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."
The current temperature is 33° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high
is
forecast to reach 38°. The sun will rise today @ 7:55 a.m. and
set later @ 5:11 p.m.
They're Back! A Gale Warning will be in effect during the hours of 7:00 p.m.
until 7:00 a.m. Sunday.
That Gale Warning has also necessitated another Small Craft Advisory in effect from 10:00 today until 7:00 p.m. this evening according to The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids. Winds will be increasing out of the east this morning into the 15 to
30 knot range. Winds will continue to increase to gale force
tonight. Winds will decrease to below 30 knots on Sunday Waves will be building to 2 to 4 feet tonight. The 4 foot waves will
be out near the 5 mile mark off shore given the winds will be
out of the east (off shore).
A Small Craft Advisory means that winds or waves are expected to
produce hazardous conditions to small craft. Inexperienced
mariners...especially those operating smaller vessels should
avoid navigating in these conditions.
A Gale Warning means winds of 34 to 47 knots are imminent or
occurring. Operating a vessel in gale conditions requires
experience and properly equipped vessels. It is highly
recommended that mariners without the proper experience seek safe
harbor prior to the onset of gale conditions. Once again, Ya Think?
Yesterday, we got up earlier than usual. I was the first one downstairs to feed the fur-children and let them out for their morning duties. Afterwards, STWD retired to the couch to rest up from her busy morning. We had a brunch of leftovers from Thanksgiving, probably like many families throughout the nation. Afterwards, I made yet another batch of my soon to be famous vegan Italian meatballs while Mary went upstairs to her computer.
Late last night or early yesterday morning, she had spent hours reading another book by her new favorite author, Tracy Chevalier. In fact, later in the day, we returned several other books to the library so that Mary could check out more books by that author and binge read. I am used to being up early/late and I know the feeling of joy that you get when reading an author whose work you're really enjoying, so...
We had made plans to go out to the library and a few other stops yesterday afternoon, but those plans were delayed by two very needy looking fur-children who wanted to go for a walk. Who can resist two sets of sad, big brown eyes, staring intently at the back door and their humans? So we took them for a short sojourn.
After the library, we traveled north to a place we have patronized in past Christmas seasons. This place is an ice-cream stand and fast food restaurant in the warm months, but in the winter, it becomes a place that sells Christmas trees, wreaths, and bunting. That's why we were there, to get a fresh supply of bunting for my outdoor decorations.
Afterwards, we made a stop at the grocery store in Spring Lake followed by a stop
at Stan's before getting home to the fur-children and taking care of
their needs.
While we were out, our
snow-removal/fall-cleanup service came by and took care of the leaves
that had fallen and accumulated since their last visit. We believe that
the leaves that had accumulated came from Central Park to the west when
the winds were blowing the other day. We can't be sure, but we don't
have enough trees in our yard to produce the volume of leaves that had
accumulated, so... At any rate, they saved my yak.
Our dinner was some of those aforementioned vegan Italian
meatballs with shells and Mary's special recipe sauce. We'd decided that
it was time to put the leftovers aside for one meal.
If I am lucky, I can get most of those outdoor decorations done later this morning before the next big college football game today, the contest between the #2 ranked Buckeyes of Ohio State with their 11 - 0 record, and the #10 ranked Wolverines of Michigan and their 9 - 2 record, pulls me away. Ohio State will be visiting the "Big House" in Ann Arbor for today's 12:00 p.m. kickoff. OSU is #1 in the Big 10, while Michigan is #2. Sadly, the Spartans of MSU have not had a good year as their 5 - 6 record indicates when the Terrapins of Maryland and their own 3 - 8 record come to Spartan Stadium
All of that should be well before the showers forecast by the NWS for later this evening come to town. Mary will be doing indoor chores while I am outside along with some additional binge reading. Ciao.
Saturday, November 30, 2019
Friday, November 29, 2019
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just past 6:45 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 34° under cloudy-skies. Today's high will be 38°. also under cloudy-skies. There are no current watches, warnings, nor advisories in the forecast. The sun will rise today @ 7:54 a.m. and set later @ 5:11 p.m.
Well, another one has come and gone, Thanksgiving 2019 is in the books. We/I had a great time. The vegan food was great, my pumpkin pie became my early morning snack this morning, by the by, it was very tasty, and the dishes and the kitchen are now nearly spic and span once again. I promised the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, that I'd leave the cast-iron skillet clean up to her ministrations, and so I did.
However, I'd be remiss if I didn't step outside the box, or maybe stay in the box a bit longer, if I didn't get to what I consider the real meaning of Thanksgiving and the entire holiday season.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a short essay entitled Hope I Don't Die Before I Get Old. I had riffed off of an old song by the Who entitled My Generation. That song has these lyrics "I hope I die before I get old", as one of the tag lines written by the band's lead guitarist, Pete Townsend.
That lyric set me to thinking about what we value most in life, what we feel gives our lives meaning and purpose. It's not your job. It's not how much money you have. It's not what you possess, well mostly.
That last sentence is my way of saying that the one thing that we all possess, that one thing that makes life the most enjoyable can't be bought, but it can be saved. That thing is memories.
As I noted in my essay, our family was never large, owing to the fact that my dad was an only child, and my mother was effectively an only child due to the fact that her only brother was never able to have children. Thus, I never had any cousins.
What my brothers and I did have, was a co-opted family composed of my mother's mother, her aunts, and uncles, her cousins, and their extended families. My maternal grandmother, Nane, ame wit her own set of relatives, her sister, Aunt Marie and her husband, Uncle Jimmy, and their daughter Merrilee. Nane's first cousin, Aunt Grace, and her husband, Uncle Andy, and their daughter Marcia. Nane's other sister May and her husband, James, his wife Marge, and their children, Jimmy and Kathy. FYI, my mother named me for her favorite uncle, John French, May's son, whom everyone called Jack. What our own family lacked in size, we made up for in that extended, co-opted family of relatives.
Mary was adopted by her own family and I know she had a large number of adopted relatives on both sides of her adoptive family. Strangely, I can remember the names of her first cousins, her aunts, and her uncles to this day. I even remember some of the events that we attended when we were first married. We don't see those people any longer, but that's okay, because I have the memories.
That leads me back to where I started. Mary and I sat down to our vegan Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, that while it may have lacked in guests, it was made enjoyable by the presence of memories, memories of holidays, birthdays, and dinners with our co-opted families.
Mary worked hard on our dinner and although she said it wasn't her best one to date, it was great for me. I had memories of our own past dinners and celebrations with Adam and Stephany and the joy of the season to make the day special. I had the chance to share one more day of life with the one person in life that has made my life more meaningful, Mary. However I must admit, that cleaning up the kitchen after yesterday's dinner took a while, but that was fine by me, because it gave me still more memories.
This seems like a good place to insert the pictures taken by our Senior Staff Photographer yesterday.
Today it is time to do the one thing that I like the most, set up our Christmas tree and decorate the manse for the Christmas season, including some new outdoor lights. The ornaments on our tree are mostly of the type that are souvenirs of trips we have taken, a concept borrowed from Adam and Steph. We have miniature license plates from Florida, tickets from plays and musicals we have seen, and what some might call bric-a-brac that we've accumulated over the years such as driftwood and seashells.
Each piece of that bric-a-brac comes with its own memories. Each year, I top our tree with a finial, a tree topper that we purchased at the Christkindlmarket held each year in downtown Chicago. Plus, we have an ornament that came from the Holland Kerstmarkt. I am running out of branches.
Underneath, we have a trolley that we "inherited" from Adam and Steph that seems to complete the tree as much as the finial on top. So today marks the start of the second half of the holiday season for me as I set up for Christmas and New Year's Day.
Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the Bears defeated the Lions yesterday. 24 - 17.
Today, it is time to get to that decorating, do another walk with the fur-children, and that's about it. Ciao.
The current temperature is 34° under cloudy-skies. Today's high will be 38°. also under cloudy-skies. There are no current watches, warnings, nor advisories in the forecast. The sun will rise today @ 7:54 a.m. and set later @ 5:11 p.m.
Well, another one has come and gone, Thanksgiving 2019 is in the books. We/I had a great time. The vegan food was great, my pumpkin pie became my early morning snack this morning, by the by, it was very tasty, and the dishes and the kitchen are now nearly spic and span once again. I promised the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, that I'd leave the cast-iron skillet clean up to her ministrations, and so I did.
However, I'd be remiss if I didn't step outside the box, or maybe stay in the box a bit longer, if I didn't get to what I consider the real meaning of Thanksgiving and the entire holiday season.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a short essay entitled Hope I Don't Die Before I Get Old. I had riffed off of an old song by the Who entitled My Generation. That song has these lyrics "I hope I die before I get old", as one of the tag lines written by the band's lead guitarist, Pete Townsend.
That lyric set me to thinking about what we value most in life, what we feel gives our lives meaning and purpose. It's not your job. It's not how much money you have. It's not what you possess, well mostly.
That last sentence is my way of saying that the one thing that we all possess, that one thing that makes life the most enjoyable can't be bought, but it can be saved. That thing is memories.
As I noted in my essay, our family was never large, owing to the fact that my dad was an only child, and my mother was effectively an only child due to the fact that her only brother was never able to have children. Thus, I never had any cousins.
What my brothers and I did have, was a co-opted family composed of my mother's mother, her aunts, and uncles, her cousins, and their extended families. My maternal grandmother, Nane, ame wit her own set of relatives, her sister, Aunt Marie and her husband, Uncle Jimmy, and their daughter Merrilee. Nane's first cousin, Aunt Grace, and her husband, Uncle Andy, and their daughter Marcia. Nane's other sister May and her husband, James, his wife Marge, and their children, Jimmy and Kathy. FYI, my mother named me for her favorite uncle, John French, May's son, whom everyone called Jack. What our own family lacked in size, we made up for in that extended, co-opted family of relatives.
Mary was adopted by her own family and I know she had a large number of adopted relatives on both sides of her adoptive family. Strangely, I can remember the names of her first cousins, her aunts, and her uncles to this day. I even remember some of the events that we attended when we were first married. We don't see those people any longer, but that's okay, because I have the memories.
That leads me back to where I started. Mary and I sat down to our vegan Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, that while it may have lacked in guests, it was made enjoyable by the presence of memories, memories of holidays, birthdays, and dinners with our co-opted families.
