Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City.

Well, what a difference a day makes. No Weather Warnings of any type are in effect for the Tri-Cities area. We have a current temperature of 22° that feels like 16°, with some light snow-showers in evidence this morning. While those are in the forecast @ 60% there is little actual snow falling. It seems that we have once again been spared by the snow goddess. Our high today will be 26°. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:22 a.m. and set this evening @ 6:32 p.m.

Apparently, the authorities have issued a  local State of Emergency for parts of Northern, CA, that include the areas adjacent to the Russian River. Authorities there have been quoted as saying, "Leave Now!" Heavy rains, saturated ground, and  heavy snow in higher elevations have made mud-slides, exacerbated by wildfire damage, a real concern. That concern is real enough for the local authorities to ask CA Governor, Gavin Newsom, to issue a State of Emergency declaration, which makes state funds available for assistance in rescues. However, our illustrious POTUS, has threatened to "Cut Off" emergency federal funding used to fight wildfires until CA, "Gets its act together!" I guess he needs that money to "Build The Wall", you know, the one that Mexico was supposed to pay for. Just saying.

In baseball news out in Mesa, AZ, the Cubs' $126 million man, Yu Darvish, is feeling well enough this spring to speak directly to reporters without an interpreter. While he lost his first start against the D'Backs, issuing four walks, the velocity for his fastball was clocked @ 94 - 96 mph! Here's hoping that he stays in the rotation and gives the Cubs what they had hoped for last year. In Mesa, AZ, the current temperature is 49° with today's high expected to reach 75° under sunny skies.

My beloved Red Sox will be enjoying today's high temperature of 80° under partly-cloudy skies in Ft. Myers, Fl. Plus, they will be enjoying seeing top Sox prospect, Michael Chavis, continue his bid to join the Sox early in the 2019 big-league season, just long enough along to give the Sox another year of non-arbitration eligibility.

The Tigers will be enjoying 81 partly-cloudy degrees in Lakeland, FL today. They look to be on track to have an average season in 2019. Sigh. Oh well, maybe pitchers like Michael Fulmer and Matthew Boyd can join newcomer Reed Garrett to makes the Tigers respectable this year. Did I mention that the Tigers' farm system is coming along nicely and in another few years...?

The Tigers' "A" level farm team, our own West Michigan Whitecaps, open their 2019 season on April 4, against the South Bend Cubs in South Bend, IN. They are hoping for a bounce-back season under manager Lance Parrish.

No news on our own Grand River Loggers, yet.

We had a good day yesterday. Got up late, read the newspaper, went to that alternative big-box nearly everything store, and retrieved our order. The process went smoothly but the store had few customers as compared to our locally MI owned big-box nearly everything store just across the street.

We made a stop @ Stan's on the way home. However, instead of toona casserole when we got home, Mary says I shamed her into using the portabello mushrooms in the refrigerator on another of her famous vegan pizzas. She wants to wait until she can make the toona casserole just as she remembers it. If shame was the motivator, that's okay with me, as I like her pizza.

It is so dry in the house, that Ginger is having lots of "Bad hair days", as exemplified by the picture taken by our  Senior Staff Photographer, Mary, with her Smart Phone.

Terriers need lots of grooming to stay looking their best.

With Ginger's assistance, I espied only the northbound train run yesterday. There didn't seem to have been a southbound run. At any rate, @ 12:20 p.m., locomotive # 2025 was spotted by Ginger and me towing eight CHCs, six, DWTCs, five DBTCs, and one lone GTC

Today, more P/T is in the offing. I'm hoping for progress. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world> It is just past 6:00 a.m in "The City."

According to the DTWS, (Desk Top Weather Station) the current temperature indoors is 70° and outdoors, it is 19°. Since the NWS is located in GR (Grand Rapids) they can't check my indoor reading, however, the outdoor reading that they are showing is 17°. You say potato...

We are still under that Winter Weather Advisory until 3:00 p.m. today. The forecast calls for a total of two to five inches of snow in total . Here in West, MI, that is considered a dusting. However, the NWS is calling for drivers to leave for work early this morning and to allow extra time due to slippery conditions.

Later today, the high is forecast to reach 29°. A slight update in the forecast is in order, as the NWS is now forecasting highs to make the 30s as early as Friday and Saturday, but then we slip back into the teens and twenties for several more days. Whatever, we can take anything the weather throws our way as we watch from inside the manse. The fur-children will still need to go out, but they can choose the length of their outdoor visits, hopefully short in duration.

By the by, in much of Florida today, the forecast calls for temperatures to reach the 80s, albeit with a strong chance for T-storms. In AZ, the temperatures will improve to the mid-70s with sunny-skies likely in the afternoon.

Yesterday was a mostly stay at home kind of day. Funny, when you are retired, there is very little need to get up early and even less need to go out. We did however go out for groceries to pick up some herbs and spices. (sorry Colonel Sanders, there weren't seven secret herbs and spices) after Mary started her latest hammish. That went well, she hit her marks for the slow-cooker timing, and dinner was delicious.

I like to think that dinner was successful, in part, because I helped with the washing and peeling of the potatoes for the Herbed Scalloped Potatoes that Mary made as a side dish to her hammish. Not to be confused with the more traditional creamy style scalloped potatoes, Mary makes her herbed scalloped potatoes with a slightly modified recipe from one of her many cookbooks. Using fresh herbs and homemade vegetable broth, the end result is nothing short of delicious and much lower in calories.

Those fresh herbs were one of the reasons for our trip to the grocery store. She took an excellent picture of "our" efforts, as befits her status as the Senior Staff photographer.

Since we got the indoor chores mostly done yesterday, we can kick back today and watch the snow fall, do some reading of the Grand Haven Tribune that is now delivered to our mailbox, and also do whatever crafty thing we choose. Mary is still musing on the best way to finish her laundry bag. Apparently, a bag is not just a bag.

I keep hoping for some sunlight in the "Art Corner" of my little world so that I can add some colors and shading to my latest project. Without sunlight, you just can't get the nuances and hues that you see in your mind's eye.

Otherwise, not much is happening today. The sun will rise @ 7:24 a.m. and set this evening @ 6:31 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City." I am listening to the final hour of Coast to Coast AM  and its host, George Noory along with his guest, Brett Farrell, discussing his work as a therapist trying to help people overcome trauma and addiction.

The current view out the WW shows snow-covered rooftops amd snow-covered streets to accompany our current temperature of 14° that feels like 14°. The NWS has forecast a Winter Weather Advisory  that goes into effect tonight @ 9:00 p.m. and runs through 3:00 p.m Wednesday. Sometime later this evening, the snow will reappear, falling lightly at first, but continuing to an accumulation of three to six inches. Lest I forget, the high temperatures here in the Tri-Cities area are not expected to reach the lower 30s until March 9!

Good news though, there is baseball on TV from Florida and Arizona. In Lakeland, FL, spring home of the Detroit Tigers, the current temperature is 63° as they head towards today's 80% chance for rainy conditions and a high of 75°,

In Ft. Myers. FL, the spring home of my beloved Red Sox, the current temperature is 69° with the forecast from the NWS calling for a 90% chance of T-storms today as the high reaches 82°.

In Mesa, AZ, where the Cubs are trying to put together another Pennant/World Series winning team, the current temperature is 48° under partly-cloudy skies. Once the sun rises, the high temperature is forecast to reach 72° in dry desert conditions today.

