after I had finished the cover for my yak support and read a goodly portion of my current thriller.

By the time she had been indexing for what seemed like forever, she decided that it was time for us to go out to dinner @ our favorite watering hole. As always, it was busy.

Today, Mary has to finish that soon to be forgotten index and I have to do some indoor chores. I'll finish my thriller and then I may walk to the library to get the last signatures on my book list and receive my "Free" lunch bag. I also have some books on hold for my future reading pleasure.

Otherwise, I don't have any plans other than to walk to The Bookman with STWD to pick up a copy of today's Grand Haven Tribune and read that plus getting a biscuit treat for Sugar. I also have to sort more pieces for my jigsaw puzzle edges. I must have missed some in my last sort. I need to play with the girls too. They look lonely. I have not played for a few days in deference to Mary's working in the next room.

Trainspotting by GTTSD and yours truly is very likely today as we didn't spot any last Friday. Ciao.

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

Let's cut to the chase. Real men wear aprons and use sewing machines They bake pretzel buns and sew covers for the supports they use for their baking yaks. In short, real men don't need to be validated, they are valid simply because they exist. Dare I say it? I bake, I clean, I sew, therefore I am!

For example, I opened my day yesterday in the kitchen preparing the dough for a batch of pretzel buns using my new stand mixer. Mine is ice in color, like the one pictured below.  

I used it to knead the dough for my pretzel buns that Mary pronounced excellent in texture and taste. Definitely a keeper.

Having sampled my efforts, I have to agree.

Was I done? No! I also began to craft a cover for the support that I use on my office chair to get relief for my baking yak. Mary had to guide me through a lot of the process, and I doubt that I'll be starting a new career as a tailor, but I can hold my own.

I did learn what the markings on the sewing machine are used for. However, Mary needs to get sharper straight pins.

Were we done yet? No!. When 2:00 p.m. rolled around, we set out to see the various "Frozen in Time" displays in the windows and stores from Centertown to Downtown GH. The "Frozen" actors did a great job of portraying characters from many different musicals and plays. I have included several as representatives.

An island dream

Second star to the right,....

Music is life!

Tomorrow

For Ellen.

For all of us of a certain age.

Because the actors were just so cute.

At any rate, we had a great time as did the crowds that were drawn to "The City" by the beautiful displays. 

I was sitting in the media room a short time ago and realizing that old activities can give way to new pursuits. I used to do woodworking and work on cars. Now I bake, I sew, I've tried to knit, I still love playing music and I can dust and vacuum with the best of them. Like the late Yogi Berra once said in one of his many famous malapropisms, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it!" Change is good. If you define yourself by what you once did instead of by what you have the chance to do and experience in the future, you are limiting yourself.

I also realized how important having someone to share the journey with you can be. Mary has been my BFF for over 43 years. We've moved several times. We've raised a good man, Adam, who married and gave us a great daughter, Stephany. We've traveled to many places, both foreign and domestic, and we are just getting started. To borrow from an old commercial, "Life is good."

Today, Mary has to avoid my attempts at crafting and get down to finishing/revising the index from 

H E double hockey sticks. I have a crossword to work, books and a newspaper to read, a jigsaw puzzle to add to, and the girls to play with. As I said, "Life is good."

We have a current temperature of 37/39° with a light rain falling. Later today, after the sun rises @ 7:46 a.m. and well before it sets @ 6:12 p.m., we'll see today's high of 38°. Do not despair my friends and faithful readers. By one week from today, February 19, the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 54°! 

Additionally, the NWS has issued a Gale Warning for the "Big Lake" that goes into effect @ 11:00 a.m. this morning and continues in effect until midnight tonight. The 24 mph winds in the forecast for the land areas will produce gale force winds of 34 to 47 knots on Lake Michigan. with large waves that can reach 10 feet in height, producing dangerous conditions for boats and ships. 