Mary worked hard on our dinner and although she said it wasn't her best one to date, it was great for me. I had memories of our own past dinners and celebrations with Adam and Stephany and the joy of the season to make the day special. I had the chance to share one more day of life with the one person in life that has made my life more meaningful, Mary. However I must admit, that cleaning up the kitchen after yesterday's dinner took a while, but that was fine by me, because it gave me still more memories.
This seems like a good place to insert the pictures taken by our Senior Staff Photographer yesterday.
 |
| My homemade vegan pie crust as I was prepping it for the filling that Mary helped me prepare. |
 |
| The filled pie ready for the oven. |
 |
| Croutons for the dressing made from Mary's homemade bread |
 |
| In the bowl being stirred in preparation for baking |
 |
| The end product, including my personal favorite, Ocean Spry jellied cranberry sauce, the vegan tofu main course, dressing, and garlic mashed potatoes. |
Each piece of that bric-a-brac comes with its own memories. Each year, I top our tree with a finial, a tree topper that we purchased at the Christkindlmarket held each year in downtown Chicago. Plus, we have an ornament that came from the Holland Kerstmarkt. I am running out of branches.
Underneath, we have a trolley that we "inherited" from Adam and Steph that seems to complete the tree as much as the finial on top. So today marks the start of the second half of the holiday season for me as I set up for Christmas and New Year's Day.
Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the Bears defeated the Lions yesterday. 24 - 17.
Today, it is time to get to that decorating, do another walk with the fur-children, and that's about it. Ciao.
Thursday, November 28, 2019
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."
The current temperature is 36° under cloudy-skies. Today's high will be 39° and we'll see temperatures remaining steady throughout the day getting down to an overnight low of 32°. The sun will rise today @ 7:53 a.m. and set later @ 5:12 p.m.
I didn't seemingly get much done yesterday. That's what happens when you get up late, do a crossword puzzle, and wait for enough sun in you studio so that you can paint, a sun that only briefly made an appearance early in the day yesterday, thus not lending itself to further adventures in painting.
However, I guess you could say that I got ready to do battle in the kitchen today so that I can get out of the way and allow the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer to wage her own war against the forces of the day. After my short starring role in the kitchen is over, I'll be finishing that pumpkin pie I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I'll likely be relegated to being the "Tall Person" in the kitchen whose job it is to reach things high on the shelves of the cabinets.
Yesterday, I prepared the pie-dough for my pumpkin pie in between the various meals and other sundry activities that Mary worked on in the kitchen, so all I have to do today is roll out the dough, prepare the filling and wait for the oven to do its magic.
Speaking of the oven/kitchen, Mary made lunch yesterday that was part left-overs and part made to order. Lunch was a salad of iceberg lettuce topped with our homemade vegan ranch dressing that we had collectively prepared just before our luncheon repast. This salad dressing was a slight variation on Mary's regular recipe and we like this one the best, so Mary will be adding this recipe to her kitchen cookbook.
Since Mary, in her recurring role as our Senior Staff Photographer, had her Smart Phone handy, she took a few pix of the various meals throughout the day. I'll include those here. Unfortunately, in an ongoing need to learn a new phone camera, the pic of the broth was inadvertently taken in a movie format. How? Darned if I know.
 |
| Fresh baked bread for the dressing. |
 |
| The aforementioned video of the broth for that dressing. |
 |
| Our main course of marinated tofu. |
 |
| Our luncheon salad of my Coleslaw and iceberg lettuce topped with ranch dressing. |
 |
| Dinner of vegan sausage and Mary's variant on cheesy cauliflower casserole. |
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| Photo copyright Joel Bissell @ MLive.com |
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| Photo copyright Joel Bissell @ MLive.com |
As you can view in the video, the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, (GHDPS), was joined by the Grand Haven Department of Public Works, (GHDPW) front-end loaders in what is probably a vain attempt to keep the sands of lake Michigan at bay.
Today should be a bit more calm. I plan to watch a battle of the titans, or is it the giants? No, those are actual NFL team names. I, along with many Michiganders and Illinoisans, will be watching a battle between the toothless Lions and the almost as toothless Bears today @ 12:30 p.m. EST.
Mary will be slaving over a hot stove and a cold can-opener as she prepares our Thanksgiving dinner. The hot stove is for the tofu roast, the dressing, and the green bean casserole ala Mary, while the cold can-opener is for my Ocean Spray™ jellied cranberry sauce, without which any Thanksgiving dinner would be incomplete. Plus, I'll be washing everything down with some vegan egg-less eggnog.
I may get to my artistic pursuits too, but if I don't that's okay, because there is always tomorrow. Ciao.
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
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."
The current temperature is 49° under rainy skies. That 49° is today's high and we will see temperatures dropping throughout the day getting down to the upper 20s by early evening! The rain will continue to fall through out the day, with only sporadic stops at various times. The sun will rise today @ 7:10 a.m. and set later @ 5:12 p.m.
That Storm Watch will be in effect until 11:00 p.m. Thursday. Winds may be gusting to 45 knots and waves may get as high possibly increasing to storm force winds of 50 knots from the west by late morning!
A High Wind Warning will also be in effect from 4:00 a.m. today until 11:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day!
Of course, the that Lakeshore Flood Watch stays in effect from now until 4:00 a.m. Thursday.
There, a more truncated version of my daily NWS weather report.
Mary dropped me at Ford v Ferrari yesterday afternoon. 2 1/2 hours of viewing, one humongous popcorn and one ginormous cherry-cola later, I was completely sated. I was in the movie with two other gentlemen who bore a strong resemblance to myself. I hope that they enjoyed the movie as much as I did.
Once Mary had retrieved me, we stopped at the nearby big-box home and garden center to get some additional mulch for the fur-children's play area. The sections of the fencing we need are not currently available. Those will have to wait until spring.
Yesterday, Mary and I collectively employed the bulb planting auger that we got last spring to plant some bulbs and garlic for next spring. Mary is far more random than me with her flower bulb plantings and that's a good thing. I tend to put things in neat rows, likely one of my problems with creative arts. However, that "skill" made for very neat rows of garlic planting. I think that may explain why she is better than me when it comes to knitting. While knitting is not random, it does require a vision that I don't seem to have. Oh well, that's the beauty of being a couple.
Today, Mary will continue her preparations for our vegan Thanksgiving holiday repast and I'll be baking a pumpkin pie. I am good at baking. especially when I get to use my KitchenAid™ stand mixer in the process. Mary is much more creative in the kitchen, while I need to have a recipe to follow. More of that random creativity thing I guess.
Mary has already started the bread and the vegetable broth she will be using for her dressing and today she will begin to marinate our main course. On Thanksgiving, I'll do my part and open a can of my personal favorite, Oceanspray™ jellied cranberry sauce all while watching some "professional" football as the Bears visit the Lions. Neither team has a winning record at this late point in the season.
Otherwise, today should be pretty normal. No walks for the fur-children due to the prevailing winds. Mary may, or may not, go to her volunteer gig at the library, with weather also being the determining factor. Ciao.
The current temperature is 49° under rainy skies. That 49° is today's high and we will see temperatures dropping throughout the day getting down to the upper 20s by early evening! The rain will continue to fall through out the day, with only sporadic stops at various times. The sun will rise today @ 7:10 a.m. and set later @ 5:12 p.m.
That Storm Watch will be in effect until 11:00 p.m. Thursday. Winds may be gusting to 45 knots and waves may get as high possibly increasing to storm force winds of 50 knots from the west by late morning!
A High Wind Warning will also be in effect from 4:00 a.m. today until 11:00 p.m. Thanksgiving Day!
Of course, the that Lakeshore Flood Watch stays in effect from now until 4:00 a.m. Thursday.
There, a more truncated version of my daily NWS weather report.
Mary dropped me at Ford v Ferrari yesterday afternoon. 2 1/2 hours of viewing, one humongous popcorn and one ginormous cherry-cola later, I was completely sated. I was in the movie with two other gentlemen who bore a strong resemblance to myself. I hope that they enjoyed the movie as much as I did.
Once Mary had retrieved me, we stopped at the nearby big-box home and garden center to get some additional mulch for the fur-children's play area. The sections of the fencing we need are not currently available. Those will have to wait until spring.
Yesterday, Mary and I collectively employed the bulb planting auger that we got last spring to plant some bulbs and garlic for next spring. Mary is far more random than me with her flower bulb plantings and that's a good thing. I tend to put things in neat rows, likely one of my problems with creative arts. However, that "skill" made for very neat rows of garlic planting. I think that may explain why she is better than me when it comes to knitting. While knitting is not random, it does require a vision that I don't seem to have. Oh well, that's the beauty of being a couple.
Today, Mary will continue her preparations for our vegan Thanksgiving holiday repast and I'll be baking a pumpkin pie. I am good at baking. especially when I get to use my KitchenAid™ stand mixer in the process. Mary is much more creative in the kitchen, while I need to have a recipe to follow. More of that random creativity thing I guess.
Mary has already started the bread and the vegetable broth she will be using for her dressing and today she will begin to marinate our main course. On Thanksgiving, I'll do my part and open a can of my personal favorite, Oceanspray™ jellied cranberry sauce all while watching some "professional" football as the Bears visit the Lions. Neither team has a winning record at this late point in the season.
Otherwise, today should be pretty normal. No walks for the fur-children due to the prevailing winds. Mary may, or may not, go to her volunteer gig at the library, with weather also being the determining factor. Ciao.
Tuesday, November 26, 2019
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."
The current temperature is 42° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 46°, also under cloudy skies in the morning followed by sunny-skies in the afternoon. The sun will rise today @ 7:50 a.m. and set later @ 5:13 p.m.
A Storm Watch will be in effect starting Wednesday morning @ 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Wednesday. Winds may be gusting to 45 knots and waves may get as high possibly increasing to storm force winds of 50 knots from the west by late morning! Winds will slowly decrease in the evening. This Storm Watch is intended to provide additional lead time for mariners who may wish to consider altering their plans.
A High Wind Watch will also be in effect from 7:00 a.m. Wednesday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Southwest to west winds may gust in excess of 45 mph and locally 60 mph, with the highest winds along the lake-shore and south of Interstate 94. The winds may blow down trees and power lines causing power outages. I'm not ready for another one of these! Flights may be delayed at major airports and travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles on north to south oriented roads. Thanksgiving travel may be impacted. A High Wind Watch means there is the potential for a hazardous high wind event. Sustained winds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph or stronger may occur.
