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

I know I'm later with this blog, but sometimes I take license with my writing and do it when I feel in the mood.

Yesterday's sports news was mixed. The Cubs rallied to win over my beloved Red Sox by a final score of 7 - 4. Naturally, that means that the beloved fell to the Cubs by a score of 4 - 7. That win finds the Cubs still atop the NL Central @ 13 - 10, while the loss means that the Sox are languishing in 3rd place in the AL East, with a record of 12 - 11. The Cubs and the Sox play the rubber game of their series tonight @ 8:00 p.m. @ Fenway, before the Cubs come home to face the Phillies @ "The Friendly Confines tomorrow night @ 7:05 p.m., while the Sox are home to face the Orioles tomorrow night @ 7:05 p.m.

The Tigers were bested by that other team from Chicago by a final score of 4 - 6 yesterday. That loss put the Tigers in 4th place with a record of 11 - 12. They are winning today's game over that other team, so they should move back to .500 with a record of 12 - 12 and possibly 3rd place. They are home again tomorrow night to face the Indians @ 7:05 p.m.

The Caps fell to the Lake, County, OH Captains yesterday by a score of 2 - 5. However, they are tied for 1st place in the MWL East with a record of 13 - 9. The Caps are off tomorrow before hosting the Clinton, IA Lumberkings @ 6:35 p.m. on Tuesday.

I was successful in repairing our refrigerator's ice maker yesterday. I replaced both the ice maker and the wiring harness and voila, the machine is once again making ice. Altogether, the cost was less than $100.00 versus a service call that would have been at least $190.00!

Yesterday, I did more reading after the morning safari with STWD. Mary and Ginger took another route while Sugar and I walked to the Bookman on Independent Bookstore Day so that I could buy the Grand Haven Tribune weekend edition and Sugar could get a biscuit. We had to skedaddle home, as there was a blues band playing out front of the Bookman and that was too much for Sugar to bear.

Today, I've been reading, doing indoor chores and watching the Tigers defeat that other team from Chicago. So far, the score is 7 - 3 with the game in the top of the 8th. The Tigers have collected 14 hits so far!

Today, Mary made vegan breakfast sausages and toast for breakfast and for lunch, a salad with a vegan TVP based non-meat loaf for the main course. This recipe evolved over her last attempt and I pronounce it a keeper. Mary has completed "Chunking" the index and it is @ seven pages. The goal is 10 - 12 pages I believe, so it should be fine when completed.

Tomorrow, no plans other than to stay home, walk the fur-children, and read.

We have a current temperature of 45/46° with rain falling. That rain is forecast by the NWS to continue all day today and then off and on for the next two days. It will be chilly until we begin to warm up on Thursday.

The sun rose this morning @ 6:39 a.m. and it will set tonight @ 8:45 p.m. Ciao.

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

Even though I didn't get around to blogging yesterday, I am still going to keep this one short.

We have a current temperature of 46° per the NWS, or 47° per my DTWS, under cloudy skies, per both the NWS & the WW.

Today, the high will reach 57°, NWS, but there is a 60% chance of rain in the late afternoon/evening. Tomorrow, Sunday, the high is forecast to reach 49° with a 90% chance of rain/T-storms. The NWS has forecast cool temperatures for the next week. Oh well, no summer uniform for yours truly.

We, well mostly me, did some gardening yesterday while Mary was @ the grocery store. Ginger was there to provide moral support after our return from their weigh-in. Sugar is like the rest of us, still struggling to shed those extra pounds.

Sports news yesterday was very mixed. The Cubs fell to my beloved Red Sox by a score of 4 - 5 in a game in which Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta gave up five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Conversely, the beloved defeated the Cubs 5 - 4. Arrieta never looked sharp. Kris Bryant is still sharp at the plate and in the field. The Cubs and the beloved play again today @ 4:05 p.m. The Cubs and the Red Sox share the same 12 - 10 record. That gives the Cubs 1st place in the NL Central, but the Sox only 3rd in the AL East.  

The Tigers fell to that other team from Chicago by a score of 3 - 7. That leaves the Tigers in 3rd place in the AL Central with a record of 11 - 11. The Tigers and that other team play again today @ 1:10 p.m.

The Caps were victorious over the Lake, County, OH Captains, 7 - 3, in an MWL East matchup. That victory finds the Caps 1/2 game behind the South Bend Cubs with a record of 13 - 8 as compared to the record of the SB Cubs of 13 - 8. Both teams play again tonight @ 6:05 p.m.

We didn't do much yesterday. I read another issue of Rolling Stone, did some crosswords, and read more of the book for our history book club after gardening but before we went to the chiropractor. Mary chatted and went to the grocery store, but did not get more of the index written. Today, she'll have to get busy. I'll spend some time with the girls and do more reading along with some indoor chores.

The sun will rise into those cloud skies @ 6:40 a.m. and set into rainy skies @ 8:43 p.m. Ciao.

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

Yesterday was mostly unremarkable unless you factor in a few stops. A walk with the fur-children to Chow Hound™ for a fresh supply of treats first thing in the morning. Later, there was a stop at a garden center to pick up some vegetable plants and some annual flowers. along with seven bags of Dairy Doo™ an organic soil improver. Finally,  there was a stop to pick up some glass for the top of the cold frame and a stop at the carpet store to pick up our new area rugs and yet another stop at a big-box home center for some paint. See, I told you it was an unremarkable day.

With the exception of the morning safari, all of that was after lunch and about one hour of gardening in the gardens of the vast PE. I'm tired just remembering all of that.

Sports news yesterday was mostly bad. The Bulls lost to the Cavaliers, the Cubs fell to the Pirates 5 - 6, the Tigers fell to the Mariners 0 - 8, and my beloved Red Sox fell to the Yankees 1 - 3. The Cubs have the day off before a weekend series at Fenway Pak against the beloved. The Tigers play later this afternoon against the Mariners and the beloved play once again against the Yankees.

The only good news was that the Caps soundly defeated the Ft. Wayne, IN TinCaps 8 - 2, to tie the South Bend, IN Cubs @ 12 - 8 for a share of 1st place in the MWL East.

I must have been reading a forecast from the Onion yesterday as none of my weather observations were accurate. We have a current temperature of 61° under mostly cloudy skies. Later this morning, there is a strong chance of showers and possible T-storms. Temperatures in the 50s will preclude the wearing of my summer uniform for another few days. I did get to wear it uniform for the last two days, so it is not a total loss.

Today, I am taking the day off from work. Mary will be indexing, but I'll be reading and playing with the girls after the morning safari that will likely be abbreviated due to the rain.

The sun will rise @ 6:43 a,m., and set @ 8:41 p.m. Ciao.

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

Yarn Quest 2017 began anew yesterday afternoon with a visit to Apple Knits and Purls in Muskegon, our 7th stop on the quest. I couldn't keep Mary from adding to her substantial stash there, but that's probably because I can't say much give my rather large Music Room contingent of instruments. We all need hobbies.

This is the result of her addition, a pattern for a "Fun" shawl and another part of the pattern offered on the "Quest."

We had been busy in the gardens of the Vast PE earlier in the day. Well, Mary planted some plants and watered them and I did some heavy digging to place the edging seen in the photos below. She has the vision, I supply the labor. In this case, it took longer than I had initially thought. One good thing is that the lawn continues to shrink in size. If I keep it up, I'll be able to mow the grass, in several directions, in under 10 minutes!

In this picture, you can see one of the neighborhood bird/mouse catchers who roam freely. You can also see the hole in the top of the cold frame that used to be a piece of glass that my elbow took out. 

Same cat, that Mary believes was posing for the picture, secure in the knowledge that Ginger was in the manse.

