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

We have a current temperature of 11° as drop to the overnight low of 8° before the sun rises @ 8:09 a.m. and the temperature climbs to today's high of 18°. That high won't last long once the sun sets @ 5:49 p.m.

As of now, the NWS has issued or extended several Weather Warnings. We still have a Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for the lake shore between Holland and GH until 4:00 a.m. Plus, there is that pesky Small Craft Advisory still in effect until 6:00 a.m. Finally, the Winter Weather Advisory for Ottawa, County remains in effect until 4:00 a.m. this morning. Fortunately, the forecast calls for only an additional one-inch of snow. That means that the necessity for added effort with regard to snow removal is no longer applicable. Our thanks to our neighbors on either side of the manse for their efforts in that regard.

Here's an odd occurrence from late last night. MMRR EMD GP-38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2025 were seen heading south @ 10:02 p.m. last night, towing nine CHCs. I cannot recall a recent late-night passage in either direction. Go figure. 2:00 a.m. update. I just watched those same locomotives pass by the manse towing 13 DBTCs and four CHCs heading north. Once again, go figure, I mean 2:00 a.m.!

By the by, I had to get up quickly and so I left my two-sided Red Sox and Cubs blanket on the floor. Ginger just had to jump on and roll around after watching the train go by from her regular perch on the back of the couch. Here she is in both activities, courtesy of Mary's Smart Phone camera.

Curiosity and Ginger are synonymous.

Ginger just loves my blanket

I only managed make my vegan soy curl jerky yesterday. A late launch and other "newsworthy" things happened and kept us distracted. Perhaps today I can get more done.

We did get out for a couple of errands yesterday. All this snow makes walking with a cane very difficult. In addition, I have been able to do some art activities in the "Art Corner" of the Weather Center/Music Room/Office that I like to call my upstairs man-cave. I was seated at my new easel yesterday adding some chalk colors when Mary took this pic of a pic I began about one and one-half years ago at the now closed art store around the corner. I've included it just because.

I chose this location for my easel due to the natural daylight that streams through the adjacent window.

Otherwise, we had scheduled a trip to the camera store in Muskegon today to get more info on our camera. However, the class is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. and with the blowing snow and the bitter cold, well, discretion being the better part of valor, I don't think we'll be going. More kitchen time.

We do have some indoor chores to do too, but I like to do those when I am working in the kitchen. Mary has a project on the needles, as she likes to say, so that will be her focus I believe. No need to go out for us. Just some TV viewing to go with the previously mentioned activities. Ciao.