Of course, what would a High Wind Watch be without yet another Lakeshore Flood Watch, in effect from 7:00 a.m. Wednesday until 4:00 a.m. Thursday. That indicates that those high winds will likely cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
Significant erosion of beaches and dunes, inundation of low-lying areas along the lake-shore and in river mouths, and considerable beach debris are possible. This storm may be stronger than any other storm so far this fall! Confidence is highest in impacts from Whitehall southward at this time. Yes, that's us!
At this point, all bets are off except I can imagine the surfers hitting the shores and waters of the "Big Lake."
Yesterday, we traveled to that big-box retailer at the mall in Norton Shores to return a down-filled vest for Mary and buy a smaller one. Mary says that she has now sworn off any future visits to that retailer. While we were out, our winter snow service/fall cleanup crew came by and removed the leaves around the vast-gardens and the manse. Things look much better and now I can do the easy part, planting those flower bulbs and garlic that we purchased a few weeks ago.
Also yesterday, we spoke to the claims representative from our homeowners insurer about the damage to the manse and the tree that fell last Thursday night. Some costs will be covered, like the tree removal, while others may be subject to the policy's deductible. That claim is still in process and won't be finalized until later today or tomorrow.
John will be by today to assess the necessary repairs to the manse necessitated by that fallen tree. The siding needs attention, but the previous owners saved some pieces of that siding that should be okay for the repairs.
Today, I plan to go to the movies and see Ford v Ferrari accompanied by a humongous bucket of popcorn and a ginormous cherry-cola. The movie is about two hours and forty minutes in length, so I have to pace myself. Mary will drop me off and go to the grocery store for the things she needs to make our vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Then she'll return and retrieve me.
I won't get to do much else today, but I'm retired, so it doesn't really matter. Ciao.
.
The current temperature is 42° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 46°, also under cloudy skies in the morning followed by sunny-skies in the afternoon. The sun will rise today @ 7:50 a.m. and set later @ 5:13 p.m.
A Storm Watch will be in effect starting Wednesday morning @ 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. Wednesday. Winds may be gusting to 45 knots and waves may get as high possibly increasing to storm force winds of 50 knots from the west by late morning! Winds will slowly decrease in the evening. This Storm Watch is intended to provide additional lead time for mariners who may wish to consider altering their plans.
A High Wind Watch will also be in effect from 7:00 a.m. Wednesday until 7:00 p.m. Wednesday.
Southwest to west winds may gust in excess of 45 mph and locally 60 mph, with the highest winds along the lake-shore and south of Interstate 94. The winds may blow down trees and power lines causing power outages. I'm not ready for another one of these! Flights may be delayed at major airports and travel could be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles on north to south oriented roads. Thanksgiving travel may be impacted. A High Wind Watch means there is the potential for a hazardous high wind event. Sustained winds of at least 40 mph or gusts of 58 mph or stronger may occur.
Of course, what would a High Wind Watch be without yet another Lakeshore Flood Watch, in effect from 7:00 a.m. Wednesday until 4:00 a.m. Thursday. That indicates that those high winds will likely cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
Significant erosion of beaches and dunes, inundation of low-lying areas along the lake-shore and in river mouths, and considerable beach debris are possible. This storm may be stronger than any other storm so far this fall! Confidence is highest in impacts from Whitehall southward at this time. Yes, that's us!
At this point, all bets are off except I can imagine the surfers hitting the shores and waters of the "Big Lake."
Yesterday, we traveled to that big-box retailer at the mall in Norton Shores to return a down-filled vest for Mary and buy a smaller one. Mary says that she has now sworn off any future visits to that retailer. While we were out, our winter snow service/fall cleanup crew came by and removed the leaves around the vast-gardens and the manse. Things look much better and now I can do the easy part, planting those flower bulbs and garlic that we purchased a few weeks ago.
Also yesterday, we spoke to the claims representative from our homeowners insurer about the damage to the manse and the tree that fell last Thursday night. Some costs will be covered, like the tree removal, while others may be subject to the policy's deductible. That claim is still in process and won't be finalized until later today or tomorrow.
John will be by today to assess the necessary repairs to the manse necessitated by that fallen tree. The siding needs attention, but the previous owners saved some pieces of that siding that should be okay for the repairs.
Today, I plan to go to the movies and see Ford v Ferrari accompanied by a humongous bucket of popcorn and a ginormous cherry-cola. The movie is about two hours and forty minutes in length, so I have to pace myself. Mary will drop me off and go to the grocery store for the things she needs to make our vegan Thanksgiving dinner. Then she'll return and retrieve me.
I won't get to do much else today, but I'm retired, so it doesn't really matter. Ciao.
.
Monday, November 25, 2019
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 41° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 46°, also under mostly-cloudy skies. The sun will rise today @ 7:49 a.m. and set later @ 5:13 p.m.
A Gale Watch will be in effect starting Wednesday morning @ 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. Winds may be gusting to 45 knots and waves may get as high as 8 - 12 feet!
Of course, what would a Gale Watch be without another Lakeshore Flood Watch, also in effect from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. Thursday. That indicates that those Gale Force Winds will likely cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids issued that Gale Watch because there is the risk of Gale Force Winds of 34 to 47 knots. However the specific timing and/or location is still uncertain. That Gale Watch is intended to provide additional lead time for mariners who may wish to consider altering their plans.
I am certainly glad that our plans call for no travel for the holiday. It will be difficult to convince the fur-children that a walk is not in the cards.
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I went to that session on Architectural Photography this past Saturday. I took some pix of the presentation, but they are the copyrighted property of the presenter, Frank T. Smith, who makes his living selling his work, so I can't include them here.
However, I can tell you that the presentation was very informative and that I came away with some great ideas regarding perspective, taking multiple exposures and allowing my Olympus DSLR camera to meld or blend them into a composite whole that more accurately represents what you are seeing. Plus, I learned that sometimes, saving a picture in black and white versus color, can be more attractive as the viewers eye is not distracted by the colors.
In addition, I learned that there is a way to view every scene from different angles/perspectives that can make for more interesting pictures. For example, look for reflections, window, door, or architectural frames that are part of the scenes.
One thing I was reminded of is that some of the best photographs are taken during what photographers call the "Golden Hour." The Golden Hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the Sun is higher in the sky. The opposite period during twilight is Blue Hour, that occurs just before sunrise or just after sunset, when indirect sunlight is evenly diffused. However, now that I am retired, I don't often get up early enough to take advantage of the sunrise "Golden Hour." I'll have to work on that.
I also learned that when you take pictures, you should take 30 - 50 shots, or more, to get that "one" shot that is a keeper. Finally, it is up to the photographer to decide what to include for the viewer. In other words, the photographer is the director.
Today, I hope to get to more artistic pursuits. I keep trying, but I seem to find multiple other things that pull me away. Once again, I have to make an effort.
So, that looks like enough for this blog. Ciao.
The current temperature is 41° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 46°, also under mostly-cloudy skies. The sun will rise today @ 7:49 a.m. and set later @ 5:13 p.m.
A Gale Watch will be in effect starting Wednesday morning @ 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. Thursday, Thanksgiving Day. Winds may be gusting to 45 knots and waves may get as high as 8 - 12 feet!
Of course, what would a Gale Watch be without another Lakeshore Flood Watch, also in effect from 7:00 a.m. until 4:00 a.m. Thursday. That indicates that those Gale Force Winds will likely cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
The National Weather Service in Grand Rapids issued that Gale Watch because there is the risk of Gale Force Winds of 34 to 47 knots. However the specific timing and/or location is still uncertain. That Gale Watch is intended to provide additional lead time for mariners who may wish to consider altering their plans.
I am certainly glad that our plans call for no travel for the holiday. It will be difficult to convince the fur-children that a walk is not in the cards.
As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I went to that session on Architectural Photography this past Saturday. I took some pix of the presentation, but they are the copyrighted property of the presenter, Frank T. Smith, who makes his living selling his work, so I can't include them here.
However, I can tell you that the presentation was very informative and that I came away with some great ideas regarding perspective, taking multiple exposures and allowing my Olympus DSLR camera to meld or blend them into a composite whole that more accurately represents what you are seeing. Plus, I learned that sometimes, saving a picture in black and white versus color, can be more attractive as the viewers eye is not distracted by the colors.
In addition, I learned that there is a way to view every scene from different angles/perspectives that can make for more interesting pictures. For example, look for reflections, window, door, or architectural frames that are part of the scenes.
One thing I was reminded of is that some of the best photographs are taken during what photographers call the "Golden Hour." The Golden Hour is the period of daytime shortly after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the Sun is higher in the sky. The opposite period during twilight is Blue Hour, that occurs just before sunrise or just after sunset, when indirect sunlight is evenly diffused. However, now that I am retired, I don't often get up early enough to take advantage of the sunrise "Golden Hour." I'll have to work on that.
I also learned that when you take pictures, you should take 30 - 50 shots, or more, to get that "one" shot that is a keeper. Finally, it is up to the photographer to decide what to include for the viewer. In other words, the photographer is the director.
Today, I hope to get to more artistic pursuits. I keep trying, but I seem to find multiple other things that pull me away. Once again, I have to make an effort.
So, that looks like enough for this blog. Ciao.
Sunday, November 24, 2019
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." Yes my loyal readers, I'm back! More on my absence from the blogosphere later in this blog.
The current temperature is 39° under clear skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 45° under mostly-sunny skies. The sun will rise today @ 7:48 a.m. and set later @ 5:14 p.m.
There is still a Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake" until 7:00 p.m. today, with winds west up to 30 knots and waves of 3 to 5 feet. A Small Craft Advisory means that winds or waves are expected to produce hazardous conditions to small craft. Inexperienced mariners...especially those operating smaller vessels should avoid navigating in these conditions.Ya think?
The daytime temperatures are forecast by the NWS to stay in the mid 40s through Wednesday, albeit with showers developing late Wednesday and hampering travel for people heading to grandma's house for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday when temperatures fall into the 30s.
Now, for a brief explanation for my absence from the blogosphere.