Oddly, or maybe not so oddly, the neighbor's cat, Phoebe, fell through the open hole and Mary was afraid that I'd have to rescue her. She managed to leap nearly straight up and escape unaided. Last year, that same cat had wandered into my man-cave through the outer doors and become trapped there when I failed to notice. It was at least one day later that Mary got a fright when she opened the inner door and there was Phoebe. That time, I had to pick up Phoebe and carry her outside. She hasn't made that mistake again. She learns quickly, but her usual trip across the cold frame was a new experience when she fell into in through a towel that I had placed over the missing pane of glass versus simply passing across.

But I digress. I also tilled the soil in the vegetable garden on the right side of the picture where I'll be planting potatoes, both sweet and russet types, along with some cucumbers. We had picked up some peat moss @ the big-box home center on Monday that I also tilled in, but we weren't done @ the big-box home center yet. We had to visit again yesterday to get a glass cutter for the new pane of glass that we picked up earlier @ the Restore Store™. The pane of glass started life as part of a picture frame. Today, I have to cut that glass and plant those potatoes and cucumbers while Mary works on the index.

We finished @ the big-box home center and traveled north to pick up some towels for the downstairs bathroom and some syrups for our SodaStream™ machine. We finished up our trip with the latest stop on Yarn Quest @ Apple Knits and then in GH we dined @ our favorite watering hole before heading home to the fur-children.

Sports news yesterday was a mix of squeakers, rainouts, and blowouts. The Cubs and Kyle Hendricks took a close game from the Pirates by a score of 1 - 0. Given the offensive explosion that the Cubs enjoyed the night before, this was not an offensive gem but it was a great pitching duel. The Cubs now have a record of 12 - 8, two games ahead of the Brewers in the NL Central. The Cubs and the Pirates meet again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. I was able to watch the game on MLB TV™ last night because my beloved Red Sox were rained out in their game versus the Yankees.

Speaking of the beloved, they remain in 3rd place in the AL East due to that rainout, @ 11 - 8. The game has been rescheduled for a July doubleheader. The Sox hopefully play the Yankees tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Tigers did win in a blowout over the Seattle Mariners by a final score of 19 - 9. In all, the Tigers and the Mariners collected 40 hits, including four home runs by the Tigers! Definitely not a pitching duel. At any rate, the Tigers are once again on top of the AL Central with a record of 11- 8, the same record that finds my beloved Red Sox in 3rd place in the AL East. The Tigers and the Mariners square off again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. @ Comerica Park.

The Caps too were part of a blowout. They defeated the Ft. Wayne, IN TinCaps by a final score of 12 - 5. to move into a three-way tie for 1st in the MWL East, with the Dayton Dragons and the South Bend, IN Cubs. The Caps and the TinCaps complete their series at Fith/Third Ballpark today @ 12:00 p.m. before departing for Lake, County, OH and a four-game series against the Captains.

Phew, what busy day in all areas of life. Mary made me eat and drink during my garden adventure or I might well have perished from hunger and thirst! I tend to work through and not notice a need for sustenance and hydration. We were free to pursue our other activities because we have a person in to do the deep cleaning that we never seem to get to. She'll be finishing up this morning,

The current temperature is 58/64° under cloudy skies. As always, the NWS is reporting temperatures from GR, 25 miles inland from the warmer or colder cities/towns on the shores of the "Big Lake." Today's high is forecast to reach 74° with a 0% chance of rain. In fact, the NWS has revised their forecast to no further days in the 50s and only a small chance of rain! It looks like it is once again time to break out my summer uniform of shorts and t-shirts on a more or less permanent basis for the next several months. Put it on the board, Yes!

I neary forgot that I saw the southbound run of the train on the RSTL @ 12:17 p.m. EMD GP 38-2 Mid-Michigan locomotives 2019 and 2057 were towing 14 CHCs, one GTC, and five DBTCs. I don't know if there was a return run as we were up north.

Today, after the morning safari, we'll finish the plantings, I'll cut and replace that broken glass before playing with the girls and reading. Mary will continue indexing. We are way too busy for our advancing ages.

The sun will rise @ 6:16 a.m. and set @ 7:56 p.m. Ciao.

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

Yesterday was a great day. We began our quest to visit all 11 stores participating in the 2017 Yarn Quest. We made stops at six stores. They included: Grand Haven's own Needlesmith, and then we traveled on to Garen Huis and the Flying Pig Yarn shops in Holland. We stopped for lunch at the Mexican restaurant in the same plaza as the Flying Pig where we had a plate of terrific bean tostadas.

From there it was on to Country Needleworks in Jenison, MI followed by a stop @ the Threadbender Yarn shop in Wyoming, MI and finally on to the Michigan Fibre Studio in Grand Rapids. While in GR, we had an adult libation

Here is a picture Mary took of our swag from every stop.

Yarn and six parts to an 11 part pattern were our prizes for the day.

It was getting late and since Ginger had been dropped @ Doggie Daycare in the early afternoon, we had to get back to GH. We did take advantage of a sale @ Sherwin-Williams in GH that gave us 40% off on each of three gallons of paint which John will be using to repaint the front porch and garage.

We picked up Ginger and then stopped at the big-box home center for some hardware and garden supplies. We tried to get some additional food for STWD, but our veterinarian had none in stock. Fortunately, the staff @ Haven Animal Hospital called another nearby veterinarian's office where we were able to get a fresh supply. All three members of the pack were exhausted by the time we arrived at the PE.

Mary had plans to make the spaghetti with mushroom bolognese sauce but opted instead to make a veggie pizza. She used several leftover items from the refrigerator such as broccoli and cannellini beans, along with freshly sliced onions and chopped grape tomatoes topped with nutritional yeast. The pizza turned out delicious.

Before baking.

After baking.

I was watching the Cubs on TV, but they were romping all over the Pirates, so I went on to other activities. The final score was 14 - 3. The Cubs are now 11 - 8 and in 1st place in the NL Central, one full game ahead of the Reds. The Cubs and the Pirates play again tonight @ 6:05 p.m.

The Tigers and my beloved Red Sox had the day off.

The Caps took one from the Ft. Wayne, IN TinCaps 4 - 2, to move to a record of 10 - 8 and 3rd place in the MWL East, just behind the South Bend Cubs. The Caps play the TinCaps again today @ 12:00 p.m.

Mary took the day off from indexing to make the Yarn Quest and I was along for the ride.

The current temperature is 62° under partly cloudy skies after a high yesterday of 73°! Today, the high is forecast to reach 70°, also under partly cloudy skies. We plan to do some work in the gardens of the vast PE and enjoy the nice weather. Wednesday's high is forecast to be 72°, but the rain chance has been reduced from 100% to 20% before going back 90% on Thursday with a high of only 60°. We'll stay in the 50s and 60s for several more days. May maybe just around the corner, but this is Michigan.

Mary will get back to indexing after our gardening and I'll get back to retirement. The sun will rise today @ 6:46 a.m. and set tonight @ 8:39 p.m. Ciao.

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

I'm going to make this another of my KISS type blogs, given the late/early hour.

Current temperature, 44° under clear skies. High today, 71° under sunny skies. Sunrise, 6:48 a.m. Sunset, 8:38 p.m.

Sports yesterday: Cubs/Reds, 5 - 7. Cubs 1st place NL Central, 10 - 8, Rizzo HR third game in a row. @ Pirates 6:05 p.m. tonight.

Tigers/Twins, 13 - 4, 2nd AL Central, 10 - 8 Off today, home vs. Mariners tomorrow night

Red Sox/Orioles, 6 - 2, 11 hits, Betts and Ramirez go yard. 3rd in AL East, 10 - 8, 2.0 games in back of Yankees, tomorrow's opponent @ Fenway, 7:05 p.m.

Caps/Lake, County Captains, 5 - 2. Tied with Lansing, MI Lugnuts, @ 9 - 8, 4th in MWL East. Home tonight vs. Ft. Wayne, IN Tincaps @ 6:05 p.m.