We/I had a good day yesterday. We got up late, made it to "The Bell" for lunch and then on to P/T for a thorough session. Ben. my therapist, assured me that there would be days that are up and days that are down on the road to my final recovery. He said, "Don't push it, do your "homework" and be patient."

We left therapy and traveled to that other big-box mostly everything store that sits adjacent to the locally owned big-box nearly everything store. We had gone there in hopes of finding those vegan wide/flat noodles that I'd mentioned, but they didn't actually have them on the shelf. Instead, we came away with nothing except a reminder why we don't shop there. We ended up ordering the noodles on their website for pick-up Friday after 6:00 p.m. It looks like Mary's plans for a toona casserole will be on hold until Saturday.

A stop at the local dollar store for some supplies and then a stop at Rite Aid and Stan's in Spring Lake before heading home for a dinner of mixed vegetables and vegan sausages. Mary has plans to make another of her famous Hammish Roasts later today to serve on the Polish rye bread she picked up the other day. I have plans to transcribe the notes I took from my latest non-fiction book, How Democracies Die. As I noted the other day, the premise and actuality of the book are/were hair raising.

Mary was downstairs watching TV and knitting when I came upstairs to fall asleep. I awoke long enough to go to bed until just after 4:00 a.m. and now, here I am.

The sun will rise today @ 7:25 a.m. and set tonight @ 6:30 p.m. Ciao.

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

Well, the NWS was right. The winds began about 7:00 a.m. yesterday morning and they haven't let up since. You ask, "How gusty are they?" Ginger, a dog who is normally unruffled by noises, unlike STWD, was resting on the back of the living room couch yesterday afternoon when a violent gust of wind rattled the window behind her so hard, that she jumped down. That's how gusty it was. The sun will rise today @ 7:27 a.m. and set later @ 6:28 p.m.

We have a current temperature of  22°, but with wind-speeds exceeding 30 mph, it feels like 0° outside the WW, Today's high is going to be only 17° with commensurate wind-chill numbers.

Ft. Myers, FL, 74° now, 79° later today.

Lakeland, FL. 70° now, 77° later today.

Mesa, AZ, 516 now, 66° later today.

Here in "The City" we have that High Wind Warning and that Lakeshore Flood Warning still in effect until 7:00 a.m. today. Waves on the "Big Lake" will be from 15 to 20 feet in height, diminishing as the day progresses. Surfs up!

We mostly stayed in yesterday, with only a short trip outside to clear a path for the fur-children's outdoor activities.  However, when you get up around 12:00 p.m., the day gets away from you quickly. Our brunch was cheesy grits, as per my request. Dinner was vegan sausages and Coleslaw.

Before dinner last night, we played one of our new board games. Are we old or what? This one was called Ticket to Ride. Play consisted of taking turns selecting Destination Cards, Train Cards, and placing playing pieces on the board to select routes to a destination. Mary won the game handily, but next time, she is mine!

Otherwise, I read more of my non-fiction book, finished the crossword, and stayed out of trouble. Mary busied herself in the kitchen and she is now watching a movie on Amazon Prime. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

Since the view out the WW is relatively calm right now, the "Calm before the storm" so to speak, I'll start with some basic news about happenings here in GH and the Tri-Cities area.

With some assistance from Mary, I did some additional indoor chores and made a vegan stir-fry for lunch. Tofu, portabello mushrooms, onions, garlic, ginger, the herb, not the dog, water chestnuts, celery, bean sprouts, and black-strap molasses combined together and then served over rice and also over chow mein noodles for me. Of course, I always make too much rice so that Mary has a chance to make some form of rice salad or fried rice in the near future. Naturally, the fur-children were there to provide any support I might need.

Speaking of the fur-children, they were "invited" to go out several time yesterday and once the thunder started, STWD was unwilling to go past the end of the deck. She has left  her hide-e-hole upstairs and returned to her regular post guarding our bed.. Yes, we had/have it all here in W. MI late last night and early this morning.

We have a current temperature of 37° that feels like 29° with the light winds that are currently blowing across our fair city. However, starting about 7:00 a.m. this morning, that's slightly before the sun rises @ 7:28 a.m., and before the sun sets @ 6:27 p.m., the winds are expected to pick up significantly and deliver gusts of between 55 and 65 mph! Those winds will cause something I haven't seen before, a Lakeshore Flood Statement.

According to that statement issued by the NWS, along the shore of the "Big Lake", 14 to 18 foot waves are likely. Those waves will produce erosion of local beachfront properties and the beaches at Grand Haven State Park.

In addition, concurrent with that Lakeshore Flood Statement, the NWS has issued a High Wind Warning. Those winds are likely to cause tree limbs to be ripped from trees, after which they may  fall upon power lines and produce widespread power outages. We saw and heard many crews the last few days taking down trees that pose a threat to power lines.

The threat of power loss has also caused the NWS and local authorities to strongly urge people to have on hand, flashlights, extra batteries and food that does not require heating to prepare. Ain't that a sign of a first-world country, when a storm turns our authorities into so many Chicken Littles.

Did I mention that along with those other warnings, there is also a warning of snow accumulations of from one to three inches to add to the ice that will form as temperatures drop tonight into Monday. We have no plans to go anywhere today and nothing on tap until Monday's P/T appointment in the early afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon, we once again journeyed to the Nature Education Center @ the Hemlock Crossing County Park, to see a presentation by one of the Ottawa County Park's naturalists who moonlights as a National Park Ranger in the summer months. This presentation was about her past summer in Grand Teton National Park. Her photos were breathtaking and her description of her experiences with the local flora and fauna along with other park personnel and the 5,000,000 visitors were very interesting and enlightening.

I didn't forget, the current temperature in Lakeland, Fl is 73° under partly -cloudy skies. Today's high will be 85°, also under partly-cloudy skies.

In Ft. Myers, Fl, the current temperature is 74° as they rise to today's high temperature of 84°, both under partly-cloudy skies.

In Mesa, AZ, the current temperature is a relatively warmer 43°. Today's high temperature forecast from the NWS calls for a high of 63°, with the high on Tuesday reaching the lower 70s.

So today, more reading in my current book, How Democracies Die, along with finishing Friday's crossword puzzle and reading the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.

Mary eschewed her usual fare of post-apocalyptic movies. Instead, she is reading an apocalyptic book. I think mine falls into that category too. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City."

Sadly, part of my youth is still gone. Peter Tork of the Monkees is still in Rock and Roll heaven and Israel Kamakawiwo'ole is still there too. Israel wasn't really a rock and roll performer per se, but I liked his music, especially his rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Yip Harburg. Many of us are familiar with the version performed by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz. So, I have included IZ's version first and Judy's version second.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I&list=RDEMpPpdEvy4xaOCo8fwanZtHA&start_radio=1

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gJwGjxt-Zw

I guess I'd be remiss if I didn't include a Peter Tork song too. This is one that didn't get much airplay back in the 60s, but it showcases Peter's vocal talents nicely. It is entitled A Better World. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvhH_pbzLqY&start_radio=1&list=RDUvhH_pbzLqY

But once again, I digress. Here in "The City", we have a current temperature of 31°. Our high temperature today is forecast by the NWS to reach 40°. However, that forecast also calls for cloudy skies and rain showers later this morning after 10:00 a.m., becoming steady as the day progresses. Not good for people like us, who planned to go downtown for the annual Frozen in Time. I can't see us out there with our camera. Sigh. The unseen sun will rise @ 7:30 a.m. and set later @ 6:26 p.m.