Oh, I almost forgot. The pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report to camp Monday, the Cubs Ps and Cs report the next day. Full-squad workouts begin for the Red Sox begin on February 17, while the Tigers and the Cubs begin full-squad workouts on February 18.

I'll close with that. Ciao.

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

Yesterday was anything but mundane. We got up late, and if I'd had my choice, I'd have stayed in bed even longer than we did. Alas, the fur-children had other plans. We did get up to feed them breakfast, and then they allowed us to go back to bed/sleep, but finally they too had to get up and roughhouse, what we like to call getting into a scrum. So, we were up.

Mary made a tasty lunch of vegan Sloppy Joes on her baguette augmented with beet powder for our health accompanied by a side of cucumber salad. Then I was off to complete my indoor chores, which I did, albeit with a rush order from Mary. During the time I was doing my chores, she had made an extraordinary beest and put it on the stove. Since her chat time was fast approaching, I had to speed up my work in order to get down to the kitchen for the beest to be removed from the pot while she chatted. I made it with time to spare. If I want to continue to enjoy Mary's kitchen efforts I'll have to make the beest removal part of my life. By the by, I made it with 10 minutes to spare.

It was good to hear that John P. is now home from the hospital and continuing his recovery @ home. Recent pictures indicate that he is looking well and being @ home with his wife, children, and grandchildren, and other familiar things around him should help greatly. I can speak from experience in this case.

Once I was done with the kitchen duties, I sat down to read before we had to go to the chiropractor. That went well and we stopped at JWs for a lively discussion and a snack of chips and salsa with some adult libations. We got home in time to give the fur-children a late afternoon/early evening trip to the back-forty and then they voraciously ate their dinners like it had been days since they had eaten. I know that in dog time, there is no time reference that relates to human time, but I believe that they have us well trained.

Following a dinner of beest, and spinach, I watched the evening news and then Wheel of Fortune followed by Jeopardy. Since I had seen that The Grapes of Wrath, the movie starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad was on the TV schedule, I went upstairs to watch while Mary continued to enjoy the news. However, I fell asleep in the chair and so I don't know how it ended. : - ). Even Mary came up to bed early having gotten all the news she could handle for one day.

The current temperature is 37° according to the NWS and 39° according to the DTWS here on the desk in my office. The NWS has issued a "Small Craft Warning" for the "Big Lake" due to high winds and large waves. I know that with the cold and high winds, I would not need the warning to stay off the "Big Lake." With little wind, the trip I made to the back-forty with the fur-children @ 1:20 a.m. was quite comfortable. They did their duty.

In Oroville, CA, officials have reported that the tallest dam in the U.S. @ 770 feet high, above man-made Lake Oroville, is experiencing a first-time ever need to use an emergency spillway to relieve the pressure on the dam that has been caused by the recent heavy rains in CA. In addition, a large hole has formed in a spillway for that dam. That hole in the spillway is 200 feet long and 30 feet deep. Apparently, the water flowing through that hole has turned brown with mud as it has "Consumed trees and soil." In one short season, the state has gone from drought conditions to floods. At the dam site, officials have loaded millions of baby salmon into tanker trucks in an attempt to save them from the mud and broken concrete.

Where was I before my digression? Oh yes, I was describing the weather here in GH. We'll see a high temperature of 42° today for the annual Frozen in Time window scenes that the merchants in GH use to lure tourists to our fair city in mid-winter. These scenes are generally from movies and plays, like Hamilton, and depict people of all ages "Frozen in Time", in the storefronts.

There is only a 20% chance of snow showers and light winds. Tomorrow, Sunday, the winds will be blowing from 20 - 30 mph with a high temperature of 37° that will make temperatures feel much colder. In addition, the chance of snow showers increases to 60%.

I have no work to do today, but Mary does. I'll read and walk with STWD to The Bookman for the weekend edition of The Grand Haven Tribune. I may try my hand @ baking some bread too. The sun will rise @ 7:47 and set @ 6:11 p.m as we near the first unofficial day of spring when the pitchers and catchers report in just three short days. Ciao.