Yesterday: Nice day for some yard work, only pulled some hated dandelions. Additional work will wait for today as predicted. Installed closet doors. They look and work great. Completed indoor chores. Finally tossed jigsaw puzzle and put away the puzzle table. Sad. : - (.
Played with the girls. : - ). Watched BB on TV.

Walked with fur-children. Uneventful.

Mary indexed and did some light cooking.

Today, walk to the veterinarians for the weigh-in of fur-children and pick up lo-cal food for STWD.

Possible 2017 Yarn Quest stops in Holland.

Stop @ the big-box home center for some small items.

Possible yard work in back forty of PE.

More reading in The Scarlet Sisters. Interesting so far.

Ciao.

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

As previously noted in this space, yesterday was Earth Day across the world and specifically here in GH. I celebrated by staying home and doing some gardening here on the Palatial Estate, PE, while Mary was working on the latest index and then later traveling solo to the  GH Community Center to see the exhibits and the activities, both inside and out. While there, Mary took some pictures, so I'll include them here.

People that Mary described as "Old Hippies" serenaded people with appropriate songs. I guess that makes yours truly and "Old Hippie" when I play the girls and sing old songs. 

Outside the Community Center, wagons drawn by Clydesdale type horses were available for "Earth Friendly" rides.

The wagons circled Central Park and the riders, many children or children @ heart, were enthusiastic about the ride.

Many people are familiar with the name Clydesdale from the Budweiser™ beer commercials, and Clydesdales are a type of draft horse, so that made the term useful for a description by the drivers. However, all large horses are not Clydesdales, as that is a specific breed characterized by heavy feathered legs and bred originally in Scotland, while some are Percherons, bred in France, or shire horses, all bred to haul heavy loads.

But I digress. Yesterday's weather was great in the early hours for doing yard work and taking wagon rides. As the day progressed, the temperature dropped some but it was still great for walking, which Mary and I did to Double Deuce for dinner. 

We have a current temperature of 37° according to the NWS, while my own DTWS has a reading of 39°. According to the NWS, today should see a high temperature of 59° under sunny skies, while Monday may see 69° and sunny skies and Tuesday may reach 71°, also with sunny skies. As it looks right now, Wednesday will have a 100% chance of rain but a high of 67°! This being spring in Michigan, the weather will be mostly cool until at least Mother's Day and probably into June.

I accomplished quite a bit yesterday while Mary slaved over the current index. I mowed the unruly grass in front and back and dug out some of those pesky dandelions and other invasives. I also applied the final coat of sealer to the closet doors in preparation for reinstallation later today before I get to some additional yard work and indoor chores. Oh, I also baked another loaf of my world famous banana nut bread.

John came by to reglaze the dining room window that I have been meaning to get to for several years. I had gotten the glazing putty for another project, but I was still fixing to get ready for that window. Mary made an executive decision and had John take on the job. He was much faster and more efficient than me.

In sports news, the Cubs were victorious behind Jake Arrieta with an 11 - 8 victory over their NL Central rivals, the Cincinnati Reds. That win moves the Cubs solidly into 1st place @ 10 - 7, based on a great day for catcher Wilson Contreras who got his first of what Cubs' fans hope is many Grand Slams in his young career. The Cubs play the Reds again today @ 12:10 p.m. before traveling to Pittsburgh for a night game on Monday against the Pirates.

The Tigers righted the ship yesterday with a 5 - 4 decision over the Twins. That snaps a four-game losing streak for the Tigers. Sadly, Miggy is on the 10-day DL with an injury. The Tigers have had an early-season injury bug that will hopefully be over soon. They currently reside in 2nd place in the AL East with an overall record of 9 - 8. Without some of their key players, the Tigers are struggling. They meet the Twins again today @ 2:10 p.m.  

My beloved Red Sox once again fell victim to the Orioles @ Camden Yard by a final score of 2 - 4. The Sox are still having trouble scoring runs and their pitching isn't strong enough to hold better teams in check. The Sox have an AL East record of 10 - 8, three full games behind the Orioles and one and one-half games behind the Yankees. The Sox play the Orioles again this afternoon @ 1:35 p.m. When not wearing my Cubs or Tigers hats, I'll have my Red Sox hat on for luck.

The Caps eked out another win over the Lake County, OH Captains by a score of 3 - 2. That win moves them to .500 @ 8 - 8, still tied with the Lansing Lug Nuts for 5th place in the MWL East. They play the Captains again today @ 1:00 p.m. 

Today, I have some indoor chores to do along with those closet doors and a short stint in the back forty/gardens too. If I don't get to that today, which is likely, I'll get to it Monday. Like my former neighbor, Marshall used to say, "There is always another day when you are retired." That's mostly true, but you also have to budget your time for what is really important, like watching baseball.

I will be reading, watching baseball, and working slowly at those indoor chores after the morning safari with the fur-children. The sun will rise @ 6:49 a.m. and set @ 8:36 p.m. Ciao.

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

We have a current temperature of 41° or 42° depending on the source of the information. Later today, the high is forecast to reach 61° under partly cloudy skies with a 0% chance of precipitation. Sunday we'll see a high of 59° under sunny skies. Both of those factoids are from the NWS.

Today is Earth Day and we'll be having a small parade and gathering at the Community Center here in GH to celebrate. We should celebrate while we can because the Earth as we know it is constantly changing and we may not recognize it in a few short years.

The Cubs managed to come from behind for the third game in a row as they defeated the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 6 - 5 in 11 innings.to move to 1st place in the NL Central, where they belong.

Anthony Rizzo tied the game in the ninth with a three-run homer and then in the 11th, Albert Almore Jr. drew a walk, moved to third on a hit by Kyle Schwarber and then scampered home on a sacrifice fly byKris Bryant. The Cubs next game is today @ 1:10 p.m. with Jake Arietta on the mound, with a chance to repeat last year's no-hitter against the Reds.

The Tigers didn't fare so well, as they dropped another game, this time to the Twins. They also saw Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera injure himself and have to leave the game. Justin "JV" Verlander was sailing along and then imploded to see the Tigers lose 3 - 6. That gives the Tigers a record of 8 - 8 and dropped them to 2nd in the AL Central. Their next game is today @ 2:10 p.m. as they attempt to right the ship with a win over the Twins with Matt Boyd on the mound.

My beloved Red Sox fell to the AL East-leading Orioles, 0 - 2. That still leaves the Sox in 3rd place in the AL East with a record of 10 - 7. I think the Sox are missing the big bat of Big Papi who retired after last season. The Sox will play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. with Steven Wright on the mound.

The Caps managed to win over the Lake, County, OH Captains yesterday by a score of 6 - 2. That win moves the Caps into a 5th place tie with the Lansing Lugnuts @ 7 - 8. Their next game is today @ 4:00 p.m. with Anthony Castro on the mound.

Elsewhere in the news, we didn't go out in the car yesterday, we walked to our various appointments. During the morning safari with the fur-children, we started out to go to the newspaper box and then the library. We made it as far as the library where Mary went in to retrieve our books that were on hold as Ginger, Sugar, and I sat outside and attempted to stay warm in the blustery wind. It was a quick walk back home.

Mary followed the recipe for vegan turkey that I had located on the internet and all indications are that it is going to be good. We'll know later today. She doesn't have all of the ingredients to make the vegan spaghetti with mushroom bolognese sauce. Those ingredients will need to be procured during a trip to the grocery store. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, I hope.

Sadly, I have pulled the plug on my latest jigsaw puzzle. I was approaching the end and I have realized that at least one piece is lost to the ages. So, it is time to say when and put the puzzle table away for next winter. Sigh.

