Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City.

The indoor temperature is a quite comfortable 72° and the view out the WW is dark, under partly-cloudy skies. The Weather Window One Report indicates that the outdoor temperature, according to my DTWS, is 64°, about the same as the temperature being reported by the NWS in GR. We'll see sunny skies today and a high temperature of 74°. The NWS is forecasting sunny-skies until at least Saturday, with high temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s. What's not to like?

The answer to that question may lie in the various statements and advisories that will expire this morning @ 6:00 a.m. One alert that will only expire as things dry out, which given the high water levels right now seems unlikely, is the high grass pollen count. Mary doesn't need a report to tell her that the pollen count is high, given her allergies.

We had two train runs yesterday. The first, @ 9:17 a.m., was MMRR locomotives 2019 and 2025, dead-heading southbound, towing no cars. I can say for certain, that they "Still looked good!

Later, @ 2:20 p.m., I was outside when I heard that lonesome whistle blow. I espied those same locomotives heading north, towing nine CHCs, and one DBTC, all loaded.

While I was outdoors yesterday, I accomplished some outdoor chores, however, I have a bit more to go. But like our old neighbor in IL, Marshall used to say, "There is always another day." I'll get them done some time this week if all goes well. I also picked another tomato, that makes two, for the growing season. The tomatoes will be coming hot and heavy now. I'm still waiting on the zucchini and cucumbers.

Speaking of cucumbers, Mary made lunch yesterday which consisted of a new recipe for cucumber salad and some vegan burgers. Both were excellent.

Baseball was both very good and very bad to me yesterday.

The 54 - 46, 1st  place in the NL Central Cubs, traveled west to San Francisco last night to face the 51 - 50, 3rd place in the NL West Giants. The Cubs and reliever Pedro Strop, 2 - 4, lost to the Giants, 4 - 5. The Cubs are in serious need of a left-handed reliever. The Giants might have been a seller at the July 31 trade deadline, but they are now above .500, thanks to their win over the Cubs, so that may no longer be a possibility. The Cubs and Yu Darvish, who is being described as on a hot streak @ 3 - 4, yeah right, face the Giants again tonight @ 9:45 p.m. EDT.

My beloved, 55 - 46, 3rd place in the AL East Red Sox, toppled the 57 - 46, 2nd place Rays last night, 9 - 4, as they used a seven-run 3rd inning and home runs by J.D. Martinez and Andrew Benintendi to seal the deal for Eduardo Rodriguez, 12 - 4. The Sox and the Rays go again tonight @ 7:10 p.m., when Chris Sale, 4 - 9, continues his quest for respectability.

The 30 - 65 Tigers were off yesterday. They welcome the 52 - 48, 3rd place in the NL East Phillies to Comerica Park @ 7:10 p.m., when Matthew Boyd, 6 - 8, gets the ball. Both Boyd and Nick Castellanos may be traded by the July 31 trade deadline.

The WhiteCaps defeated the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers last night, 3 - 0. The Caps have the day off before they welcome the Lansing Lugnuts to the Fifth/Third Ballpark @ 7:05 p.m. Wednesday.

My visit to the podiatrist went well yesterday and I have a visit to the orthopedist this afternoon, followed by a movie with a huge cherry-cola and a humongous bucket of popcorn. I would have liked to go to the tour of the observatory at one of our local middle-schools this afternoon, but that is at the same time as the movie. Sigh.

That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.