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 45° under rainy skies. Winds of 6 mph make it feel like 42°. Today's high-temperature forecast from the NWS calls for a high of 49º, albeit with a 50% chance for rain.

The sun will rise today @ 6:39 a.m. and set later @ 8:45 p.m.

That Gale Warning remains in effect until 8:00 p.m. tonight. North winds gusting to 35-knot gales and waves 5 to 8 feet are expected from St Joseph to Manistee. Strong winds will cause hazardous waves that could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. But, surf's up!

In addition, that Lakeshore Flood Advisory also remains in effect during those same hours! Minor beach erosion and lakeshore flooding are expected for Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, Allegan, and Van Buren counties. Parking lots and roads along the immediate lakeshore will experience minor flooding. Minor erosion of beaches and sand dunes is also expected.

Finally, the NWS has issued a Flood Advisory for Ottawa County in southwestern Michigan, Newaygo County in west-central Michigan, and Muskegon County in west-central Michigan. Southern Oceana County in west-central Michigan until 3:00 p.m. today. Flooding of roads, yards, streams, and rivers is expected today. That includes minor flooding of the Grand River at Robinson Township and minor flooding of the Muskegon River at Newaygo and Bridgeton. What should you do if you are driving? Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Flooding is especially dangerous at night. Do not drive around barricades.

It was warm early yesterday afternoon when I accompanied the fur-children out for their morning visits. But the rain was falling and STWD didn't like it much. I had to stay out with her until she felt the urge, so to speak. In contrast, Ginger was all business. However, as a terrier mix with long hair, when she gets wet, she gets curly and stays wet for a long time.

Mary took advantage of my overnight kitchen activities and used some of my vegan Italian meatballs with her own version of pasta sauce over spaghetti noodles for our lunch. Both of the fur-children like pasta of any variety. However, their favorite is thin-spaghetti. Ginger was there to get her share, but STWD had vanished to the upstairs after being forced out into the rain and was unavailable to receive her share.

Later, Mary was going to make bean soup for dinner but that morphed into nachos with cheeze, black olives, and refried beans with excessive amounts of salsa. I liked that too. However, while I can always be bought off with soup of almost any variety, Mary is less enamored by soup. Maybe today.

I nearly forgot. Mary and I were introduced to the 21st century when Adam and Steph called and introduced us to a video calling technology for our Android™ Smart Phone. We can see them and they can see us. Will wonders ever cease?

Oh, I was in the man-cave working yesterday when the cordless drill I was using began to smell like it was burning up. It was. It quit working shortly thereafter. You'd think that a drill that I got for free from Adam and which I have severely abused over several years would last longer than eight years or so. But...

Speaking of today, I will be spending time writing and coloring, if the sun comes out, reading in the living room, and finishing a crossword puzzle.

Mary and/or I will probably do some indoor chores, as I discovered when I was downstairs earlier, that there are many kitchen towels ready for laundering. Mary too will likely be reading, doing some coloring, if the sun cooperates, and just sitting with Giner gazing longingly at her mistress.

That's all folks. Ciao.

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 54° under rainy skies. Winds of 7 mph make it feel like 52°. Today's high-temperature forecast from the NWS calls for a high of 56º, albeit with a 90% chance for rain.

We enjoyed yesterday's 68º, but that is the last 60 plus temperature we can expect to see for at least 10 more days.

The sun will rise today @ 6:40 a.m. and set later @ 8:44 p.m.

Yet another Gale Warning will be in effect from 8:00 p.m. tonight until 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night. North winds of 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 35 knots and waves of 7 to 10 feet can be expected. The worst conditions will be on Thursday from St Joseph to Manistee. Strong winds will cause hazardous waves that could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility.

In addition, there is another Lakeshore Flood Advisory in effect during those same hours! Minor beach erosion and lakeshore flooding are expected for Mason, Oceana, Muskegon, Ottawa, Allegan, and Van Buren counties. Parking lots and roads along the immediate lakeshore will experience minor flooding. Minor erosion of beaches and sand dunes is also expected.

I played guitar and sang while our Senior Staff Videographer recorded my efforts on that song I've been working on. Unfortunately, I am unable to ascertain a way to make the file small enough to fit into this blog. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, or maybe never. Sigh

However, since I was up earlier this morning, I made a batch of my vegan Italian meatballs that are once again looking as they should. I haven't taste-tested them yet. Don't tell her, but I'll wait for Mary's opinion later today.

In the cast-iron skillet and browning nicely.

Speaking of today, it looks like that rainy day forecast from the NWS will keep us and the fur-children indoors. That's okay, as I have plenty to do that will keep me out of trouble. Reading, crossword solving, coloring, and writing come to mind. Mary will likely be similarly occupied.

