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.