Mary had just placed her latest cast-iron pan pizza on the table Thursday evening, when an extremely loud noise was heard and the cable went out along with most of the lights in the house along with the furnace. We still had lights in the dining room and the kitchen, but that was about it.
Naturally, I went to the basement to check the circuit breakers, although why I thought that that many breakers would all trip at the same time, I don't know. Meanwhile, STWD came downstairs like the man in the Night Before Christmas, you know, the man in that poem about Santa Claus when he heard a clatter on the front lawn and sprang from his bed to see what was the matter. Maybe I should have looked out there first, but as always, hindsight is 20/20.
Finally, I went outside on the back deck and what to my wondering eyes appeared? I saw that our ornamental pear tree was now lying in the back-forty of the PE and across the driveway. Its fall had taken down the power lines and the cable line leading to our house. Plus, the meter box had been ripped off the wall and was lying in the driveway. How or why that tree fell, we have no idea.
Mary wisely called the GHDPS and they dispatched an officer to check things out. What we collectively discovered was that the power lines had been torn asunder when the tree fell, but that one-half of them was still connected, thus the partial power in the manse. The officer called the GHBLP, that's the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power, and he stayed until the GHBLP people had done their work.
They came, assessed the situation and promptly disconnected the other part of the feed-line, plunging the manse into complete darkness. We made an executive decision to stay in the bedroom with the fur-children and make some calls in the morning.
We first called the folks from R-V Tree service in Muskegon to get the tree removed. That turned out to be a fortuitous call, as the owner of R-V Tree also knew a liscensed electrician who could repair the damage to the meter box and the pipe that carried power from the GHBLP lines to the manse. So, the tree was quickly removed, the electrician came around noon, and the GHBLP folks reconnected the power to the manse around 2:30 p.m.
Unfortunately, there was damage to the manse, some of our garden decorations, and some of the ornamental fencing around the vast-gardens. Of course, the cable was still out and didn't get reconnected until late yesterday afternoon. All of that is a long-winded way of telling my loyal readers why I have been absent for a few days/night. Here are some pix I took of the tree and the damaged power lines, both the night of the incident and the following day.
Yesterday, I went to a great session at The Camera Store in Muskegon regarding tips on how to take pix of architectural things. However, since I have overstayed my time here at my desk, I'll save that for tomorrow's blog. Ciao.
The current temperature is 39° under clear skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 45° under mostly-sunny skies. The sun will rise today @ 7:48 a.m. and set later @ 5:14 p.m.
There is still a Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake" until 7:00 p.m. today, with winds west up to 30 knots and waves of 3 to 5 feet. A Small Craft Advisory means that winds or waves are expected to produce hazardous conditions to small craft. Inexperienced mariners...especially those operating smaller vessels should avoid navigating in these conditions.Ya think?
The daytime temperatures are forecast by the NWS to stay in the mid 40s through Wednesday, albeit with showers developing late Wednesday and hampering travel for people heading to grandma's house for the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday when temperatures fall into the 30s.
Now, for a brief explanation for my absence from the blogosphere.
Mary had just placed her latest cast-iron pan pizza on the table Thursday evening, when an extremely loud noise was heard and the cable went out along with most of the lights in the house along with the furnace. We still had lights in the dining room and the kitchen, but that was about it.
Naturally, I went to the basement to check the circuit breakers, although why I thought that that many breakers would all trip at the same time, I don't know. Meanwhile, STWD came downstairs like the man in the Night Before Christmas, you know, the man in that poem about Santa Claus when he heard a clatter on the front lawn and sprang from his bed to see what was the matter. Maybe I should have looked out there first, but as always, hindsight is 20/20.
Finally, I went outside on the back deck and what to my wondering eyes appeared? I saw that our ornamental pear tree was now lying in the back-forty of the PE and across the driveway. Its fall had taken down the power lines and the cable line leading to our house. Plus, the meter box had been ripped off the wall and was lying in the driveway. How or why that tree fell, we have no idea.
Mary wisely called the GHDPS and they dispatched an officer to check things out. What we collectively discovered was that the power lines had been torn asunder when the tree fell, but that one-half of them was still connected, thus the partial power in the manse. The officer called the GHBLP, that's the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power, and he stayed until the GHBLP people had done their work.
They came, assessed the situation and promptly disconnected the other part of the feed-line, plunging the manse into complete darkness. We made an executive decision to stay in the bedroom with the fur-children and make some calls in the morning.
We first called the folks from R-V Tree service in Muskegon to get the tree removed. That turned out to be a fortuitous call, as the owner of R-V Tree also knew a liscensed electrician who could repair the damage to the meter box and the pipe that carried power from the GHBLP lines to the manse. So, the tree was quickly removed, the electrician came around noon, and the GHBLP folks reconnected the power to the manse around 2:30 p.m.
Unfortunately, there was damage to the manse, some of our garden decorations, and some of the ornamental fencing around the vast-gardens. Of course, the cable was still out and didn't get reconnected until late yesterday afternoon. All of that is a long-winded way of telling my loyal readers why I have been absent for a few days/night. Here are some pix I took of the tree and the damaged power lines, both the night of the incident and the following day.
 |
| The tree had fallen on the vast-gardens and partially across the driveway. |
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| Yes, the meter box should be on the side of the manse, not on top of the entrance to the man-cave. |
 |
| The fine folks at R-V Tree were quickly ready, willing, and able to help. |
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| The electrician installed a new meter box and a new snorkel for the downed lines Saturday afternoon. |
 |
| Sadly, our weather vane was also crushed by the falling tree. |
 |
| As was the ornamental fencing. |
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is fast approaching 5:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 37° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 41°, with fog in the morning and clouds in the afternoon, but only a 20% chance for additional precipitation. The sun will rise today @ 7:42 a.m. and set later @ 5:17 p.m. Oh, we are still on track to reach a high temperature on Thursday of 49°. We shall see. At any rate, like the Wicked Witch of the East, things are melting.
Well my loyal readers, the fat lady has sung. Not enough people came to the bi-weekly Grand Haven Art Meetups. So Jeremy, the organizer, had to admit defeat and pull the plug on any future meetups at the library. That's sad, as I attended both the inaugural meeting and the final farewell. In between, small numbers of people sometimes attended, but there weren't enough to allow the meetings to continue. I for one shall miss this activity.
Yesterday, was a rather pedestrian day. We got up late and didn't accomplish much. It seems that the winter months lead to less activity and less productivity. Maybe that's okay, but having spent so much of my adult life having a schedule and meeting goals and deadlines, that I still haven't gotten used to the feeling that some downtime is acceptable.
Oh, we did finish making tos caramelized onions and they are great as usual. We had some on vegan hot-dogs for lunch.
Today, I have an appointment at my barber @ 12:00 p.m. and then we have an appointment @ the groomer for the fur-children @ 1:00 p.m., but that's all that is on today's to do list.
Mary started another loaf of bread last night and it is currently rising nicely in the big-bowl on the kitchen counter. I understand that this one is destined to be baked in the Dutch oven in our kitchen stove.
I may, or may not, get to my arts and crafts activities today. No rush I guess.
There is at least one funny thing about being retired. You wake up in the morning, see your father's face in the mirror, and wonder how that old guy you are seeing just appeared one day. My brothers and I used to call our father "The Old Man", but he was only in his mid-forties when we were in our teens. Now, I see him every morning. Time has a way of forcing perspective on you.
I did record some new verbiage for my novel this morning, verbiage that came to me as I lay in bed. I'm not sure how I plan to incorporate my thoughts yet, but I have recorded them as a way to not lose them.
So there you have it, another day in paradox. Ciao.
The current temperature is 37° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 41°, with fog in the morning and clouds in the afternoon, but only a 20% chance for additional precipitation. The sun will rise today @ 7:42 a.m. and set later @ 5:17 p.m. Oh, we are still on track to reach a high temperature on Thursday of 49°. We shall see. At any rate, like the Wicked Witch of the East, things are melting.
Well my loyal readers, the fat lady has sung. Not enough people came to the bi-weekly Grand Haven Art Meetups. So Jeremy, the organizer, had to admit defeat and pull the plug on any future meetups at the library. That's sad, as I attended both the inaugural meeting and the final farewell. In between, small numbers of people sometimes attended, but there weren't enough to allow the meetings to continue. I for one shall miss this activity.
Yesterday, was a rather pedestrian day. We got up late and didn't accomplish much. It seems that the winter months lead to less activity and less productivity. Maybe that's okay, but having spent so much of my adult life having a schedule and meeting goals and deadlines, that I still haven't gotten used to the feeling that some downtime is acceptable.
Oh, we did finish making tos caramelized onions and they are great as usual. We had some on vegan hot-dogs for lunch.
Today, I have an appointment at my barber @ 12:00 p.m. and then we have an appointment @ the groomer for the fur-children @ 1:00 p.m., but that's all that is on today's to do list.
Mary started another loaf of bread last night and it is currently rising nicely in the big-bowl on the kitchen counter. I understand that this one is destined to be baked in the Dutch oven in our kitchen stove.
I may, or may not, get to my arts and crafts activities today. No rush I guess.
There is at least one funny thing about being retired. You wake up in the morning, see your father's face in the mirror, and wonder how that old guy you are seeing just appeared one day. My brothers and I used to call our father "The Old Man", but he was only in his mid-forties when we were in our teens. Now, I see him every morning. Time has a way of forcing perspective on you.
I did record some new verbiage for my novel this morning, verbiage that came to me as I lay in bed. I'm not sure how I plan to incorporate my thoughts yet, but I have recorded them as a way to not lose them.
So there you have it, another day in paradox. Ciao.
Monday, November 18, 2019
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just approaching 4:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 36° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 40°, also under cloudy-skies, with a 30% chance for rain developing later this afternoon. The sun will rise today @ 7:40 a.m. and set later @ 5:18 p.m.
It has been two weeks since I was at the library for the Grand Haven Art Meetup. So, it is once again time for me to attend this evening. I plan to work on my calligraphy and my portrait drawing while I am there. But, as is always the case, things are subject to change.
This past weekend was filled with various activities. Saturday, I watched just enough of the game between the now 8 - 2 Wolverines of Michigan and the falling 4 - 6 Spartans of MSU. Sadly, the Spartans were crushed by the Wolverines, 10 - 44 Saturday afternoon.
