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

I let Ginger out around 3:00 a.m. as she had been licking my elbow to wake me up. She is very good at making her needs known.

It was great to step out onto the deck into the current temperature of 73° under mostly-clear skies. The temperature forecast from the NWS calls for an overnight low of 66° before we return to today's high of 73°. Their forecast also calls for a 40% chance of scattered T-storms beginning around 11:00 a.m and continuing through the evening hours. As of now, Bill Steffens, Chief Meteorologist for WOOD Radio/TV, is using the NWS models to predict that Wednesday has nearly a 100% chance for T-storms. As always, STWD will not be happy.

Otherwise, that forecast calls for mild-temperatures through Wednesday before we plunge into the 40s and 50s for the foreseeable future. So my loyal readers, if you have outdoor plans in the Midwest, as we do, today looks like your best option. The sun will rise today @ 7:51 a.m. and set tonight @ 7:12 p.m.

Baseball news yesterday was great for us Red Sox fans. The Sox crushed the Yankees, in Yankee Stadium, 16 - 1. Sox outfielder, Brock Holt, became the first player in MLB post-season history to hit for the cycle, i e, a single, a double, a triple, and a home-run. That win puts the Sox one-game closer to the ALDS (American League Division Series) championship over the Yankees as both teams await the Astros who whomped the Indians yesterday, 11 - 3. The Sox need to win their game tonight @ 8:07 p.m. EDT over the Yankees to move on to the ALCS (American League Championship Series) and then the World Series™.  Naturally, I'm cheering for the Sox.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers finished off the Braves with a convincing win, 6 - 2 win over the Braves to move on to the to their own National League Championship Series (NLCS), against the Brewers. As a die-hard Cubs fan, I'm rooting for the Dodgers.

We got up late yesterday before I took STWD for her own walk. When Mary came down, both of the fur-children had finished their breakfast. However, as has become the new norm, Sugar would not do her business without a walk. When Mary came down she made lunch and then I settled in to read. Mary and Ginger walked downtown to go the Cook's Store, to exchange some baking pans that were to long for our oven. Ginger gladly goes on a walk to that store, because she is welcomed there with treats.

When they returned, I continued reading until it was time to go to a local hardware/lumber store to get a replacement hinge for one of our kitchen cabinets. As is also the norm, the store had every size and shape of hinge in the line that we sought, except for the one that we needed. It is on order and will be here Thursday. We also got a board to make an additional shelf for our spice cabinet while there. I have to give that board a coat of sealer later today, if we are home.

We have plans to go north to view the leaves changing colors while Ginger is at daycare and getting groomed. As a terrier that never sheds, Ginger is overdue for a bath and trim. Sugar will miss her little sister, but she will also gladly spend some alone time rather than babysitting Ginger.

As I mentioned, we have plans to go north. But if the weather doesn't cooperate, we'll find something else to do. I'd like to put our camera to work and take some fall pix, but since it isn't waterproof, we can't do that in the rain.

Otherwise, we'll take a morning walk with the fur-children to The Bookman to pick up today's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. Sugar eagerly anticipates those walks because she gets a treat @ The Bookman from one of the staff. She has taken a special liking to Scott there, which for Sugar, makes Scott a very special person. Sugar is slow to warm up to anyone besides myself and Mary.

There should be a run of the train on the RSTL (Reality Scale Train Layout) today too. It is likely that Ginger and I will only espy the southbound run as we'll be other wise engaged when the northbound run takes place. Ciao.