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 sun will rise this morning @ 6:05 a.m. and set later @ 9:28 p.m.

According to the NWS, the current outdoor temperature is 67° under partly-cloudy skies. My DTWS shows 69º on both the front porch and the deck. Also according to the NWS, winds of 1 mph make it feel like 67°.
  .   
The NWS calls for today's high to be 81º, also under partly-cloudy skies. Currently, no rain is falling but there is a 20% chance of rain showers or a stray T-storm today. The overnight low tonight is forecast to be 65º.


Rather than paraphrase the only alert we have in the forecast, I am going to reprint this one from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy below. It is a humdinger!

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has declared Saturday, June 20th, to be an Action Day for elevated levels of ozone. Pollutants are expected to be unhealthy for the sensitive group's range. The Action Day is in effect for the following Michigan counties: Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Allegan, Ottawa, Kent, Muskegon, Oceana, and Mason.

People and businesses are urged to avoid activities which lead to ozone formation. These activities include refueling vehicles or topping off when refueling, using gasoline-powered lawn equipment and using charcoal lighter fluid. Positive activities include: carpooling, biking to work, delaying or combining errands, and using water-based paints. It is recommended that active children and adults and persons with respiratory diseases such as asthma limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

At any rate, you can see why it was easier and more expedient to reprint this information than to paraphrase. In other words, no walks for the fur-children nor ourselves! 

Yesterday was not a great day due to the rising temperatures and humidity. I did get out and water, so that today I can just sit back and stay out of the worst of it. In addition, we took the time to return the very large pile of books that we had checked out of the library, books that have been accumulating with no way to return them until just recently. Now those books can rest in the library's program room for three days to be sure that the COVID-19 virus is no longer present.

Did I mention that I almost forgot, well I actually did forget, what day this is? It gets harder when you don't have any activities that delineate time and day.

We also took the time to go ride about in our Jeep™ Renegade after we left the library. A quick visit to Harbor Island yielded some nice pix.

The road is blocked by the high waters of the Grand River.

The water has nearly reached the road surface on Third St. near the BLP Sims Generating Plant.

The plant is in the process of being razed.

But, a great vantage point from which to take a pic of Grand Haven's coal tipple.

Of course, the rising water has given fishermen many new places to catch fish.

We also felt a need to look around the waterfront and the downtown area of our fair city too. Sadly, too many people feel as though the pandemic is over and so they are congregating, walking, and acting as if they have nothing to worry about.

The beaches are filling up in spite of the limited parking caused by the closure of the parking areas at the Grand Haven State Park.

The Boardwalk is getting a lot of foot traffic.

But, the weather is also now warm enough, well maybe a bit too warm, that our vast gardens are now doing very well.

In our parkway garden, the roses are in full bloom.

Our tomatoes in the back-forty are growing like, dare I say it, weeds!

Mary's rose bush in front is in full and aromatic bloom Also blooming are the various planters.

Oops, how did this car get in there? Oh well, all of the cars with "Drop Tops" are out and about.

Our own version of an English Garden is flourishing.

Indeed!

I heard the morning southbound run of the empty train pass by around 8:45 a.m. yesterday. Later, @ 2:40 p.m., I watched as MMRR locomotives 2025 and 2019 passed by heading north, with cars that were also empty. Those cars included one CHC, 24 DBTCs, 15 DWTCs, and one GTC. 

Dinner last night was a recipe that Mary got from the internet for a faux barbecue chicken pizza. It included chickpeas in lieu of chicken, onions, banana peppers, and light vegan cheese. It is definitely a keeper!

This pizza tasted even better than it looks!

We also watched episode 3 of Poldark. We are getting to know the characters better and so the storyline is more enjoyable.

Today will be a good day to get the fur-children out for a very limited time after meals. Too hot for them and too hot or us. After today, we should see more comfortable temperatures for a few days. We have our appendages crossed that our A/C will get replaced mid-week.

Otherwise, not much is planned nor will it be happening. Ciao.