There is also a Winter Weather Watch in effect from 2:00 a.m. Sunday until 1:00 a.m. Monday. 50 - 60 mph winds are in the forecast with the possibility of downed tree limbs and widespread power outages.

In Mesa, AZ, the Cubs are suffering through yet another cold day with a current temperature of 37° as they struggle to reach today's high of 55°. Fortunately, by Tuesday, the highs will reach into the 70s.

In Lakeland, FL. where the Tigers train, the current temperture is 73° as they head for a high temperature of 87° under partly-cloudy skies.

In Ft. Myers, FL, where my beloved Red Sox are located this and every recent spring, the current temperature is 71°. As the day progresses, the NWS has forecast a high temperature of 86°, also under partly-cloudy skies.

Ginger and I spotted both ends of the train run on the RSTL. At 8:46 a.m., MMRR EMD GP-2 locomotives 2019 and 2025 passed by towing 12 CHCs, six DBTCs, six DWTCs, and one GTC. Later, @ 1:55 p.m., those some locos passed by towing seven CHCs, four DBTCs and four DWTCs.

By way of explanation I dubbed two of three types of tank cars Dreaded Black Tank Cars and Dreaded White Tank Cars due to their cargoes. In the case of the DBTCs, they can carry crude oil that has been known to explode and burn as it passes through cities and towns along their route. The DWTCs can carry cyanide or anhydrous ammonia, used as farm fertilizer, but which can also explode with devastating consequences. I'm not certain of the cargo carried by a Gray Tank Car, (GTC).

I was listening to Coast to Coats AM, and George Noory when I got up around 4:00 a.m. I listened until George played his signature Friday closing song, Listening to Coast to Coast sung by UFO Phil. Here once again, is Phil, in all his glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqWPCsNke24

As I previously noted, while Mary was at the big-box nearly everything store yesterday, I was in the kitchen making vegan sausages and sauteing peppers. One of those sausages and some of the peppers became part of the pizza that Mary made for our dinner.

Later after Mary returned, we stopped at the library to pick up some books I had on hold and make some copies. We also made a stop in Spring Lake for more humidifier water.

We had planned some outings today, but the weather forecast may keep us indoors. Ciao.

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."

Well, another part of my youth has passed on to Rock and Roll heaven. Yesterday, Peter Tork, nee Torkovich, part of the "Pre-Fab Four", the Monkees, died @ 77. Peter was the oldest of the Monkees aged 24, when the band was formed in 1966. I chose this YouTube clip of Peter in a solo performance @ The Sandpiper Ice Cream Parlor in Greenport Long Island, NY, singing the Monkees hit, Daydream Believer. This song was actually written by a member of the Kingston Trio, John Stewart. The original recording had the late Davy Jones singing as the lead vocalist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iyyMQ3uSI4

But enough of the past, on to today. We have a current temperature of 24° that actually feels like 24° as we drop to our overnight low temperature of 14° under clear skies. Today's high temperature forecast from the NWS calls for 36° after the sun rises @ 7:32 a.m. and before it sets @ 6:25 p.m.

Just so you remember, this is Michigan and so we are anticipating another Winter Storm Watch from 7:00 a.m. Sunday morning until 1:00 a.m. Monday morning. Wind gusts of 60 mph are possible with downed power lines and poor visibility while driving.

Worthy of note, is the current temperature in Ft. Myers, Fl, where my beloved Red Sox are training, 73°. Today's high in Ft. Myers is forecast to reach 87° under mostly sunny skies. In Lakeland, FL, the Tigers are enjoying a current temperature of 73° before hitting the field later today with a high temperature of 87°, also under mostly-sunny skies.

In Mesa, AZ, the Cubs are being heavily rained upon tonight with a current temperature of 39° as a Flood Warning remains in effect. Later today, the Cubs will work out in 49° temperatures.

We had a good time at our Tri-Cities History Museum Book Club meeting yesterday. I finally tried my cupcakes and they are/were great. Of the 10 we brought in, there is but one lonely cupcake left.

Not certain why, but the first cupcakes chosen were those without sprinkles. Hmmm.

We stopped at our favorite watering hole on the way home and then we were in for the night. A little TV news, some Wheel of Fortune and some Jeopardy and then I was off to my chair in the media room. Mary continued to knit and watch TV in the dining room.

Today, I plan to stay in while Mary travels to the big-box nearly everything store. I'll be making vegan sausages from our old family recipe and finishing the crossword puzzle from yestrday's and today's Grand Haven Tribune. With the anticipated snow/ice melt today, we should be able to retrieve the trash bin from the curb. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."

I am going to once again attempt to KISS this blog. Will I succeed? Stay tuned fans.

We have a current temperature of 31° that feels like 19° due to the wind-chill factor of 19° caused by the 22 mph wind speed. Mary put salt on our deck last night to ward off the effects of the cooling temperatures. Today's high temperature will reach 32° with wind speeds slowly decreasing from the current 22 mph to the single digits. That should help some, but this is winter in MI.

Good news though, the high temperature tomorrow will be 36°sunny degrees and Saturday's high, just in time for our annual Frozen in Time activity, should be 43°, albeit with a 60% chance for showers. Still, we should be able to walk between the raindrops and take some pix with the polarizing filter on our camera to reduce the glare that comes from the store-front windows as they keep the actors warm. This year's theme is movies, "Frozen in Time."

Speaking of temperatures, in Lakeland, FL, the Tigers will be enjoying today's high temperature of 86° after the overnight low of 67°. My beloved Red Sox endured Ft. Myers 70° overnight, as they await today's eventual high of 85°. In Mesa, AZ, the Cubs only dropped to 49°, but today's high will be only 51° with a 100% chance for rain showers.

I was busy in the kitchen yesterday baking more of that aforementioned soy-curl jerky and those cupcakes I'd planned for today's History Book Club meeting at the Tri-Cities History Museum. See this pic taken by our staff photographer with her Smart Phone.

If you have to ask why I put sprinkles on only 1/2 of my efforts, you wouldn't understand.

The cupcakes and the icing are completely vegan and my taste test of the batter, pre-baking, and the icing, indicates that the final product should be excellent. I also did more indoor chores while Mary was out and about on her myriad tasks.

So today's activities will be reading, perhaps some cooking of one of my favorites, tofu stir-fry, and relaxing before the book club meeting.

I think I did pretty well on my KISS plans. The sun will rise @ 7:33 a.m. ans et this evening @ 6:23 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City."

I am going to start with something, which while not local, I still found interesting, Over the East Coast of the United States, and specifically over PA and NY, the Jet Stream Winds were so strong that they pushed a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to a ground speed of over 800 mph en route to London, England! The aircraft's pilot, Peter James, a pilot with over 25 years of commercial experience, said. "That he'd never seen that kind of tailwind in my life as a commercial pilot!"

For a frame of reference, the fastest speed ever recorded for a Dreamliner was previously 776 mph! The tailwind that produced that 800 mph speed also caused the flight to arrive in London 48 minutes ahead of schedule! Is this another example of Climate Change?

Moving on to local and national weather, we have a current temperature of 24° that feels like 13° due to the 19 mph winds. Today's high in "The City" is forecast by the NWS to reach 36° with a 90% chance for a combination of snow showers and freezing rain that will make the Winter Weather Advisory that has been issued for our area from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. produce hazardous driving conditions at the time of the afternoon rush hour.