That looks like enough for one day. Ciao. 

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 44° under clear skies. Winds of 1 mph make it feel like 44°. Today's high-temperature forecast from the NWS calls for a high of 64º, albeit with a 60% chance for rain and foggy conditions. Unfortunately, that 64º is the last 60 plus temperature we can expect to see for at least 10 more days.

The sun will rise today @ 6:41 a.m. and set later @ 8:43 p.m.

Yesterday was a busy day. We collectively completed some indoor chores and later, when Mary drove to pick up the latest Fast Lane™ grocery order, I washed the floors in the vegan kitchen and the downstairs bathroom.

I had great hopes for getting outdoors today, but that forecast is a bit foreboding for me. The fur-children will not be happy.

Mary made some vegan sandwiches for lunch yesterday out of my vegan pepperoni on rye, with a side of my vegan Coleslaw. Very tasty.

Dinner was much more elaborate and required more time end effort on her part. We'd been toying with a recipe for vegan Chick'n fajitas that used soy curls in lieu of chicken and those vegetables that I'd grilled up on Sunday. A special marinade gave the fajitas a terrific aroma and flavor. I'll add some pix of the process and outcome because they were so good!

Cooking in the cast-iron skillet.

Almost ready to devour.

Ready to eat!

All photos courtesy of our Senior Staff Photographer.

This recipe is a keeper! Not an easy recipe to prepare and it took two days of effort by two people, but well worth the time.

I made significant progress on my manuscript yesterday. I hope to make more progress again today.

I'm still working on my latest musical effort, but I am nearly there.

I finished a crossword yesterday with some assistance from my collaborator. I also completed reading my latest book, The Perfect Alibi, by Phillip Margolin. I am checking on my seedlings in the man-cave daily to make sure that they are ready to go for transplantation into larger pots and then ultimately into the vast-gardens, assuming that the outdoor temperatures ever get consistently into the 60s and above sometime before June! But, you know what "They" say about assuming.

Today, more writing, more music, more coloring, and more retirement. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 1:00 a.m. in "The City."

The current temperature is 43° under clear skies. Winds of 4 mph make it feel more like 41°. Today's high was in the lower 60s, in spite of what the NWS had in their forecast.

Today's forecast calls for a high temperature of only 52º with rain moving in the evening.

The sun will rise today @ 6:43 a.m. and set later @ 8:42 p.m.

We had a marvelous day yesterday. As predicted, I got out all of the grilling supplies and proceeded to inundate myself in smoke as the grill was coming up to temperature. Mary was inside marinating and cutting to prepare all of the veggies that hit the grill later. 

We ate grilled lettuce, nee cabbage, portabello mushrooms that became burgers, with grilled onions, and of course since the grill was fired-up, I made grilled green peppers for the fajitas that we almost had for dinner. 

I haven't lost my touch!

Portabello burger with grilled lettuce.

However, by the time we had ground on STWD's nails, spent time on our collective feet, cleaned up and did some extended reading, Mary had spent too much time on her feet. She decided that it was killing her yak, so instead of fajitas for dinner, she made a  new version of Hamish that required steaming and then baking. Like that was good for her yak! At any rate, I liked it! I cleaned up for her so that she could put her feet up. Fajitas today!

We watched another episode of Outlander over dinner. I find myself liking the program.

We've just spent the last 1 1/2 hours participating in a coloring session conducted by a woman from the San Diego area. We were not alone, because there were people from all over the US, including the east side of MI, and as far away as Israel. We both learned a lot. I did better on some of the things that were being presented, while Mary colored some other things better. If we could just combine our skills, we might be able to make a great whole! We do well now, but what could we do if we were able to meld our talents?

I haven't much more to say. To borrow from the song Hotel California, by The Eagles, "My head grew heavy and my sight grew dim, I had to stop for the night." And so we did.

In fact, I'll just say that we have a grocery order to pick up later today which will include some duplicates. But, when Mary orders, she has to plan three weeks ahead, so you never know what you'll have previously received.

So as I was saying, it is getting late and, "My head grows heavy and my sight grows dim, I have to stop for the night."Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 7:00 a.m. in "The City."

The current temperature is 43° under partly-cloudy skies, although they appear to be partly-sunny to me when I look out the WW. Winds of 8 mph make it feel more like 38°. Today's high of 59°, will be under mostly sunny skies and when compared to recent high-temperature forecasts from the NWS, it will feel like a tropical heat-wave. What a perfect place to insert this cut from Ella Fitzgerald, once dubbed America's First Lady of Song, appropriately entitled, Heat Wave!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0rOMF9y2qI

Tomorrow's high will be 54º with rain coming in the evening hours with a 100% probability. We'll have a couple of days of warmer temperatures scattered in with temperatures still in the 50s.

