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.