However, there is mostly good news in baseball weather. In Lakeland, FL, where the Tigers train, the current temperature is 70° as they head to today's high of 87°. In Ft. Myers, FL, spring training home of my beloved Red Sox, the current temperature is 72° and today's high is forecast to reach 86°.

Sadly. in Mesa, AZ, where the Cubs are training, the current temperature is 36° and today's high is forecast to reach only 57°. The Freeze Warning for Mesa, issued earlier, runs until 9:00 a.m. today. Thursday's forecast from the NWS is calling for a 90% chance for rain and the high temperatures won't reach the 60s until Saturday.

After my haircut appointment yesterday, Mary and I went out and took some pix around town that I hope to use as a basis for the coloring that I want to do in the Grand Haven Coloring Book of popular Grand Haven Sights, illustrated by Barbara Carlson and based on photographs by Bob Walma. We purchased this book a few months ago at The Bookman and I am going to take my time and do the coloring right. Along with those pix, Mary, our staff photographer, took some pix of the channel that is not frozen over. There are additional pix on the book, but we plan to wait until the spring/summer for additional pic taking. I'll share some of yesterday's efforts below.

This pic of Grand Haven's famous Coal Tipple, is just one I'll be using for color reference.

Our favorite watering hole is another.

This used to the the transportation museum associated with the Tri-Cities Historical Museum. This former station for the Grand Trunk Western Railroad, was moved the current site in the 1950s and is now a part of the Lynn Sherwood Waterfront Stadium. Passenger service to GH was halted in the early 1950s and all we have today is a short like that carries freight.

The Grand Theater is now a restaurant and condo building.

Just because it looked so scenic.

First St. looking north from the top of the hill to the east of downtown GH.

 Don't forget, that any pix of interest can be enlarged simply by clicking on them.

Today, I have some baking to do for our History Book Club meeting that was rescheduled due to bad weather two weeks ago. Hopefully, that forecast that shows that Winter Weather Advisory for today is accurate and won't cause another postponement tomorrow. Our books are due on Friday at the library.

While I am baking, Mary has two appointments today, one at her beautician and the other at the chiropractor. Like me, she won't walk on the icy sidewalks, so she may be driving and that is not a good thing when the sidewalks remain ice-covered. Plus, driving a few blocks is not good for an internal combustion engine.

The fur-children are still not happy about no walks, but that can't be helped. We all need some exercise, but we value our safety over our need to exercise.

The sun will rise today @ 7:35 a.m. and set later @ 6:22 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

I was fast asleep until I wasn't, around 12:30 a.m. and again around 4:00 a.m. I am such a light sleeper, that in spite of Mary's best efforts to not wake me when she let the fur-children out for their final time, I woke up shortly thereafter to the sound of barking and doors closing. However, I did fall right back to sleep until 4:00 a.m.

While she was in/out with the fur-children, Mary took a photo of the moon from our deck as it nears its "Super Moon" phase. You may remember, that's when the moon is as close to the earth as it gets each year. Since she didn't want to unpack our camera, she used her Smart-Phone to snap this pic. Just a reminder, click on the photo to maximize its size.

While the sky was cloudy, I think it added an aura of mystery to her efforts. What say you?

I'm hoping that the sky clears tonight/early tomorrow morning, so that I can set up the tripod and take multiple shots with the chance to get one that I like. Mary is concerned that I'll be taking shots of the surrounding buildings and things too, but since I like industrial type items in my pix, that should work out fine.

We were once again fortunate, as our neighbor, Ron, came by and cleared the shared driveway and our front-porch. My surgical recovery precludes me from doing anything except some one-handed snow removal in the back. Mary is still in charge of most salting and shoveling so that the fur-children can make thier way outside.

We have a current temperature of 9° here in GH, while in Ft. Myers, FL, where my beloved Red Sox train, it is 69°. In Lakeland, FL, where the Tigers train, it is 60°, and in Mesa, AZ, where the Cubs train, it is a brisk 38°!

As the day rolls on, our high will reach 29° under cloudy-skies, while in Ft. Myers, the expected high is 88°, in Lakeland, 86°, and in Mesa, the high is forecast to only reach 56° and that Freeze Watch is still in effect from late today into early Wednesday. Thursday's forecast from the NWS is calling for a 100% chance of rain in Mesa on Thursday.

I made it to my P/T appointment yesterday and I am doing better each day/time. New exercises/routines were given for more range of motion, and Ben, my therapist, also pushed my arm to make it more flexible. Another six to eight weeks of therapy, and I should be well on my way to a lasting recovery. I should mention that I took the balance of the day off after therapy yesterday, but I'll resume my at-home efforts again today.

Since I am/was up. I went downstairs to the kitchen. Since the dishwasher didn't need to be emptied, I made Coleslaw instead. I used the latest head of cabbage that we picked up yesterday. The previous one showed signs of decay and I tossed it.

Today, more reading in my latest non-fiction book, How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, both professors at Harvard. So far, it looks to be a fascinating and hair-raising read. I am working my way through the weekend crossword puzzle and today's mail should bring another to my doorstep/mailbox. In addition, since there was no train run yesterday, I am anticipating one today.

Along with that, I have a midday haircut appointment and it is likely that I'll be making more of my vegan sausages too. Mary spent huge amounts of time sorting and tossing the various recipes I over-downloaded from the internet Sunday night, and I have rightfully and not subtly, been admonished to print no more, ever, under penalty of ...!

The sun will rise this morning @ 7:36 a.m. and set later @ 6:21 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, aross rhe nation and across the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."

I am going to start with some sad news, a former colleague, Franci C., passed away on Sunday. Services will be in Illinois on Tuesday afternoon. I had both of her sons in my classes when I was teaching and she, along with her husband, David, raised them to be fine men. Both Franci and they added at lot to our Cooper Middle School Community. She will be missed in our community and our world.

In other news, we have a current temperature of 19° under cloudy-skies. There is an expectation for light snow this morning of 50%. The view out the WW confirms that it snowed overnight and also that the city came by with their Sidewalk Zamboni and their street plows, leaving more accumulation on our front sidewalk and at the end of our shared driveway. Oh well, that's the way it goes in W. Michigan at this time of year and it seems, also at any time I have shoulder surgery. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:38 a.m. and set later @ 6:220 p.m.

In weather related baseball news, the current temperature in or near Fort Myers, FL. where my beloved Red Sox train, is 73° under partly-cloudy skies. The high temperature is forecast to reach 85° there today! In Lakeland, Fl, at Joe Marchant Stadium, where the Detroit Tigers train, the current temperature is 73° and today's high is forecast to be 86°, also under partly-cloudy skies.

The Cubs hold spring training in Mesa, AZ @ Sloan Park, where the current temperature is 48° under cloudy-skies. Today's forecast calls for the high to reach 52°, and the forecast from the NWS calls for the high temps to reach only into the 50s until next Monday! Awww. In fact, there is a Freeze Warning for that area from tomorrow evening into Wednesday morning. Good news though, the Tigers and the Cubs are expecting their position players to report today and begin full aquad workouts tomorrow, while the Red Sox reported yesterday. Ahhh, baseball is in the air.