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

Yesterday was about as mundane as it can get. I did some reading, played with the girls for a short time, and let the fur-children in and out. I never did get to those indoor chores, well the majority of them anyway, so I have to get to them today.

Mary finished the baguette that she had let rise overnight and we had some of that for lunch along with some pasta that she had made in what she calls her "Down and dirty" fashion. I think she nailed both things because I was quite satisfied with the taste of both.

During the time the oven was on, I took the opportunity to make some additional baked tofu cubes, which I love. I had a slight difficulty with those as I got them into the wrong jar for shaking before baking. However, I managed to right my wrong and the end product also tasted excellent.

Once lunch was over and the fur-children had been settled in, I sat down to read more of The Prisoner, a new novel by Alex Berenson that continues his series with John Wells as the protagonist. Somehow, I was able to get this book from the library when it first came out. I get emails from Berenson regarding his latest releases, but I was surprised that I managed to get this book in the queue from the library. I don't know how that happened, but I believe that I am one of the first in GH to read this novel.

This will be the last book I need to read to get my "Free" gift from the library's Cabin Fever Reliever winter reading program, the winter version of the program that allowed me to get various items over the last several summers. In this case, the gift is an insulated lunch bag that will be great for outdoor activities for Mary and me. Many people ask what they will do when they retire, but as I've often said, I don't have enough time now for all I want to do and there are so many books to read at the library.

Speaking of books at the library, Mary checked out another vegan cookbook the other day, this one entitled The Homemade Vegan Pantry, by Miyoko Schinner. This one is a collection of vegan dishes, literally from "soup to nuts." It was this book that gave Mary the recipe for the baguette that we enjoyed for lunch and which I also enjoyed for my dinner. I was told that I would be on my own, so I chose to make a sandwich using her baguette.

It is not often that a cookbook lives up to Mary's expectations, but this one did, except for the index that Mary feels is not what it could be. This book was/is so good, that Mary ordered a copy for her collection from The Bookman. That was part two of our day as it came in yesterday and we journeyed to The Bookman to pick it up.

I forgot to mention that on Wednesday, I finished my semi-annual set of Supartz™ injections into my knees at the orthopedist. These injections are in lieu of knee replacement for those who suffer from osteoarthritis in their knees, as I do. As compared to knee replacement, the injections are a good choice for me, as I have spent enough time in rehab over the last few years for various ailments to last a lifetime.

Today, Mary has to continue to work on the revision of that recent index from H E double hockey sticks. She dislikes this index so much, that she just had to escape her office several times yesterday afternoon and come down to tell me things about the index or about what she was listening to on the radio. This index is one of the reasons that she has decided to go into semi-retirement. I can't say as I blame her. At any rate, I'll get to those indoor chores and do more reading in my novel while she works.

We have a current temperature of 25° according to the DTWS and its associated FPMS. It was cold the last two days, but the warm up has begun and we'll reach a high today of 40° according to the NWS. We will be in the upper 30s or lower 40s for several days with limited precipitation.

Let's not forget, spring is nearly here. In just three short days, the pitchers and catchers of my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report for training camp followed the next day by the same group for the World Champion Chicago Cubs. Ahhhhh.

The sun will rise today @ 7:48 a.m. and set @ 6:10 p.m. Ciao.

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

I was outside @ 12:45 with both of the fur-children. Each of them did their duty and I was able to escape back into the warmth of the manse very quickly.

Speaking of warmth, while we are not experiencing the type of weather conditions that are predominating on the East Coast that may produce 12 inches of snow from NY to MA. In the southern states, for example, AL and MS, and especially in the panhandle of FL where we traveled to and stayed last year and the year before, the tornadoes that ravaged the area are doing a great deal of property damage. MI is looking better and better every year.

We have had a relatively mild winter both in the amount of snowfall and the cold temperatures that have been largely absent. I've only had to salt the deck and shovel the snow a few times since November.

