Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 3:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 32° under cloudy skies. Today's high
is
forecast to reach 34°. The sun will rise today @ 8:01 a.m.
and
set later @ 5:55 p.m. Snow showers are in the forecast for this morning.
That's all I have to say about that. I'm going to depart from my regular format to blather about something that has been on my mind for a few days.
It was William Shakespeare who is most often credited with the phrase, "A rose by any other name..." But, the real origin of this phrase is unknown. It is said that it was coined by Shakespeare in Act-II, Scene-II of Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, wherein Juliet says, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By Any
Other Name would smell as sweet.” That sent my down the following path.
I was thinking about the names that we are given at birth, names such as ;James, Michael, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Charles, etc. Of course, some girls were given names like Mary because they were born or adopted into a Catholic family and it was nearly automatic or required for girls to receive the first name Mary as in the name of the Blessed Virgin, along with a more distinctive middle name and often, a confirmation names such as Frances, in honor of a saint who would act as a special patron to protect and guide the person who bears her name..
Me, I was given the first name of Jack and no middle name, just a middle initial, B. I was told many different stories about the derivation of my first name and that elusive middle name. My mother's favorite uncle was her uncle John, of which Jack is the diminutive.
According to one source I consulted, "The name Jack is a boy's name of English origin meaning "God is gracious." "Jack is also a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack." "The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a generic term for a man." I guess that I should take some solace in that and be thankful that like that old Johnny Cash song, A Boy Named Sue, it could have been worse, much worse.
However, I was not given a middle name, having to make do all my life with just a middle initial, a story that people often doubted when I said I didn't have a middle name. One story I was told is that my godmother's first name was Beatrice, which comes from the Italian and means, "She who makes you happy." I guess that would have been akin to being called Sue. Another story I was told was that my father's father had the middle name of Bernard and that my mother and he did not often see eye to eye. So, that name was out too. So, I never got a middle name., just that initial.
However, all of the above may be mere conjecture, derived from my need to have the name questions answered. One thing is for certain, when Mary and I first started dating, she didn't believe that I didn't have a more distinctive name, or at least so she says. I think that she has never been good with names and so she couldn't remember who had asked her out for dinner. Whatever, at least we have had 46 years together, sharing a name that is short and lacking in a middle-name.
That leads to our son, Adam. Like most prospective parents, Mary and I discussed possible names for our child. If he had been a she, the first name might have been Sunshine, shortened to Sunny by family and friends. But, as he was born a boy, we had agreed that he would be Adam, based on the old TV series, Bonanza wherein the first son was named Adam. Our Adam's middle name, Joshua, was not based on anything religious, rather, it was to give him great initials for the back of an athletic jersey. A.J. just looks great on the back of a jersey.
A little side note. Mary said that since it was just her and Adam and a nurse in the hospital room after A.J. was born, she could have chosen any name she wanted.
Our dogs over the years have had various names like one of our earliest, Scrappy Doo. He was generally called just Scrappy. That name was Adam's choice when we got Scrappy as Adam loved the TV cartoon show, Scooby Doo. Scooby's nephew was named Scrappy Doo. Hey, he was just six years old.
Our ensuing dogs all came from shelters and they had names given to them by the shelter workers. One of our longest tenured dogs was Stay-C. We think that she was given the names Stacy at the shelter, so we tried to not confuse her and so Stay-C she became just to be more unique.
Sugar was another shelter name, and based on her coloration, the name seemed to fit. So to this day, she is Sugar. Ginger was yet another shelter dog. Mary had vowed that she would change Ginger's name to something more exotic, based on something mythological. But like Sugar, Ginger's coloration was indeed ginger in nature and so the name stayed. We also call her our little terrierist.
At any rate, all of the above was a round about way of getting an idea that I'd had floating around in my head put to paper or blog. So once again, that's all I have to say about that. Ciao.
I nearly forgot. It is just 10 days until the pitchers and catchers report to spring training and thus, spring is officially in my world.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Thursday, January 30, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 6:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 30° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 34°. The sun will rise today @ 8:032 a.m. and set later @ 5:54 p.m. That's all I have to say about that.
Yesterday was rather slow around the manse. I do have a correction from my previous blog. When I stated that that long line of rail cars was being towed by the pair of MMRR locomotives I had seen heading south on Monday evening, I was in error. I discovered my mistake when I saw #2019 heading north around 1:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon towing two DBTCs, three CHCs, and six DWTCs.
I had assumed that the long line of cars I'd seen heading north early yesterday morning required two locomotives to tow them. Apparently, only one locomotive was required and that left good old #2019 available to tow additional rolling-stock. Go figure.
I did get around to doing some baking while Mary was @ her "Tad" session yesterday afternoon. I used an old family cookbook from Mary's book shelf, her beloved and well used Fanny Farmer cookbook, as the basis for my cookies. Once again, this may be an old family cookbook, just not our old family. I had to veganize the recipe, but that's easy if you know how. At any rate, Ginger was there to lend a helping paw and the cookies turned out great. With my usual self-restraint, they should last for many weeks, or at least a few days.
We walked to Don Luis for dinner upon Mary's return from her "Tad session last evening and took along our own carry-out containers, as we always end up with too much food for one meal. Since that was about 5:00 p.m., the traffic on Beacon Blvd. was very heavy and when coupled with the snow that had been piled from the last storm, we had to alter our route slightly. It was cold out, but the sidewalks were clear, so the walk was invigorating and we could justify a few more chips and salsa with our meal.
When we got home, the fur-children were glad to see us. It was as though we had been gone for days. Dogs are the best as they are very forgiving and always glad to welcome you home. I read some and then headed upstairs to watch some TV and fall asleep in the media room.
Mary was in charge of letting the fur-children out for their final run along with watching some TV news. As she watched, she made more progress on my latest hat. I believe that she is at the stage where she has to begin to decrease her number of stitches so that the hat will taper to a close and be ready for the pom-pom that we have to make. Here is a pic taken by our Senior Staff Photographer using her Smart Phone camera of her efforts to date.
Today, we have nothing specific on tap. We do need to get an additional pot for the plant that STWD has been using as her salad bar to see if it can recover from Sugar's ministrations and appetite. The current pot will become the home of our new sword plant when we repot several plants. We have to go the chiropractor and that is about it. Tomorrow, we may get out for some additional errands just because.
Don't forget, it is only 12 days until the pitchers and catchers report. Ciao.
The current temperature is 30° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 34°. The sun will rise today @ 8:032 a.m. and set later @ 5:54 p.m. That's all I have to say about that.
Yesterday was rather slow around the manse. I do have a correction from my previous blog. When I stated that that long line of rail cars was being towed by the pair of MMRR locomotives I had seen heading south on Monday evening, I was in error. I discovered my mistake when I saw #2019 heading north around 1:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon towing two DBTCs, three CHCs, and six DWTCs.
I had assumed that the long line of cars I'd seen heading north early yesterday morning required two locomotives to tow them. Apparently, only one locomotive was required and that left good old #2019 available to tow additional rolling-stock. Go figure.
I did get around to doing some baking while Mary was @ her "Tad" session yesterday afternoon. I used an old family cookbook from Mary's book shelf, her beloved and well used Fanny Farmer cookbook, as the basis for my cookies. Once again, this may be an old family cookbook, just not our old family. I had to veganize the recipe, but that's easy if you know how. At any rate, Ginger was there to lend a helping paw and the cookies turned out great. With my usual self-restraint, they should last for many weeks, or at least a few days.
We walked to Don Luis for dinner upon Mary's return from her "Tad session last evening and took along our own carry-out containers, as we always end up with too much food for one meal. Since that was about 5:00 p.m., the traffic on Beacon Blvd. was very heavy and when coupled with the snow that had been piled from the last storm, we had to alter our route slightly. It was cold out, but the sidewalks were clear, so the walk was invigorating and we could justify a few more chips and salsa with our meal.
When we got home, the fur-children were glad to see us. It was as though we had been gone for days. Dogs are the best as they are very forgiving and always glad to welcome you home. I read some and then headed upstairs to watch some TV and fall asleep in the media room.
Mary was in charge of letting the fur-children out for their final run along with watching some TV news. As she watched, she made more progress on my latest hat. I believe that she is at the stage where she has to begin to decrease her number of stitches so that the hat will taper to a close and be ready for the pom-pom that we have to make. Here is a pic taken by our Senior Staff Photographer using her Smart Phone camera of her efforts to date.
 |
| This color yarn is a radical departure for me, as I usually choose some shade of blue. |
Don't forget, it is only 12 days until the pitchers and catchers report. Ciao.
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 4:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 29° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 33°. The sun will rise today @ 8:03 a.m. and set later @ 5:52 p.m.
Don't forget that spring is nearly here, spring training that is, as the first pitchers and catchers begin to report on February 11. That's a mere 13 days away! I'm doing all I can to not add baseball themed music to my blog until that date, but it is a tough fight.
Speaking of tough fights, the MMRR had no traffic to fight here in GH late last night and early this morning as I watched MMRR EMD GP38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2025 pass by last night dead-heading @ 9:34 p.m. as they cruised by heading south That dead-heading reference is for Adam.
Then, @ 3:19 this morning, I was awakened not by the sound of reindeer hooves on our roof, but by the sound of a train passing by the manse. I sprang from my bed, but I did not see the locomotives at the head of more than 100 cars as they took over 10 minutes to move through our fair city, including a two minutes stop probably at the bridge across the Grand River north of here. I can only assume that the same locomotives I'd seen earlier were towing, as I've only once seen a different locomotive plying the rails in front of the manse.
Otherwise, not much is happening at this early hour of the morning. I just saw the first automobile traffic on our street @ 4:06 a.m. That was nearly one-hour after I arose.
Recently, the city sent out a letter to inform homeowners of the various ways that our street/avenue has been designated over the years. We are now officially an avenue versus a street, a route, or a thoroughfare. Good to know.
I am in the process of finishing that book I mentioned in my previous blog. I am only about 1/2 way through, so it will be overdue. But, since there are no longer any fines, I should be okay.
I finished the indoor chores yesterday as Mary soloed to the grocery store. I don't mind watching the washer and dryer spin around and around nor folding, so I think I got the better end of the deal. That deal does come with the exception of having to carry the six-gallons of water she had purchased for our humidifier to the second floor.
Today, Mary has another "Tad" session @ the library. I'm thinking about baking some cookies or making vegan Hungarian goulash, or both. We shall see if I do either.
Otherwise, I am still awaiting a day that isn't mostly cloudy to add some additional details to the painting that is on the easel in my studio. Sunlight changes how I see the work in progress. Fortunately, I can play one of my stringed instruments with less light. Of course, I often play with the girls in these early morning hours, so perhaps I'll have time to cook and play.Ciao.
The current temperature is 29° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 33°. The sun will rise today @ 8:03 a.m. and set later @ 5:52 p.m.
Don't forget that spring is nearly here, spring training that is, as the first pitchers and catchers begin to report on February 11. That's a mere 13 days away! I'm doing all I can to not add baseball themed music to my blog until that date, but it is a tough fight.