I had a good time at my Irish Jam Session last Saturday after my "Roadie", Mary, got me situated and headed out to do some shopping. I was judicious in my playing time and rested often. I wasn't as rusty as I thought I would be. We had a good number of musicians and a fair-sized audience.

Yesterday was another in the long line of crash-filled Daytona 500s! 500 miles should have taken about three hours, but with the myriad crashes, red flag stops, caution flags, and restarts, the race didn't finish until after 7:00 p.m.! Taxi cabs with terrific structure allowed all the drivers to escape relatively unscathed, with the eventual winner, Denny Hamlin, putting his Toyota over the finish line to take the checkered flag, just ahead of Kyle Busch.

Yesterday, we collectively did the remaining indoor chores and spent time in the kitchen too. I made Mary's fave, vegan Italian meatballs, while Mary made roasted chickpeas, tofu cubes, and a great dinner of pasta topped by her secret recipe sauce and my Italian meatballs. I read part of the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and completed the crossword puzzle from Friday's paper. There is no paper today as it is Presiden't Day and therefore there is no mail delivery.

Elsewhere, after we get the snow cleared, I have another P/T appointment this afternoon. I am making progress, but it will be a long slog. Sigh. Mary will continue to knit. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and around the world. It is just past 7:30 a.m. in "The City." Well. it has happened once again, there are no warnings nor weather advisories for the West Michigan area. Temperatures wil remain in the low 20s until Wednesday when the high is forecast to be 30°, albeit with an 80% chance for precipitation.

Currently, the NWS is showing a temperature of 24° as we strive to reach today's high of 28°. The sun is going to rise in the east @ 7:41 a.m. and set in the west @ 6:17 p.m.

Yesterday went mostly as predicted. We collectively finished those indoor chores and I got to spend some time with Abigael along with reading and solving a lone crossword puzzle. Then, around 3:00 p.m., we traveled to Holland to buy that elusive skein of yarn for Mary's project.

Oddly, there was no issue with the dye lot, as this commercially made/dyed yarn uses the same dye formula for every skein and thus, the dye lot was also the same as the skeins that Mary had purchased nearly one year ago. Go figure.

Mary used a lot of salt and her shovel to clear the walkway to the garage, but there is no overcoming the forces of winter in Michigan. Next year, we are going to hire someone to remove the snows from the driveway and porch areas. If people who live in condos can do that, why cant we? Of course, since I won't be having shoulder surgery next year, hopefully, there won't be any snow to remove. The last time we had this much snow was the winter of my right shoulder repair. Once again, go figure. 

We needed the help of our neighbor to retrieve the trash can and recycling bin, as the sidewalks and driveway were just too slippery due to ice cover. Sadly, the fur-children are not yet adequately trained and they do require assistance when it is time to come in, especially @ night after dark.

Yesterday's meals were based on leftovers. Lunch was the last of the TVP loaf and sweet potatoes, while dinner was what Mary created using up several things from the refrigerator to make a pasta dish that she logically dubbed, leftover casserole.

Today is my first Irish Jam Session since December. While I am not ready for extended playing, I can play for shortened bursts. Otherwise, we have nothing specific on tap for today. The pitchers and catchers will continue to work out amongst themselves in their respective training camps, anticipating the arrival of the position players on Tuesday and full-squad workouts the next day. What's not to like?

Oh, Sunday is the first race of the 2019 NASCAR season, the world-famous Daytona 500. As a long ago colleague used to say, that they are racing taxi cabs. That being said, there is not much in the way of sports on TV without baseball, so I may just read, rehab, and relax. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City." I got up around 5:30 a.m. after sleeping soundly from about 12:30 a.m. last night. I then proceeded to one of my regular chores, emptying the dishwasher.

The low for yesterday is coincidentally the high for today, 24°. The sun will rise @ 7:42 a.m. and set later @ 6:16 p.m. Today, we have no Weather Watches nor Weather Warnings issued by the NWS for the Tri-Cities nor Ottawa County areas. However, today's forecast from the NWS does call for snow showers, the possibility of rain, and wind-speeds of between 20 and 30 mph!

In CA, they are experiencing torrential rains and mudslides, as homes slide down hills, cars are buried, and water rescues have been necessary. So, in spite of the snow on the ground here, I would not wish to be in CA right now.

However, throughout the world, we are approaching a Super Moon on February 19. A super moon occurs when the moon is at or near its closest approach to earth, about 221,000 miles away, as opposed to 256,000 miles away, when it is at its farthest point from earth. The moon will appear about 30% brighter and 14% bigger than usual on that date. An amazing fact that won't alter anyone's life, but one which is still interesting.

Yesterday, we made it, without a problem, to my P/T appointment My therapist, Ben. put me through my paces and gave me a series of new/additional exercise or routines to perform at home. I can now lift one to three pounds as long as I am careful. My shoulder was fatigued when we were done. Thus begins my 50th day of recovery since my surgery on December 27, 2018.

I managed to get in some time with Abigael yesterday and I anticipate more today. It felt good to hold and strum her, to say the least. I won't be able to play for long stretches @ my Irish Jam Session tomorrow, but I can play with rusty, if not great precision. Oddly, I seem to have opened some new neural pathways during my long layoff, as some chords seem easier to play. Go figure.

My replacement end table arrived yesterday, undamaged, along with the floor mat that I ordered to catch the dust and debris. In this picture, caught by Mary in a nice use of back-lighting, I can be seen adding some color to a drawing that I started in July of 2017. That was at the art studio around the corner from the manse, that has since become another in the long line of stores that seem unable to last at thqat location.

Portrait of the"Artist" at work.

We never got to those indoor chores yesterday, but we had a nice lunch of salad and leftover TVP loaf along with another very tasty vegan pizza with ground vegan pepperoni, green peppers, onions, and vegan mozzarella cheese and nutritional yeast atop Mary's dough and favorite pizza sauce. I have to remind her that she needs to make more dough for freezing, since she likes to use the dough after it has been frozen and thawed rather than used fresh. I don't get it, but if it works for her...

I liked it!

I read yesterday's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, but I never got to the crossword puzzle. Instead, I read more of the novel I am currently reading by James Patterson, Target: Alex Cross. I almost always enjoy Patterson's efforts, and especially his Alex Cross series, of which this is the latest.

I hope to do as little as possible today other than those aforementioned indoor chores, reading, puzzle solving, playing with Abigael, coloring, and placing of the new floor-mat in my art room/music room/office/weather center. All of that is dependent on Mary's needs to travvel with regard to finding a source for the additional yarn she needs for her latest project.

Apparently, when we were in K'Zoo, AKA Kalamazoo, MI, last year for their annual Irish Music Festival, she purchased the yarn she currently has on one set of needles, @ a yarn store that I spied as we were leaving the Air Zoo in K'Zoo. The yarn was spun by a famous mill, but the chances of Mary finding another skein in the dye lot that she has is slim to none and slim left town months ago. However, the yarn color may be available at a yarn shop in Holland, Garenhuis Yarn Studio, or Mary's favorite, The New Ewe in Newaygo. I will get in some time on my shoulder exercises no matter what. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across that nation and across the world. It is just past 8:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 26° as we head for a late-week high of 40°! That won't last beyond today, as we drop back into the mid twenties for the next several days. Still, we'll take the warm up when we can. A little melting goes a long way, especially for the fur-children.