Yesterday, I also watched just enough of the 3 - 6 - 1 Lions as they were defeated by the 6 - 4 Dallas Cowboys, 27 - 35. It could have been worse, but a loss is still a loss.
Last night in La La Land, the 4 - 6 Bears were defeated by the 6 - 4 Rams, 7 - 17. What can I say? The Bears beat the Lions last week, but the Lions are not a very good team, with no evidence to the contrary, so....
Otherwise, not much was happening. In the early afternoon, we went to Vintage Green just around the corner so the I could add to my stash of cookie cutters and other Christmas items. Thanksgiving is almost here and soon thereafter, I'll be able to get my annual display ready to go. I have more this year than last. I can hardly wait. Fortunately, Mary is amused and very tolerant of my need to have a tree and other things on display, but I have to wait until after Thanksgiving.
I should mention that we also collectively sliced some onions for another batch of crock-pot caramelized onions. They are still slowly cooking away right now.
In between, we walked the fur-children because they and we are always in need of a walk. The sidewalks have thawed just enough to let us get out. Since Mary was available, she took Ginger and I took STWD on separate walks.
We also traveled to Holland to pick-up some groceries at a natural food store there and that's about it. A stop at Stan's on the way home and then dinner and a long winter's nap for me while Mary watched Book TV downstairs. I was supposed to be watching the Bears game, but as is often the case, I quickly fell asleep in my recliner and then awoke, just long enough to go to bed. I was there until around 3:00 a.m. and I will be returning there soon.
Today, I hope to get to some of my arts and crafts activities and perhaps work on the weekend crossword with Mary 's assistance. I have charged her with knitting some small Christmas ornaments for our tree. She assures me that they are so simple that even I could knit them. I reminded her that I managed to make a mess out of some loom knitting, something that is supposed to be foolproof, so....
So let's end on a high note. Ciao.
The current temperature is 36° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 40°, also under cloudy-skies, with a 30% chance for rain developing later this afternoon. The sun will rise today @ 7:40 a.m. and set later @ 5:18 p.m.
It has been two weeks since I was at the library for the Grand Haven Art Meetup. So, it is once again time for me to attend this evening. I plan to work on my calligraphy and my portrait drawing while I am there. But, as is always the case, things are subject to change.
This past weekend was filled with various activities. Saturday, I watched just enough of the game between the now 8 - 2 Wolverines of Michigan and the falling 4 - 6 Spartans of MSU. Sadly, the Spartans were crushed by the Wolverines, 10 - 44 Saturday afternoon.
Yesterday, I also watched just enough of the 3 - 6 - 1 Lions as they were defeated by the 6 - 4 Dallas Cowboys, 27 - 35. It could have been worse, but a loss is still a loss.
Last night in La La Land, the 4 - 6 Bears were defeated by the 6 - 4 Rams, 7 - 17. What can I say? The Bears beat the Lions last week, but the Lions are not a very good team, with no evidence to the contrary, so....
Otherwise, not much was happening. In the early afternoon, we went to Vintage Green just around the corner so the I could add to my stash of cookie cutters and other Christmas items. Thanksgiving is almost here and soon thereafter, I'll be able to get my annual display ready to go. I have more this year than last. I can hardly wait. Fortunately, Mary is amused and very tolerant of my need to have a tree and other things on display, but I have to wait until after Thanksgiving.
I should mention that we also collectively sliced some onions for another batch of crock-pot caramelized onions. They are still slowly cooking away right now.
In between, we walked the fur-children because they and we are always in need of a walk. The sidewalks have thawed just enough to let us get out. Since Mary was available, she took Ginger and I took STWD on separate walks.
We also traveled to Holland to pick-up some groceries at a natural food store there and that's about it. A stop at Stan's on the way home and then dinner and a long winter's nap for me while Mary watched Book TV downstairs. I was supposed to be watching the Bears game, but as is often the case, I quickly fell asleep in my recliner and then awoke, just long enough to go to bed. I was there until around 3:00 a.m. and I will be returning there soon.
Today, I hope to get to some of my arts and crafts activities and perhaps work on the weekend crossword with Mary 's assistance. I have charged her with knitting some small Christmas ornaments for our tree. She assures me that they are so simple that even I could knit them. I reminded her that I managed to make a mess out of some loom knitting, something that is supposed to be foolproof, so....
So let's end on a high note. Ciao.
Saturday, November 16, 2019
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."
The current temperature is 28° under partly-cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 36°, also under partly-cloudy-skies The sun will rise today @ 7:38 a.m. and set later @ 5:20 p.m.
That's a rather tame forecast as compared to the recent forecasts that contained Small Craft Warnings. Gale Warnings, Beach Erosion Advisories, Winter Weather Advisories, and/or other dire predictions about weather conditions in general. I'll take it.
I baked chocolate-chip cookies yesterday following an old family recipe, I just don't know whose old family. Nonetheless, they turned out great veganized, using our homemade applesauce in place of eggs and vegan margarine in place of butter. They are also smaller than the recipe called for, as each was one tablespoon of dough versus two. I guess that that means I can eat twice as many and feel good about my restraint.
Earlier in the day, I placed an order for some pajamas at the last of the big-box retailers left in the mall in Norton Shores. We were able to pick up one of the two items in under two hours, the other won't be available until later next week.
While we were out, we decided that it was time to replace the towels in the bathroom, so we found some at that same store that were suitable and in the right color. However, the shelf was labeled incorrectly and the towels were not the sale items at the incredibly low price that we thought. However, the sales associate took that into consideration and adjusted the price to the lower one on the signage. We got all the towels for under $40.00 versus over $100.00! Kudos to that big-box retailer and that sales associate.
Afterwards, we stopped @ another big-box retailer nearby, but they had nothing we wanted so it was off to Stan's in Spring Lake for some adult libations. Since we were in Spring Lake and since Mary "needed" some new flowers to brighten up her flower room, she crossed the street to get some at Spring Lake Florist. They are supposed to be long-lasting and they are beautiful, as you can see.
Of course, much of that beauty is in the arrangement created/designed by our in-house floral arranger who chose just the right vase from the many we have available. I wish I could remember the name, but alas, memory fails. All photos, courtesy of our own Senior Staff Photographer and her Smart Phone camera.
Home for some leftovers, salad and some TV watching that included news and an episode of Jeopardy that featured former champions. One of those former champions won nearly two million dollars during his extended run as champion a few months ago. He once again knew most of the answers, some very obscure, and risked enough monies on the program's Daily Doubles, to take home the $250,000 Grand Prize!
This afternoon, I have my monthly Irish Jam Session at the library. However, the "Big Game" in college football in Michigan between the Spartans of MSU, who are 4 - 5, and the Wolverines of Michigan, who are 7 - 2, will take place @ the "Big House" in Ann Arbor @ 12:00 p.m. So, attendance at the jam session may be lighter than usual. We shall see.
Mary will be glad to have me out of the manse for a couple of hours and I'll be glad to be Jamming. Hey, what a perfect opportunity to add some music to this blog, starting with Bob Marley and the Wailers as they play their song, Jammin'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRbZJXjWIA
While not Irish, Jammin' is still a great tune with a catchy beat and a great message. Since I should be including something Irish, I'll include one of my personal favorites as performed by Christy Moore, The City of Chicago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvOcyRqNfBI I like to both sing and play this one in spite of its somber undertones, because it is also inspiring on another level.
Otherwise, not much is on tap for today. Maybe some reading, some wood-burning, some painting, and... Ciao.
The current temperature is 28° under partly-cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 36°, also under partly-cloudy-skies The sun will rise today @ 7:38 a.m. and set later @ 5:20 p.m.
That's a rather tame forecast as compared to the recent forecasts that contained Small Craft Warnings. Gale Warnings, Beach Erosion Advisories, Winter Weather Advisories, and/or other dire predictions about weather conditions in general. I'll take it.
I baked chocolate-chip cookies yesterday following an old family recipe, I just don't know whose old family. Nonetheless, they turned out great veganized, using our homemade applesauce in place of eggs and vegan margarine in place of butter. They are also smaller than the recipe called for, as each was one tablespoon of dough versus two. I guess that that means I can eat twice as many and feel good about my restraint.
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| Yes Virginia, they are as tasty as they look. |
Earlier in the day, I placed an order for some pajamas at the last of the big-box retailers left in the mall in Norton Shores. We were able to pick up one of the two items in under two hours, the other won't be available until later next week.
While we were out, we decided that it was time to replace the towels in the bathroom, so we found some at that same store that were suitable and in the right color. However, the shelf was labeled incorrectly and the towels were not the sale items at the incredibly low price that we thought. However, the sales associate took that into consideration and adjusted the price to the lower one on the signage. We got all the towels for under $40.00 versus over $100.00! Kudos to that big-box retailer and that sales associate.
Afterwards, we stopped @ another big-box retailer nearby, but they had nothing we wanted so it was off to Stan's in Spring Lake for some adult libations. Since we were in Spring Lake and since Mary "needed" some new flowers to brighten up her flower room, she crossed the street to get some at Spring Lake Florist. They are supposed to be long-lasting and they are beautiful, as you can see.
Of course, much of that beauty is in the arrangement created/designed by our in-house floral arranger who chose just the right vase from the many we have available. I wish I could remember the name, but alas, memory fails. All photos, courtesy of our own Senior Staff Photographer and her Smart Phone camera.
 |
| Looking good! |
This afternoon, I have my monthly Irish Jam Session at the library. However, the "Big Game" in college football in Michigan between the Spartans of MSU, who are 4 - 5, and the Wolverines of Michigan, who are 7 - 2, will take place @ the "Big House" in Ann Arbor @ 12:00 p.m. So, attendance at the jam session may be lighter than usual. We shall see.
Mary will be glad to have me out of the manse for a couple of hours and I'll be glad to be Jamming. Hey, what a perfect opportunity to add some music to this blog, starting with Bob Marley and the Wailers as they play their song, Jammin'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFRbZJXjWIA
While not Irish, Jammin' is still a great tune with a catchy beat and a great message. Since I should be including something Irish, I'll include one of my personal favorites as performed by Christy Moore, The City of Chicago. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvOcyRqNfBI I like to both sing and play this one in spite of its somber undertones, because it is also inspiring on another level.
Otherwise, not much is on tap for today. Maybe some reading, some wood-burning, some painting, and... Ciao.