Today, there will be yet another Small Craft Advisory in effect from 8:00 a.m. this morning until 8:00 p.m. tonight. North winds will be increasing to 15 to 25 knots today, with waves building to 3 to 5 feet expected from St Joseph to Manistee. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft, so inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in those hazardous conditions. The sun rose today @ 6:44 a.m. and set later @ 8:40p.m.

Yesterday was yet another adventure in dog-grooming. Ginger was relatively tolerant and allowed us to hack at her fur coat and grind her nails while atop Mary's garden table cum dog-grooming table. All in all, we think we did slightly better than okay. We have ordered a "Real" animal fur clippers to take the place of the human hair clippers we have been using. These clippers come with an instruction book, which along with perusal of some YouTube™ videos on dog grooming, I may have gained another skill set. We shall see.

Mostly, we accomplished more indoor chores and a small bit of yardwork. That really means that I installed those replacement garden fence sections after our adventures with Ginger.

Meals yesterday were an attempt to use some of our recent purchases of produce. We made only a tiny dent in those. Later, dinner was spaghetti with vegan Italian meatballs, ala Mary.

I spent a lot of time typing yesterday as I added yet more pages and chapters to my manuscript. I'm not there yet, but I am almost at the climax and heading towards the denouement and ending. This has been the most effort I've put into this manuscript in a long time, so I'm excited to see how it turns out myself. A genuine plus to the stay at home time necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic

Today, we plan to get out the Weber Kettle Grill™ and do our first outdoor barbecue. Our neighbor to the north has been grilling out for what seems like weeks. I'll have to get our grilling table out of the garage and the charcoal out of our shed.

Additionally, my tasks include starting the grill, after which I'll become overwhelmed by the smoke, thus requiring a change of clothes as I flip the various items at the appropriate times.

Mary has plans to marinate some mushrooms and cabbage, toss in some green peppers, get out a couple of vegan burgers and then stand back as I get to grill them.

Somewhere in there, we are going to try to grind STWD's nails down to a more indoor length. She must have picked up some vibes from Ginger's experience yesterday, as she was acting weird all evening last night.

I did get in some additional practice time on that song I've been working on. If time permits and if I feel as though I am sufficiently proficient, I am going to ask our Senior Staff Videographer to record my efforts for posterity. Once again, we'll have to wait and see.

Otherwise, not much is on tap for today. Ciao.

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 41° under cloudy-skies. Winds of 7 mph make it feel like 36°. Today's high of 56° will be about 10º warmer than yesterday. Does that mark the end of low-temperature days here in the Tri-Cities area? Well, sort of. We'll see 59º tomorrow, 60º on Sunday and 62º on Tuesday, albeit with a 50% chance for rain that day. Mostly, we'll stay below the seasonal average temperatures here in W. MI for several more days. The sun will rise this morning @ 6:46 a.m. and set later @ 8:39 p.m.

I was almost right about the rain yesterday. While it didn't and therefore did not preclude the grooming of the fur-children, the cool temperatures did. Today, they are on the schedule for the Stay at Home Grooming Salon.

Yesterday was mostly like every other day of late. We worked a crossword puzzle, I played some music, and Mary did some coloring and indoor chores, most of those late last night. She also had to schlep the groceries in from the Big Green Renegade Pantry. AKA the Garage Pantry or our Jeep™ Renegade, before putting them away yesterday afternoon and last night.

Like all deliveries of late, we wait at least three days before handling anything. I used my time to make another vegan pepperoni that turned out fine and some of which became part of our dinner of homemade pizza. We watched another episode of Outlander while we ate. 

Given the somewhat random nature of grocery purchasing of late, like Forrest Gump intoned, we never know what we are going to get with any pick-up from the Fast Lane™ service. We know what we order, but the final result is based on the availability of any item at the time of picking. Therein lies a tale. When Mary went to the indoor pantry for a tin of her favorite pizza sauce, the pantry was bare. She was forced to create her own with multiple spices and tomato paste. I think I liked it better, but it is more work for Mary.
 
I salute the warehouse workers, the truck-drivers, the clerks, the pickers, and the delivery drivers who are required to keep the supplies flowing.

Here in Michigan, the governor has lifted some of the social-distancing restrictions for garden-centers, bicycle repair shops, and paint stores. However, there is now a requirement for both store personnel and customers to wear face-masks in the stores. Sadly, that should have been the case all along.