Speaking of the fur-children, they were up late last night to find that their sleep had been interrupted by Mary's call for them to go outside for a final time. As is always, and I stress always the case, they had to have their treats when they came in from the great outdoors. Here they are @ around 2:00 a.m., impatiently awaiting their reward for doing what comes naturally, so to speak.

The "Cutest Dog on the Planet", Sugar, is stage right, while Ginger is stage left in this pic taken by our staff photographer.

Mary had been up knitting and watching another in her pantheon of apocalyptic movies, while I had actually gone to bed. Now that my sling is history, I find that I can lie in bed for more extended hours. I just got up around 7:30 a.m. today.

Yesterday, I only saw one end of the train run on the RSTL, as MMRR EMD-2 locomotives 2025 and 2019 passed by heading north, towing three DBTCs, one DWTC, and three CHCs. If there was a southbound run, I didn't see or hear it.

We got some of those indoor chores done yesterday, but there are more to be done. We just had to go to the Love in Action Upscale Resale Store in Spring Lake to pick up another in the long line of needle sizes that Mary never seems to have in just the right size. I believe that her collection would rival that of many professional-grade knitters, but she never seems to have the size she needs for that next project. While the pair of needles that she purchased at the Love in Action Upscale Resale Store are not of the quality that she often buys, they are apparently satisfactory for this project.  Plus, we gave the change back as a donation to the store and its mission, which is to help peple in the Tri-Cities area.

Later today, I have another in the now increasing number of P/T appointments. I will probably have two per week for the next several weeks as my therapist and I strive to make my recovery move along. I am allowed to lift between one and two pounds and extend, with assistance, my range of motion. That amount will be determined by Ben, my therapist.

After we make that appointment, we will be off to the grocery store for a few items and a stop at the Goodwill Resale Store in GH to drop off our old mailbox. John came by yesterday to do more of those things that I can't or don't want to do, and he installed our new one in minutes.

Otherwise, we have those aforementioned indoor chores to complete and we hope to receive and assemble a replacement end-table for my art corner. I am chomping at the bit to get to work, but before I do, I wanted a table for my chalks and things along with a plastic mat to catch any dust and debris from my efforts before they got permanently into our carpet. That idea was a suggestion from Dawn, our cleaning person, and I think a good one.

So that looks like a full day in retirement for us. Indoor chores, guitar practice, P/T, grocery shopping, donations, and reading. Phew, we will be "So Busy" as my later mother-in-law, Eleanore, used to say. The sun has already risen today @ 7:44 a.m. and it will set tonight @ 6:14 p.m. under the same cloudy-skies that prevailed all day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across that nation and around the world. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City." I just woke up in my chair arund 4:30 a.m.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRD_gIoVOmY

No song sums it up better than The Who's, I'm Free, written by Pete Townsend and sung by Roger Daltrey. Not that I am totally free or without restrictions, but I am at last free of that accursed sling that has been pat of my life for nearly seven weeks and which is now part of the trash at the doctor's office!

In spite of the snowstorm yesterday, we made it to my orthopedist appointment and the doctor gave me a lengthy list of things I can't do and a much shorter list of things I can, but, I'm Free! Now it is up to my physical therapist and yours truly to do all the right things and in four to six months, I should be good to go. No lifting of anything over one to two pounds for a couple of weeks, no using my arm to support myself, no over-extending of the shoulder joint, and very specifically, no falling on that shoulder! But, I'm Free!

Yes Virginia, I can resume playing the girls. I didn't tell the doctor that I had already done that on very limited basis. It is now "official", I can resume playing for 15 to 20 minute sessions. That also means that with the assistance of my "Roadie", Mary, I can go back to the Irish Jam session Saturday, albeit with more listening than playing. I'll take it!

So, as you can imagine, yesterday was a great day for both Mary and me. In fact, our house-cleaning person, Dawn, made it through the snow and now the manse sparkles in her wake. In addition, the vegetable broth that I helped prepare the day before, finished up its cook time in the slow-cooker and was harvested by Mary, and part of it went into our dinner last night. That dinner was dubbed TVP Loaf by Mary and was servied with stewed tomatoes, which I also had a limited role in making.

Mary started with those overripe tomatoes that we'd picked up Monday. Working from a recipe in a first edition copy of Cooking for Two, the cookbook, procured by Adam for his mother, she crafted a new version of stewed tomatoes.

I attempted to assist, with some help from the fur-children, in peeling the tomatoes and in the end, we had stewed tomatoes. The recipe included some homemade breadcrumbs, and I'm not sure what else. None the less, they were great.

I'd like to say that I was instrumental in the preparation, but I can't.

Along with the stewed tomatoes, Mary prepared that aforementioned TVP loaf. another keeper. I am not certain, but I think between the tomatoes and that loaf, she used most of the utensils and things in her kitchen.

Loaf pan, pestle, numerous bowls, food processor, slow-cooker, funnel. The list is quite extensive.

However, the end result was a very tasty TVP loaf that did require my one-handed assistance in kneading and packing into that loaf pan. I still have to go down to the kitchen and empty the dishwasher post-meal preparation and consumption.

This recipe is the best TVP loaf to date!

We have a current temperature of 24° that feels like nine degrees, with the strong winds that are still blowing outside the WW. The NWS forecast calls for our Winter Weather Advisory to continue until 1:00 p.m. this afternoon, adding up to an additional two inches of snow to our winter total. The sleet and snow that fell and continues to fall, will produce hazardous driving conditions for the morning commute today.

We were fortunate that our neighbor, Ron, came by with his heavy-duty, two-stage snow thrower and cleared our shared driveway and front sidewalk. Mary did her best with the rear deck and stairs, but today, we have John coming by to put the finishing touches on her efforts.

That River Flood Warning issued by the NWS for the Grand River in Robinson Township is still in effect until 8:00 p.m. Thursday, as ice continues to block many of the dams/bridges upriver from GH.

Today's high temperature, after the sun rises @ 7:45 a.m. and well before it sets @ 6:13 p.m., is forecast to be 28°. Oddly, tomorrow's high is forecast to be 39°, before we fall into the 20s for several more days.

Still worthy of note, is that the pitchers and catchers reported yesterday to their respective training camps. However, in Ft. Meyers, FL, where my beloved Red Sox train, the forecast for today calls for 66°and a 100% chance for precipitation, while the forecast for Mesa, AZ, where the Cubs train, calls for 72° and a 0% chance or precipitation. The Tigers train in Joker Marchant Stadium, i e, "Tiger Town" in Lakeland, FL, where the forecast calls for 62° and a 90% chance of precipitation. No predictions yet for the upcoming season.

We have some indoor chores to do today and I have some reading to do along with those limited shoulder exercises. I have to listen to the doctor's warnings and Mary's even sterner warnings, to limit myself and not overdo. I will, but it will be tough!