Friday, November 15, 2019
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."
The current temperature is 35° under partly-cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 39°, also under partly-cloudy-skies The sun will rise today @ 7:37 a.m. and set later @ 5:21 p.m.
There is a Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake" until 4:00 p.m. today. Inexperienced mariners, small craft without instrumentation and anything smaller than a freighter should stay in port.
Yesterday was rather mundane. Since neither ourselves nor the fur-children got downstairs until nearly 1:00 p.m., neither we nor they ate breakfast, or was it lunch, until then. One of the reasons we got up so late, was that Mary had stayed up late the night/early morning before to finish a book that she was thoroughly enjoying. Once I was done letting the fur-children out, I repaired to the man-cave and did some woodworking. My original plan to do some wood-burning on our newest Christmas ornaments, but that was thwarted by the failure of my old wood-burner/soldering iron to get hot. So, I got out my trusty jig-saw and used that to work on something else.
Ultimately, that cold wood-burning tool necessitated a late-afternoon run to that big-box arts and crafts store in Norton Shores for a replacement using a 55% off coupon that I had recently downloaded. Mary assures me that they make money if, and in our case that if is huge, if we load up a cart with other items that are not on sale. However, they seemingly put the entire store on sale regularly, so...Since we didn't buy additional items, we won, they lost.
Following that stop, we traveled to the Ace™ hardware in Spring Lake and then ultimately to that big-box home center in GH for yet another tool that I "needed", followed by dinner @ Don Luis. This time, Mary took along some reusable containers for our leftovers to keep even more throw-away containers from entering the landfill. A small gesture, but we try.
Home for the evening dinner meal for the fur-children and their after-inner run, followed by some TV viewing on our part. I then retired to the media-room for some additional TV viewing and a nap. I awoke in my recliner long enough to go to bed. I awoke this morning around 4:00 a.m. and so here I am.
Today, I hope to bake some cookies and then get back to that wood-burning and some additional work on that other project in the man-cave that I have going. That's along with some painting in my studio. Mary has more reading to do and and I have to work on a crossword puzzle from yesterday's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, a reprint of the puzzle from the L.A. Times. Ciao.
The current temperature is 35° under partly-cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 39°, also under partly-cloudy-skies The sun will rise today @ 7:37 a.m. and set later @ 5:21 p.m.
There is a Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake" until 4:00 p.m. today. Inexperienced mariners, small craft without instrumentation and anything smaller than a freighter should stay in port.
Yesterday was rather mundane. Since neither ourselves nor the fur-children got downstairs until nearly 1:00 p.m., neither we nor they ate breakfast, or was it lunch, until then. One of the reasons we got up so late, was that Mary had stayed up late the night/early morning before to finish a book that she was thoroughly enjoying. Once I was done letting the fur-children out, I repaired to the man-cave and did some woodworking. My original plan to do some wood-burning on our newest Christmas ornaments, but that was thwarted by the failure of my old wood-burner/soldering iron to get hot. So, I got out my trusty jig-saw and used that to work on something else.
Ultimately, that cold wood-burning tool necessitated a late-afternoon run to that big-box arts and crafts store in Norton Shores for a replacement using a 55% off coupon that I had recently downloaded. Mary assures me that they make money if, and in our case that if is huge, if we load up a cart with other items that are not on sale. However, they seemingly put the entire store on sale regularly, so...Since we didn't buy additional items, we won, they lost.
Following that stop, we traveled to the Ace™ hardware in Spring Lake and then ultimately to that big-box home center in GH for yet another tool that I "needed", followed by dinner @ Don Luis. This time, Mary took along some reusable containers for our leftovers to keep even more throw-away containers from entering the landfill. A small gesture, but we try.
Home for the evening dinner meal for the fur-children and their after-inner run, followed by some TV viewing on our part. I then retired to the media-room for some additional TV viewing and a nap. I awoke in my recliner long enough to go to bed. I awoke this morning around 4:00 a.m. and so here I am.
Today, I hope to bake some cookies and then get back to that wood-burning and some additional work on that other project in the man-cave that I have going. That's along with some painting in my studio. Mary has more reading to do and and I have to work on a crossword puzzle from yesterday's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, a reprint of the puzzle from the L.A. Times. Ciao.
Wednesday, November 13, 2019
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."
The current temperature is 25° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach only 31°. The sun will rise today @ 7:34 a.m. and set later @ 5:23 p.m.
A Gale Warning will be in effect during the hours of 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. today. Winds may be gusting to 35 knots. However, waves will only get as high as 4 - 7 feet.
Of course, what would a Gale Warning be without another Lakeshore Flood Warning, also in effect 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. today. That indicates that those Gale Force Winds will cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
Yesterday was a good day to stay in, and so we did. I had to go out and clear the deck so that the fur-children could get to their outdoor area, but that was the extent of my activities. Later, our snow-removal service came by and did the major cleanup and the front porch of the manse.
Since the snow was piling up outside, I took some pix through the windows and the front-door. Here are some for my regular readers in Illinois and Florida.
This afternoon, Mary is off to the library for her weekly volunteer stint in the genealogy room and I will be here, doing something that either amuses me or which gives me a chance to expand on yesterday's activities in the man-cave. Yesterday, I repainted a canvas, nearly completed some display items for our Christmas decorations, and traced the basic shapes on some wood for the newest ornaments for our tree. I have to add some wood burning and colors, but they should be great.
That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
The current temperature is 25° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach only 31°. The sun will rise today @ 7:34 a.m. and set later @ 5:23 p.m.
A Gale Warning will be in effect during the hours of 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. today. Winds may be gusting to 35 knots. However, waves will only get as high as 4 - 7 feet.
Of course, what would a Gale Warning be without another Lakeshore Flood Warning, also in effect 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. today. That indicates that those Gale Force Winds will cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
Yesterday was a good day to stay in, and so we did. I had to go out and clear the deck so that the fur-children could get to their outdoor area, but that was the extent of my activities. Later, our snow-removal service came by and did the major cleanup and the front porch of the manse.
Since the snow was piling up outside, I took some pix through the windows and the front-door. Here are some for my regular readers in Illinois and Florida.
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| We don't remember people using this technique in Illinois. Maybe we just forgot that you can put your wipers up and not have to de-ice them in a cold parking lot. People here in MI almost always do this. |
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| I was going to plant spring bulbs out there. |
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| The city plows made a quick pass in the early a.m. |
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| Oddly, the sun came out for a few, brief, shining moments. |
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| Same here. |
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| Room for the fur-children to roam. |
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| I did no more than was essential. |
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| To get down the stairs and back. |
That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
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."
No my loyal readers, I did not blog yesterday. Why? simply because I didn't have anything of note to say.
The current temperature is 22° under skies with snow-showers. Today's high is forecast to reach 25°! The sun will rise today @ 7:33 a.m. and set later @ 5:23 p.m. Looks like a good day to stay inside and do as little or as much as we wish. We have no need to travel, so...
Those conditions mean that there is a Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 5:00 p.m. today. Bands of Lake Effect Snow Showers have been forecast by the NWS. Some of the snow will be locally heavy at times. Additional snow accumulations of up to 5 inches is possible. With winds gusting as high as 35 mph! This could lead to some blowing and drifting of the snow in Lake, Muskegon and Ottawa counties. Travel could become very difficult, with near zero visibility possible at times. The hazardous conditions will develop early this morning and impact the morning commute. Motorists are strongly encouraged to slow down and use caution while traveling. Ya think?
Plus, there is yet another Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake" until11:00 p.m. tonight. Waves of 7 to 11 feet are possible. A Small Craft Advisory means that winds or waves are expected to produce hazardous conditions to small craft. Inexperienced mariners...especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in these conditions. Once again, Ya think?
It took the 4 - 5 Chicago Bears four quarters of football to defeat the 3 - 5 -1 Detroit Lions last Sunday, 20 - 13, with the Bears offense struggling to move the ball in the first-half. The team must have "lost" the very conservative playbook left behind by George S. Halas, long-time coach and owner of the Bears, as they actually threw the long-ball in the second-half and that produced some early third-quarter points before they "found" that missing playbook and reverted back to the Bears we know and love.
The Lions were without the services of Matthew Stafford, their regular starting QB, due to a back injury. He had started 169 games in a row over the last several seasons. His backup QB, Jeff Driskell, looked like the second-coming of another long-ago Lions backup QB, Eric Hipple, who many may remember as having defeated the Bears in a Thanksgiving Day game in 1997, 55 - 20.
The 1997 Lions scored the most points ever scored by a Lions team in their regular season history that day. Plus, those 55 points were the most ever allowed by a Bears team.
In 1997, the Bears had a 20 - 17 edge as the first-half ended, but the Lions and Hipple went on a tear in the second-half and buried the Bears with 38 second-half points. Hipple played his entire career for the Lions, but never had another game like that one in his limited role as a backup QB.
Whether Driskell will get another chance to stun the Bears this year on Thanksgiving will be up to how fast the rapidly-fading Lions regular starting QB, Stafford, recovers. If I were the Lions, one of only four teams, along with the Browns, the Jaguars, and the Texans, to have never played in a Super Bowl, I'd make sure that Stafford was 100% healthy before sending him out again.
It is worthy of note that the Lions and the Brows did make it to the NFL Championship game prior to the NFL/AFL merger in 1966. This year's schedule has the Bears and the Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, @ 12:30 p.m., in a battle for third or fourth place and a seat on the couch in the post-season.
Yesterday, I was out and Mary had time in the kitchen to make a steamed hammish. That took about one-hour. Normally, we use the Crockpot™ which requires about six hours. Frankly, I couldn't tell the difference when we had some for dinner. Mary felt a need to make a hammish as she has been allowing me to make them recently.
At 10:20 a.m., I heard MMRR locomotive #2019, heading south. While I didn't see that passage, I did observe that same locomotive heading north @ 2:30 p.m. towing one rarely-seen box-car and one DBTC. So unless the MMRR left another locomotive at the southern terminus, I'm assuming it was only #2019 that went south in the a.m.
Today has nothing to challenge us. We are expecting that significant snowfall today, necessitating a visit by our snow-removal service. I won't be using my yak to move the snow. There are yonger yaks for that.