Last night, I watched all of Wayne Faust's Living Room Concert and Mary joined me to sing along with Wayne's version of The Unicorn Song. She has the body/hand movements down perfectly. Mostly, she was occupied in the lower level organizing, vacuuming, and other sundry activities.

Today, we'll get to that grooming of the fur-children and I'll install the sections of garden fencing that were delivered several days ago. 

Mostly, once we are done with the fur-children, we'll just enjoy a warm but cloudy day in the back-forty. Ciao.

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 41° under cloudy-skies. Winds of 7 mph make it feel like 37°. Today's high of 47° will be about five degrees warmer than yesterday, but it will mark yet another day of below-seasonal average temperatures here in W. MI. There is only a 20% chance for rain-showers this morning, followed by a sunny afternoon. The current forecast calls for both Saturday and Sunday's high to reach 56°. The sun will rise this morning @ 6:47 a.m. and set later @ 8:38 p.m.

I was right about the rain yesterday precluding the grooming of the fur-children. Therefore, it is my considered opinion, that the grooming of the fur-children on the deck should wait until tomorrow.

I wrote quite a bit in my manuscript yesterday. If I write more today, I'll be a published author before I know it!

I spent some time playing with the girls in my studio, another benefit.

Tuesday's edition of the Grand Haven Tribune contained two crossword puzzles. As these are the early-week puzzles, I only required a tiny bit of assistance from my regular collaborator.

Today, I have been asked to make more vegan pepperoni. I'll do that after lunch, which generally coincides with our wake-up call. The fur-children seem okay with that time, for now.

Otherwise, not much to report. Ciao.

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 37° under cloudy-skies. Winds of 9 mph make it feel like 31°. Today's high of 52°, will mark yet another day of below-seasonal average temperatures here in W. MI. There is a 40% chance for rain-showers this morning. The current forecast calls for several more days of sub-60° temperatures well into early May. Enough already! The sun will rise this morning @ 6:49 a.m. and set later @ 8:37 p.m. There are no Advisories, Watches, nor Warnings in the forecast.

My plans to stay out of the kitchen yesterday were only partially successful. I was pressed into service to make another batch of my generally successful vegan Italian meatballs. I'm going to chalk up my one less than stellar batch to a "Senior Moment" in the kitchen

I also was asked to make more of my soon to be famous, yet ever evolving, Cole slaw creations. Mary has plans for that in today's meals.

Speaking of meals, yesterday was a twofer for yours truly. Lunch was a bowl of tomato soup with oyster crackers. Now if I can just convince Mary that I'm okay if my soup is merely tepid when served. I think her desire to make it extra-hot stems from the days when her parents heated everything to the well-done and probably overcooked point.

She was so thankful when the folks at Green Giant™ came out with their frozen "Boil in Bag" vegetables. Mary's mother always followed the directions on the box, ao instead of overcooked and tasteless broccoli etc., Mary got vegetables that were done "Just right!"

Earlier in the day, I had suggested that we could have one of my favorites for dinner, vegan Veg-a Roni. That morphed into one of Adam's favorites, Spaghetti Role Casserole. I was good with that too, as I've always liked it a lot. The veganized version uses TVP in lieu of ground-beef, and vegan cheeze shreds, but it tastes the same and can always be included on my dinner table menu.

Mary always uses one of two antiques left from her wedding shower to serve this dish to her other leftover antique.

A wedding shower gift, an antique mushroom casserole dish, from an old friend of Mary's almost 47 years ago.

The Spaghetti Role Casserole!

For those in the know, gasoline prices continue to be low here in the Grand Haven area of W. MI. At the nearby big-box nearly everything store's gas station, the price for regular unleaded is $1.19/gal. That is also true for the D & W Quik-Stop that we often use, where the price is the same.

I managed to complete that home-maintenance project yesterday with no problem. That may well be a first. One tool required, which I had in our junk-drawer, and I was all done in about 10 minutes. That too may be a first.

I spent some time yesterday adding to my manuscript and practicing that musical piece I've been working. In all the years that I've been playing guitar, I've never had an easy time laying down a B7 chord. The song I'm working on has one in its bridge, so more practice is in order. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, I'll get it recorded for posterity.

I heard the southbound passage of the train on the RSTL @ around 9:45 a.m.. But as I was lying in bed at the time, I never witnessed its passage. Later, Ginger and Mary alerted me to the northbound passage @ 1:45 p.m. We watched as MMRR EMD GP 38-2 locomotives 2019 and 2025 passed by at the head of a long line of fully laden cars that included: 20 CHCs, five DBTCs, one DWTC, and one GTC.

Today, we will likely postpone our latest adventures in dog-grooming, due to the weather. We'd like to work outside, but we won't consider trying to work in cold and rainy conditions.