Otherwise, I don't see a need to go out today. I have another P/T appointment tomorrow afternoon, but the driveway etc., should be cleared by then. Much as I hate it, I can't help in the snow removal, so instead, I'll assist with those indoor chores. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in"The City." This being the first day of my spring, I just had to add a couple of links to things near and dear to a baseball fan's heart. I trust that each will be self-explanatory,

https://twitter.com/i/status/1094986472762032131

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnWQd70br9g

We have a current temperature of 26° with another Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday. The NWS is forecasting an additional 2/10 inches of ice and heavy/wet snow. all propelled into hazardous driving conditions and drifts by wind-gusts in excess of 40 mph! As the late sports announcer, Keith Jackson, used to say, "Whoa Nellie!" Gee, another sports reference. Who would have thought I could fit in another? Although known mostly as a college football announcer for ABC Sports, especially Michigan football, Jackson also called baseball and many other sporting events during his long career. He also called the following commercial for Miller Lite Beer. So, here you go, a tribute to Keith Jackson and sports announcers everywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkUucjaNg_M

But as usual, I digress. Parts of Ottawa County are still under a River Flood Warning as ice backs up at bridges and produces flooding in many areas along the rivers of West Michigan, especially in Robinson Township. After the sun rises today @ 7:46 a.m. and before it can set @ 6:12 p.m., the day will begin with a wintry mix of precipitation of ice and snow, changing to all snow later in the day with 5" to 8 " of total snowfall possible! The high temperature will be @ that dreaded 32° around midday. Fortunately, those strong winds will diminish to only 10 mph as the day progresses. The view out the WW is one of rain/snow and windy conditions. The awning on the front of the manse is beating a message about the weather. I just saw a city plow/salt truck rumble by @ 6:15 a.m.

Yesterday was uneventful, as we easily crossed the bridge to Spring Lake and made it to my P/T appointment early. I am making a solid, if slow and on-schedule recovery. As you may recall, I have an appointment @ the orthopedist this afternoon, but if this weather continues, which the NWS forecast indicates, our keeping that 1:00 p.m. appointment is iffy at this time. Sadly, today is looking more like a stay at home kind of day. I need to go to the doctor to get a prognosis on my recovering shoulder. However, I won't risk a slip and fall to do so. That would set me back to square-one.

We had a visit to the Tri-Cities Historical Museum on our schedule tonight for a presentation entitled Icebound, The Ordeal of the S.S. Michigan and its ill-fated attempt to rescue another ship that had foundered. The captain and crew fought the ice and snow just off the shore of Lake Michigan near Holland for 39 days, but ultimately, they lost the battle and the S.S. Michigan sunk. All hands were saved through the efforts of a young man named George Sheldon. I doubt that we'll make the kick-off lecture, but the exhibit runs until September. Fortunately, we saw a similar lecture @ the Hemlock Crossing Nature Center some time back.

Mary made a terrific dinner last night of vegan soy curls, vegan cheddar cheese, and tomatoes all atop an English Muffin, accompanied by a side-salad. She has dubbed this dinner, Seasoned Soy Curl Melt.

Today, I hope to read more and watch TV. We have a cleaning person scheduled to come today, but I am going to tell Mary to text her and delay her visit until later this week or even postpone until next week. It is too dangerous on the roads. By the by, the schools in GH and surrounding areas are closed today because of the weather. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."

We made it to the library yesterday afternoon to see a performance by the Boogie Woogie Kid, AKA Matthew Ball. He is a former attorney who went to a boogie woogie piano show in 2001 and became so enamored of the boogie woogie songs that he had heard that he quit the practice of law and devoted himself to becoming a full-time boogie woogie piano player. We're glad he did. I've included a YouTube piece by Ball to give you the flavor of what we heard. This one is a combination of Amazing Grace  and When the Saints Go Marching In.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USWDv3mTMs4

We are once again in the throes of still more winter weather advisories. The NWS has extended their River Flood Warning through Wednesday afternoon for portions of West Michigan and they have also issued another Winter Weather Advisory effective from 7:00 p.m. tonight until 1:00 a.m. Wednesday. This warning is for additional ice on the roads and up to seven inches of new snow. We are scheduled to go to the orthopedist on Tuesday, so we're hoping that our AWD Jeep™ will be able to make it.In addition, we have a P/T appointment tomorrow in Spring Lake and another her in GH on Thursday.

The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 24° as we drop down to our overnight low of 21° The high today forecast to be 33°, just warm enough to make sidewalks and roads slippery. The sun will rise today @ 7:48 a.m and set tonight @ 6:10 p.m. About that Winter Weather Advisory for tonight, it is snowing right now as I look out the WW.

We had a quickie breakfast yesterday morning in anticipation of our concert stop and a visit to the grocery store, with a visit to our favorite watering hole for dinner. However, since the afternoon activities took less time than anticipated, we instead made a stop @ Stan's in Spring Lake and then came home where Mary made a tasty dinner of mushroom Stroganoff over chickpea rotini pasta. I liked it. Below are some pix of her efforts.

Mushrooms being sauteed in the pan.

Mixed with Mary's roux.

On the plate and ready to eat.

I got tired after dinner and so I came upstairs to read while Mary tuned in several episodes of Outlander, her latest favorite. I read and watched Top Gun for the umpteenth time.

Meanwhile, the fur-children were in and out, scrumming as we call it, in the living room in between. Here they are in all their glory.

Not sure which girl is winning.

Good and bad news on the new end/art table for my office. The good news it that it arrived, albeit one-day later than promised. The bad news, it was damaged in shipment and has to go back with the hope that another won't suffer the same fate. Sigh.

Since it is now Monday, February 11, it is important to note that spring returns tomorrow when the pitchers and catchers report.

Otherwise, not much is happening today. Some reading, some cooking, some crossword solving, some sewing, some knitting, and? Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation or across the world. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

It seems like I was just here about 24 hours ago. Maybe that's because I was. I fell asleep in my La-Z-Boy and then I woke up and it was about three hours later. Go figure.

We have a current temperature of 15° as we fall to the overnight low of 11°. Fortunately, after the sun rises today @ 7:50 a.m., the temperature here in the Tri-Cities area will be about 7° warmer than yesterday as we reach all the way up to 22°! Meanwhile, the NWS in GR has issued a River Flood Warning for the Grand River until late Tuesday as ice backs up at the various dams on the river and causes bridges to be closed above GH in cities like Rockford, MI. Later today, the sun will set @ 6:08 p.m.

Yesterday, I didn't accomplish much. But that's OK, because I had set my sights too high anyway, as I often do. I did get in a few licks on Abigael, but I didn't want to overdo. I didn't do any drawing as I want to employ my new soft-chalks and the end-table that I ordered to accommodate that endeavor is "late" according to that "Big-Box" on-line retailer. They're "sure" that the package left the carrier somewhere in Illinois yesterday, but that assurance comes from the same people who promised delivery yesterday, so.... They did note that if I haven't seen the package by next Wednesday, I should contact them for assistance. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Yesterday we had a leftover lunch and one of my favorite dinners, soup and salad after an "Emergency" run to Field's Fabrics in Spring Lake for some sundry item, followed by a stop @ Stan's.

I was able to espy both legs of the train run on the RSTL yesterday, The southbound run of MMRR locomotives 2019 and 2025 occurred @ 9:23 a.m. I saw them towing 20 CHCs, one DWTC, one very rusty DWTC, 10 DBTCs, and one GTC.

Later, @ 2:30 p.m., I watched as those same locomotives passed the manse heading north, towing four CHCs, 13 DBTCs, one DWTC, one GTC, and one TC of a motley color that appeared to be mostly blue over white.

We have a short presentation @ The Camera Store in Muskegon later this morning and then a presentation @ the Hemlock Crossing Nature Center later this afternoon. The day promises to be a fun day, all in all.

We were on tap to see Albert Lee @ Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake Sunday night, but I made an executive decision yesterday to give the tickers away rather than brave the cold and ice Sunday night. Another concession to my advancing years.