Speaking of tough fights, the MMRR had no traffic to fight here in GH late last night and early this morning as I watched MMRR EMD GP38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2025 pass by last night dead-heading @ 9:34 p.m. as they cruised by heading south That dead-heading reference is for Adam.
Then, @ 3:19 this morning, I was awakened not by the sound of reindeer hooves on our roof, but by the sound of a train passing by the manse. I sprang from my bed, but I did not see the locomotives at the head of more than 100 cars as they took over 10 minutes to move through our fair city, including a two minutes stop probably at the bridge across the Grand River north of here. I can only assume that the same locomotives I'd seen earlier were towing, as I've only once seen a different locomotive plying the rails in front of the manse.
Otherwise, not much is happening at this early hour of the morning. I just saw the first automobile traffic on our street @ 4:06 a.m. That was nearly one-hour after I arose.
Recently, the city sent out a letter to inform homeowners of the various ways that our street/avenue has been designated over the years. We are now officially an avenue versus a street, a route, or a thoroughfare. Good to know.
I am in the process of finishing that book I mentioned in my previous blog. I am only about 1/2 way through, so it will be overdue. But, since there are no longer any fines, I should be okay.
I finished the indoor chores yesterday as Mary soloed to the grocery store. I don't mind watching the washer and dryer spin around and around nor folding, so I think I got the better end of the deal. That deal does come with the exception of having to carry the six-gallons of water she had purchased for our humidifier to the second floor.
Today, Mary has another "Tad" session @ the library. I'm thinking about baking some cookies or making vegan Hungarian goulash, or both. We shall see if I do either.
Otherwise, I am still awaiting a day that isn't mostly cloudy to add some additional details to the painting that is on the easel in my studio. Sunlight changes how I see the work in progress. Fortunately, I can play one of my stringed instruments with less light. Of course, I often play with the girls in these early morning hours, so perhaps I'll have time to cook and play.Ciao.
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 3:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 33° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 33°. I guess we've made it. A light snow fell in the late hours of the evening last night into early this morning, but it appears to be over. In fact, today's forecast has only a 20% probability for more. The sun will rise today @ 8:04 a.m. and set later @ 5:51 p.m.
We got around to our errands and walks with the fur-children yesterday. Probably a good thing, as I'm sure that the sidewalks are once again slightly slippery.
We made a quick stop in Muskegon and then set out on a road-trip to Comstock Park/Grand Rapids to purchase a replacement for STWDs favorite plant in our foyer that she has been using as a salad bar. Suffice it to say that is a non-toxic to pets type as is our newest plant thanks to the greaet service provided by the fine people @ Flowerland. I'll add some pix of our newest floral family member once he is in his new pot, probably in a few days. Yes, this plant is very tall and spiky, thus the designation of a male name.
We stuck to the back-roads versus the highways and byways and that allowed us to see things and places that we've never seen before. In fact, the first sighting we had was some wild turkeys on a two-lane road just outside of Norton Shores as the turkeys headed back to the safety of the woods..
Of course, since I had my trusty Olympus DSLR camera along for the ride, I took a lot of pix of the quiet farms along the route. Mary was mostly able to slow down or stop and allow me time to take several shots of most of the farms or barns that we saw. My taste in subject matter is evolving as the seasons change.
This being winter, the skies are filled with a veritable montage of clouds/formations, many white and many in various shades of gray, while some blue skies were also in the mix.
We stopped @ Stan's before heading home to feed the fur-children. They had their breakfast at 12:00 p.m., but they acted as though they hadn't eaten in days.
As you depart Spring Lake, the skies always seem to have some great cloud formations. In addition, the stack at the soon to be shuttered GHBLP power plant on Harbor Island was emitting some very photogenic formations of steam.
Today, we have nothing special on the agenda. Mary has to go to the grocery store and I'll probably stay behind and do some indoor chores and read. I've started another book that is due today and I am moving right along in spite of the regular sized print versus the large-print I prefer.
I can't foresee anything else that needs doing. Ciao.
The current temperature is 33° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 33°. I guess we've made it. A light snow fell in the late hours of the evening last night into early this morning, but it appears to be over. In fact, today's forecast has only a 20% probability for more. The sun will rise today @ 8:04 a.m. and set later @ 5:51 p.m.
We got around to our errands and walks with the fur-children yesterday. Probably a good thing, as I'm sure that the sidewalks are once again slightly slippery.
We made a quick stop in Muskegon and then set out on a road-trip to Comstock Park/Grand Rapids to purchase a replacement for STWDs favorite plant in our foyer that she has been using as a salad bar. Suffice it to say that is a non-toxic to pets type as is our newest plant thanks to the greaet service provided by the fine people @ Flowerland. I'll add some pix of our newest floral family member once he is in his new pot, probably in a few days. Yes, this plant is very tall and spiky, thus the designation of a male name.
We stuck to the back-roads versus the highways and byways and that allowed us to see things and places that we've never seen before. In fact, the first sighting we had was some wild turkeys on a two-lane road just outside of Norton Shores as the turkeys headed back to the safety of the woods..
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| Yes, they are dark, not the white feathered variety that most people associate with turkeys. |
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| Yesterday, we only saw two, but they are quite common throughout most of West Michigan. |
 |
| Somehow, I doubt that this barn is still in use. |
 |
| While this one has been well-maintained and is likely still in use. |
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| What was probably a dairy barn that has fallen into disuse. |
 |
| Whereas this barn and the silos are part of an active farm. |
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| This one, not so much. |
 |
| Probably still in use. |
 |
| Probably unused and now part of the scenery. |
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| As the sun was sinking into the western skies. |
 |
| Over the snow covered and quiet farm fields. |
 |
| This sky just looked great. |
As you depart Spring Lake, the skies always seem to have some great cloud formations. In addition, the stack at the soon to be shuttered GHBLP power plant on Harbor Island was emitting some very photogenic formations of steam.
 |
| Against a backdrop of the setting sun. |
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| I find it fascinating to take these shots. |
I can't foresee anything else that needs doing. Ciao.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 5:30 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 33° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 36°. The sun will rise today @ 8:05 a.m. and set later @ 5:50 p.m. It feels good to write that the days are getting longer.
A moment of silence for the people who died yesterday. Some young, some old, some American, and some of other nationalities. Also, a moment of silence for the animals who died yesterday, some young, some old, some American, and some of other nationalities.
We had a great day yesterday. We got up late, watched some TV, did some reading, and then we went out to that aforementioned concert at the 1st Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven featuring Uneven Ground. We are never disappointed by live music and we are never disappointed by Uneven Ground.
The band and their newest member, Rory Closz, along with Larry Halverson, Tim Staudacher, Courtney Hutson, and Rory's father, Dave Closz, tripped through some Irish jigs and reels and some tunes of Scottish origin along with some audience participation. The acoustics in the church were perfect and the band sounded great, whether performing instrumentals or vocal tunes. I took numerous pix, so I'll include some here.
A terrific show that lasted about one hour and fifteen minutes and which was thoroughly enjoyed by all.
We walked home to feed the fur-children and ourselves and then headed out to our second performance of the day/night to see Jeremy Clyde and his combo @ Seven Steps Up. They performed songs from Clyde's time with Chad and Jeremy, but many more from his Bottom Drawer Sessions I thru V. Jeremy noted that like all of us, he had an unknown, but finite number of days left and that was the impetus for his recording these songs. He had originally envisioned six recordings, but it might stretch to seven or eight, time permitting. By the by, he also mentioned that Chad had retired, but that he, Jeremy, had not.
At any rate, I took many pix there too and so I'll include some of those here too.
We had s great time listening to Jeemy and his latest combo, and I have included two cuts from YouTube™, one of the song That Will be That from Clyde's Bottom Sessions I entitled That Will be That. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy1NOib6On8, and this one from his Bottom Drawer Sessions # IV, entitled Narcissus Moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx5orOctXhU recorded last Augiust @ Seven Steps Up where we were last night, this one with two young women on strings as accompanists. I hope you enjoy both along with this one of Chad and Jeremy performing Yesterday's Gone, from 2015. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SssaUTSpHKI.
In case you long for something even more nostalgic, here are Chad and Jeremy performing their song entitled A Summer Song on American Bandstand in 1964. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfvL2oLeBYs
Today, we have some chores to perform and errands to run and that's about it. Weather permitting, we may get the fur-children out for a walk. They are in need, as are we. Ciao.
The current temperature is 33° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 36°. The sun will rise today @ 8:05 a.m. and set later @ 5:50 p.m. It feels good to write that the days are getting longer.
A moment of silence for the people who died yesterday. Some young, some old, some American, and some of other nationalities. Also, a moment of silence for the animals who died yesterday, some young, some old, some American, and some of other nationalities.
We had a great day yesterday. We got up late, watched some TV, did some reading, and then we went out to that aforementioned concert at the 1st Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven featuring Uneven Ground. We are never disappointed by live music and we are never disappointed by Uneven Ground.
The band and their newest member, Rory Closz, along with Larry Halverson, Tim Staudacher, Courtney Hutson, and Rory's father, Dave Closz, tripped through some Irish jigs and reels and some tunes of Scottish origin along with some audience participation. The acoustics in the church were perfect and the band sounded great, whether performing instrumentals or vocal tunes. I took numerous pix, so I'll include some here.
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| Before the show. |
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| Courtney Hutson, fiddle and vocals. |
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| Rory Closz, bodhran, mandolin, guitar and vocals. |
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| Larry Halverson. whistle, flute, and vocals.. |
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| Dave Closz, guitar and vocals. |
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| Tim Staudacher, bouzouki, guitar, mandolin, and vocals. |
We walked home to feed the fur-children and ourselves and then headed out to our second performance of the day/night to see Jeremy Clyde and his combo @ Seven Steps Up. They performed songs from Clyde's time with Chad and Jeremy, but many more from his Bottom Drawer Sessions I thru V. Jeremy noted that like all of us, he had an unknown, but finite number of days left and that was the impetus for his recording these songs. He had originally envisioned six recordings, but it might stretch to seven or eight, time permitting. By the by, he also mentioned that Chad had retired, but that he, Jeremy, had not.
At any rate, I took many pix there too and so I'll include some of those here too.
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| Jeremy as he soloed. |
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| Jeremy with his violin accompaniest, Caitlyn, who was terrific. |
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| The young man with a 12 string guitar who accompanied Jeremy. Unfortunately, I cannot recall. But, he was also terrific. |
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| The entire combo. |
In case you long for something even more nostalgic, here are Chad and Jeremy performing their song entitled A Summer Song on American Bandstand in 1964. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfvL2oLeBYs
Today, we have some chores to perform and errands to run and that's about it. Weather permitting, we may get the fur-children out for a walk. They are in need, as are we. Ciao.
Sunday, January 26, 2020
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 36° with snow-showers possible @ 40% and windy conditions this morning. According to Ellen Bacca, one of the meteorologists at WOOD TV/Radio, we are past the winter solstice and heading into the time of year when the days get longer by about two minutes each day and the temperatures are on a general warming trend. Can it be long before I can break out my shorts and T-shirt ensembles?