Mary got the next book from the publisher and she plans to begin indexing today while I do some baking. I will be making my world famous banana nut bread. In addition, I'll be putting a coat of sealer on the edges of the bathroom closet doors before reinstalling them tomorrow. Staining and sealing are a two-day process to allow for drying time. I may do some work on the lawns and gardens of the vast PE too. All of those things will take place after the morning safari.

The sun will rise today @ 6:51 a.m. and set @ 8:35 p.am. Ciao.

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

This post will, of necessity, be a tad longer than that which I posted yesterday. That's because I have the time, the inclination, and lots of things I'd like to blog about.

Since my first recollection of yesterday is that of the southbound passage of EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2057, that seems like a good place to begin. At 11:00 a.m., the aforementioned locomotives passed by on the RSTL towing nine CHCs, six DBTCs, and four DWTCs that were bringing up the rear.

At the time of the afternoon passage, we were in Spring Lake, having just returned from a successful trip to Coopersville, when I once again heard that lonesome whistle blow @ 3:25 p.m. It is usually at this point where I note that I have no knowledge beyond that moaning whistle. However, after we had stopped @ Stan's for about one hour while Ginger was @ daycare, we were on our way home when what to my surprise should I see as we passed across the US 31 automobile drawbridge over the Grand River, but those same locomotives stopped @ the swinging train bridge that also spans the Grand River.

I did a little digging and came up with a picture of the actual bridge from the archives of the Historic Bridges.org website and their photographer, NathanHolth. What little I could glean about the bridge is that it is fully riveted in its construction, suggesting that is was built in the early part of the 20th century. The bridge is 150 feet in length and uses an electric motor to open it to allow boats to pass through on the river when there are no trains. The bridge is normally closed in the winter months when there are no boats passing and open in the summer months as boat passages are more frequent.

I don't know what the problem was, but the train must have been there for about one hour, idling and wasting fuel. At any rate, I observed the locomotives at the head of eight CHCs, seven DBTCs, and six DTWCs, one with a green stripe around its mid-section.

As a train buff, this bridge is quite the scene to see.

We had been to Coopersville while Ginger was @ daycare to pick up a few things @ Off theTracks, the small grocery store there. A trip to Coopersville and this store is always a nice ride in the country.

In Spring Lake, before our stop @ Stan's, we stopped @ Love Inc's resale store to see if we could repurpose some clothing for Mary and ultimately yours truly. We discovered that the store was having a sale that offered five articles of clothing for $5.00. I ended up with two shirts and Mary three tops. Any that we decide aren't suitable we will donate to Goodwill™ to continue the repurposing. We absolutely believe in repurposing clothing rather than buying new. 

As noted, Ginger was @ daycare and we picked her up on the way home. She is adapting nicely and we think that daycare is preferable to being in her crate for hours. Sugar was home on the couch, having walked to the veterinarian's office with us earlier in the day to pick up some medication and to get her and Ginger's weight checked. Ginger seems up about one-half pound and Sugar down about three pounds following her one week on her lo-calorie diet food. When a dog the size of a small pickup truck is in the veterinarian's office it is hard to get an accurate weight as the fur-children are seemingly bouncing all over the office. We think that Ginger needs to eat less and Sugar is doing great. Would that it were so easy to lose weight for her caretakers. 

Sports news yesterday was only slightly good. The Cubs had the day off following their victory over the Brewers on Wednesday. With a record of 8 - 7, the Cubs are in second place in the NL Central. The Cubs travel to meet the Reds in Cincinnati tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Tigers are hurting, having a record of 8 - 7 in the AL Central following an embarrassing loss to the Rays, 1 - 8. They are now in 2nd place and face the Twins tonight @ 8:10 p.m. 

My beloved Red Sox took 10 innings and a three-run double in the top of the 10th by Mookie Betts, but they defeated the Blue Jays by a final score of 4 - 1. The Sox are still in 3rd place behind the 2nd place Yankees and the 1st place Orioles, the Sox opponent tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

Sadly, the Caps didn't fare very well yesterday in their return home as they fell to the Lake, County, OH Captains 1 - 2. That loss ties the Caps with the Ft. Wayne, IN TinCaps with identical records of 6 - 8, good for 7th place in the MWL East, three games behind the front-running Dayton Dragons. The Caps and the Captains play again tonight @ the Fith/Third Ballpark @ 6:35 p.m.

We have a current temperature of 47° under cloudy skies. Later today, the high temperature is forecast by the NWS to reach 50° under partly cloudy skies. Saturday's high should reach 60°, also under partly cloudy skies. Sunday we'll also see 60°, albeit with sunny skies. 

Today, after we get back from the morning safari with the fur-children to the newspaper box and the library, I have a few things I'd like to do in the upstairs bathroom to finish off some small details that can wait if I don't get to them. I want to do some baking, jigsaw and crossword puzzle solving, and reading while Mary gets started on the index for the book that finally arrived. She believes that I won't have to read this one as it is a textbook that indexes more easily. Here's hoping. I also printed out a recipe for spaghetti with a mushroom bolognese sauce that I'd like Mary to try making for tonight's dinner. Much of the day's activities depend on when we decide to rise. Mary does have her regularly scheduled chat session, so that will factor in along with our visit to the chiropractor. 

The sun will rise @ 6:52 a.m.and set @ 8:34 p.m. Ciao.

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

Let's follow the KISS axiom once again, if possible.

Cubs win, Tigers lose, beloved Red Sox lose, Caps lose. 1/4 of teams successful.

Morning safari with fur-children, successful.

Ginger's first visit to the "Doggie Day Care, nervous, but adapting. Also successful.

A trip to Holland, highly successful.

Stop @ favorite watering hole, also highly successful.

Dinner, a trip to Arturo's, successful.

Watching Designated Survivor, fabulous.

Weather, cloudy and windy, current temperature, 52° with a Significant Weather Advisory in Effect for the next hour or so for the majority of the communities on the shores of the "Big Lake." Strong T-storms, high winds, downed limbs, mostly north of GH. Mostly true all day too.

Sunrise today @ 6:54 a.m.

Sunset @ 8:33 p.m.

Yesterday's activities, nominal.

Today's activities, nominal.

Ciao.

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

I've just finished listening to the Cubs' game on SiriusXM.com™ and I had the pleasure of listening to the Cubs snatch victory from the jaws of defeat with a 9 - 7 win over the Brewers @ "The Friendly Confines. The boys have once again returned to .500  in the NL Central with a record of 7 - 7. Unfortunately, they are still in 3rd place behind the Brewers and the Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs will be on TV this afternoon @ 2:20 p.m. EDT as they attempt to move one over in The Central Division.

Last fall, when the Cubs won the World Series™, I ordered a keepsake ornament from Hallmark so that I could always celebrate what was for me a 57-year wait. I took a picture of that memento accompanied by a picture of the project bag that Mary ordered when she was at Yarn Quest in Chicago recently and here they are.

What can I say, I'm a sentimental sucker. My first game @ Wrigley was as a Cub Scout when I was eight years old!

Mary's project bag was an impulse buy as was the vase filled with flowers that she bought when we were in Spring Lake yesterday. I would have bought the bag too. The flowers, she bought for herself, but I like them.

 The Tigers fell to the Rays by a score of 1 - 5. The Tigers are still holding on to 1st place in the AL Central, with a record of 8 - 5, one game ahead of that other team from Chicago. The Tigers play again today in Tampa Bay @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox handled the Blue Jays by a slim margin of 8 - 7. That win moves them up to 2nd place in the AL East with a record of 9 - 5. The Sox and the Blue Jays play again tonight @ 7:07 p.m. EDT.

The Caps fell to the Ft. Wayne, IN TinCaps 1 - 2. last night. That loss gives them an MWL East record of 6 - 6. still tied with the Hot Rods of Bowling Green and the South Bend Cubs. The Caps play the TinCaps again today @ 11:05 a.m. before they journey back to their home field for a 6:35 p.m. game against the Lake, County, OH Captains.