We do have plans for Sunday afternoon to see a performance by The Boogie Woogie Kid, a performer who "Tickles the ivories" and plays show tunes, jazz and other songs. Mid-afternoon on Sunday, two blocks from home, is good.

My P/T appointment in GH on Monday had to be rescheduled to the P/T office in Spring Lake due to the arrival of a new member of the GH therapist's family. However, I will be seeing a therapist with whom I have worked before, so it should be no problem.

Other than the fact that we are one day closer to the start of spring when the pitchers and catchers report on the 18th, there is nothing else on tap.

Just a short refresher on the nomenclature that I employ throughout my blogs.

NWS = National Weather Service
GR = Grand Rapids
GH = Grand Haven
RSTL = Reality Scale Train Layout
CHC = Covered Hopper Car
DBTC = Dreaded Black tank Car, one capable of carrying flammable liquids that can cause a disaster
DWTC = Dreaded White Tank Car, one capable of carrying hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, or     anhydrous ammonia, used as agricultural fertilizer.

GTC = Gray Tank Car, contents usually unknown.
P/T = Physical Therapy

Ciao.

Good morning or good evening,wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

Did I mention that today's date is February 8, 2019? You know what that means, don't you? Just four more days until the start of spring, well spring training when the pitchers and catchers report to their respective training camps in either Florida or Arizona. Four more days until I am born again and there is new grass on the fields.

However, right now, we have a Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 7:00 p.m. tonight. Our current temperature of 20° will drop to 17° overnight before we recover to 20° during the day today. As of now, the winds are blowing at 27 mph with gusts to 45 mph! There is a very real danger of falling ice and falling tree limbs. Naturally, the driving conditions during the morning commute will be hazardous. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:52 a.m. and set later this evening @ 6:06 p.m.

I never got to my playtime with the girls nor to any drawing yesterday. However, we did get those indoor chores finished. I also made that vegan jerky that I love. So, I did accomplish something yesterday.

Mary made a lunch vegan of beans and franks. Nutritious, but uninspiring. Dinner was much more inspiring. Mary put together a vegan chikn' enchilada casserole that used chicken flavored soy curls, vegan cheese, tomato sauce, spices, and tortillas, all oven baked. Another keeper for sure.

Early yesterday afternoon, the frame that Mary ordered to display the dragon that I colored last Tuesday arrived. As you may recall, Mary can never get enough dragons, so.... Below is a picture she took of my picture that is now displayed on her desk.

I think I can do better, but I am improving with each effort.

I finished the crossword from yesterday's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune. I really like that the newspaper comes in the mailbox each day. Once the weather warms up and the sidewalks clear, STWD and we can once again go walkabout without having to stop at The Bookman. Sugar will miss her daily treat, but the walk will be good for both of us.

Today, will be another day to stay in out of the weather, do my shoulder exercises, and more reading. I hope to get to drawing and playtime with the girls too. Mary has a sewing project to complete and some knitting on the needles, but I understand that she needs another skein of yarn to finish that project. Unfortunately, that yarn came from The New Ewe in Newaygo, which is not just around the corner, so that trip will have to wait until the weather is more conducive to travel.

I think that sums up our day nicely. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."

Well, in spite of Punxsutawney Phil's' prognostications, winter is still holding on here in W. MI and across much of the US. Actually, Phil did predict an early spring, but not in the first weeks of February, so....Through tomorrow evening @ 7:00 p.m., the NWS is forecasting a Winter Weather Advisory that will bring additional ice and snow to our area. Today's high temperature is expected to reach 42° as we transition from a coating of ice on trees, power lines, and road surfaces to all rain midday. Later tonight, the temperatures will drop below freezing and there is a chance for an additional one to three inches of snow, mostly near the shores of the "Big Lake."

We have a current temperature of 32° as we see temperatures rise to today's high. Shortly after the sun rises @ 7:53 a.m. the freezing rain is forecast to change to all rain with a 95% probability until early this evening, just after the sun sets @ 6:05 p.m. Temperatures will continue to drop overnight as tomorrow's high will reach only into the mid-teens to go with windy conditions and a continued chance of light-snow.

Our book club meeting was canceled/rescheduled yesterday as the Tri-Cities Historical Museum, where our meetings are held, was without power.

Since yesterday was relatively clear, we traveled to the grocery store to get more water for our humidifier and a stop @ Stans in Spring Lake. Today's weather forecast means that Mary and I will finish the indoor chores that we started yesterday and then hunker down for some reading, and other sundry activities. I want to do some drawing and playing with the girls too.

Since the ice oi the trees yesterday was so photogenic, Mary took some nice shots off the front porch and out the windows of the manse. I'll include some of those now.

Looking west out Mary's office window, the trees looked beautiful in ice.

Out our back windo looking south at another ice-covered scene.

What would John Fogerty have said, oh yeah, Doo, Doo, Doo, Lookin' out my back door.

What the heck, a perfect segue to the hit song by Fogerty and Credence Clearwater Revival, Lookin' Out My Backdoor. So, here's a link to that song from YouTube™.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeJuUqDqY00

Finally, a shot from the front porch looking northwest.

Otherwise, not much is happening today, just the way we like it. Ciao.

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."

The NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for parts of Southwest Michigan, including Ottawa, County, that goes into effect @ 1:00 p.m. today and continues in effect until 1:00 p.m. Wednesday.

During the overnight hours of Tuesday into Wednesday, there is a 90% chance for precipitation that will be a mix of rain and sleet that will accumulate less than one-inch. However, that one-inch includes about one-quarter inch of ice which may lead to damaged trees, downed power lines, and hazardous driving conditions.

Our local schools have already used up their budgeted snow days, so they may have to extend the school year to meet the requisite 180 days required by the state.

Our current temperature is 35° as we drop down to an overnight low of 24° before rebounding to today's high temperature of 30°. Wednesday and Thursday we'll return to the mid 30s with the forecast for Thursday also calling for a 100% chance of rain showers. Then it's back down into the teens again. Oh, the sun will rise this morning @ 7:55 and set later @ 6:02 p.m.

A side note, the pitchers and catchers report to their respective training camps on the 12th, a scant eight days from now!

We did make it to my P/T appointment yesterday and that went well. According to the therapist, I am on schedule for this time in my recovery. Once we finished there, we had lunch, and then headed over to Duncan Woods for some picture taking. I stayed in the car while Mary took the photos, just as I'd hoped. Along with those pix, Mary took some pix of her flowers in the foyer/flower room and I've included one of those also.

We were there all by ourselves to witness the foggy conditions in Duncan Woods.

Since the sun does not penetrate the trees, snow was still thick.

I keep wanting this to be a Hemlock tree. Sadly, it is not, and I don't know what the tree in the picture actually is.

Same here.

Don't know what type of flower this is either, but this closeup is amazing.

All pictures courtesy of our staff photographer, Mary.

Today, I am off to my colored pencil drawing gathering at the Loutit Library. While not a formal class, there is an artist in residence to help with shading and color selection. I am enjoying my time there.

Afterwards, Ginger and Sugar will be stopping by the groomer for a tune-up. Sugar just for a quick nail trim, but for Ginger the whole works, bath, nails and a trim. As a terrier mix, she doesn't shed, so a periodic grooming is a necessity. Otherwise, not much else is on tap for today. I have some baking to do tomorrow in preparation for our History Book Club meeting while Mary plans to knit more of her latest project. Ciao.