Today's high is forecast to reach 36° with only that 40% chance for snow-showers in the forecast. The sun will rise today @ 8:06 a.m. and set later @ 5:48 p.m.
A Small Craft Advisory is in effect until 11:00 p.m. this evening. Northwest winds of 15 to 25 knots and waves of 3 to 5 feet can be expected. Those winds and waves will subside by midnight. This advisory is for St Joseph to Manistee. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions. Fortunately, although I am an inexperienced mariner, I don't own a vessel of any size, so I can just take pix.
Speaking of taking pix, I went to that session @ The Camera Store yesterday.regarding the function buttons on my Olympus DSLR camera. As usual, there was a lot to digest. Also as usual, I came away with some new tidbits of info that I now have to apply to my own knowledge base and activities. I am learning and that's all that matters.
We traveled to yet another big-box retailer yesterday afternoon in search of new bedside tables. We once again came away unrequited. But, with a little work on my part next spring and a little paint, I can make the old look like new and save a lot of additional time spent in searching and save a lot of money. What's not to like? I managed to refinish our bathroom cabinets three years ago, so these bedside table should be an easy fix.
Also yesterday afternoon, we made a stop at one of the medium-box drug and sundry stores in Spring Lake. With all of our coupons and discounts, we "saved" a boatload of money. LOL. Afterwards, we stopped in @ Stan's which was busy when we arrived, but which had emptied out quite a bit as we were leaving. Oh, we bought the winning lottery ticket too.
Home for a viewing of the 2003 movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, starring Diane Lane. The screenplay was written by the author of the book, Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy, Frances Mayes. Lane portrayed her in the movie. I am always a sucker for a romance and I loved it even if the critics gave the film mixed reviews in 2003.
Today promises to be another busy day, The Loutit Library's Director of Public Relations, Larry Halverson, and his traditional Irish band, Uneven Ground will be playing a set at the 1st Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven this afternoon @ 4:00 p.m. As an avid Irish music aficionado and a member of the rotating cast of the Irish Jam @ Loutit Library, I just have to go.
We'll come home afterwards to have dinner and take care of the fur-children before we head out again to go to Seven Steps Up for a 7:00 p.m. concert to see Jeremy Clyde, formerly of the 60s British Invasion duo of Chad and Jeremy, as he celebrates the release of his latest CD, The Bottom Drawer Sessions No. 5.
Although Clyde has worked as an actor in TV shows such as Downton Abbey and performed on stage in London's West End, since the 60s. The songwriting gift/bug has never left Clyde and he has recorded many songs from what he calls his bottom drawer, starting with The Bottom Drawer Sessions No. 1 released in 2014. In addition to his own solo appearances, Clyde continues to appear with Peter Asher of the pop duo Peter and Gordon. Expect some pix in my next blog.
Otherwise, we have no plans for today other than some reading and relaxing. Ciao.
The current temperature is 36° with snow-showers possible @ 40% and windy conditions this morning. According to Ellen Bacca, one of the meteorologists at WOOD TV/Radio, we are past the winter solstice and heading into the time of year when the days get longer by about two minutes each day and the temperatures are on a general warming trend. Can it be long before I can break out my shorts and T-shirt ensembles?
Today's high is forecast to reach 36° with only that 40% chance for snow-showers in the forecast. The sun will rise today @ 8:06 a.m. and set later @ 5:48 p.m.
A Small Craft Advisory is in effect until 11:00 p.m. this evening. Northwest winds of 15 to 25 knots and waves of 3 to 5 feet can be expected. Those winds and waves will subside by midnight. This advisory is for St Joseph to Manistee. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions. Fortunately, although I am an inexperienced mariner, I don't own a vessel of any size, so I can just take pix.
Speaking of taking pix, I went to that session @ The Camera Store yesterday.regarding the function buttons on my Olympus DSLR camera. As usual, there was a lot to digest. Also as usual, I came away with some new tidbits of info that I now have to apply to my own knowledge base and activities. I am learning and that's all that matters.
We traveled to yet another big-box retailer yesterday afternoon in search of new bedside tables. We once again came away unrequited. But, with a little work on my part next spring and a little paint, I can make the old look like new and save a lot of additional time spent in searching and save a lot of money. What's not to like? I managed to refinish our bathroom cabinets three years ago, so these bedside table should be an easy fix.
Also yesterday afternoon, we made a stop at one of the medium-box drug and sundry stores in Spring Lake. With all of our coupons and discounts, we "saved" a boatload of money. LOL. Afterwards, we stopped in @ Stan's which was busy when we arrived, but which had emptied out quite a bit as we were leaving. Oh, we bought the winning lottery ticket too.
Home for a viewing of the 2003 movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, starring Diane Lane. The screenplay was written by the author of the book, Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy, Frances Mayes. Lane portrayed her in the movie. I am always a sucker for a romance and I loved it even if the critics gave the film mixed reviews in 2003.
Today promises to be another busy day, The Loutit Library's Director of Public Relations, Larry Halverson, and his traditional Irish band, Uneven Ground will be playing a set at the 1st Presbyterian Church of Grand Haven this afternoon @ 4:00 p.m. As an avid Irish music aficionado and a member of the rotating cast of the Irish Jam @ Loutit Library, I just have to go.
We'll come home afterwards to have dinner and take care of the fur-children before we head out again to go to Seven Steps Up for a 7:00 p.m. concert to see Jeremy Clyde, formerly of the 60s British Invasion duo of Chad and Jeremy, as he celebrates the release of his latest CD, The Bottom Drawer Sessions No. 5.
Although Clyde has worked as an actor in TV shows such as Downton Abbey and performed on stage in London's West End, since the 60s. The songwriting gift/bug has never left Clyde and he has recorded many songs from what he calls his bottom drawer, starting with The Bottom Drawer Sessions No. 1 released in 2014. In addition to his own solo appearances, Clyde continues to appear with Peter Asher of the pop duo Peter and Gordon. Expect some pix in my next blog.
Otherwise, we have no plans for today other than some reading and relaxing. Ciao.
Friday, January 24, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 5:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 34° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 37° with a 90% chance for additional precipitation in the form of rain/snow that was forecast to begin @ 4:45 a.m. and continues in earnest until 11:00 p.m. tonight! It is not snowing yet. The sun will rise today @ 8:08 a.m. and set later @ 5:46 p.m.
I was up early, just because that has become my current sleeping or is it my not sleeping time, and so I went downstairs to the kitchen and made a batch of my world -famous vegan Italian meatballs. I also cleaned up after myself so well, that I left the kitchen cleaner than when I arrived.
Not much was happening yesterday. I cleaned up the deck and the driveway and spread some salt to keep the ice at bay. I wish I could say that the fur-children got a walk, but alas, I can't. Today doesn't look much better for their chances either.
We made it to the chiropractor yesterday afternoon, but we took the car because we needed to go to the UPS Store™ downtown to drop off a package for return to that big-box e-tailer.
Now, I am going to head into the media room to watch another episode of that long ago TV show, Highway Patrol, starring the late Broderick Crawford. I especially like watching the old cars with what appeared to be no shock absorbers, very little in the way of performance, handling, or other things that we take for granted in today's automobiles. Oh, Crawford always gets his man and like Barnaby Jones of the TV private detective show starring the late Buddy Ebsen, Crawford always manages to out shoot his quarry.
Today looks like a good day to stay inside, do some reading and maybe some crafty things, Since I've already done some cooking, I will do some indoor chores that take very little minding. Ciao.
The current temperature is 34° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 37° with a 90% chance for additional precipitation in the form of rain/snow that was forecast to begin @ 4:45 a.m. and continues in earnest until 11:00 p.m. tonight! It is not snowing yet. The sun will rise today @ 8:08 a.m. and set later @ 5:46 p.m.
I was up early, just because that has become my current sleeping or is it my not sleeping time, and so I went downstairs to the kitchen and made a batch of my world -famous vegan Italian meatballs. I also cleaned up after myself so well, that I left the kitchen cleaner than when I arrived.
Not much was happening yesterday. I cleaned up the deck and the driveway and spread some salt to keep the ice at bay. I wish I could say that the fur-children got a walk, but alas, I can't. Today doesn't look much better for their chances either.
We made it to the chiropractor yesterday afternoon, but we took the car because we needed to go to the UPS Store™ downtown to drop off a package for return to that big-box e-tailer.
Now, I am going to head into the media room to watch another episode of that long ago TV show, Highway Patrol, starring the late Broderick Crawford. I especially like watching the old cars with what appeared to be no shock absorbers, very little in the way of performance, handling, or other things that we take for granted in today's automobiles. Oh, Crawford always gets his man and like Barnaby Jones of the TV private detective show starring the late Buddy Ebsen, Crawford always manages to out shoot his quarry.
Today looks like a good day to stay inside, do some reading and maybe some crafty things, Since I've already done some cooking, I will do some indoor chores that take very little minding. Ciao.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
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 32° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 35° with a 90% chance for additional precipitation. In fact, it is snowing right now. Since we are at the freezing mark now, as the day wears on that snow should just become rain. The sun will rise today @ 8:08 a.m. and set later @ 5:44 p.m.
There is also a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee in effect until 10:00 a.m. today.
We did it. Collectively we went through that kitchen cabinet and moved things around and packed some things for donation. We found out a long time ago that if you don't need something, and if you don't want to have a garage sale, you can re-purpose things for young people just starting to set up housekeeping or let people who can use an item get it and use it at a negligible cost. At any rate, the cabinet is now organized. Now, on to the mud-room.
I finished two out of three crossword puzzles yesterday. I have one more to finish along with the one that will come with today's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.
Mary made our lunch yesterday using the last of the rye bread we had in the breadbox and some of the vegan pepperoni that I had made the day before. The sandwiches were accompanied by a side salad. She used some Thousand Island dressing that she made just before the meal on the andwiches and her salad.
I asked if there was a recipe she followed for the Thousand Island dressing and she said, "No, just vegan mayo, ketchup, and some dill relish." Apparently, there are no set amounts for the ingredients, just lots of mayo and then just enough of the other two ingredients so that the color looks right and it isn't too chunky. As a baker, I can't work like that. Baking is more precise.
Dinner was Tater Tots™ with the last of the vegan bratwursts. Now I have to make something else. By the by, I like my Tater Tots™ with malt vinegar.
Otherwise, not much was happening. The fur-children didn't get a walk and if today's forecast is accurate, that won't be happening today either.
Today should be another pedestrian kind of day. We have an appointment at the chiropractor this afternoon and that's it on our official agenda.
I'll continue reading, do some cooking, and take time to play in my studio. Ciao.
The current temperature is 32° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 35° with a 90% chance for additional precipitation. In fact, it is snowing right now. Since we are at the freezing mark now, as the day wears on that snow should just become rain. The sun will rise today @ 8:08 a.m. and set later @ 5:44 p.m.
There is also a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee in effect until 10:00 a.m. today.
