Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City."

Here in the weather office, I've once again turned on the window A/C unit, because once again, the pollen count is so high that I can't open a window to let in the 66° outside air.  So once again, I am quite comfortable. Today's high temperature is forecast to be 80° with the humidity low enough to make my being outdoors to finish my outdoor chores okay.

The NWS in GR has put a 50% chance of scattered T-storms into their forecast for Saturday. We shall see what actually happens, as the NWS office in GR is about 25 miles east of GH. Their temperature and precipitation forecasts are not always accurate for our little city on the shores of the "Big Lake." The sun will rise here in GH @ 6:29 a.m. and set later @ 9:13 p.m. As proof of the difference that those 25 miles can make, in GR versus GH, the sun will rise in GR @ 6:27 a.m. and set @ 9:11 p.m.

Baseball news yesterday was interesting, to say the least. The 55 - 47, tied for 1st place in the NL Central Cubs, are tied with the surging Cardinals with identical records.The real difference lies in the home and road records of each team. The Cubs have won most of their games @ Wrigley, while the Cards have won at both home and on the road.

At any rate, the Cubs have recalled position player Ian Happ from Triple A Iowa, to bolster their offense. However, he may be trade-bait as the Cubs look to land a pitcher to shore up their bullpen.Time will tell whether he is around after the July 31 trade deadline. The Cubs are in Milwaukee to take on the 54 - 50, 3rd place Brewers tonight @ 8:10 p.m. EDT, as Kyle Hendricks makes the start.

My beloved, 57 - 47, still 3rd place in the AL East Red Sox, are 10 games in back of the 1st place, 66 - 36 Yankees, who made their first visit to Fenway Park last night. The Sox offense erupted early and often, as they scored seven runs in the bottom of the 1st inning, en route to a drubbing of the Yankees, 19 - 3. Rick Porcello, 9 - 7 got the win for the Sox. Tonight's game will see Andrew Cashner, trying for his first win as a Red Sox pitcher, when he takes the hill @ 7:10 p.m.

The 30 - 68, 5th place in the AL Central Tigers and newly recalled pitcher Drew Verhagen, looked good for about three innings against the 43 - 63, 5th place in the AL West Mariners. Then the real Tigers showed up and lost the game, 2 - 10. Tonight's Major League™ baseball game, if you can call what the Tigers and the Mariners are doing playing a Major League™ baseball game, will send Dan Norris, 2 - 8, to the mound tonight @ 10:10 p.m.

Sadly, there is no help coming for the Tigers from the 13 - 19, 7th place in the MWL East West MI WhiteCaps. The Caps are the Tigers A level affiliate, and they lost again to the 16 - 16, 4th place Lansing Lug Nuts, 0 - 8. The Caps will try to look respectable tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

Otherwise, I did part of my outdoor chores yesterday until I ran out of paint which necessitated a trip to the big-box home center in Norton Shores for another gallon. I should be able to finish today.

Mary took a long walk downtown with Ginger while I worked, but STWD and I took a shorter walk around the block after I was done. While she was out, Mary stopped in quiet Central Park for some reading time. Ginger is okay as long as she knows what they are there doing.

This is the pic that Mary took with her Smart Phone camera of what she was surveying as she read.

Ginger had her portable water bowl, so she was content to lie at Mary's feet, enjoying the same view.

So today, looks like more outdoor chores, more readin, perhaps some indoor chores, and more retirement for yours truly. Mary is cross-stitching on my kitchen apron and will likely continue with that today. Ciao.