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.