We did it. Collectively we went through that kitchen cabinet and moved things around and packed some things for donation. We found out a long time ago that if you don't need something, and if you don't want to have a garage sale, you can re-purpose things for young people just starting to set up housekeeping or let people who can use an item get it and use it at a negligible cost. At any rate, the cabinet is now organized. Now, on to the mud-room.
I finished two out of three crossword puzzles yesterday. I have one more to finish along with the one that will come with today's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.
Mary made our lunch yesterday using the last of the rye bread we had in the breadbox and some of the vegan pepperoni that I had made the day before. The sandwiches were accompanied by a side salad. She used some Thousand Island dressing that she made just before the meal on the andwiches and her salad.
I asked if there was a recipe she followed for the Thousand Island dressing and she said, "No, just vegan mayo, ketchup, and some dill relish." Apparently, there are no set amounts for the ingredients, just lots of mayo and then just enough of the other two ingredients so that the color looks right and it isn't too chunky. As a baker, I can't work like that. Baking is more precise.
Dinner was Tater Tots™ with the last of the vegan bratwursts. Now I have to make something else. By the by, I like my Tater Tots™ with malt vinegar.
Otherwise, not much was happening. The fur-children didn't get a walk and if today's forecast is accurate, that won't be happening today either.
Today should be another pedestrian kind of day. We have an appointment at the chiropractor this afternoon and that's it on our official agenda.
I'll continue reading, do some cooking, and take time to play in my studio. Ciao.
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
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 32° under partly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 34° with cloudy/windy conditions. The sun will rise today @ 8:09 a.m. and set later @ 5:43 p.m.
There is a River Flood Advisory in effect until 7:00 p.m.
There is also a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee in effect until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Not much happened yesterday. I safely made it to my barber's appointment where I got nicely tuned up. I look more and more like the picture on my driver's license everyday. LOL.
Afterwards, I enjoyed a lunch that I had helped start before I left and that Mary completed while I was out. This was a chickpea stew that had terrific flavor and which is definitely a keeper. Once the lunch had been cleared away, I made another of my soon to be famous vegan pepperonis. Part of that became our dinner which was a dish called pizza pasta, which combined the tastes of pizza and pasta. Mary crafted this one all on her own, and it too is a keeper.
Collectively we finished the indoor chores.
My new 3-ring binder came yesterday. This one is large enough to accommodate all of my Irish Jam Session music in one binder and it also can be zipped closed and carried by an attached handle or strap. I was concerned that it would not fit on my traveling music stand, but it fits just fine. Plus, I reorganized some of the music that I have been meaning to get to for a long time.
Mary did make a suggestion regarding what I call the index to the book, but which she reminds me is actually a table of contents. I currently have two "indexes" separated in the binder, one for the main book and one for the auxiliary book. She suggested that I should also include the second index/table of contents up front along with it's current location, thus allowing me to more quickly access all of the tunes in the binder. I'll get to that at some point too.
Today, Mary has another "Tad" session at the library. While she is there, she is going to check into why the library's online catalog won't allow me to locate and checkout a book that the library has in their non-fiction handout. The book was published in 2018, so it is not due to the book being unavailable.
The fur-children are growing more antsy as the days pass, desperately wanting a walk. With today's moderating temperatures, we might be able to go for a short one.
We never got to that cabinet reorganization yesterday. But today, I can do what needs to be done. I plan to place seldom-used items on the top shelf, items that are shorter in stature on the middle shelf, and the just-slightly too tall items on the lower shelf. It sounds easy, but like many tasks, what should take minutes can turn into hours.
Otherwise, I have no plans. The fur-children and I will enjoy our down time as we await Mary's return from her volunteer shift. Ciao.
The current temperature is 32° under partly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 34° with cloudy/windy conditions. The sun will rise today @ 8:09 a.m. and set later @ 5:43 p.m.
There is a River Flood Advisory in effect until 7:00 p.m.
There is also a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee in effect until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.
Not much happened yesterday. I safely made it to my barber's appointment where I got nicely tuned up. I look more and more like the picture on my driver's license everyday. LOL.
Afterwards, I enjoyed a lunch that I had helped start before I left and that Mary completed while I was out. This was a chickpea stew that had terrific flavor and which is definitely a keeper. Once the lunch had been cleared away, I made another of my soon to be famous vegan pepperonis. Part of that became our dinner which was a dish called pizza pasta, which combined the tastes of pizza and pasta. Mary crafted this one all on her own, and it too is a keeper.
Collectively we finished the indoor chores.
My new 3-ring binder came yesterday. This one is large enough to accommodate all of my Irish Jam Session music in one binder and it also can be zipped closed and carried by an attached handle or strap. I was concerned that it would not fit on my traveling music stand, but it fits just fine. Plus, I reorganized some of the music that I have been meaning to get to for a long time.
Mary did make a suggestion regarding what I call the index to the book, but which she reminds me is actually a table of contents. I currently have two "indexes" separated in the binder, one for the main book and one for the auxiliary book. She suggested that I should also include the second index/table of contents up front along with it's current location, thus allowing me to more quickly access all of the tunes in the binder. I'll get to that at some point too.
Today, Mary has another "Tad" session at the library. While she is there, she is going to check into why the library's online catalog won't allow me to locate and checkout a book that the library has in their non-fiction handout. The book was published in 2018, so it is not due to the book being unavailable.
The fur-children are growing more antsy as the days pass, desperately wanting a walk. With today's moderating temperatures, we might be able to go for a short one.
We never got to that cabinet reorganization yesterday. But today, I can do what needs to be done. I plan to place seldom-used items on the top shelf, items that are shorter in stature on the middle shelf, and the just-slightly too tall items on the lower shelf. It sounds easy, but like many tasks, what should take minutes can turn into hours.
Otherwise, I have no plans. The fur-children and I will enjoy our down time as we await Mary's return from her volunteer shift. Ciao.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 2:30 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 24° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 30°. The sun will rise today @ 8:10 a.m. and set later @ 5:42 p.m.
Not much was happening yesterday. I installed a bathroom fixture, well actually, a TP holder and that was about it. I did some additional reading in my latest novel in the Woman's Murder Club by James Patterson and his collaborator, Maxine Paetro. So far, I have not worn out my liking of this series.
We ran some errands too. The fur-children needed a fresh supply of dental chunk food and we made a stop at the grocery store and that nearby big-box home center too.
We spent a few minutes on the phone with Adam, fresh off the trip that he and Stephany took last week. Not much to report there except that it was warmer and sunnier in Puerto Rico. Surprise!
Our snow-removal service returned to finish the shared driveway. They had to bring a small front-end loader, commonly called a Bobcat™. The use of that machine was made necessary by the frozen nature of the snow due to the rains that fell right after the snow. That little tractor made short work of the icy buildup.
Today, I have a few hairs to be cut at noon. Otherwise, I don't have any plans that are worthy of note. Mary has some plans in the kitchen.
Don't forget, we are just 21 short days away from the pitchers and catchers reporting to Florida and Arizona for the beginning of spring. Yes, I know that the start of spring is actually March 19, but for me, spring begins when there are young men playing baseball in the sunshine.
So, that looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
The current temperature is 24° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 30°. The sun will rise today @ 8:10 a.m. and set later @ 5:42 p.m.
Not much was happening yesterday. I installed a bathroom fixture, well actually, a TP holder and that was about it. I did some additional reading in my latest novel in the Woman's Murder Club by James Patterson and his collaborator, Maxine Paetro. So far, I have not worn out my liking of this series.
We ran some errands too. The fur-children needed a fresh supply of dental chunk food and we made a stop at the grocery store and that nearby big-box home center too.
We spent a few minutes on the phone with Adam, fresh off the trip that he and Stephany took last week. Not much to report there except that it was warmer and sunnier in Puerto Rico. Surprise!
Our snow-removal service returned to finish the shared driveway. They had to bring a small front-end loader, commonly called a Bobcat™. The use of that machine was made necessary by the frozen nature of the snow due to the rains that fell right after the snow. That little tractor made short work of the icy buildup.
Today, I have a few hairs to be cut at noon. Otherwise, I don't have any plans that are worthy of note. Mary has some plans in the kitchen.
Don't forget, we are just 21 short days away from the pitchers and catchers reporting to Florida and Arizona for the beginning of spring. Yes, I know that the start of spring is actually March 19, but for me, spring begins when there are young men playing baseball in the sunshine.
So, that looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just past 8:30 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 23° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 27°. The sun will rise today @ 8:11 a.m. and set later @ 5:41 p.m.
I did take advantage of the sunlight that was streaming into my studio yesterday to add some additional strokes to my artwork.
I did it! I got our new WiFi router to recognize our printer and everything is now hunky dory. There's an old word for your edification. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the phrase hunky dory was derived from American slang around 1866. It has synonyms such as: copacetic, all-right, ducky, fine, good, satisfactory, and palatable. At any rate, the term may have come from the Dutch language or...
If you are into NFL™ football, the Tennessee Titans were toppled by the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday, 35 - 24 in the first game of the league playoffs, while the Green Bay Packers were also upended, this time by the San Francisco 49ers, 37 - 20. That means that in two weeks, the Chiefs and the Packers will meet in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday February 2, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. We are going to root for the 49ers to win and may watch the commercials.
As for what's really important in life, baseball, and as we know, baseball is life, the pitchers and catchers begin to report to Spring-Training on February 11, 2020. My beloved Red Sox will have a new and as yet unnamed manager due to the recent parting of the ways between former manager Alex Cora and the team. That is also true of the Houston Astros and A.J Hinch and the NY Mets, whose manager also recently parted with their teams. In the case of the Mets, their once and former recently named new manager, Carlos Beltran, had yet to manage a game for the team. Rumors abound, but no new names have been actually linked to any of the teams. All of this activity is the fallout from the scandal that engulfed the Astros 2017 World Series™ win.
Otherwise, today should be relatively pedestrian. I have some home maintenance to do, and perhaps some kitchen duties. I must do more reading and crossword solving too. Mary and I collectively got about 3/4 of the weekend puzzle done, but as always, this is the hardest puzzle to finish. So, it looks like it will be great day in Michigan. Ciao.
The current temperature is 23° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 27°. The sun will rise today @ 8:11 a.m. and set later @ 5:41 p.m.
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| Although it is hard to tell, this rocking chair on the front porch was turned 360° by the recent Gale Force Winds. |
I did it! I got our new WiFi router to recognize our printer and everything is now hunky dory. There's an old word for your edification. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the phrase hunky dory was derived from American slang around 1866. It has synonyms such as: copacetic, all-right, ducky, fine, good, satisfactory, and palatable. At any rate, the term may have come from the Dutch language or...
If you are into NFL™ football, the Tennessee Titans were toppled by the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday, 35 - 24 in the first game of the league playoffs, while the Green Bay Packers were also upended, this time by the San Francisco 49ers, 37 - 20. That means that in two weeks, the Chiefs and the Packers will meet in Super Bowl LIV on Sunday February 2, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. We are going to root for the 49ers to win and may watch the commercials.