Instead, I'll be playing with the girls in my studio along with more writing. I also need to water my seedlings in the man-cave. I have to remind Mary that our plants in the foyer are also due for watering.

Mary is making great progress on her coloring project. Her subtle shading technique is really very good. She often comments that she is the last one to finish in a group, whether knitting, weaving or whatever. But as that old saying goes, "Haste makes waste."

I like to think that another old saying, applies too, "The hurrier I go, the behinder I get." That saying, is purportedly from Lewis Carroll, the pen-name for a 19th Century English writer of children's fiction, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He is most notably known as the author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and its sequel, Through the Looking Glass.  Ciao.

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 28° under clear-skies. Winds of 1 mph make it feel like, wait for it, 28°! Today's high of 49°, will be much warmer than yesterday. All of that will be under cloudy-skies with winds of 11 mph!. There is a 20% chance for rain-showers in the forecast from the NWS. In addition, that forecast calls for several more days of sub-50° temperatures. The forecast calls for us to break into the 50s permanently by next Tuesday. The sun will rise this morning @ 6:50 a.m. and set later @ 8:36 p.m.

The Small Craft Advisory is now over, but it has been replaced by a Freeze Warning in effect until 8:00 a.m. this morning. Temperatures are forecast to fall into the mid 20s with even some low 20s overnight. Some fruit trees will start to experience damage after several hours of temperatures 25 degrees or colder. Why? An unseasonably cold and dry air-mass is in place. As the clouds scatter and winds diminish, the temperatures will fall off rapidly. Damage to some fruit trees will begin after several hours of temperatures 25 degrees or colder. Other sensitive vegetation could sustain damage without protection. A Freeze Warning is issued when temperatures are forecast to threaten outdoor plants or fruit trees. Those with agricultural interests in the warned area are advised to protective action. Any potted plants left outdoors should be covered or brought inside away from the cold. Fortunately, my seedlings are nice and warm in the man-cave.

Yesterday, I accomplished more than I expected. We collectively finished the latest crossword puzzle from the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and did those aforementioned indoor chores.

We got up late, so my plans to make a stir-fry for lunch became a stir-fry dinner. Lunch was vegan baked-beans and a salad. I neglected to take a pic of my best stir-fry to date, but fortunately, our Senior Staff Photographer had her Smart Phone handy and snapped this picture just before we ate.

Along with some overnight preparations by the Chief Cook and Bottle Washer, it took me about one-hour to prepare.

Each time I make a stir-fry, it is a bit different than the last. This one was especially tasty.

Before dinner, Mary repaired to her office and coloring studio to add more details to her latest effort. She tried a technique that is the reverse of what is generally recommended, but it looks great!

Before my adventures in the kitchen, I repaired to my studio to practice more of that music I've been working on over the last few days. I'm not quite there, but I am getting close to a public performance.

Today, I have some home-maintenance to do and that's about it. I will get in more practice time in my studio too.

Mary will return to her regular role as Chief Cook and Bottle Washer. Speaking of that role, I made quite a mess while I was making that stir-fry yewsterday, but she cleaned up after I went to bed. I am thankful for her assistance.

We may or may not get out with the fur-children. A lot is riding on that forecast for rain. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

The current temperature is 38° under clear-skies. Winds of 20 mph make it feel more like 28°! Today's high of 39°, will be 11° colder than yesterday, which was not all that warm-feeling. All of that will be under partly-cloudy and windy skies with winds of 22 mph!. The forecast from the NWS calls for one more day of sub-50° temperature's, tomorrow's 49°. After that, the forecast calls for us to break into the 50s and stay there. Can my summertime uniform of a T-shirt and shorts be close on the heels?

However, a Small Craft Advisory remains in effect until 10:00 p.m. tonight. Northwest winds of 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots and waves of 6 to 8 feet are expected from St Joseph to Grand Haven. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft so, mariners should avoid navigating during that time.

The sun will rise today @ 6:52 a.m. and set later @ 8:35p.m.

I wish I could remember all that I did yesterday, but with the days taking on a relative sameness, that is getting harder to do. After a lunch of pizza, I spent some time adding prose to my manuscript. I also spent some time transcribing a new to me piece of music that I hope to debut very soon. I do remember that I spent a lot of time pretending to be a vegetable, or was it a mushroom? Speaking of which, Mary prepared some garlic mushrooms for our dinner that were delicious.

During dinner, we watched another episode of our newest binge-watch, Outlander. Those in the know, unlike yours truly, know the time-travel aspects of the story. For me, it's all new. I guess so is binge-watching too.