I did witness the southbound passage of the train on the RSTL @ 11:33 a.m., as locomotives 2057 and 2019 towed 24 CHCs. We must have been out when the northbound run occurred.

We have a current temperature of  60/63° under cloudy/rainy skies. The rain wasn't supposed to hit until late tomorrow night and into early Thursday when T-storms are possible. Today's high is forecast to be 59°. The sun will rise @ 6:56 a.m. and set @ 8:32 p.m.

We made several stops in Spring Lake yesterday to pick up some groceries, dropped off some @ the food pantry, get some hardware items, the aforementioned flowers for Mary and then finally home. Before that, we dropped off the old towels @ Goodwill ™ in GH. We had been visited earlier in the day by the lady who will be helping us deep-clean the manse next Tuesday. She quickly made friends with the fur-children with a small treat.

I placed more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle and also made some Coleslaw for lunch. Mary was in charge of dinner and she made a great tasting vegan lasagna with herbed tofu in lieu of ricotta cheese. I think she was a bit over-zealous in her use of red pepper flakes though.

Today, not much is on tap and that's fine by me. We collectively did the laundry yesterday and so that's out of the way. We are still waiting on the new book for indexing. I'll read more and puzzle more while Mary crafts more. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:45 a.m. in "The City." Yesterday, we decided that it was time to get Ginger to the groomer. Ginger is a terrier mix, so she is regularly in need of a bath and a trim. Unlike retrievers and other water dogs, Ginger doesn't shed and so she needs professional assistance to keep her looking her best.

Ginger arriving before grooming, a bit like the "Shaggy Dog" of Disney fame.

Same here.

This is Ginger after grooming. You can actually see her pretty face. She has a pink bandana around her neck and pink bows on her ears, courtesy of the groomer.

A close up of Ginger at home, resting after grooming. Still pretty, but without the pink bandana that the groomer added.

Sugar took the long walk with us to the groomer, but she preferred to stay at home when we picked up her sister later in the afternoon. On our way home, I stopped at the chiropractor's office a bit early and got my knees taped. They feel better already.

Once we were home, it was time for a quick lunch and then we were off once again to the land of big-box stores. We found most of what we wanted at our first stop and most of the balance at the second.
Unfortunately, polished brass shower curtain rings are no longer in vogue, so we haven't yet found what we desire. Where is Del Griffith when you need him?

In sports news, the Cubs had a major system fail last night. In this game, John Lackey was never the dominant pitcher of last season, and it took some effort just to stay tied. Albert Almora Jr. nailed a two-RBI double in the bottom of the 2nd to tie the game, but that lasted only until the top of the 3rd when the Brewers once again pulled ahead, 4 - 3, this time to stay. Freak plays and missed throws led to two additional runs by the Brew Crew in the bottom of the 8th and so the final score was 6 - 3, Brewers.

That loss dropped the Cubs' NL Central to 6 - 7 and a third place standing, one game behind the Brewers and the one and one-half games behind the Cincinnati Reds. The next game for the Cubs and the Brewers is tonight @ 7:05 p.m. CDT.

The Tigers had the day off as they prepared to meet the Rays in Tampa Bay. The Tigers still lead the AL Central with their 8 - 4 record. They play tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox had to play hard, but the four runs they scored early in their game against the Rays held up for a 4 - 3 victory. The Sox have a solid 8 - 5 record in the AL East, but they still trail the hated Yankees and the Orioles to reside in 3rd place in the AL East. Next, up for the Sox, a 7:07 p.m. start against the woeful Toronto Blue Jays as the Sox leave Fenway for the north country. I'm hoping for another win by the beloved.

The Caps took 13 innings to eke out a win over the Ft. Wayne, IN TinCaps 3 - 2. Sadly, the Caps MWL East record of 6 - 5 ties them with two other teams and leaves them all one game behind the 1st place Dayton Dragons and Lansing Lugnuts. The Caps play again tonight in Ft. Wayne @ 7:05 p.m.

The weather is cool but pleasant, with a current temperature of 48° under partly cloudy skies according to my DTWS and my personal observation when I was outside with the fur-children @ 2:30 a.m. Today's high is forecast to reach 70° with a 0% chance of showers and partly cloudy skies. Wednesday afternoon, the NWS is forecasting a 30% chance of showers that increases to 90% by Thursday. After that, we will see temperatures in the upper 50s until Wednesday, April 26, when the forecast calls for a permanent return to the mid-60s and above.

Today, I plan to place more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle after the morning safari with the fur-children. I am taking a few days off from the girls to allow my overworked wrists to recover from our strenuous jam last Saturday. I'd like to read more too if time permits.

Mary will be washing and sewing the fabric for our sink apron in the mudroom, knitting, cooking leftovers, and listening to an estimate from a person whom Mary would like to do a deep-cleaning on the manse.

The sun will rise @ 6:57 a.m. and set @ 8:31 p.m. Ciao.

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

Since I generally don't start with the sports report, I will. The Cubs were never in the game yesterday. They fell to 3rd place in the NL Central with an overall record of 6 - 6 following their loss to the Pirates, 1 - 6. The Cubs welcome the Milwaukee Brewers tonight @ 8:05 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers were in their game yesterday following their shellacking by the Rays the day before. The Tigers won yesterday's game by a score of 4 - 1 over the Indians to stay firmly in 1st place atop the AL Central with a record of 8 - 4. They are off today before visiting the Rays in Tampa Bay on Tuesday @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox actually were in their game too, as they snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by a score of 7 - 5 over the Tampa Bay Rays, the Tigers upcoming opponent. Coincidentally, that same 7 - 5 mark is the Sox' season record in the AL East, placing them in 3rd place. The Sox welcome the Rays one more time to Fenway @ 11:05 a.m. today.

The Caps were off yesterday before traveling to Ft. Wayne, IN to play the Ft. Wayne TinCaps @7:05 p.m. tonight. The Caps have an identical record to that of the Lake, County, OH Captains, and the South Bend, IN, Cubs of 5 - 5 as they languish well down in the standings in the MWL East.

In other news yesterday, we had a great Easter dinner. Mary made a new recipe called Hamish Loaf, which was good, but not as good as her regular version of vegan ham. She was going to make scalloped potatoes, but time ran out, so the scalloped potatoes became vegan German potato salad. She made vegan bacon bits and instead of using bacon fat to cook the salad, she used olive oil. Otherwise, it was identical to that which my grandmother used to make. I like this version better and it is more healthy. Although Mary felt that she had overcooked the potatoes, I liked her result just fine. The taste was excellent and the texture was fine too.

As a side, she served canned jellied cranberry sauce, one of my favorites. In this case, this was from a restaurant supplier versus the name brand Ocean Spray™. The taste was okay, but I prefer the name brand. Just saying.

I managed to decide that the nails I was going to buy during our walk to the big-box home center yesterday weren't necessary, as I had nails of the right length nails already in the man-cave that I had forgotten until I was reminded while at the big-box store. With a bit of finesse to the floor, the transition strip is now solidly nailed in place. One more thing off the list of things to be done.

I still have to more firmly affix the folding doors in the rear of the room. I can get them loose once again from the track, I need to stain and seal the edges where they meet each other. I grant that I should have done that while I had them in the man-cave the first time, but I didn't because I had sealed the doors while they were folded together and I didn't think of it.

We did get the shower curtain hung and it looks great. Now we have to get towels to accent or accompany the new curtain and the refurbished bathroom with its new floor. Once more into the breach my friends, once more into the breach.