As for what's really important in life, baseball, and as we know, baseball is life, the pitchers and catchers begin to report to Spring-Training on February 11, 2020. My beloved Red Sox will have a new and as yet unnamed manager due to the recent parting of the ways between former manager Alex Cora and the team. That is also true of the Houston Astros and A.J Hinch and the NY Mets, whose manager also recently parted with their teams. In the case of the Mets, their once and former recently named new manager, Carlos Beltran, had yet to manage a game for the team. Rumors abound, but no new names have been actually linked to any of the teams. All of this activity is the fallout from the scandal that engulfed the Astros 2017 World Series™ win.
Otherwise, today should be relatively pedestrian. I have some home maintenance to do, and perhaps some kitchen duties. I must do more reading and crossword solving too. Mary and I collectively got about 3/4 of the weekend puzzle done, but as always, this is the hardest puzzle to finish. So, it looks like it will be great day in Michigan. Ciao.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and
across the world. It is just before 6:00 a.m. in "The City."
The current temperature is 20° under snowy skies with windy conditions, but due to thar wind, it feels like 5°. Today's high is forecast to reach 27°, that's a full eight degrees cooler than yesterday. under skies that will be snowy/windy much of the morning as we taper off from an 80% chance for additional snow to 15% after 1:00 p.m. The sun will rise today @ 8:11 a.m. and set later @ 5:39 p.m.
There is a Gale Warning in effect today until 1:00 p.m. until today. That's accompanied by something I've not seen before, a Heavy Freeze Warning from Holland to Grand Haven. Heavy freezing spray at a rate of up to one inch per hour may rapidly accumulate on vessels. Northwest winds of 20 to 30 knots with frequent gusts to 35 knots and waves of 7 to 10 feet are possible from St Joseph to Manistee. Fortunately, the shipping season is over until March as we received our last cargo on the seventh of January..
A River Flood Warning is in effect from until 1:00 p.m. Tuesday! In nearby Robinson Township, the Grand River was reported to have reached 14.1 feet " 8:00 a.m.Saturday. Flood stage is 13.3 feet. Minor Flooding is occurring. The river will continue to fall below flood stage by the early afternoon on Monday. Several homes in the Vanlopik subdivision are surrounded by water. For historical purposes, this crest of the Grand River is about 2 feet lower than the flood in Feb 2018. I'm not sure that the people in the Vanlopik subdivision are getting any comfort from that bit of news.
There is still a Lakeshore Flood Warning in effect for the "Big Lake" until 7:00 p.m. tonight. Minor beach erosion and lakeshore flooding can be expected for significant portions of the lakeshore for Mason, Oceana, Ottawa, Allegan, Van Buren and Muskegon counties. Significant erosion of beaches and dunes, inundation of low-lying areas along the lakeshore and in river mouths, and road closures are possible. Piers and docks will be over-topped by water. Wind from the west around 30 mph early today and shifting to the northwest, will cause waves around 10 feet, which will continue to produce dangerous conditions on piers, breakwaters and unprotected shoreline. Extreme caution is still advised until the winds and waves subside. Winds and waves of this magnitude produce moderate and possibly severe beach erosion. Whoa!
I took a number of pix yesterday of the snowy conditions at that time. I plan to take some additional pix today for another blog of the snow that fell overnight last night. Unfortunately, our snow-removal service has yet to make an appearance, so we were forced to cut some small paths in order to get to the garage and the front sidewalk. If all goes well, I'll take some pix of those when the sun rises today. But, here are some of yesterday's pix.
Those aforementioned paths allowed me to walk to the library for my Irish Jam Session which was surprisingly well attended and to also allow Mary to come with the car and pick me up afterwards. I had still more books on hold, so it was a blessing to have Mary check those out for me. Otherwise, I'd have been schlepping those home along with my gear.
Today, I must go out to the car long enough to retrieve the other items that we opted to leave within when we got home to our snow-covered shared driveway. Hopefully, our snow-removal service will come by today. Otherwise, I don't know what we will do. My yak wants no part of snow removal beyond what I did yesterday.
Otherwise, we have nothing on tap for today. Some TV viewing, some reading, some crossword solving, and some other crafty things seen appropriate. Ciao.
The current temperature is 20° under snowy skies with windy conditions, but due to thar wind, it feels like 5°. Today's high is forecast to reach 27°, that's a full eight degrees cooler than yesterday. under skies that will be snowy/windy much of the morning as we taper off from an 80% chance for additional snow to 15% after 1:00 p.m. The sun will rise today @ 8:11 a.m. and set later @ 5:39 p.m.
There is a Gale Warning in effect today until 1:00 p.m. until today. That's accompanied by something I've not seen before, a Heavy Freeze Warning from Holland to Grand Haven. Heavy freezing spray at a rate of up to one inch per hour may rapidly accumulate on vessels. Northwest winds of 20 to 30 knots with frequent gusts to 35 knots and waves of 7 to 10 feet are possible from St Joseph to Manistee. Fortunately, the shipping season is over until March as we received our last cargo on the seventh of January..
A River Flood Warning is in effect from until 1:00 p.m. Tuesday! In nearby Robinson Township, the Grand River was reported to have reached 14.1 feet " 8:00 a.m.Saturday. Flood stage is 13.3 feet. Minor Flooding is occurring. The river will continue to fall below flood stage by the early afternoon on Monday. Several homes in the Vanlopik subdivision are surrounded by water. For historical purposes, this crest of the Grand River is about 2 feet lower than the flood in Feb 2018. I'm not sure that the people in the Vanlopik subdivision are getting any comfort from that bit of news.
There is still a Lakeshore Flood Warning in effect for the "Big Lake" until 7:00 p.m. tonight. Minor beach erosion and lakeshore flooding can be expected for significant portions of the lakeshore for Mason, Oceana, Ottawa, Allegan, Van Buren and Muskegon counties. Significant erosion of beaches and dunes, inundation of low-lying areas along the lakeshore and in river mouths, and road closures are possible. Piers and docks will be over-topped by water. Wind from the west around 30 mph early today and shifting to the northwest, will cause waves around 10 feet, which will continue to produce dangerous conditions on piers, breakwaters and unprotected shoreline. Extreme caution is still advised until the winds and waves subside. Winds and waves of this magnitude produce moderate and possibly severe beach erosion. Whoa!
I took a number of pix yesterday of the snowy conditions at that time. I plan to take some additional pix today for another blog of the snow that fell overnight last night. Unfortunately, our snow-removal service has yet to make an appearance, so we were forced to cut some small paths in order to get to the garage and the front sidewalk. If all goes well, I'll take some pix of those when the sun rises today. But, here are some of yesterday's pix.
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| Not our snow-removal service, but our neighbor's dad and his Jeep™ plowing the driveway. |
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| Yes, the snow was heavy and wet yesterday. |
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| Deep and heavy. |
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| Probably around five inches when I took this pic. |
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| Shortly after what we like to call the city's sidewalk Zamboni went through in front of the manse. |
Today, I must go out to the car long enough to retrieve the other items that we opted to leave within when we got home to our snow-covered shared driveway. Hopefully, our snow-removal service will come by today. Otherwise, I don't know what we will do. My yak wants no part of snow removal beyond what I did yesterday.
Otherwise, we have nothing on tap for today. Some TV viewing, some reading, some crossword solving, and some other crafty things seen appropriate. Ciao.
Friday, January 17, 2020
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 21° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 30°, a full eight degrees warmer than yesterday, also under mostly-cloudy skies. As of now, there is no precipitation in the forecast from the NWS. The sun will rise today @ 8:12 a.m. and set later @ 5:37 p.m.
However, there are now several warnings and/or advisories either in effect or soon to be in effect. A River Flood Warning remains in effect until 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
In addition a Gale Watch will be in effect from 1:00 a.m. tomorrow until 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning. South winds of 20 to 30 knots Friday night will become west gales to 40 knots Saturday. Waves will be building to 8 to 12 feet Saturday afternoon and up to 10 to 14 feet Saturday night from St Joseph to Manistee. Those strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
But wait, there's more!
There is also a Lakeshore Flood Warning that will be in effect from 7:00 a.m. Saturday until 7:00 p.m. Sunday for Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, Allegan and Van Buren counties. Significant erosion of beaches and dunes, inundation of low-lying areas along the lakeshore and in river mouths, and road closures are possible due to those strong, Gale Force Winds.
But I'm not done yet!
There is also a Winter Weather Advisory going into effect @ 12:00 a.m. tomorrow, that's midnight tonight, continuing until 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches are possible with those winds gusting as high as 40 mph. The snow may diminish for awhile during the mid-morning hours Saturday, but it will redevelop as the cold air returns by afternoon with strong west winds and falling temperatures. Portions of central, south central, southwest and west central Michigan including our own Ottawa County will be affected. Travel could be very difficult. Some power outages will be possible due to the winds combining with the weight of the wet snow on tree limbs and power lines. As George Takei might say, "Oh My!" I am supposed to go to my Irush Jam Session on Saturday afternoon, but...
Last Wednesday, Mary went to the library for her weekly"Tad" volunteer session. While she was there, she made a copy of a column that Clarence "Tad" Poel had written on July 11, 1975. This column dealt with the electric interurban railway that had run between Grand Rapids and Grand Have with stops in betwwen. By 1975m that railroad had stopped running due to competition from cars and trucks that could move passengers and freight and people much more quickly than the 1 1/2 hours, or more, that it took on the interurban railroad.
People used to come to Grand Haven to visit the beaches or to take the overnight boat trip from here to Chicago. But, even the daily runs of the train that started @ 5:10 a.m. daily and ran until that last run @ 11:50 p.m. could not compete with automotive traffic and convenience. The trains ceased running after 25 years, but they had once covered most of this side of the state and further south, als the way to Detroit.
As a train buff, I'd have taken it. Now, the only trains that pass through our fair city are freight trains on the MMRR short-line. One of the first lecture presentations that I attended when we moved to GH was on the interurban electric railroad. The only vestiges of that old railroad are some sections of track and a mostly restored car in Coopersville. By the by, regular passenger service stopped in GH in the early 1950s when the Grand Trunk and Western RR also succumbed to the advent of the automobile age. All that is left of that service is our coal tipple, an old steam locomotive, and some rail cars.
In sports news, the fallout from the Houston Astros MLB World Series™ scandal of 2017 continued yesterday with another firing of a field-manager. This time, it was Carlos Beltran of the NY Mets, who was a player for the Astros in 2017. The team and Beltran called this a mutual decision in the "Best Interests" of the Mets. I call it a firing. So far, that means that three field managers, Alex Cora of my beloved Red Sox, A.J. Hinch of the Astros, and Carlos Beltran of the Mets along with one GM, Jeff Luhnow of the Astros have been fired. Are there more "mutual decisions" in the offing?