We have a current temperature of 21° that feels colder due to the winds that are building outside the WW (Weather Window). Later today, the high temperature fall to 20° with a 20% chance of snow. Friday promises a warm-up to 40° albeit with 24 mph winds. Saturday the winds die down and the temperature rises to a balmy 44°. In fact, we'll be enjoying a warm up for a few days and then some temperatures in the lower 30s before we return to the 40s by Saturday the 18th. In short, the weather should be good for walking the fur-children more regularly.

Yesterday, we did some grocery shopping and a few other errands. Today, Mary has to work and I have to finally finish those indoor chores that I have found a way to put off every day before this. I used to work for a man, Bob Apa, at a long gone Mobil™ station in Arlington Heights, IL. He used to say, "Put off until tomorrow, what you can put off until tomorrow." Bob passed many years ago, but his words live on with me.

Otherwise, I have no specific plans other than to lay in bed and listen to the radio. I've stopped watching TV news because, well just because. More reading, more playing with the girls and more retirement.

Mary is awaiting the rise of some baguettes that she will place in the oven for lunch today. Baguettes seem to have a short lifespan before they get dry and hard. Maybe it is that quality that makes them so tasty when fresh.

In case I forgot to mention it, spring is nearly here, spring training that is. Spring starts in earnest on February 13, 2017, when the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report to camp. In case you feel a need to get more in the mood for the arrival of spring, I've added this link to the late Steve Goodman's version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. This is the Bluegrass-themed version that I really like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Lcy0058MY

The sun will rise this morning @ 7:50 a.m. and set later today @ 6:08 p.m. Ciao.

A special shoutout to John P . and his family. John is still in recovery mode, but all reports are that he is doing better and better each and every day. John, the golf course awaits your presence.

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

I have not been to bed yet. I guess you could say that I got my second wind after I drifted off a bit around 8:30 p.m. last night. We watched NCIS and then I took the fur-children out for what I hope is their final out until later this morning.

Yesterday, we didn't get up until around 11:30 a.m. and then I sat down to read and @ 12:00 p.m., Mary went upstairs for her Tuesday chat session. I sat down to read the book that I just finished about 30 minutes ago. I believe that the author, Robert Knott, who wrote this book, Appaloosa, did a creditable job of carrying on for the late Robert B. Parker.

I am now just one book short of the 10 that I need to get my "Free" gift for reading during the winter. I say free, but our tax dollars support the library and so the books are part of our tax expenditures. A fair trade I say.

When Mary returned from her chat session, she made her own version of macaroni and cheese, vegan style. I liked it. Later, she wanted to know if I wished to accompany her on some errands. I said I would if she were driving. We stopped at the library, the bank, and Health Hutt before a stop @ JWs for a quick snack.

Once home again, I took STWD out for her pre-dinner activities and then I took GTTSD out for hers. They both made quick work of their dinner and then Mary made some sandwiches utilizing her vegan extraordinary beest with jalapeno mustard. She then elected to go upstairs while I read more.

After NCIS, I came up to the media room and watched NCIS New Orleans before I once again began to read in earnest. Mary was happily watching MSNBC though I don't know why she tortures herself with the endless stream of bad news.

She came up to bed and I continued to read until just before 1:00 a.m. The fur-children hung out with me for a bit in hopes of getting a treat, but I disappointed them and so they left me to my own devices.

We have a current temperature of 31° under cloudy/rainy skies. Later today, the high temperature will reach down to 29° with no chance of precipitation and windy conditions. That Gale Warning from yesterday continues in effect until 4:00 a.m. today. We'll have two days of cold and then by Friday, temperatures will once again move upwards. In fact, Saturday's high is forecast by the NWS to reach 47°!

For Cleveland Indians fans, their pitchers and catchers report in just four short days, while the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report in five days. The Cubs pitchers and catchers report the next day.