I will be using my yak to play with the girls, maybe get to that painting I have had on my agenda for several days, and perhaps make a visit to the man-cave. Mary will get a chance to work on one of her own myriad craft/sewing/knitting projects. Ciao.
No my loyal readers, I did not blog yesterday. Why? simply because I didn't have anything of note to say.
The current temperature is 22° under skies with snow-showers. Today's high is forecast to reach 25°! The sun will rise today @ 7:33 a.m. and set later @ 5:23 p.m. Looks like a good day to stay inside and do as little or as much as we wish. We have no need to travel, so...
Those conditions mean that there is a Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 5:00 p.m. today. Bands of Lake Effect Snow Showers have been forecast by the NWS. Some of the snow will be locally heavy at times. Additional snow accumulations of up to 5 inches is possible. With winds gusting as high as 35 mph! This could lead to some blowing and drifting of the snow in Lake, Muskegon and Ottawa counties. Travel could become very difficult, with near zero visibility possible at times. The hazardous conditions will develop early this morning and impact the morning commute. Motorists are strongly encouraged to slow down and use caution while traveling. Ya think?
Plus, there is yet another Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake" until11:00 p.m. tonight. Waves of 7 to 11 feet are possible. A Small Craft Advisory means that winds or waves are expected to produce hazardous conditions to small craft. Inexperienced mariners...especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in these conditions. Once again, Ya think?
It took the 4 - 5 Chicago Bears four quarters of football to defeat the 3 - 5 -1 Detroit Lions last Sunday, 20 - 13, with the Bears offense struggling to move the ball in the first-half. The team must have "lost" the very conservative playbook left behind by George S. Halas, long-time coach and owner of the Bears, as they actually threw the long-ball in the second-half and that produced some early third-quarter points before they "found" that missing playbook and reverted back to the Bears we know and love.
The Lions were without the services of Matthew Stafford, their regular starting QB, due to a back injury. He had started 169 games in a row over the last several seasons. His backup QB, Jeff Driskell, looked like the second-coming of another long-ago Lions backup QB, Eric Hipple, who many may remember as having defeated the Bears in a Thanksgiving Day game in 1997, 55 - 20.
The 1997 Lions scored the most points ever scored by a Lions team in their regular season history that day. Plus, those 55 points were the most ever allowed by a Bears team.
In 1997, the Bears had a 20 - 17 edge as the first-half ended, but the Lions and Hipple went on a tear in the second-half and buried the Bears with 38 second-half points. Hipple played his entire career for the Lions, but never had another game like that one in his limited role as a backup QB.
Whether Driskell will get another chance to stun the Bears this year on Thanksgiving will be up to how fast the rapidly-fading Lions regular starting QB, Stafford, recovers. If I were the Lions, one of only four teams, along with the Browns, the Jaguars, and the Texans, to have never played in a Super Bowl, I'd make sure that Stafford was 100% healthy before sending him out again.
It is worthy of note that the Lions and the Brows did make it to the NFL Championship game prior to the NFL/AFL merger in 1966. This year's schedule has the Bears and the Lions playing on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, @ 12:30 p.m., in a battle for third or fourth place and a seat on the couch in the post-season.
Yesterday, I was out and Mary had time in the kitchen to make a steamed hammish. That took about one-hour. Normally, we use the Crockpot™ which requires about six hours. Frankly, I couldn't tell the difference when we had some for dinner. Mary felt a need to make a hammish as she has been allowing me to make them recently.
At 10:20 a.m., I heard MMRR locomotive #2019, heading south. While I didn't see that passage, I did observe that same locomotive heading north @ 2:30 p.m. towing one rarely-seen box-car and one DBTC. So unless the MMRR left another locomotive at the southern terminus, I'm assuming it was only #2019 that went south in the a.m.
Today has nothing to challenge us. We are expecting that significant snowfall today, necessitating a visit by our snow-removal service. I won't be using my yak to move the snow. There are yonger yaks for that.
I will be using my yak to play with the girls, maybe get to that painting I have had on my agenda for several days, and perhaps make a visit to the man-cave. Mary will get a chance to work on one of her own myriad craft/sewing/knitting projects. Ciao.
Sunday, November 10, 2019
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."
The current temperature is 42° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach down to 41°! The sun will rise today @ 7:30 a.m. and set later @ 5:26 p.m.
There is yet another Small Craft Advisory that will go into effect for the "Big Lake" starting @ 12:00 p.m. today. That Advisory will be in effect until 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. Inexperienced mariners, small craft without instrumentation and anything smaller than a freighter should stay in port.
15 to 25 knot winds building to as much as 30 knots are possible. Waves up to 10 feet are also likely, which will make for hazardous conditions on Lake Michigan, according to the NWS. That is apparently the new normal for Lake Michigan and most of the Great Lakes.
Yesterday, the Fighting Illini of Illinois staged their biggest comeback in recent memory, as they stunned the Spartans of MSU, at home in East Lansing's Spartan Stadium, 34 - 37. The Spartans had the game in hand and then the Illini scored three unanswered TDs to take home the win. Head Coach, Mark Dantonio, was at a loss to explain the collapse of a defense that had been highly rated going into this season. The Spartans have lost to the top teams in Big 10 and next week's game against the Wolverines of Michigan will likely be one more loss. Will Dantonio retire? Stay tuned.
As expected, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame had no trouble with the Blue Devils of Duke, outclassing the Blue Devils, 38 - 7.
Meanwhile the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University, totally outplayed the Terrapins of Maryland, 73 - 14.
The Tigers of LSU went into the home stadium of the Crimson Tide of Alabama and came away with a 46 - 41 final score. That was the first loss by Crimson Tide this year and the ninth straight victory for the Tigers.
Since we wanted to enjoy the relatively fair weather yesterday, we traveled to Hemlock Crossing County Park to hear an informative talk about Superior Volcanoes & the Mid-Continent Rift, followed by a walk through the woods for a rock identification hike. Naturally, I took along my trusty Olympus DSLR camera and took a lot of pix of the flora, the fauna, and the rocks. Plus, our Senior Staff Photographer, Mary, took a pic of our post-Hemlock visit dinner. Here are some of those pix now.
Today, we had planned to get out and plant some bulbs, but if that forecast from the NWS is accurate and the rain comes this morning, it is likely that those bulbs will not get planted until the next warm spell, if and when that happens. I do have to get some things put away for the winter though, so I'll have to make that trip to the outdoors a short but productive one today.
Otherwise, have plans to stay in and watch as the Bears defeat the Lions or the Lions defeat the Bears this afternoon. Neither team is having a particularly good season and the Bears hopes for a return to the Super Bowl are slim to none as are the Lions hope for their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.
I still hope to get some painting done today too. Ciao.
The current temperature is 42° under cloudy-skies. Today's high is forecast to reach down to 41°! The sun will rise today @ 7:30 a.m. and set later @ 5:26 p.m.
There is yet another Small Craft Advisory that will go into effect for the "Big Lake" starting @ 12:00 p.m. today. That Advisory will be in effect until 7:00 p.m. tomorrow. Inexperienced mariners, small craft without instrumentation and anything smaller than a freighter should stay in port.
15 to 25 knot winds building to as much as 30 knots are possible. Waves up to 10 feet are also likely, which will make for hazardous conditions on Lake Michigan, according to the NWS. That is apparently the new normal for Lake Michigan and most of the Great Lakes.
Yesterday, the Fighting Illini of Illinois staged their biggest comeback in recent memory, as they stunned the Spartans of MSU, at home in East Lansing's Spartan Stadium, 34 - 37. The Spartans had the game in hand and then the Illini scored three unanswered TDs to take home the win. Head Coach, Mark Dantonio, was at a loss to explain the collapse of a defense that had been highly rated going into this season. The Spartans have lost to the top teams in Big 10 and next week's game against the Wolverines of Michigan will likely be one more loss. Will Dantonio retire? Stay tuned.
As expected, the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame had no trouble with the Blue Devils of Duke, outclassing the Blue Devils, 38 - 7.
Meanwhile the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University, totally outplayed the Terrapins of Maryland, 73 - 14.
The Tigers of LSU went into the home stadium of the Crimson Tide of Alabama and came away with a 46 - 41 final score. That was the first loss by Crimson Tide this year and the ninth straight victory for the Tigers.
Since we wanted to enjoy the relatively fair weather yesterday, we traveled to Hemlock Crossing County Park to hear an informative talk about Superior Volcanoes & the Mid-Continent Rift, followed by a walk through the woods for a rock identification hike. Naturally, I took along my trusty Olympus DSLR camera and took a lot of pix of the flora, the fauna, and the rocks. Plus, our Senior Staff Photographer, Mary, took a pic of our post-Hemlock visit dinner. Here are some of those pix now.
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| Yes. |
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| Colorful slides. |
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| A fat squirrel feeding at the Nature Center's "Bird Feeder." |
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| A ground squirrel had to get in on the act. |
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| I thnk of this as acorns with an oak-leaf cluster that I saw on our hike. |
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| I don't know that this plant is, but it was very photogenic. |
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| Our recent high winds knocked this tree down in the forest @ Hemlock. |
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| It is always quiet @ Hemlock. |
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| Basalt rocks are heavily loaded with the copper that is abundant in Michigan. |
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| Just interesting. |
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| Whether due to my latest vegan pepperoni, Marys augmented sauce, her very active dough, the cast-iron pizza pan recently rediscovered in our kitchen, or...I think this was Mary's best effort to date. It tasted even better than it looks! |
Otherwise, have plans to stay in and watch as the Bears defeat the Lions or the Lions defeat the Bears this afternoon. Neither team is having a particularly good season and the Bears hopes for a return to the Super Bowl are slim to none as are the Lions hope for their first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.
I still hope to get some painting done today too. Ciao.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just past 7:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 35° under cloudy and wintry skies. Today's high is forecast to reach a sultry 42°! The sun will rise today @ 7:29 a.m. and set later @ 7:27 p.m.
There is a Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake." That Advisory will be in effect until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. You know what that means. If you don't have a very large ship or if you don't know what you are doing, stay off the water.
Of course, that Small Craft Advisory is due to the 20 mph winds along the lake-shore in today's forecast that will also trigger yet another Lakeshore Flood Warning, in effect until 7:00 p.m. this evening. That advisory is because those winds will cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
The current forecast from the NWS calls for snow this morning with a 70% probability that should taper off around noon and we may, in fact, see clear skies.