The current temperature is 43° under clear skies. I was out with Ginger @ 2:30 a.m. and it was not unpleasant. Today's high is forecast to reach 61° under mostly sunny skies. Tuesday, the high is forecast to reach 71° with more clouds.

Otherwise, there is a new book due into the archives of Mary's indexing operation. I seem to recall that this is a long one which Mary now regrets accepting. She/we have three weeks until it is due back to the publisher, but a large number of pages are more reading than I want to do in a non-pleasure effort.

I have an appointment at the chiropractor this afternoon to get my knees taped. They are feeling better, but if the taping can help them to heal more quickly, I am all for it. Less up and down the stairs will go a long way towards the healing too.

The sun will rise later this morning @ 6:59 a.m. and set this evening @ 8:29 p.m. Ciao.

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

The forecast from the NWS calls for possible T-storms with anywhere from a high of 55% to a low of 30%. So far, nothing. There is a chance for T-storms later this morning too. Right now, the skies are cloudy and there is a strong wind blowing.

Yesterday, the weather was nothing short of perfect. Perfect weather for a long sleeved shirt and no jacket. Perfect weather for the Easter Egg Hunt in Central Park. Adam and Stephany visited for a short time yesterday morning and Adam was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. As they were leaving, he rolled the top back on his Fiat.

I walked to and from my Irish Jam session, and I was very comfortable. Speaking of the Jam, we had about 10 players and a similar sized audience. Fortunately, we had two whistle players, two mandolin players, and several guitar players. I even sang a couple of tunes.

But I digress. The current temperature is 57° as we roll steadily towards today's high of 58°. I was outside with the fur-children @ 11:30 p.m. last night and Ginger was spooked by our neighbor, the "Easter Bunny", hiding eggs for his children. I have fond remembrances of finding eggs and baskets at Nane's house when I was a wee lad. We always got a new Easter outfit too. Sadly, I don't seem to have any pictures from those activities.

I promised that I'd include some pictures of the bathroom, both during and after the remodel. The room looks great now, but it was a tough fight.

Tile in and grouted.

Vanity in, no top.

Finished!

It was a tough fight that required additional visits to the big-box home center, but it is done at last. Now, all that awaits is Mary's installation, well actually my installation, of the new shower curtain and the purchase of towels that match the new decor scheme.

To celebrate, we made a stop @ Stan's in Spring Lake after visiting the hardware store and the grocery store there. We needed to get some cherry tomatoes for the dinner that Mary had planned. She found a recipe for a taco salad on the internet and veganized it to suit her desires and our status as vegans. I think this is a keeper. Excellent taste, texture, and totally satisfying. Mary even made her own French dressing for this recipe. Here is how it looked.

A picture can't do this justice, but I can attest to its great taste.

In sports news yesterday, two of four teams didn't fare very well. The Cubs struggled after taking an early lead over the Pirates on the strength of two home runs by Kris Bryant but they fell one run short for a final score of 7 - 8. That loss still finds the Cubs in 2nd place in the NL Central with a record of 6 - 5. The Cubs and the Pirates play again this afternoon @ 1:10 p.m.

The Tigers and their "Ace" Justin Verlander, were shellacked by the Cleveland Indians and their own "Ace" Corey Kluber. by a final score of 6 - 13. The Tigers still have a hold on 1st place in the AL Central with an overall record of 7 - 4. The Indians and the Tigers play again today @ 5:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox eked out a 2 - 1 win over the Tampa Bay Rays, 2 - 1. The Sox have moved up to 3rd place in the AL East with a record of 6 - 5. Both teams play again today @ 5:35 p.m.

The Caps also won yesterday over the South Bend Cubs, 6 - 5. The Caps are now tied with those same Cubs for 5th place in the Midwest League East with an overall record of 5 -5.

Our hope for today is no visits to the big or small box home centers. However, I am not sure that Mary won't want to go to a store for new towels etc. for the bathroom. If so, that will be in the afternoon after a morning safari with the fur-children. Otherwise, I have plans to read, add more pieces to my jigsaw puzzle, and do as little as possible. I am not sure about Mary's plans.

The sun will rise today @ 7:00 a.m. and set @ 8:28 p.m. Ciao.

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

I was outside with Ginger around 2:30 a.m. and there were a few droplets of rain on the deck, but the forecast for rain this early morn' was not yet accurate. However, the forecast also called for a peak chance of showers/T-storms which are happening right now @ 3:50 a.m. After that, the chance for rain drops off to 15% @ 5:00 a.m. and then all the way down to 5% shortly after and throughout the day. It looks like the annual GH Easter Egg Hunt in Central Park should go off without a problem. That's good for the children, and their parents, who drive the kids from miles around in the Tri-Cities area to allow them to enjoy and participate.

Yesterday's visits to the big-box home centers went relatively smooth. We made our returns at one store and then moved on to the next store where we were to pick up our new vanity top. We also tried to return two items to that store in Muskegon, which we had purchased @ their sister store here in GH on Thursday, but they didn't have them in their inventory so they would not accept them. Once more into the breach dear friend, once more into the breach later this morning with the fur-children. Then we should be done, we hope.

Speaking of that bathroom remodel, we are nearing the end. John will be by to finish the project later this morning and then we will be done. I have taken pictures along the way, and I'll share them when we are completely finished. This remodel has been a marathon rather than a sprint.

I did get to assist in the kitchen yesterday afternoon once we had returned from our sojourn to the big-box home centers. I got to stir the pizza sauce that Mary prepared for our dinner. I even got to place it into the jar for storage until preparation time came around. Not much involvement, I know, but he also serves who stands, stirs, and bottles. That's a paraphrase of a John Milton sonnet entitled  "When I Consider How My Life is Spent" in which he intoned the line "They also serve who only stand and wait." I also used my trusty stand mixer to mix the dough for that pizza.

But I digress. Mary was not entirely satisfied with the outcome that resulted in our dinner, but I liked it a lot. Mary's vegeroni, her handmade sauce, some onions and a tad of nutritional yeast and vegan cheese shreds and we had a great dinner. Here it is in pictures from start to finish.

Fully assembled and baked.

Fully eaten.

My 2016 Chicago Cubs Christmas Tree ornament is in @ Hallmark. I ordered it late last year, but it wasn't available until now. Fortunately, the Hallmark™ Card store is next door to the big-box home center where our returns have to go today. The fur-children can't go into that store, but they are welcome in the big-box home center. Ginger likes going there. Both Mary and I are so over going to big-box home centers.

In an easy segue, the sports news yesterday was mixed. The Cubs fell to the Pirates, 4 - 6. That still finds the Cubs in 2nd place with an NL Central record of 6 - 4, but they need to achieve some consistency. They left the bases loaded in that game, twice, en route to the loss.  Those two teams play again today @ 1:20 p.m. on Jackie Robinson Day.

The Tigers survived a grand slam home run by the Cleveland Indians in the top of the ninth to win their game by a slim 7 - 6 final score. That finds the Tigers atop the AL Central with a record of 7 - 3. Miguel Cabrera, Miggy, broke out of his slump with a three-run home run of his own earlier in the game. The Tigers and the Indians play again today @ 4:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox took it on the chin from the Tampa Bay Rays, 4 - 6. That loss dropped the Sox into 4th place in the AL East with a record of 4 - 5. The Sox play again today @ 4:05 p.m.

The Caps also fell on hard times yesterday as they lost to the South Bend, IN Cubs by a score of 4 - 6. That dropped them into a tie in the Midwest League East with an identical record to that of the Lake County, OH Captains of 4 - 5. The Caps and the Cubs play again today @ 4:00 p.m.

Today, we have to take that aforementioned safari with the fur-children to the Hallmark™ store and the big-box home center. Mary wants to knit and perhaps sew more and also to put the bathroom into final form while I'm @ my Irish Jam session from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. I think I'll have a better time.