The sun will rise today @ 7:51 a.m. and set @ 6:07 p.m. Ciao.

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

I thought that it would be good to start with the weather this early morning, I was just outside with GTTSD. However, her sister, STWD, wouldn't go out. It was starting to mist and I suspect that STWD could sense this and stayed inside where she was safe and warm. Naturally, Ginger had to wander around for awhile before she could get down to business.

The current temperature is 36° under, not surprisingly, cloudy skies. Later today, the high is forecast to reach 42° with an 80% chance of showers all day. The NWS has issued the following Gale Watch for mariners on the "Big Lake." I decided that the best way to present the information is exactly how it is presented on the Weather.Com website.

GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GRAND RAPIDS HAS ISSUED A GALE WATCH... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. * WINDS... BECOMING WEST LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND INCREASING TO POSSIBLE GALES AROUND 35 KNOTS. * WAVES... BUILDING TO 6 TO 9 FEET LATE TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A GALE WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN THE RISK OF GALE FORCE WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS HAS SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED... BUT THE SPECIFIC TIMING AND/OR LOCATION IS STILL UNCERTAIN. IT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LEAD TIME FOR MARINERS WHO MAY WISH TO CONSIDER ALTERING THEIR PLANS

In his song, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot notes that "Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams, her islands and bays are for sportsmen." He also refers to the "Gales of November", but this is February. I thought that since I am referring to Gordon's song and lyrics, I'd include a YouTube link to the song which includes the lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vST6hVRj2A

I like thinking of Gordon as a kindred spirit who plays and sings much like yours truly. I hope you liked the song and the sentiments that Gordon was trying to express.

Yesterday was a nice day sunny here in West Michigan with temperatures in the mid-forties, so Mary and I decided not to waste the day and took a ride over to Rockford, ostensibly to visit J. T. Stitchery, a yarn shop located there and buy some additions to Mary's stash. I say Mary's stash, but I was able to pick some yarn for a sweater vest that Mary will be knitting for me. Mary had the foresight to place my camera in my hands before we left, so I took some pictures in Rockford to commemorate our visit and day.

This is J. T.s

Located behind J. T.s are a public parking area and a railroad themed bookstore. During "The Season" in Rockford, parking is at a premium. Today, on-street parking and in the lots was plentiful. 

Across the road from J. T.s are a dam and public park that is part of the allure of Rockford

Above the dam, the waters of the Rogue River are partially frozen

However, with the sluice gates partially open, water was flowing noisily below.

There is a "Nature Trail" located adjacent to the dam and river,  but the snow cover made it just a tad too natural for us.

As I noted earlier, I was outside with GTTSD and while I was downstairs, I picked up the sock that Mary is working on from the dining room table and placed it high on the counter in the kitchen. Ginger can get into things when given the opportunity to explore the table when she is downstairs. So I decided that discretion being the better part of valor, I'd remove the temptation from her view.

Since I was in the kitchen, I washed the pots, pans, cutlery, and dishes from lunch and dinner along with the stovetop. I think it a fair way to "pay" for the fine meals that I receive. Speaking of lunch and dinner, we had a salad and sandwich for lunch when I came back from my haircut and then we were off to Rockford. 

We stopped @ Stans in Spring Lake on the way back and then when we got home, Mary tried a new recipe for mushroom stroganoff that required chopping, sauteeing, and other sundry cooking activities. At any rate, lunch was tasty with Mary's homemade ranch dressing and the dinner was terrific. As I often say, it is "A Keeper!"

I spent some time with playing with Leilani, my ukulele, yesterday morning and she sounds better than I do. Still, I am learning and I like the different sound of Leilani. With so many girls to choose from, I don't spend as much time with Leilani as I should. The fingerings are different from my six-string guitars, Blue and Abigael and of course my 12-string guitar, Ivy. My banjitar, Susanna, has the same fingerings as any guitar, but her sound is like that of a banjo. 