Mary got ambitious last night while I was "resting" in my Lazy-Boy in the media-room. She vacuumed the downstairs, but that was just the end of her busy day. Before that, she had picked up our new COVID-19 masks, made that aforementioned pizza for lunch, driven to the grocery store to pickup our latest order, and of course. made our dinner. I feel like such a slacker just writing all that down.

Today, I hope to do some indoor chores, accomplish more writing, practice that music I'm working on, and read the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune.

Oh, I nearly forgot. I found a site on the internet that had some new pictures to color. So, with a little ingenuity, I was able to download some of those. Mary likes a couple of those better than what she has been working on, so she may switch.

Otherwise, today promises to be a day much like any other. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

The current temperature is 36° under clear-skies. Winds of 4 mph make it feel more like 33°. Today's high of 51°, will be under mostly-sunny skies. We'll have a couple of days in the 40s in the future, but soon, we'll be in the 50s to stay!

However, there will be a Small Craft Advisory in effect from 6:00 p.m. this evening until 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night. Northwest winds of 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots and waves 4 to 7 feet are expected from St Joseph to Grand Haven. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft and so, mariners should avoid navigating during that time. The sun will rise today @ 6:54 a.m. and set later @ 8:33p.m.

We accomplished some indoor chores yesterday. Mary took individualized walks with the fur-children, and I raked a few leaves and planted my seed potatoes in the vast gardens. But wait, there's more!

While I was outside, I dug up some of my horseradish roots, brought them in and washed and peeled them and then cut them into small pieces for food-processing. It has been a long time since I'd done that and I'd forgotten how pungent those roots can be when being ground. Mary had to leave the living-room to get away from the "aroma." I added some salt and vinegar and bottled my efforts in a 16 oz. Mason™ jar.

Although I have not taste-tested the final product, I anticipate it to have a lot of giddy-up in it based on it's tear-inducing qualities. I'll know later this morning.

Prepared hoirseradish is current;y unavailable, so my homemade variety will have to work.

We worked on the Friday crossword puzzle from the Grand Haven Tribune and later, I worked on some music I plan to play in the near future. I'll leave the further details about that music until a future blog.

Today, I have no specific plans other than to finish that aforementioned crossword puzzle, do more work on that music, read more and perhaps, color

I suspect that Mary will be coloring more too, along with making a run to the grocery store to pick up our weekly order. As always, what we receive will be unknown until the person picking the order goes through the store.

I don't have much else to add. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is
just past 8:00 a.m. in "The City." 

The current temperature is 44° under partly-cloudy skies, with winds of 14 mph that make it feel more like 37°. Today's high is forecast to be 47° with a 20% chance for more precipitation. As the day progresses, the NWS is predicting those partly-cloudy skies to continue throughout the day. 

As I gaze out the WW, I must disagree withte NWS forecast. The sun is shining brightly in mostly cloudless skies.

The Gale Warning issued by the NWS, ended earlier this morning @ 12:00 a.m. The sun rose today @ 6:55 a.m. and it will set later @ 8:32 p.m.

While we no longer have a Gale Warning, it has been replaced by a Small Craft Advisory in effect until 5:00 p.m. today. Southwest winds up to 30 knots early with waves of 5 to 8 feet, will subside to 3 to 6 feet from St Joseph to Manistee. Surf's up early dudes and dudettes!

Like most days of the last five or six weeks, yesterday was much like the day before, except that I was in the vegan kitchen cooking a much-improved version of my once again famous vegan Italian meatballs. We had some to go with the pasta that Mary made for dinner last evening and I can attest to the improvement over my last batch.

Earlier while I was in the vegan kitchen, Mary had taken STWD for a short walk and when she returned, she waited for me to finish my kitchen activities and then I accompanied she and Ginger for a longer stroll through the wilds of GH.

I took along my trusty Olympus DSLR camera to record whatever struck my fancy, so I'll include some of my fancies here.

This shot and the next show one of the effects of the mandatory shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Construction/remodeling projects are on hold until the ban is lifted.

Sadly, we were walking past when I am am normally at my monthly Irish Jam Session.

The parking area for the shuttered Loutit District Library afforded these young people a place to ride their boards in safety.

As we walked, Ginger had to sniff everything that had been previously visited in what to her was virgin sniffing grounds. She had to stop numerous times to read her messages and to return some too.

Cute as ever!

An oft visited post and a dog. Nuff said!

A fire hydrant and a dog. Stereotyping?

Since we were downtown, I took a shot of the very light traffic on Washington Ave. both pedestrian and vehicular.

A sunny Saturday afternoon in April has always been busy in GH, but not today.