I didn't do any picture taking yesterday, however, I did make it into the kitchen to cook up another vegan pepperoni and some of Mary's favorite, vegan Italian meatballs. Once again, I think this batch of meatballs is my best yet. At any rate, some of them became part of our dinner.
Lest I forget, the trains on the RSTL were odd yesterday. At 11:22 a.m., MMRR locomotive #2019 was seen heading southbound at a very slow rate of speed, and in fact, it came to a stop for a short period. In tow were 11 CHCs, five DBTCs, and three DWTCs. That stop extended the passage past the manse to over five minutes, tying up traffic for what must have seemed like forever in our small city.
Later in the afternoon, I watched as that same locomotive passed by @ 3:14 heading north at its regular speed, towing four CHCs, and one DBTC,
The Michigan Wolverines are off today, as they cling to a 7 - 2 overall record in the Big 10 and a 4 - 2 conference record, trailing the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University and the Nittany Lions of Penn State, both with identical 5 - 0 conference records and 8 - 0 records overall.
The Nittany Lions are @ Minnesota today to face the also 8 - 0 Golden Gophers of Minnesota @ 12:00 p.m. The Buckeyes welcome the 3 - 6 Terrapins of Maryland, also @ 12:00 p.m.
The Spartans of MSU welcome the Fighting Illini of Illinois to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI today @ 3:30 p.m. Sadly, the Spartans are just 4 - 4 this season, while the surging Illini are 5 - 4. It should be a good match-up.
The "Big Game" for football fans in Michigan takes place next Saturday @ 12:00 p.m., when the Spartans travel to The Bog House in Ann Arbor, MI for a game against the well-rested Wolverines. Here in GH, that game is a "Big Deal!"
I wish I had good news about the Huskies of NIU, but they are 3 - 6 overall and just 2 - 3 in the MAC 10 conference. The Huskies are now in their off-weekend schedule, playing next Wednesday @ 8:00 p.m. @ Toledo tversus the Rockets.
I'd be remiss if I didn't throw in some baseball news in the off-season.
The Cubs are reportedly adding former Phillies pitching coach, Chris Young, to their staff to be the club's bullpen coach replacing long-time coach, Lester Strode, who has been with the Cubs since 1989. The Cubs also declined to tender an offer to 36 year old starting-pitcher Cole Hamels, following an injury-plagued 2019 season. Hamels says he feels great, but the Cubs declined to risk over $17 million on him. The Cubs' coaching staff is in flux as of now, with several decisions to make.
In any event, the Cubs are hunting for some pitching help this winter, such as the Washington Nationals free-agent pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, who will be a high-dollar free-agent this off-season. I am betting that the Cubs are still smarting from their big-money acquisitions of starter Yu Darvish and reliever Craig Kimbrel. Time will tell.
My beloved Red Sox are hoping that starting pitcher, Chris Sale, comes back next season and that their own crop of free-agents opt to stay with the organization.
Oh, the Tigers had an off-off year in 2019. They hope to rebound next season with the addition of some key young pitchers/players and some veteran free-agents. Time will also tell there too.
Today. feels like a good day to stay inside and do some of that painting and music playing that I never got to yesterday. You know what the ubiquitous "they" say about the best laid plans and all that, "Man plans, and goddess laughs."
That's all folks!
The current temperature is 35° under cloudy and wintry skies. Today's high is forecast to reach a sultry 42°! The sun will rise today @ 7:29 a.m. and set later @ 7:27 p.m.
There is a Small Craft Advisory in effect for the "Big Lake." That Advisory will be in effect until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. You know what that means. If you don't have a very large ship or if you don't know what you are doing, stay off the water.
Of course, that Small Craft Advisory is due to the 20 mph winds along the lake-shore in today's forecast that will also trigger yet another Lakeshore Flood Warning, in effect until 7:00 p.m. this evening. That advisory is because those winds will cause further erosion along the lake-shore.
The current forecast from the NWS calls for snow this morning with a 70% probability that should taper off around noon and we may, in fact, see clear skies.
I didn't do any picture taking yesterday, however, I did make it into the kitchen to cook up another vegan pepperoni and some of Mary's favorite, vegan Italian meatballs. Once again, I think this batch of meatballs is my best yet. At any rate, some of them became part of our dinner.
Lest I forget, the trains on the RSTL were odd yesterday. At 11:22 a.m., MMRR locomotive #2019 was seen heading southbound at a very slow rate of speed, and in fact, it came to a stop for a short period. In tow were 11 CHCs, five DBTCs, and three DWTCs. That stop extended the passage past the manse to over five minutes, tying up traffic for what must have seemed like forever in our small city.
Later in the afternoon, I watched as that same locomotive passed by @ 3:14 heading north at its regular speed, towing four CHCs, and one DBTC,
The Michigan Wolverines are off today, as they cling to a 7 - 2 overall record in the Big 10 and a 4 - 2 conference record, trailing the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University and the Nittany Lions of Penn State, both with identical 5 - 0 conference records and 8 - 0 records overall.
The Nittany Lions are @ Minnesota today to face the also 8 - 0 Golden Gophers of Minnesota @ 12:00 p.m. The Buckeyes welcome the 3 - 6 Terrapins of Maryland, also @ 12:00 p.m.
The Spartans of MSU welcome the Fighting Illini of Illinois to Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI today @ 3:30 p.m. Sadly, the Spartans are just 4 - 4 this season, while the surging Illini are 5 - 4. It should be a good match-up.
The "Big Game" for football fans in Michigan takes place next Saturday @ 12:00 p.m., when the Spartans travel to The Bog House in Ann Arbor, MI for a game against the well-rested Wolverines. Here in GH, that game is a "Big Deal!"
I wish I had good news about the Huskies of NIU, but they are 3 - 6 overall and just 2 - 3 in the MAC 10 conference. The Huskies are now in their off-weekend schedule, playing next Wednesday @ 8:00 p.m. @ Toledo tversus the Rockets.
I'd be remiss if I didn't throw in some baseball news in the off-season.
The Cubs are reportedly adding former Phillies pitching coach, Chris Young, to their staff to be the club's bullpen coach replacing long-time coach, Lester Strode, who has been with the Cubs since 1989. The Cubs also declined to tender an offer to 36 year old starting-pitcher Cole Hamels, following an injury-plagued 2019 season. Hamels says he feels great, but the Cubs declined to risk over $17 million on him. The Cubs' coaching staff is in flux as of now, with several decisions to make.
In any event, the Cubs are hunting for some pitching help this winter, such as the Washington Nationals free-agent pitcher, Stephen Strasburg, who will be a high-dollar free-agent this off-season. I am betting that the Cubs are still smarting from their big-money acquisitions of starter Yu Darvish and reliever Craig Kimbrel. Time will tell.
My beloved Red Sox are hoping that starting pitcher, Chris Sale, comes back next season and that their own crop of free-agents opt to stay with the organization.
Oh, the Tigers had an off-off year in 2019. They hope to rebound next season with the addition of some key young pitchers/players and some veteran free-agents. Time will also tell there too.
Today. feels like a good day to stay inside and do some of that painting and music playing that I never got to yesterday. You know what the ubiquitous "they" say about the best laid plans and all that, "Man plans, and goddess laughs."
That's all folks!
Friday, November 8, 2019
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 28° under cloudy-skies. Yesterday, we really had the first significant snowfall of the season. The NWS is forecasting a 70% probability for light snow this morning that will be out of the forecast by the afternoon, however, the skies will continue to be cloudy and gray.
Today's high is forecast to reach 32°. The sun will rise today @ 7:28 a.m. and set later @ 5:28 p.m.
There is still a Small Craft Advisory for the "Big Lake" in effect until 1:00 p.m. today.
As is is often said, opportunity is the mother of invention. Oh wait, that is necessity that's the mother of invention, but in any event, I had an opportunity to take some pix of the latest snowfall as it covered our parkway gardens and the trees in the back forty. Since not much else was happening yesterday, I have little else to say about that, to paraphrase Forrest Gump.
As you can probably surmise, the temperature is well below the seasonal averages, according to Bill Steffen, Chief Meteorologist for WOOD TV and Radio.
Even the people who try to escape the cold and snow in Florida won't be spared the latest cold snap. However, their 70s and 80s are much better than our own forecast temperatures. Locally, the NWS is forecasting temperatures will bounce around, sometimes in the 40s, sometimes in the 30s, so some of the current snow should melt away and allow for a fall clean-up to be accomplished by a local service, not me.
Today, we have nothing specific on the agenda. Reading, painting, music, cooking, etc. While that may seem ambitious, some of the activites overlap and will be going on at the same time.
So, that looks like enough for this blog. Ciao.
The current temperature is 28° under cloudy-skies. Yesterday, we really had the first significant snowfall of the season. The NWS is forecasting a 70% probability for light snow this morning that will be out of the forecast by the afternoon, however, the skies will continue to be cloudy and gray.
Today's high is forecast to reach 32°. The sun will rise today @ 7:28 a.m. and set later @ 5:28 p.m.
There is still a Small Craft Advisory for the "Big Lake" in effect until 1:00 p.m. today.
As is is often said, opportunity is the mother of invention. Oh wait, that is necessity that's the mother of invention, but in any event, I had an opportunity to take some pix of the latest snowfall as it covered our parkway gardens and the trees in the back forty. Since not much else was happening yesterday, I have little else to say about that, to paraphrase Forrest Gump.
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| We had planned to plant some spring bulbs out there, but.... |
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| Fall leaves covered with winter's snow. |
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| While the street was mostly snow-free, the trees, plants, and grass were covered. |
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| Somewhere in this pic is our grill that I was going to put in the garage. Oops. |
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| Fallen leaves on top of snow, a bit early for my taste. |
Even the people who try to escape the cold and snow in Florida won't be spared the latest cold snap. However, their 70s and 80s are much better than our own forecast temperatures. Locally, the NWS is forecasting temperatures will bounce around, sometimes in the 40s, sometimes in the 30s, so some of the current snow should melt away and allow for a fall clean-up to be accomplished by a local service, not me.
Today, we have nothing specific on the agenda. Reading, painting, music, cooking, etc. While that may seem ambitious, some of the activites overlap and will be going on at the same time.
So, that looks like enough for this blog. Ciao.
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