I am still reading the non-fiction book, The Black Presidency by Michael Eric Dyson and I am also reading another pulp-fiction novel, Blackjack, by Robert Knott an author writing for the estate of the late Robert B. Parker. It is a large print version so it should not take long. 

GTTSD and I did some trainspotting yesterday. At 9:30 a.m., EMD GP 38-2 locomotive #2057 was spotted heading south, solo, pulling seven DBTCs. At 1:15 p.m., that same locomotive was seen heading north, this time towing 11 CHCs, three DBTCS, and three DWTCs. 

Today, I'll finish my indoor chores and then get down to the business of doing nothing. Mary will continue her knitting along with some cooking. I wanted her to soak some beans for me last night so that I could make some minestrone, but I guess that she forgot. Oh well, there is always another day.

The sun will rise this morning @ 7:52 a.m. and set @ 6:05 p.m. Ciao.

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

Wow, there goes 25 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. I was on-line chatting with our cable provider and the representative was very helpful and efficient. I was trying to determine what package I have now and I learned that we have the MLB™ channel as part of our TV package. However, unlike Sirius/XM, I can't get specific teams, I can only get what the MLB™ channel is broadcasting at any given time. I'm hoping that the success of my beloved Red Sox and the Cubs last year might cause the MLB™ channel to broadcast more of those games. I can always get the Tigers on Fox Sports Channel. here in Michigan. Oh well, at least I tried.

Speaking of sports, to channel the late Howard Cosell, Mary and I watched Super Bowl LI to the bitter end last night. We were hoping for an Atlanta win, but instead, we got to see them snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. The line-up of commercials was not all that exciting, but it was interesting.

We managed to get out yesterday afternoon and go to the mall for some new drinking glasses. We haven't bought any new ones in a long while and we were down to many mismatched ones. We now have a complete set for the first time in a long time. That was after Mary made lunch of extraordinary roast beest and potatoes. The first potato turned out to be rotten on the inside and so she had to regroup and make a different type. In the process, the vegetable she had hoped to make got lost in the shuffle, so we had roast beest and potatoes covered with Mary's mushroom gravy. I liked it.

Our dinner version of veggie pizza was eaten at Double Deuce when we got back to GH. The kitchen there has figured us out and the pizza comes out just the way we like. Later, during the aforementioned Super Bowl, Mary made a snack of veggies and dip with a side of vegan hot dogs in barbecue sauce/ketchup. I liked that too.

Today I'll finish the dusting upstairs and then go to my haircut appointment @ noon. I have to return a library book, so I'll do that while I am out. It should be a good day for walking to the library with a high temperature of 43° and only a 10% chance of precipitation. Tuesday, the high temperature will creep up one more degree, but that will be accompanied by an 80% chance of rain throughout the day. A good day to stay inside and read etc. As the days progress, we'll see temperatures bouncing in and out of the 30s and precipitation off and on in both liquid and frozen form. But, pitchers and catchers begin to report in just seven short days. Put it on the board, Yes! Here's a link to get you in the mood. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zG_SvZD0UQ4

I was just out with the fur-children and so they should be good until later this morning. STWD seems to think that it is OK to arrive @ the bedside around 7:30 a.m. for a treat and breakfast. We're not offering breakfast nor an out that early, so a treat will have to suffice. We can't sleep in too late because of my haircut appointment. I'll have to rely on GTTSD and Mary to record the passage of the expected trains today.

The sun will rise this morning @ 7:53 a.m. and set this evening @ 6:04 p.m. Ciao.

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

Let's keep this one short and sweet. We got up late after listening to the radio and texting with Adam regarding his latest acquisition. He did a great job refurbishing an item he recently purchased that was not working and bringing it back to life. He has a talent for that sort of thing.

The fur-children made their presence known earlier in the day and so I took them out and then came back to bed until noon.