Yesterday afternoon we traveled to the mall in Norton Shores and used it as a place to get in some steps. We weren't alone. I don't know how the mall stays in business, since the majority of the people that were either employees of the mostly empty stores or stores without customers, or mall walkers, like ourselves. We had dropped Ginger off at daycare to wile away her time. Today, we will try to take the fur-children to that nearby big-box home-center that welcomes fur-children and do some walking with them. While there, we'll shop for some bathroom accessories. They appear to have many varieqqties of what we are seeking in stock. We'll let John install that item and save my yak.
Today, we hope to do some cooking and some cabinet rearranging, a couple things that we have been putting off until a better time. I think that time has arrived. Of course, I have to get to the man-cave for some "work" there too. I think that I have too many hobbies/interests. Plus, there is a need for more indoor chores too. Ciao.
The current temperature is 21° under mostly-cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 30°, a full eight degrees warmer than yesterday, also under mostly-cloudy skies. As of now, there is no precipitation in the forecast from the NWS. The sun will rise today @ 8:12 a.m. and set later @ 5:37 p.m.
However, there are now several warnings and/or advisories either in effect or soon to be in effect. A River Flood Warning remains in effect until 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 21, 2020.
In addition a Gale Watch will be in effect from 1:00 a.m. tomorrow until 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning. South winds of 20 to 30 knots Friday night will become west gales to 40 knots Saturday. Waves will be building to 8 to 12 feet Saturday afternoon and up to 10 to 14 feet Saturday night from St Joseph to Manistee. Those strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.
But wait, there's more!
There is also a Lakeshore Flood Warning that will be in effect from 7:00 a.m. Saturday until 7:00 p.m. Sunday for Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, Allegan and Van Buren counties. Significant erosion of beaches and dunes, inundation of low-lying areas along the lakeshore and in river mouths, and road closures are possible due to those strong, Gale Force Winds.
But I'm not done yet!
There is also a Winter Weather Advisory going into effect @ 12:00 a.m. tomorrow, that's midnight tonight, continuing until 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night. Total snow accumulations of 5 to 8 inches are possible with those winds gusting as high as 40 mph. The snow may diminish for awhile during the mid-morning hours Saturday, but it will redevelop as the cold air returns by afternoon with strong west winds and falling temperatures. Portions of central, south central, southwest and west central Michigan including our own Ottawa County will be affected. Travel could be very difficult. Some power outages will be possible due to the winds combining with the weight of the wet snow on tree limbs and power lines. As George Takei might say, "Oh My!" I am supposed to go to my Irush Jam Session on Saturday afternoon, but...
Last Wednesday, Mary went to the library for her weekly"Tad" volunteer session. While she was there, she made a copy of a column that Clarence "Tad" Poel had written on July 11, 1975. This column dealt with the electric interurban railway that had run between Grand Rapids and Grand Have with stops in betwwen. By 1975m that railroad had stopped running due to competition from cars and trucks that could move passengers and freight and people much more quickly than the 1 1/2 hours, or more, that it took on the interurban railroad.
People used to come to Grand Haven to visit the beaches or to take the overnight boat trip from here to Chicago. But, even the daily runs of the train that started @ 5:10 a.m. daily and ran until that last run @ 11:50 p.m. could not compete with automotive traffic and convenience. The trains ceased running after 25 years, but they had once covered most of this side of the state and further south, als the way to Detroit.
As a train buff, I'd have taken it. Now, the only trains that pass through our fair city are freight trains on the MMRR short-line. One of the first lecture presentations that I attended when we moved to GH was on the interurban electric railroad. The only vestiges of that old railroad are some sections of track and a mostly restored car in Coopersville. By the by, regular passenger service stopped in GH in the early 1950s when the Grand Trunk and Western RR also succumbed to the advent of the automobile age. All that is left of that service is our coal tipple, an old steam locomotive, and some rail cars.
In sports news, the fallout from the Houston Astros MLB World Series™ scandal of 2017 continued yesterday with another firing of a field-manager. This time, it was Carlos Beltran of the NY Mets, who was a player for the Astros in 2017. The team and Beltran called this a mutual decision in the "Best Interests" of the Mets. I call it a firing. So far, that means that three field managers, Alex Cora of my beloved Red Sox, A.J. Hinch of the Astros, and Carlos Beltran of the Mets along with one GM, Jeff Luhnow of the Astros have been fired. Are there more "mutual decisions" in the offing?
Yesterday afternoon we traveled to the mall in Norton Shores and used it as a place to get in some steps. We weren't alone. I don't know how the mall stays in business, since the majority of the people that were either employees of the mostly empty stores or stores without customers, or mall walkers, like ourselves. We had dropped Ginger off at daycare to wile away her time. Today, we will try to take the fur-children to that nearby big-box home-center that welcomes fur-children and do some walking with them. While there, we'll shop for some bathroom accessories. They appear to have many varieqqties of what we are seeking in stock. We'll let John install that item and save my yak.
Today, we hope to do some cooking and some cabinet rearranging, a couple things that we have been putting off until a better time. I think that time has arrived. Of course, I have to get to the man-cave for some "work" there too. I think that I have too many hobbies/interests. Plus, there is a need for more indoor chores too. Ciao.
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
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 33° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 36°, also under cloudy skies, with a 50% possibility of snow-showers in the forecast for this evening. The sun will rise today @ 8:13 a.m. and set later @ 5:34 p.m.
A River Flood Warning remains in effect until 1:00 p.m. Monday, January 20, 2020.
A Gale Watch will be in effect from 7:00 p.m. this evening until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. Northwest winds of 20 to 30 knots with gusts up to 35 knots and waves 5 to 8 feet are expected from Holland to Pentwater.
Although the Small Craft Advisory has been canceled, mariners should consider altering plans to avoid possible hazardous conditions due to that Gale Watch. They should remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure their vessels to prepare for severe wind and waves.
I spent some time in the kitchen yesterday making vegan bratwursts from that old family recipe that I downloaded from the internet several months ago. The making of the wursts was facilitated by the ready availability of some leftover cannellini beans that had been part of our luncheon salad yesterday.
Since we had dropped Ginger off for her grooming appointment, it was also time to wash the bedspread too. We recently purchased some Woolzies™ dryer balls for use when drying anything. Our local electric utility, the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power (GHBLP), sends out a monthly news letter via the internet that had recommended the use of dryer balls as an energy-saving strategy. They were right, as the drying process has been sped up and the clothes and things come out softer. To use that old axiom, it turned out to be a Win-Win.
We had also taken STWD to the groomers for a quick pawdicure and then she returned home with me. Once the bedspread was done drying, I wrestled two out of three falls with it and won the battle of putting it back in place on the bed. I'd say that both Mary and I shared equally, because while I slaved over a hot steamer waiting for the bratwursts to be done and I was wrestling with that aforementioned bedspread, Mary braved the wilds of that local big-box nearly everything store and purchased some groceries. In this case, it appears that Tuesday afternoon before the kids are out of school apparently made the trip a neutral experience, not good and not bad. Like me, Mary would avoid any store if she could.
Later, we traveled to the big-box electronics store in Norton Shores to purchase a new WiFi router. That stop took all of five minutes and the associate at the store was very helpful, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. The current router we are using does not work well in our two-story house. Later today, while Mary is at her weekly "Tad" session at the library, I get to install the new one and program the numerous devices in our house that use the WiFi. At last count, that was three radios, two TVs, two computers, one tablet, and one Smart Phone. Oh, I am hoping that the WiFi printer also doesn't need to be reprogrammed and that it will just "tune-in" to the new router. If not, I'll have to carry the printer into my office and hook it directly into the router to let it "learn" the new system.
We also made a stop in Spring Lake @ Ace Hardware™ and that stop also went very smoothly, another pair of Win-Wins.
I'd be remiss if I didn't profess a certain amount of sadness at the firing of field-manager Alex Cora of my beloved Red Sox, the latest firing in the fallout from the cheating scandal that involved the 2017 MLB™ World Series™ champion Houston Astros. Cora had been the bench-coach for the Astros and was apparently heavily involved in the sign-stealing that may or may not have helped the Astros win that series.
Current NY Mets field-manager, Carlos Beltran, was a player for the Astros during that series, but no players were disciplined. Some pundits believe that Beltran should come clean about his involvement, as some of the Astros players banged on garbage cans to relay to the batters what the signs from the Red Sox catcher to the Red Sox pitcher were, which may have helped the Astros' batters. The Astros apparently used their center-field camera to steal those signs.
The Astros had fired their GM, Jeff Luhnow, and their field-manager A.J. Hinch, who had already been suspended by Commissioner of Baseball, Rob Manfred, for the entire 2020 MLB™ season. The Astros took it one step farther and fired both men.
This scandal may not be as bad as the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, when nine players from the Chicago White Sox were banned from baseball for life by then Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis for conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series™. That scandal was chronicled in the 1963 book, Eight Men Out, by Eliot Asinof, which was later made into a movie by the same title.
So my day today will be busy to say the least. I have nothing but time, but it still will be a pain in the posterior to set up a new WiFi system. Ciao.
The current temperature is 33° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 36°, also under cloudy skies, with a 50% possibility of snow-showers in the forecast for this evening. The sun will rise today @ 8:13 a.m. and set later @ 5:34 p.m.
A River Flood Warning remains in effect until 1:00 p.m. Monday, January 20, 2020.
A Gale Watch will be in effect from 7:00 p.m. this evening until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. Northwest winds of 20 to 30 knots with gusts up to 35 knots and waves 5 to 8 feet are expected from Holland to Pentwater.
Although the Small Craft Advisory has been canceled, mariners should consider altering plans to avoid possible hazardous conditions due to that Gale Watch. They should remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure their vessels to prepare for severe wind and waves.
I spent some time in the kitchen yesterday making vegan bratwursts from that old family recipe that I downloaded from the internet several months ago. The making of the wursts was facilitated by the ready availability of some leftover cannellini beans that had been part of our luncheon salad yesterday.
Since we had dropped Ginger off for her grooming appointment, it was also time to wash the bedspread too. We recently purchased some Woolzies™ dryer balls for use when drying anything. Our local electric utility, the Grand Haven Board of Light and Power (GHBLP), sends out a monthly news letter via the internet that had recommended the use of dryer balls as an energy-saving strategy. They were right, as the drying process has been sped up and the clothes and things come out softer. To use that old axiom, it turned out to be a Win-Win.
We had also taken STWD to the groomers for a quick pawdicure and then she returned home with me. Once the bedspread was done drying, I wrestled two out of three falls with it and won the battle of putting it back in place on the bed. I'd say that both Mary and I shared equally, because while I slaved over a hot steamer waiting for the bratwursts to be done and I was wrestling with that aforementioned bedspread, Mary braved the wilds of that local big-box nearly everything store and purchased some groceries. In this case, it appears that Tuesday afternoon before the kids are out of school apparently made the trip a neutral experience, not good and not bad. Like me, Mary would avoid any store if she could.