Along the way, I took some additional shots of Dewey Hill and the dormant stack at the someday to be demolished GHBLP Simms Power aPlant on Harbor Island. That demolition was scheduled to begin in June, but it is probably on hold due to that aforementioned mandatory shutdown.

The stack juxtaposed with the also quiet chimney at the library.

Quietly awaiting its fate, the stack stands guard duty over Harbor Island.

By the by, here in the Tri-Cities area, gasoline prices continue their free fall. The local big-box nearly everything store and their associated gas station, is offering regular unleaded for $1.15/gallon. However, if you are out and about, the price in nearby Spring Lake is 1:05/gallon. But wait, there's more! I saw a report that showed the price in Muskegon to be .98/gallon! Unreal.

Today, I have plans with the light winds to do some yard work. Not much, but enough to get some of the leaves cleared away from our Hostas growing along the edge of our shared driveway. I also have plans to plant some of my seed potatoes behind the garage and just let them grow. 

I'll start some indoor chores too. I have no plans for the kitchen and I am still in the waiting period for the transplantation of my seedlings currently doing well in the man-cave.

I may get around to reading more and playing with the girls in my studio along with adding more paragraphs to my manuscript. I like how my thoughts are getting on paper right now. I want to continue coloring a picture that I am working on now, but as is always the case, my mentor and coloring guru, Kerry, has outshone me while providing a goal for my efforts. She is indeed a gifted colorist! This is her latest effort. I can attest to the long number of hours she must have devoted to this bird picture.

Mary will also read more, color more, possibly work in the kitchen, open the latest boxes "safe" from the internet e-tailers and whatever strikes her fancy too. If we feel it., we may take a short walk with the fur-children for their benefit and ours. Ciao.

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 38° under clear-skies, with winds of 9 mph that make it feel more like 32°. Today's high is forecast to be 50° with a 0% chance for more precipitation, which we had in the form of snow-showers most of yesterday. As the day progresses, the NWS is predicting sunny-skies early, changing over to partly-cloudy skies with winds from 20 - 30 mph and possible gusts to 40 mph!

Once again, a Gale Warning  has also been issued by the NWS, effective from 2:00 p.m. today until 12:00 a.m tomorrow! Southwest winds increasing to 25 to 35 knots and waves from 5 to 8 feet are expected from St Joseph to Manistee. Strong winds will cause hazardous waves which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility. Once again, mariners should alter plans to avoid these hazardous conditions. Remain in port, seek safe harbor, alter course, and/or secure the vessel for severe conditions. The sun will rise today @ 6:57 a.m. and set later @ 8:31 p.m.

We ventured forth yesterday to stop in at one of our local merchants, JWs Market, a purveyor of wine, sauces and other sundry things. Mary discovered that JW's Market, an adjunct to JWs restaurant, had all-purpose flour, the oft mentioned and elusive TP, non-sulfite wine, and her favorite barbecue sauce available for curbside pick-up. She made arrangements with the proprietor and we began our short outing shortly thereafter. 

Since we were out, we motored down Grand Haven's main thoroughfare, Washington Ave., and then onward to the waterfront. Along the way, we sadly learned that one of the businesses on Washington, The Baker's Wife, had succumbed to the pandemic closings and their storefront is now empty.

The majority of the stores on Washington were closed, while the restaurants are limited to carryout only. In addition, some local restaurants, like Butch's Beach Burritos, had plans to open early this year, but they are shuttered at this time.

On season, great burritos, fair prices, friendly service.

We took the time to travel into Grand Haven State Park, as did many of our fellow citizens, but we never left the car. I did get some pix of the playgrounds there, now circled by fencing and off-limits to the kids who might be tempted to use them. 

A fenced off playground  looks so forlorn without the banned children to use it.

Same here. Sigh.

Our lighthouses at the South Pier.

And the deserted beach nearby.

Birdhouses on a dune, but for what birds, we're not sure.

Some fur-children and their parents took advantage of the deserted parking areas.

Whether the State Park, the playgrounds, the beaches, and campground will open this year is still uncertain. As of now, the annual Coast Guard Festival is on, but a final decision is due by June.

 
We decided to stay in the car and cross the bridge to Spring Lake to see what we could see. Like GH, not much was happening. I did snap some pix of the swinging railroad bridge over the Grand River as we returned home. 

Not bad from a moving vehicle.

A perfect chance to segue to the oft included report on the passage of trains on the RSTL (Reality Scale Train Layout). At 9:05 a.m., MMRR locomotives 2025 and 2019 passed by heading south, towing 11 CHCs, five DBTCs, and two DWTCs, one with a green, non-corrosive stripe around its mid-section.

