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

Well. I don't know if anyone will read this blog, but that doesn't really matter to me, as I can get my thoughts and ideas out in public and no one can stop me.Bwahahaha!

We have a current temperature of 68° as we approach the dawn that will happen @ 6:04 a.m. today, before we see the sunset @ 9:26 p.m. In between, we have a 90% chance for T-storms between now and 5:00 a.m. We got the rain, precluding watering today, but the thunder never occurred, as of yet.

I guess it's a good thing that I awoke in my media-room La-Z-Boy and let Ginger out before any real storm action. Mary's brother Ed, and yours truly, had been watching the 2nd place in the NL Central Cubs soundly defeat the 3rd place Cardinals last night 13 - 5 last night, while Mary was downstairs getting her knitting project "On the needles."

But once again, I digress. Ed got tired when the Cubs were up 8 - 1, so he went downstairs to go to bed. Me, not yet being tired, or so I thought, stayed and fell asleep before the end of the game. Oh well, the end result was positive if you are not a Cardinals fan. I can't begin to describe all of the action, but 8 - 2 starting pitcher Jon Lester was on his game and handcuffed the Cardinals hitters as the Cubs' hitters chased Cardinals' starting pitcher, Michael Wacha with three home-runs and multiple hits and strange base-running.

In addition, the Cardinals' Gold-Glove defense looked like a sieve as the Cardinals' launched many errant throws, missed many easy chances to get the Cubs out, and looked all too mortal. Cubs' hitters Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, and Ian Happ all launched home-runs and Jon Lester got a terrific sacrifice bunt that turned into a Cub's run and a two-base error that put Lester on second and scored a run. Like I said, there is just too much to describe before the 39 - 27 Cubs and the 36 - 31 Cardinals take the field again tonight @ 8:15 p.m.

My beloved 48 - 23, 2nd in the AL East Red Sox, fell to the 45 - 25, 2nd in the AL West Mariners late last night, 6 - 7. The Sox got what should have been the winning runs in a six-run 3rd inning, but alas, the Mariners came roaring back for the win. The Sox' starting pitcher, Rick Porcello had good enough "Stuff" for the win, bu the Sox relievers could not hold on and the rest as they say is history. The Sox and the Mariners play again tonight @ 8:15 p.m. EDT.

The 34 - 37, 2nd in the AL Central Tigers, eked out a win over that other team from Chicago, with their 24 - 44, 4th in the AL Central record. This was not a battle of two great teams to say the least. They play again today @ 2:10 p.m. EDT.

The 34 - 34, 4th in the MWL East Caps, eked out their own win over the visiting 5th place Dayton Dragons, 5 - 4. The Caps and the Dragons play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

In trainspotting news, @ 8:49 a.m., I observed the southbound passage of MMRR locomotives 2025 and 2019 as they towed 19 fully-loaded CHCs. Later, @ 12:45 p.m., I watched as those same locomotives were heading north towing 24 CHCs, seven DBTCs, and one DWTC.

Shortly thereafter, Ed arrived and we talked for a few minutes before heading north to Muskegon to visit the Muskegon Heritage Museum, a showcase of the industrial history of the City of Muskegon, MI, that is housed in a former boarding house there. I took numerous pictures on several floors of the museum, so I'll include some of them here. Don't forget to click on any of interest for a larger version.

Mary near a mock-up of a Shell Oil Company™ service station, pictured below.

The front of that mock-up.

This is part of the machine-shop that is run by the gigantic Corliss Steam Engine that used to power a factory elsewhere in Muskegon. At one point, this engine, through huge leather belts, powered everything in that factory, including the ceiling fans.

Here is that third-floor view of the Corliss engine. It is so massive and heavy, that it needs to be placed on solid footings in the basement.

The museum includes examples of the Spacelander Bicycle, designed by English inventor, Benjamin G. Bowden, in 1946, that was manufactured in our own GH and also in Muskegon. Only about 700 of these futuristic, fiberglass clad bikes, were ever made and today can fetch prices of several thousand dollars.

Truly, many manufacturers used to call Muskegon home.

Part of a general store on the museum's third floor.

There is even a tie-in to Raggedy Ann, 90,000 of which were hand-stitched in Muskegon between 1918 and 1926.

We learned that at one point, Muskegon had a brewery industry that for one year, bottled Guinness beer. Who knew?

Today, I have my Irish Jam session, after which we will play it by ear. Ciao.