Later, we traveled to the big-box electronics store in Norton Shores to purchase a new WiFi router. That stop took all of five minutes and the associate at the store was very helpful, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. The current router we are using does not work well in our two-story house. Later today, while Mary is at her weekly "Tad" session at the library, I get to install the new one and program the numerous devices in our house that use the WiFi. At last count, that was three radios, two TVs, two computers, one tablet, and one Smart Phone. Oh, I am hoping that the WiFi printer also doesn't need to be reprogrammed and that it will just "tune-in" to the new router. If not, I'll have to carry the printer into my office and hook it directly into the router to let it "learn" the new system.
We also made a stop in Spring Lake @ Ace Hardware™ and that stop also went very smoothly, another pair of Win-Wins.
I'd be remiss if I didn't profess a certain amount of sadness at the firing of field-manager Alex Cora of my beloved Red Sox, the latest firing in the fallout from the cheating scandal that involved the 2017 MLB™ World Series™ champion Houston Astros. Cora had been the bench-coach for the Astros and was apparently heavily involved in the sign-stealing that may or may not have helped the Astros win that series.
Current NY Mets field-manager, Carlos Beltran, was a player for the Astros during that series, but no players were disciplined. Some pundits believe that Beltran should come clean about his involvement, as some of the Astros players banged on garbage cans to relay to the batters what the signs from the Red Sox catcher to the Red Sox pitcher were, which may have helped the Astros' batters. The Astros apparently used their center-field camera to steal those signs.
The Astros had fired their GM, Jeff Luhnow, and their field-manager A.J. Hinch, who had already been suspended by Commissioner of Baseball, Rob Manfred, for the entire 2020 MLB™ season. The Astros took it one step farther and fired both men.
This scandal may not be as bad as the 1919 Black Sox Scandal, when nine players from the Chicago White Sox were banned from baseball for life by then Commissioner of Baseball Kenesaw Mountain Landis for conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series™. That scandal was chronicled in the 1963 book, Eight Men Out, by Eliot Asinof, which was later made into a movie by the same title.
So my day today will be busy to say the least. I have nothing but time, but it still will be a pain in the posterior to set up a new WiFi system. Ciao.
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
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 32° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 38°, also under cloudy skies, with a 50% possibility of rain/snow in the forecast for tomorrow. The sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. and set later @ 5:33 p.m.
There is a River Flood Warning in effect until 1:00 p.m. Monday, January 20, 2020.
Another Small Craft Advisory is also in effect from 10:00 a.m. this morning until 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. West winds of 15 to 25 knots and waves of 3 to 6 feet can be expected.from Holland to Manistee. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions, which will be hazardous and not safe for small craft through at least midday. So what else is new?
I watched LSU thoroughly dominate Clemson between naps in the media room last evening. The game became boring and I tuned out mid-way through the third quarter. The final score was LSU 42, Clemson 25.
I made it to the movie 2017 yesterday and enjoyed it immensely. But then, what's not to like with a ginormous bucket of popcorn and a humongous diet cola?
Otherwise, I accomplished very little. I'd like to say that that is okay, and it is, but each day gone is another day gone. So many books, so much music to play or listen to, and so many paintings yet to be done. That's why I plan to live until I am at least 90 years of age!
Mary spent more time downstairs after dinner last night, knitting on my new hat and watching another apocalyptic movie. Somehow, I think she chose more wisely than I.
Today, we have an appointment for Ginger at the groomers and while we are there, we'll get STWDs nails trimmed. With so little walk time lately, there is nothing to wear her nails down. Ginger being a terrier, never sheds, so she has gone over the edge, so to speak, and needs a full grooming.
That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
The current temperature is 32° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 38°, also under cloudy skies, with a 50% possibility of rain/snow in the forecast for tomorrow. The sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. and set later @ 5:33 p.m.
There is a River Flood Warning in effect until 1:00 p.m. Monday, January 20, 2020.
Another Small Craft Advisory is also in effect from 10:00 a.m. this morning until 4:00 p.m. tomorrow. West winds of 15 to 25 knots and waves of 3 to 6 feet can be expected.from Holland to Manistee. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions, which will be hazardous and not safe for small craft through at least midday. So what else is new?
I watched LSU thoroughly dominate Clemson between naps in the media room last evening. The game became boring and I tuned out mid-way through the third quarter. The final score was LSU 42, Clemson 25.
I made it to the movie 2017 yesterday and enjoyed it immensely. But then, what's not to like with a ginormous bucket of popcorn and a humongous diet cola?
Otherwise, I accomplished very little. I'd like to say that that is okay, and it is, but each day gone is another day gone. So many books, so much music to play or listen to, and so many paintings yet to be done. That's why I plan to live until I am at least 90 years of age!
Mary spent more time downstairs after dinner last night, knitting on my new hat and watching another apocalyptic movie. Somehow, I think she chose more wisely than I.
Today, we have an appointment for Ginger at the groomers and while we are there, we'll get STWDs nails trimmed. With so little walk time lately, there is nothing to wear her nails down. Ginger being a terrier, never sheds, so she has gone over the edge, so to speak, and needs a full grooming.
That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
Monday, January 13, 2020
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 29° under cloudy skies with windy conditions,. Today's high is forecast to reach 35° under skies that have a 40% chance for snow-showers. I watched @ 4:12, 4:19, and 4:32 a.m. as the city plows passed by in front of the manse, depositing more snow into our shared drivewa
Fortunately, our snow-removal service came by early yesterday morning and cleared the deck, the driveway and the front porch. All I had left was to spread some ice-melter on the deck to complete the task. Well not exactly all, as the front porch still had some ice on it when I went out to get a package from that big-box inter net retailer, and later when Mary went out to get the mail. I didn't use any ice-melter on the porch. But overall, we are totally satisfied with the efforts of the snow-removal service.
The sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. and set later @ 5:32 p.m.
That River Flood Warning remains in effect, but only until 5:00 p.m. today! In addition, there is another Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 9:00 a.m. this morning too. Patchy freezing drizzle and ice accumulations of a light glaze are possible over portions of central, south central, southwest and west central Michigan. Drivers should plan on some slick spots on roads. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute. Secondary roads, back roads and sidewalks may be the most affected. Everyone should exercise caution as overpasses usually freeze first due to their elevated surface. In other words, slow down and use caution while traveling. Ya think?
I snapped a few pix yesterday to give those of you in warm places like Puerto Rico, a sense of what you are missing.
I worked hard in the kitchen yesterday, making that aforementioned batch of vegan Italian meatballs. However, I used some of the pre-cooked dough to make a couple of vegan Italian burgers. We had those for dinner and they were even better than we had hoped. One caveat, I think I'll do the burgerts separate from the meatballs next time to facilitate the process.
I watched some football yesterday as the Chiefs demolished the Texans, 51 - 31 and the Packers took care of the Seahawks, 28 - 23 in the divisional rounds, setting up match-ups between the Chiefs and the Titans and the Packers and the 49ers next week.
Otherwise, I accompanied Mary to the grocery store followed by a stop at Stan's before dinner. Oh, I also had to play the tough-guy role last night and come down from the media-room to take care of a ferocious flying beetle in the dining room. I vacuumed him up and gave him his freedom outside the backdoor. Mary then went back to knitting my newest hat and I returned to fall asleep inthe media-room.
Today, I have plans to go to the movies, but I won't go if I don't like the driving conditions. As I don't drive that much anymore, I like everything to be perfect when I do. If not today, then Wednesday will be soon enough. Ciao.
The current temperature is 29° under cloudy skies with windy conditions,. Today's high is forecast to reach 35° under skies that have a 40% chance for snow-showers. I watched @ 4:12, 4:19, and 4:32 a.m. as the city plows passed by in front of the manse, depositing more snow into our shared drivewa
Fortunately, our snow-removal service came by early yesterday morning and cleared the deck, the driveway and the front porch. All I had left was to spread some ice-melter on the deck to complete the task. Well not exactly all, as the front porch still had some ice on it when I went out to get a package from that big-box inter net retailer, and later when Mary went out to get the mail. I didn't use any ice-melter on the porch. But overall, we are totally satisfied with the efforts of the snow-removal service.
The sun will rise today @ 8:14 a.m. and set later @ 5:32 p.m.
That River Flood Warning remains in effect, but only until 5:00 p.m. today! In addition, there is another Winter Weather Advisory in effect until 9:00 a.m. this morning too. Patchy freezing drizzle and ice accumulations of a light glaze are possible over portions of central, south central, southwest and west central Michigan. Drivers should plan on some slick spots on roads. The hazardous conditions could impact the morning commute. Secondary roads, back roads and sidewalks may be the most affected. Everyone should exercise caution as overpasses usually freeze first due to their elevated surface. In other words, slow down and use caution while traveling. Ya think?
I snapped a few pix yesterday to give those of you in warm places like Puerto Rico, a sense of what you are missing.
 |
| Just enough snow and ice to make the steps dangerous. |
 |
| Although the snow was gone, the ice remained on the sidewalk. |
 |
| A little vegan mayo and a side-salad with mushrooms and dinner was served! |
Otherwise, I accompanied Mary to the grocery store followed by a stop at Stan's before dinner. Oh, I also had to play the tough-guy role last night and come down from the media-room to take care of a ferocious flying beetle in the dining room. I vacuumed him up and gave him his freedom outside the backdoor. Mary then went back to knitting my newest hat and I returned to fall asleep inthe media-room.
Today, I have plans to go to the movies, but I won't go if I don't like the driving conditions. As I don't drive that much anymore, I like everything to be perfect when I do. If not today, then Wednesday will be soon enough. Ciao.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
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 22° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 29° under skies that will be a mix of sun and clouds. How is that different from partly-cloudy or partly-sunny, I have no idea. The sun will rise today @ 8:15 a.m. and set later @ 5:31 p.m. Tomorrow, the high temperature will reach 37°, so much of the snow and ice that accumulated over the weekend should begin to melt.. By Tuesday we may reach 41°!
Unfortunately all of that melting ice and snow will add to already high water levels here in "The City" and all along the shores of the "Big Lake" and throughout the entire Great Lakes region, including such big cities as Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland. The water level of 12.9 feet on the Grand River is only slightly lower than the flood stage of 13.3 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not expecting much change for the entire year.
Because of that, there is a River Flood Warning in effect from now through the foreseeable future. Anyone who traverses the highways and byways around the Tri-Cities area can see numerous Road Closed signs and sand bags as proof of the high water levels.
In addition, a Small Craft Advisory remains in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee until11:00 a.m. today. Northeast winds of 15 to 20 knots with gusts up to 25 knots and waves 3 to 5 feet can be expected. Conditions will be hazardous and will not be safe for small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.
Otherwise, not much is happening. I made a batch of vegan cream of mushroom soup yesterday. I worked very hard for nearly two-hours. Mary, who is not a big fan of soup, thought I overdid the substitution of apple cider vinegar for the white wine that the recipe called for. I don't know. I think that the addition of some salt and pepper and perhaps some rice might just make the difference. The look and texture of the soup are perfect, so only time will tell. But then, I like soup in most any form.