The sun will rise today @ 7:02 a,m, and set later @ 8:27 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning from "The City. There is no doubt that it is morning, as the sun is about to rise @ 7:04 a.m., a few short minuted from now. That's long before the sun will set @ 8:26 p.m. 

We have a current temperature of 43° under clear skies as we head towards today's high of 66° under partly cloudy skies. There is only a 10% chance of showers today. Tomorrow, Saturday, the high is forecast to be 65°, with T-storms still in the forecast for the morning hours with an 80% chance. 

In sports news, the 6 - 3, NL Central, 2nd place Cubs righted the ship against the Dodgers as they won the game using home runs and stellar defense. Anthony Rizzo and Addison Rusell both got dingers and it is getting increasingly more difficult to keep Albert Almora Jr. out of the lineup on a regular basis as his glove work has been outstanding. He contributed two nice grabs in the outfield. Kyle Schwarber nearly made a great catch, but the ruling was that the ivy helped him. He is still learning outfield play as he is a converted catcher. His bat is the reason he is in the lineup. 

The Cubs play again today against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates @ 1:20 p.m. As an aside, this is magnet day @ Wrigley Field. I have a vague recollection of a bad outcome for this promotion once upon a time.

The AL Central-leading, 1st place @ 6 - 3 Tigers, faltered against the Twins yesterday as Jordan Zimmerman and Anibal Sanchez served up batting practice pitches and the Tigers lost to the Twins by a final score of 5 - 11. The Tigers next game is tonight in Cleveland against the Indians. 

My beloved Red Sox defeated the Pirates @ Fenway yesterday by a final score of 4 - 3. The Sox are now in 2nd place with an AL East record of 5 - 4, as they await the weekend series that begins tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays @ 7:10 p.m. 

The Caps eked out a win over the South Bend, IN Cubs by a score of 3 - 2. The 4 - 4 Caps are still mired in the middle of the Midwest League Eastern division standings. The Caps face the SB Cubs again tonight @ the Fifth/Third Ballpark @ 6:35 p.m. The fans will be happy as all Michigan craft beers will be 1/2 price. What could possibly go wrong?

Our bathroom remodeling project continues apace. However, we had to make two runs to the local big-box home center yesterday with Ginger to gather additional pieces. We also learned that our travels will begin anew today as we return the vanity sink that is too large and return some leftover tiles and things that we have in excess and purchase a smaller replacement vanity top. Those returns/purchase will happen in Muskegon. 

We had hoped to be done with the bathroom yesterday, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans of mice and men. Today for sure, maybe.

We had planned to eat @ home last night, but by the time we were done running around, we ended up @ JWs for a veggie burrito. We came home to rest and relax and anticipate today's series of visits to the second set of big-box home centers. Ciao.

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

It is either late night or early morning, depending on your belief. I was outside with Ginger around 2:45 a.m. and the weather was cool but comfortable. The current temperature is 43° under cloudy skies. Later this morning, there is a 40% chance of rain showers as we try to achieve today's high temperature of 59°, Tomorrow, the high is forecast to be 66° with little chance of rain, but Saturday the high will also reach into the mid-sixties @ 65° with a 60% chance of rain/T-storms in the morning. Coincidentally, that's the day that I'll be walking to my monthly Irish Jam session at the library, so if the rain is over by the early afternoon, that's fine with me.

Sports news yesterday was mixed. The 2nd place Chicago Cubs fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of  0 - 2. Their big bats still aren't getting the job done. Players like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Kyle Schwarber are struggling at the plate, resulting in this latest loss and the Cubs 5 - 3 overall record in the NL Central. Their next game is this afternoon today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers got off to a rocky start in their game yesterday, but a mid-game Grand Slam by Andrew Romine, his first home run of the season,  gave the Tigers the victory 5 - 3 over the Twins and moved the Tigers into 1st place in the AL Central. Like the Cubs, the Tigers big bats like Miguel Cabrara and Victor Martinez are struggling @ the plate. In fact, Cabrara is batting an anemic .107 as he struggles, while Martinez is doing somewhat better with a .231 batting average. The Tigers pitching is getting it done, so far. The Tigers next game is @ 1:10 p.m. against those same Twins @ Comerica Park in Detroit.

My beloved Red Sox were crushed by the AL East leading Baltimore Orioles by a final score of 5 - 12. That finds the Sox in 3rd place in the AL East with an overall record of 4 - 4. They are getting the hits, with the exception of Mookie Betts, but their pitching has been less than stellar. They Sox play again today in Fenway against the Pirates @ 2:05 p.m. EDT.

The Caps played to a loss yesterday against Mary's sentimental favorite, the Dayton Dragons, by a final score of 8 - 10, to fall to 7th place in the Midwest League East @ 3 - 4. The Dragons lead the league @ 5 - 2. The Caps are on the road tonight against the South Bend, IN Cubs @ 6:35 p.m. A win is good, but in "A" level baseball the players are always trying to improve their overall game. How's that for a lame reason for their weak showing so far?

We made our appointment @ the veterinarians yesterday. We learned that Ginger's weight is fine, but that STWD has gained a few pounds to be about seven or eight pounds more than her ideal weight. We picked up a bag of low-fat, high protein food, that should help with that problem over the next several weeks. Sugar just isn't getting the exercise that she needs. We have been derelict pet-parents. We'll do better from now on.

I placed more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle and I am doing well after a short spell of puzzle block.

Otherwise, John finished the grouting of the tile, and I finished the sealing of the door for the bathroom while Mary was in her kitchen. Today, the fixtures go back in, the vanity goes back in, the door goes back on, and the bathroom will once again be usable. John does great work on paint, tile, and other sundry things.

I had asked Mary to pick up some pepperoni at the grocery store, but she whipped out her new cookbook, Veganize It!, and followed a recipe she found there, that's why she was in her kitchen. Her version of pepperoni turned out great. She wants to try other recipes that also look good. She used the leftover tomato paste from the pepperoni recipe to make a delicious sauce for the mostaccioli that we had for lunch. We ended the day with Mexican-style bean tacos from Arturo's. They are always good.

I have plans to read more today after the morning safari with our fur-children and Mary plans to do the same along with knitting. She finds knitting therapeutic with the state of our government and the accompanying news stories. I retreat into my music.

The sun will rise today @ 7:05 a.m. and set @ 8:25 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 11:30 p.m. in "The City."

Today's weather was vastly different from yesterday's. The current temperature is 41° which was our high for today. Oh well, by tomorrow, the high will reach 52° under sunny skies and by Thursday, we'll be seeing a high of 61°, albeit with a 40% chance of showers in the morning. It is spring in the midwest, and so that means that temperatures will generally be on the cool side and showers are a common occurrence.

Speaking of spring and the flowers that bloom on the PE, we are seeing crocuses, blue glory of the snow, daffodils in solid yellow and yellow with white centers, and irises are popping their heads up as are the tulips. In short, spring has begun to spring in West Michigan.

That being the case, Mary and I decided this past Sunday it was time to get outside and add the new mulch to the gardens along with planting and transplanting some new and old flowering friends. On Saturday, we had purchased a rhododendron and that was planted before we put down the mulch. Mary took some pictures of how things look now and I'll add them here.

This is the area which we have named "Havenhenge" In this picture, you can see the daffodils, irises, and the pansies that we planted last fall. They survived the winter nicely.

A long view of "Havenhenge" and the flowers. "Havenhenge" was created when the city public works crew cut down the large dying oak tree n the parkway and found these rocks that may date to when the city had cobblestone streets. 

 

I call this the long view of the back 40 where we placed the water pump and the rhododendron that is in the far left corner of the picture. Its blooms are opening more every day, as are its cuttings that Mary brought into the house. On the right is the Hobbit door that I made last year. 