The temperature yesterday was on the chilly side with the wind chill, but since I didn't have to spend much time outside, I had no problem with that. Right now the temperature is reported to be 33°, but with the wind gusting @ 20 mph, it feels much colder. We are also experiencing snow showers. Later today, the temperature will reach 33° with only a 20% chance of additional precipitation. The NWS is still forecasting a high on Monday of 41° with only a small chance of precipitation.

We had a lunch yesterday that was reminiscent of the lunch from the day before. In fact, it was a repeat of that lunch. That's okay because I liked it. Dinner consisted of vegan extraordinary beest sandwiches on fresh bread that we had bought when we were out running an errand late yesterday. My Coleslaw made another appearance and now it is all gone.

Don't forget, the pitchers and catchers begin to report to spring training in just eight short days. The World Champion Chicago Cubs are expected to repeat in 2017. My beloved Red Sox should be better and the Detroit Tigers may have a chance to make the playoffs too.

Yesterday, I mostly I read my latest non-fiction book and Mary did some knitting. In short, as I referenced in my last blog, we did what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it. That's all good.

The sun will rise today @ 7:55 a.m. and set @ 6:03 p.m. Ciao.

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

Yesterday was an early day for us, as we got up shortly after 9:00 a.m. I recognize that for many people that would be considered late, but that's just one of the great things about being retired. It has taken me a long time to get past the idea that I am wasting time. When you were programmed for over 40 years to get up with an alarm, as I was, you find yourself thinking of yourself as a slacker when you just lay in bed. But no more. From this point forward, I plan to take each day as it comes and then do what I want when I want.

We got up and Mary made French toast using a new vegan recipe that we found on the internet. No eggs, chickpea flour, and flax seed combined with cinnamon, maple syrup, and almond milk produced a very tasty version of the staple that many people enjoy for breakfast.

After that tasty breakfast, I decided to go to the library to return two books that were due and get credit for the reading. I have now completed seven books of the 10 that I need to get my "free" insulated lunch bag. I also picked up two books that I had requested. I love having a library so close to home.

When I returned, Mary told me that I had a job in the kitchen. I made my world famous Coleslaw to accompany the veggie hot dogs that Mary decided to make for lunch. We do have to get more of the Vienna sport peppers that I like on my hotdogs. During the process of making lunch, Mary rediscovered that the blade in the food processor is still very sharp, However, it looks like she will survive her encounter.

Also after my return from the library, I decided to make some chocolate chip cookies and spicy chickpeas. The aquafaba liquid that is part and parcel to all canned beans makes a great egg replacer. I was able to use my new stand mixer in the process. However, I underestimated the expansion of the cookies and I ended up with a large cookie that I had to divide into smaller parts. Same great taste, but oddly shaped. Making the spicy chickpeas allowed me to use the aquafaba for my cookies and also the oven that was hot from the cookies.

It is worthy of note that the windy conditions made the walk to the library into the teeth of the wind out of the west, very brisk. Right now, the current temperature is a brisk 25° under clear skies, but it feels like 13° with the wind that is blowing @ about 15 mph. Later today, the high temperature is forecast by the NWS to be 32° with the same windy conditions and mostly cloudy skies. We had a mostly sunny day yesterday that was a welcome sight in West Michigan.

GTTSD was at the ready at her trainspotting post when I was in the kitchen baking and she let me know that a train was approaching. She can't talk, but she makes her spotting of a train very evident. At 11:13 a.m., we saw EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2057 heading south with eight CHCs, one seemingly very new and painted in safety orange along with two DBTCs.

A little research on the internet tells me that this is a new CSX corporate mandated paint scheme that improves visibility. All cars are expected to receive the orange paint scheme during the next few years. So, the car may not be new, but the paint surely was.

At 2:55 p.m., I was upstairs playing with Ivy, my 12 string Ovation guitar, when GTTSD once again alerted me to the passage of those same locomotives as they headed north. There were 10 DBTCs, all fully loaded, in tow.