Together, we finished the indoor chores and stayed indoors yesterday because the decks and porches of the manse along with the local sidewalks are ice-covered and hazardous to our health. Of course, the fur-children didn't get a walk and they will be going out on their tether and still won't be getting a walk again today. I'll be throwing some ice-melting salt around the porch and the driveway. as I did yesterday to no avail, as the rain that came down before the ice and snow washed it away. We may or may not see our snow-removal service today, as there isn't that much accumulation of snow and you can't shovel ice.
I did get in some time with the girls in my studio, but there isn't enough sunlight for painting. Maybe today's forecast for that mix of sun and clouds will produce enough. In any case, I'll be making another batch of vegan Italian meatballs with the remainder of the mushrooms from yesterday's soup making.
Speaking of meals, lunch was leftover pasta with a salad. However, Mary took time to make tacon and lettuce sandwiches for dinner with a side of sweet potatoes.
I started a new memoir yesterday entitled Time is Tight, written by Booker T. Jones. For those of you in the know musically, Jones was the front-man for Booker T. & The M.G.s, who gave us the 1962 R & B hit record, Green Onions. Even those of you not old enough to have lived in the 1960s have probably heard the song. I've included a YouTube™ version here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oox9bJaGJ8
Here's a little side note for you music-trivia aficionados. The publicity department at Stax Records in Memphis,TN, where the band was formed, claimed the name M.G.s stood for the Memphis Group. However, longtime musician and record producer, Chips Moman, who worked at Stax, claimed the name came from his sports-car, the British MG. In fact that MG actually stood for Morris Garages. Will we ever know? I suspect that the truth will be lost to history as Moman died several years ago, while Booker T. Jones is still on the road and making music at 75!
That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
The current temperature is 22° under cloudy skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 29° under skies that will be a mix of sun and clouds. How is that different from partly-cloudy or partly-sunny, I have no idea. The sun will rise today @ 8:15 a.m. and set later @ 5:31 p.m. Tomorrow, the high temperature will reach 37°, so much of the snow and ice that accumulated over the weekend should begin to melt.. By Tuesday we may reach 41°!
Unfortunately all of that melting ice and snow will add to already high water levels here in "The City" and all along the shores of the "Big Lake" and throughout the entire Great Lakes region, including such big cities as Chicago, Milwaukee, Detroit, and Cleveland. The water level of 12.9 feet on the Grand River is only slightly lower than the flood stage of 13.3 feet. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is not expecting much change for the entire year.
Because of that, there is a River Flood Warning in effect from now through the foreseeable future. Anyone who traverses the highways and byways around the Tri-Cities area can see numerous Road Closed signs and sand bags as proof of the high water levels.
In addition, a Small Craft Advisory remains in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee until11:00 a.m. today. Northeast winds of 15 to 20 knots with gusts up to 25 knots and waves 3 to 5 feet can be expected. Conditions will be hazardous and will not be safe for small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.
Otherwise, not much is happening. I made a batch of vegan cream of mushroom soup yesterday. I worked very hard for nearly two-hours. Mary, who is not a big fan of soup, thought I overdid the substitution of apple cider vinegar for the white wine that the recipe called for. I don't know. I think that the addition of some salt and pepper and perhaps some rice might just make the difference. The look and texture of the soup are perfect, so only time will tell. But then, I like soup in most any form.
Together, we finished the indoor chores and stayed indoors yesterday because the decks and porches of the manse along with the local sidewalks are ice-covered and hazardous to our health. Of course, the fur-children didn't get a walk and they will be going out on their tether and still won't be getting a walk again today. I'll be throwing some ice-melting salt around the porch and the driveway. as I did yesterday to no avail, as the rain that came down before the ice and snow washed it away. We may or may not see our snow-removal service today, as there isn't that much accumulation of snow and you can't shovel ice.
I did get in some time with the girls in my studio, but there isn't enough sunlight for painting. Maybe today's forecast for that mix of sun and clouds will produce enough. In any case, I'll be making another batch of vegan Italian meatballs with the remainder of the mushrooms from yesterday's soup making.
Speaking of meals, lunch was leftover pasta with a salad. However, Mary took time to make tacon and lettuce sandwiches for dinner with a side of sweet potatoes.
I started a new memoir yesterday entitled Time is Tight, written by Booker T. Jones. For those of you in the know musically, Jones was the front-man for Booker T. & The M.G.s, who gave us the 1962 R & B hit record, Green Onions. Even those of you not old enough to have lived in the 1960s have probably heard the song. I've included a YouTube™ version here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oox9bJaGJ8
Here's a little side note for you music-trivia aficionados. The publicity department at Stax Records in Memphis,TN, where the band was formed, claimed the name M.G.s stood for the Memphis Group. However, longtime musician and record producer, Chips Moman, who worked at Stax, claimed the name came from his sports-car, the British MG. In fact that MG actually stood for Morris Garages. Will we ever know? I suspect that the truth will be lost to history as Moman died several years ago, while Booker T. Jones is still on the road and making music at 75!
That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.
Saturday, January 11, 2020
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 39° under skies delivering light-rain and windy conditions. We are warmer right now than we will be by later today, when the high is forecast to drop down to 36°. The sun will rise today @ 8:15 a.m. and set later @ 5:30 p.m.
Yes, the days are getting longer, but they are also mostly gray too. However, there is NFL playoff football on TV this afternoon and evening. I'm still awaiting an annual rite of spring, the opening of MLB™ Spring Training 2020, a mere 33 days from now, when the pitchers and catchers report for my beloved Red Sox.
There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, January 12, 2020 for most of the Lakeshore Communities in West Michigan. The NWS is forecasting heavy mixed precipitation with a total snow and sleet accumulations of 2 to 4 inches All of the initial information seems to say that it won't happen here in "The City", but I call B.S. on that one, as the forecast is for all of Ottawa, County MI. What are the odds that it won't land on GH?
There are likely to be ice accumulations of one tenth to one half of an inch with the highest amounts expected east of Grand Rapids. That part of the forecast I want them to be right about, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph. in portions of central, south central and southwest Michigan. Some people can expect power outages and tree damage due to the ice. Travel may become impossible, and clearing efforts will be very difficult due to the amount of sleet expected. It is strongly suggested that drivers keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency.
There is also another Gale Warning in effect from St Joseph to Manistee from 7 a.m. today until 1:00 a.m. tomorrow. Strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. Mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions, remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure their vessel for severe conditions. Ya think?
Northeast winds of 15 to 25 knots will be increasing to 35 knot gales and waves of 3 to 10 feet are expected. Surfs up? It is a good thing that we got out yesterday, although there a few errands that didn't get run as planned.
We traveled to Muskegon and parts of northern Ottawa County before heading home by way of Stan's. Along the way, I once again had my trusty Olympus DSLR camera at the ready and with some good fortune on the back roads, I was able to get many pix of my new favorite, Michigan farms and their accompanying equipment and out-buildings. I'll add some of the more interesting ones now.
We had dropped Ginger at daycare so that she wasn't required to wait on the back of the couch for our return. She likes it a daycare unlike STWD, who was sleeping at home as befits her status as the Dowager Queen of the manse.
I am nearly done with my current read entitled 1st to Die, by James Patterson. This book was written by Patterson before he began to use another writer in the writing process. Mary likes that I have branched out to thrillers/mysteries that have women as their primary characters. She is already amazed that I like Amish mysteries and romances. She caused that as she introduced me to that genre when we were vacationing in Florida.
Today, the fur-children will not be getting a walk due to the weather. We'll be in the kitchen and doing still more indoor chores. How we manage to create a need for so much laundry with just the two of us is a mystery. I like to stay ahead of the laundry, one of my little idiosyncrasies. I chalk it up to one of the many things that are purportedly part and parcel to my being born a Virgo.
Otherwise, all is well. Ciao.
The current temperature is 39° under skies delivering light-rain and windy conditions. We are warmer right now than we will be by later today, when the high is forecast to drop down to 36°. The sun will rise today @ 8:15 a.m. and set later @ 5:30 p.m.
Yes, the days are getting longer, but they are also mostly gray too. However, there is NFL playoff football on TV this afternoon and evening. I'm still awaiting an annual rite of spring, the opening of MLB™ Spring Training 2020, a mere 33 days from now, when the pitchers and catchers report for my beloved Red Sox.
There is a Winter Storm Warning in effect until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, January 12, 2020 for most of the Lakeshore Communities in West Michigan. The NWS is forecasting heavy mixed precipitation with a total snow and sleet accumulations of 2 to 4 inches All of the initial information seems to say that it won't happen here in "The City", but I call B.S. on that one, as the forecast is for all of Ottawa, County MI. What are the odds that it won't land on GH?
There are likely to be ice accumulations of one tenth to one half of an inch with the highest amounts expected east of Grand Rapids. That part of the forecast I want them to be right about, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph. in portions of central, south central and southwest Michigan. Some people can expect power outages and tree damage due to the ice. Travel may become impossible, and clearing efforts will be very difficult due to the amount of sleet expected. It is strongly suggested that drivers keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in their vehicle in case of an emergency.
There is also another Gale Warning in effect from St Joseph to Manistee from 7 a.m. today until 1:00 a.m. tomorrow. Strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. Mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions, remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure their vessel for severe conditions. Ya think?
Northeast winds of 15 to 25 knots will be increasing to 35 knot gales and waves of 3 to 10 feet are expected. Surfs up? It is a good thing that we got out yesterday, although there a few errands that didn't get run as planned.
We traveled to Muskegon and parts of northern Ottawa County before heading home by way of Stan's. Along the way, I once again had my trusty Olympus DSLR camera at the ready and with some good fortune on the back roads, I was able to get many pix of my new favorite, Michigan farms and their accompanying equipment and out-buildings. I'll add some of the more interesting ones now.
 |
| This one had the words Willow Ranch in faded lettering on its roof, but I couldn't find any additional information about that particular building. |
 |
| Like an idle playgrounds, dormant farm equipment is just waiting to be put to use. |
 |
| This is a view of another of the farms that has been converted into an event venue near Coopersville, MI. |
 |
| A barn that is still in use, but obviously built a long time ago. An old professor of mine, Dr. Jack Dodds, used to say, "If it isn't obvious, saying so won't make it so." Sometimes, you have to bend that rule. Sorry Dr. Dodds. |
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| A seemingly newer structure is on a working farm near Ravenna, MI, a small community in northern Muskegon, County. |
 |
| Much the same. |
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| We decided to head home with the fog starting to settle in as we drove. |
I am nearly done with my current read entitled 1st to Die, by James Patterson. This book was written by Patterson before he began to use another writer in the writing process. Mary likes that I have branched out to thrillers/mysteries that have women as their primary characters. She is already amazed that I like Amish mysteries and romances. She caused that as she introduced me to that genre when we were vacationing in Florida.
Today, the fur-children will not be getting a walk due to the weather. We'll be in the kitchen and doing still more indoor chores. How we manage to create a need for so much laundry with just the two of us is a mystery. I like to stay ahead of the laundry, one of my little idiosyncrasies. I chalk it up to one of the many things that are purportedly part and parcel to my being born a Virgo.
Otherwise, all is well. Ciao.
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