I heard the trains a comin' as they rolled around the bend on the RSTL near the PE. At 12:54 p.m., locomotives 2057 and 2019 were heading south towing nine CHCs, 18 DBTCS, six DWTCs, and two GTCs. We were sitting in JWs when we heard the approach of the same locomotives heading north. I didn't witness the entire train, but @ 4:40 p.m., I saw five CHCs, four DBTCS, two DWTCs, and two GTCs.

John is done with placing the tile in the bathroom, so as expected, he'll be grouting tomorrow and replacing the balance of the fixtures on Thursday. I am done with the refinishing of the vanity and all that I have left is the door to the room itself.

We ordered some mini-blinds for the kitchen and mud room yesterday along with a new set of area rugs for the foyer. Those will be available in two to three weeks.

I placed more pieces in my jigsaw puzzle and also spent some time playing with the girls. My voice was scratchy, but my playing was solid.

Today, we have to take Ginger to the veterinarian and Sugar will be going along to get her weight checked. As caring and concerned pet parents, it is up to us to do what she needs to stay healthy.

Otherwise, not much will be happening. I'll be reading, Mary will be crafting and John will be grouting. My part is easy. The sun will rise @ 7:07 a.m. and set @ 8:24 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 11:00 p.m in "The City."

For the most part, we dodged a bullet with the severe weather watch that was issued by the NWS. We did get some thunder that sent STWD to her hide-e-hole, but by and large, we mostly got rain and no hail as had been predicted. We have a current temperature of 51° under partly cloudy skies. The high on Tuesday is forecast to reach no more than 45° after nearing 70° today. I saw on the weather channel while we were having dinner at out favorite watering hole, that Lacrosse, WI had a high today of 77° while Miami Beach, FL only reached 75°. Go figure.

Tomorrow, there is only a 10% chance of rain in the forecast. Our next chance of significant rainfall is Thursday @ 80%. Tomorrow's forecast should be good for any activities such as walking with the fur-children.

John is nearly done with the floor in the bathroom. As it stands now, I believe that he will finish laying the tile tomorrow and then grout the floor on Wednesday and install the fixtures on Thursday. I am mostly done with the refinishing of the vanity, save for a couple of minor tweaks, and the finishing of the molding for the base of the walls in the bathroom which is the last thing to be installed.

We changed the food for Sugar to facilitate her losing a few of the extra pounds that she picked up eating the dental food that Ginger eats. Sugar is just not active enough anymore to allow for the extra fat that is in that food.

I added some additional pieces to my jigsaw puzzle while I waited for the baked tofu cubes and the spicy chickpeas to cook in the oven. While I was getting my few hairs and my beard cut, Mary finished most of the laundry. Then we were off for more errands related to the remodeling. Trips to home centers and flooring stores seem to increase exponentially whenever a remodeling project is underway.

We did find a store that can supply a new set of carpets for the front foyer of the manse. We also found an additional wooden pallet there that will become part of the potting bench that I will be building for Mary. I still have to take all of the pallets apart and then cut them to size, but that is more about time than anything else. That reminds me, I have to get some additional screws for that project.

Mary made an appointment for tomorrow with the Venetian blind purveyor who sold us the blinds for the balance of the manse. We need to place some blinds in the kitchen and the mud room to keep the summer sun at bay. It can get very warm in the mud room during the summer.

I nearly forgot. The Tigers and my beloved Red Sox played the fourth of four games @ Comerica Park earlier today. The final score was 2 - 1 in favor of the Tigers who are now @ 4 - 2 in the AL Central. My beloved Red Sox have fallen to 3 - 3 and 3rd place in the AL East. The Cubs won over the Brewers yesterday by a final score of 7 - 4, good enough for 2nd place record of 4 - 2, right behind the Cincinnati Reds with a record of 5 - 2. in the NL Central. I am listening to the game at Wrigley Field right now and the Cubs have the lead over the Dodgers 2 - 0. No game tomorrow.

The Caps fell to 3 - 2 in the Midwest League Eastern Division, following their loss today to the Dayton Dragons 0 - 2. The Dragons, the Bowling Green Hot Rods, and the Caps have identical records, while the Lansing Lugnuts have a league leading record of 4 - 1.

Otherwise, not much is on tap for tomorrow. I'll be in the man-cave and Mary will be chatting. I also want to spend some additional time with the girls too. The new book I started isn't working for me. I find that a book that doesn't grab my attention within the first few chapters isn't worth my time.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:09 a.m. and set @ 8:23 p.m. Ciao.

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

The weather is beautiful. The current temperature is 56° per the NWS and my DTWS under clear skies. Later today, we'll see periods of clouds and sun and a high temperature of 66°. In short, a perfect day to get outside and do some gardening on the vast PE. I'll also be continuing my staining and sealing activities in the man-cave for a short time.

Outdoors, we have 20 bags of mulch to spread. If we don't get it spread today and while the temperature on Monday will still be in the lower 60s, there is a forecast from the NWS of T-storms in the afternoon on Monday. Of course, this being a forecast from the NWS, anything is possible here on the shores of the "Big Lake.". So, the forecast high for today applies to GR, while Bill Steffens, Chief  Meteorologist for WOOD TV/Radio, has forecast slightly lower temperatures here. That's why he has forecast a high temperature in GR of 72°, but only 66° here in GH. We'll bounce around in the upper 40s and the mid to upper 50s or lower 60s for the next 10 days.

At any rate, yesterday was a great day here in the Tri-Cities area. We went out for a short trip to Countryside Greenhouse in Allendale to pick up a rhododendron and a bag of potting soil for Mary's onion plantings. Actually, the trip to Countryside was an excuse to stop by the Embassy Bar and Grill for some of their fabulous onion straws. For those in the know, they rival the onions @ Hackneys in the Chicago area.

Speaking of the Chicago area, the Cubs righted the ship yesterday as Kris Bryant came out of his short slump and got two hits and three RBIs in the Cubs win over the Brewers in Milwaukee by a final score of 11 - 6. That win moves the Cubs back into 1st place in the NL Central with a record of 3 - 2. The Cubs and the Brewers play again today @ 2:10 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox and the Tigers played again yesterday and the Tigers defeated the Sox by a final score of 4 - 1. Naturally, that means that the beloved lost by a score of 1- 4 to fall into 3rd place in the AL East with a record of 2 -2, while the Tigers are in 2nd place in the AL Central with a record of 3 - 1. The Tigers and the Sox play again today @ 1:10 p.m. @ Comerica Park.

In a tangential sports story, the Caps, an "A" level affiliate of the Tigers, defeated the South Bend, IN Cubs an "A" level affiliate of the Chicago Cubs in two games on Friday that combined to go 23 innings. Yesterday, those two teams played to a final score of 2 - 0 in a Midwest League Eastern matchup. That win finds the Caps tied for 1st place with the Lansing Lugnuts with identical records of 3 - 0, while the South Bend Cubs are languishing in last place with a record of  0 - 3. Both teams play again today @ The Fifth/Third Ballpark @ 2:05 p.m. EDT.

John made considerable progress on the floor in the bathroom. He has to wait for the tile to set so that he can walk on it and make the small cuts necessary for the remainder of the floor. So far, it looks great.

We'll be outside in the gardens with the fur-children tethered there with us this afternoon. We also plan to walk with them to Chowhound™ in the AM to get some additional toys for their chewing pleasure. Sugar should make it that far and back, while Ginger will have no problem with the distance.

I discovered that our cable system will not allow me to get the package that gives me all of the MLB out of area games. At least that is what a phone call to an informational number yielded earlier.

I just finished playing with the girls for a while and I think I was playing well on some old Beatle's tunes. Is that redundant, "Old Beatle's tunes?"

The sun will rise later this morning @ 7:12 a.m., and set @ 8:20 p.m. this evening, Ciao.