Sunday's high temperature is forecast to be 34°. On Monday, the high temperature is forecast to be 40° and by Tuesday, the temperature will reach 41°, albeit with rain. It looks like the temperatures will be bouncing around from the 20s to the 40s as the month progresses.

Today looks like another late rise as we'll be listening to the Pet Files and the Flowerland Show. That takes us up to 11:00 a.m. and then we can get up and have "Dunch", that meal that isn't breakfast and not a real brunch either. What that will be is probably a mystery to Mary too. I'll do some reading after the morning sojourn with the fur-children. Mary wants to read more too, as she is trying to earn her own insulated lunch bag. Otherwise, not much is planned.

The sun will rise @ 7:56 a.m. and set @ 6:01 p.m. Ciao

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

Wow, another day got away from us yesterday. We got up in time to eat lunch and take a phone call @ 1:00 p.m., that should lead us to a vacation in mid-May. We still have to arrange travel aboard Amtrak, but that will require a phone call to the Amtrak reservations people. However, we are nearly there. If all goes well, the trip will include a stop in Washington, D.C. and a stay in Williamsburg, VA. Along with that plan, the train trip east will be a fun experience that everyone should try, at least once. I know that most people don't have the time to take the train versus flying, but we do and so we shall.

I like being up late and listening to the repeats of radio shows from earlier in the day yesterday. That's because we generally watch too much TV and don't take much time to listen to the radio. In fact, I just finished watching a movie on the Hallmark Movies and Mystery Channel. @ 11:00 p.m. last night.

I did learn that there is an Amish mystery movie scheduled to run @ 9:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 12. I don't know much other than it is set in Ohio. It is based on a novel written by Serena B. Miller, who has written several books based on the Amish. I have to be sure to let Cate Reed, the coordinator of our book club meetings, know about this showing. Cate was surprised to learn that there is mystery book genre that follows the Amish and that I like to read those books. I like them because they are mysteries, a genre that I like to read. Pulp fiction? Probably, but that's the beauty of them. It's all Mary's fault, as she introduced me to the genre when we were in Florida last year.

I finished my latest pulp fiction novel, Below the Belt, by Stuart Woods. It was just released last month and chronicles the fictional rise of a third-party presidential candidate. It was a fast read. I am now reading a non-fiction book entitled The Black Presidency: Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America by Michael Eric Dyson. I am just getting started, but so far, I like it. That's along with reading another non-fiction book that I referenced in my last blog, The Deluge: The Great War and the Remaking of the Global Order, 1916 0 1931 by Adam Tooze. This book is the one that I asked the members of our book club to read for our next meeting and discussion. It too is interesting, but a much longer and more difficult read.

Did I mention that since it is now February 3rd, that the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report to camp in 10 days? The pitchers and catchers for the World Champion Chicago Cubs report the next day. Position players for all teams report two days later. The actual start of spring is still 46 days away on March 20, but for me, the opening of Spring Training is the start of spring.

Since we got up late yesterday, we didn't do much. Mary made a new version of her world famous sauerkraut and vegan Swiss cheese sandwiches. However, these included some of her extraordinary beest. Both sandwiches taste great, so I can't say that one is better than the other, they are just different.

Today, we have a chiropractor's appointment and Mary may have some indexing to do. If not, she will continue knitting her sock project and do some sewing for my office. I plan to read yesterday's Grand Haven Tribune along with doing the crossword puzzle, and if I can, I'll get in some time with the girls. Of course, the fur-children will need to go out too.

The current temperature is 21° but it feels like 8° due to the 16 mph winds, Today's high is expected to be 23°, also accompanied by 16 mph winds, so the temperature will probably feel much like it does now. The sun will rise @ 7:57 a.m. and set @ 6:00 p.m. Punxatawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday, so his prediction is for six more weeks of winter. The NWS doesn't agree, as they are forecasting above average temperatures for much of the country and average temperatures in the Great Lakes area during February. That's all folks! Ciao.