Later, @ 12:48 p.m., we were just sitting down to brunch, when I espied those same locomotives heading north towing three CHCs, four DBTCs, two GTCs, and two DWTCs. 

Lat evening, we managed to tune in to the Front Room Concert presented by Wayne Faust. He obligingly played A Sky of Cubbie Blue during his concert. Here is a link to that song from YouTube™ and courtesy of Wayne, a Chicago native.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rvq4xE-CW0

He also obliged with another song, Sailing Home. I think this poignant song is terrific and I hope you agree when you listen by following the link below. This link is also from YouTube™ and also courtesy of Wayne.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Nm8vSRgMY 

Today not much is planned. I would normally be going to my monthly Irish Jam Session, but the library is still closed. Once again, sigh. Instead, I'll be playing my own solo concert, writing more, coloring more, reading more, and solving another crossword puzzle.Oh, I will be trying to once again make some vegan Italian meatballs, hopefully this time with better results.

Mary will also be reading, helping with the crossword puzzle, and coloring, in between meal preparation. 

Yesterday, she found a recipe for dog-treats that are made from sweet potatoes that are supposed to help clean the teeth of our fur-children. She prepared them and our fur-children liked them, but the effect on their teeth is hard to discern. 

In the ongoing saga of Jax Farm, I I have 15 sweet pepper plants and 12 tomato plants doing well in the man-cave greenhouse. I am so proud! Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 7:45 a.m. in "The City." Yes my loyal readers, I fell off the sleep wagon and didn't get up until just before 7:00 a.m. this morning.  Ah, the vagaries of life in the fast lane. 


Of course, what would that line be but the perfect segue to another song from YouTube™ by The Eagles, with that phrase as its title.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zWzStRLTD0

I'd include Joe Walsh's Life's Been Good, but that is such a long cut, that I'll let you decide for yourselves whether to listen when you're at the YouTube™ site. 
We have a current temperature of 36° that feels more like 33° with winds of just three mph. The NWS has no other watches, advisories, nor warnings in their forecast. However, they have included a 60% chance for Snow-Showers this morning. Today's high will be a blustery 40° with light-winds.
 
The sun rose today @ 6:58 a.m. and it will set later @ 8:30 p.m. 

A reminder that a performer that we like a lot here at the manse, Wayne Faust, is once again performing tonight @ 6:00 p.m. MDT. That's 8:00 p.m. EDT and 7:00 p.m. CDT for my readers.

He has decided to call his efforts, The Living Room Concerts. This one will be #4. You can tune in on Facebook™  @ the following web address: 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7Nm8vSRgMY

Sometime in the first hour, he will be performing his song A Sky of Cubbie Blue as I requested.
Thanks Wayne. 

I've included a link to that song here if you can't tune in to his concert tonight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rvq4xE-CW0&lc=Ugy64zhsfCWphzib2s54AaABAg.97XFLj4ul1-97Xw6MAYo7u&feature=em-comments

Speaking of pix, even though I wasn't, here are a couple of pix that I'm including to help explain why I decided to go vegan several years ago. They so remind me of our fur-children, which may help to explain my late in life conversion to veganism.

Too cute?

Or, Too cute!

Speaking of our fur-children, they were not to be denied yesterday afternoon. So, we took them for a walk through Central Park here in GH, carefully watching for anyone who might get closer than six-feet.

When we were upstairs earlier, Mary called my attention to the window that overlooks the vast gardens of the Palatial Estate. Lo and behold, sitting on top of the pergola for our deck, there was a squirrel just basking in the sun. He, or she, was joined by another squirrel soon after. Naturally, I had to take some pix.

One.

Plus one.

Equals two, enjoying a sunny afternoon.

I colored some yesterday, played some music, did some indoor chores worked a couple of crossword puzzles, and that was about the extent of my activities.

Mary was much more productive. She too colored, but she also kept track of the current COVID-19 cases and fatalities here in MI and specifically, in our own Ottawa, County. Later, she made a vegan beest, something that we've not made for a long time. I was going to do it, but since I was doing those indoor chores, she took over and probably produced a superior outcome, if my latest attempt at vegan Italian meatballs is any standard on which to base outcomes.

I'd also asked for mashed potatoes with her special vegan mushroom gravy. She had been thinking about oven-baked French-fries earlier, so we compromised. I got the gravy to put on those fries and she got to do some chopping and cooking in the kitchen, something she enjoys. I believe that because she had more time, this batch of gravy was her best in a long-while. When she has time, versus her down and dirty versions, she makes excellent sauces.

Today, more reading, more coloring, more crossword solving, more writing, and perhaps more walking with the fur-children. Ciao.