Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 6:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 63º under clear skies. With a wind-speed of 3 mph, it feels like 63º.

No rain last night, and we have a 5% chance for additional precipitation today, so I"ll be watering once again.

The sun will rise @ 6:33 a.m. and set later @ 9:07 p.m.

There is a Beach Hazard Statement in effect for Ottawa, Allegan, and Van Buren counties. High wave action, strong currents, and dangerous swimming conditions can be expected. Piers may be heavily swamped by waves, from this afternoon through late tonight. Strong currents can pull swimmers into deeper water and high waves can sweep people off piers. Northerly winds upwards of 25 mph will create 3 to 4 foot waves along the lakeshore at beaches from Grand Haven and south. The worst conditions of 3 to 5-foot waves will occur from 4 p.m. this afternoon through sunset at the North Beach in South Haven and at Holland State Park. People are strongly encouraged to remain out of the water to avoid hazardous swimming conditions and should not venture out on piers. Ya think?

In addition, there is a Small Craft Advisory in effect from 2:00 p.m. this afternoon until 2:00 a.m. tomorrow. North winds of 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots and waves 3 to 5 feet can be expected from St Joseph to Grand Haven. Conditions will be hazardous to small craft. Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller vessels, should avoid navigating in hazardous conditions.

I am going to truncate the baseball news in order to save time and space, well also to avoid the grisly details of the 4 - 2 Cubs' debacle in Cincinnati, where the Cubs fell to the 2 - 4 Reds, as RHP Kyle Hendricks was lit up and former Tigers and Cubs OF, Nick Castellanos, got a grand slam home run en route to the Cub's 7 - 12 loss. Today the unreliable $126 man, RHP Yu Darvish, hopes to do better @ 6:40 p.m. EDT.

My beloved 2 - 4 Red Sox ended their skid when they eked out a win over the 3 - 3 Mets, 6 - 5. The Sox hope that this will be the first of many wins as they once again face the Mets tonight @ 7:07 p.m. EDT.

The surprising 4 - 2 Tigers used another home run by JaCoby Jones to get a win over the 2 - 4 Royals, 5 - 4. Tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT, the Tigers once again go against the Royals in what may be one of the few games remaining in the current season. The entire season may deserve an asterisk when this is all over.

Oops, not very truncated, was that?

I baked that apple pie yesterday, and if I do say so myself, it turned out great. However, Mary concurs, so I don't have to say so myself. In her role as our Senior Staff Photographer, she took this picture of the first pie I have baked in a long time, once again vegan and from scratch. I was ably assisted by my loyal sous dogs, STWD and Ginger, who behaved herself very well and allowed me my space to work as she stayed in her space. STWD already knows the program.

No comment, except that it is delicious!

Otherwise, I vacuumed the manse and worked a crossword puzzle. I didn't get any reading done, but I did sit and play with Lorelei yesterday morning. I am getting better at the alternative fingerings required by a baritone ukulele.

Mary prepared both meals using some leftovers and some newly prepared fare. In both cases, I liked them. We also completed one episode of Downton Abbey and watched another entire episode. I am liking this program, but then I always like period pieces.

Today, that aforementioned watering is the only item on my agenda. Mary has nothing specific of which I am aware. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 5:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 69º under partly-cloudy skies. With a wind-speed of 6 mph, it feels like 69º. We finally got some rain last night that started around 10:00 p.m. but which was over by earlier this morning. Today's high-temperature forecast calls for 80º under partly-cloudy skies. We have a 15% chance for some additional precipitation, but that seems unlikely. The current barometric pressure indicates that we won't see that rain, so I'll take a wait and see approach on that.

Last night, STWD accurately predicted the impending rain-event and assumed her usual spot in the upstairs bathroom. We did get the fur-children out before the storm rolled in.

Chris Willis of the website, MiBeachtowns, captured this pic of the storm-front rolling into Muskegon last night from off the shores of the "Big Lake." It is an amazing shot!

Wow!

The high-temperatures for the next several days will be in the low 80º range. We anticipate an overnight low tonight of 63º and today should be less humid.

The sun will rise today @ 6:32 a.m. ans set later @ 9:09 p.m.

We ate our lunch of crescent roll wrapped hot dogs with a side of cucumber salad that Mary had made from our homegrown cucumbers. There is nothing as tasty as garden-fresh produce and I can't wait for our tomatoes to ripen. I am not so sure about our sweet peppers.

We took a trip to the Lakeforest Cemetery via Harbor Drive and the downtown to give ourselves and the fur-children a chance for some exercise. While there, we encountered many deceased residents, but few living ones. Mary took her camera and I took mine and we combined for some interesting pix.

Mary captured some nice contrast between the light and the dark in this shot.

This Smith family tombstone is slowly falling to the side. It will likely be decades before it falls.

A sycamore tree being enveloped by vines.

The sun produced a mottled effect in this shot of fallen trees and live flora.

I took a lot of shots too, so I'll include some that I like below.

This appears to be a headstone for a baby that was not carved by a professional back in August of 1935.

Roberta lived only a short time during WWII.

Granite lasts, a child's grave from the 1880s.

Michigan contributed more than its share of young men to the Civil War.

Sometimes, the flora calls out to me too.

My shot of the leaning monument to the Smith's I think Mary's was better.

Since this blog is getting long, I'll just say that the Cubs are now 4 - 1 on the new season following their 4 - 1 win over the Reds last night. The Cubs play the Reds again tonight @ 6:40 p.m. EDT as RHP Kyle Hendricks goes for his second win.

My beloved 1 - 4 Red Sox continues to struggle, as they fell to the Mets last night in NYC, 3 - 8. They return to the field tonight @ 7:30 p.m. when RHP Nathan Eovaldi goes for his second win.

The now 3 - 2 Tigers continue to surprise, as they used clutch hitting to overcome the 2 - 3 Royals last night, 4 - 3. Tonight's game in Detroit will begin @ 7:10 p.m. EDT when LHP Mathew Boyd goes for the Tigers.

A side note, the Miami Marlins now have 17 coaches and/or players show have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. They have canceled all games until at least next Monday. Mary made a good point when she noted that whether the Marlins coaches only test positive but don't develop the disease and its related symptoms, will be an interesting study on how the virus is spread.

Today, I should be getting to that pie I was going to bake yesterday before I didn't. Mary has promised to stay out of the way and in her office reading and web surfing. The fur-children will be with me in the kitchen waiting for the fallout from my efforts. I just have to remind Ginger to stay in her space while I am working in my space so that neither of us gets injured.

I should find time to read the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and perhaps work the crossword too.

By the by, I stopped reading that book I wrote about yesterday.  Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 6:45 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 72º under clear skies. With wind-speeds of 6 mph, it feels like 72º. Today's high-temperature forecast 80º under sunny skies. We have a 60% chance for some T-storms beginning around 10:00 p.m tonight. Given that the rain events usually miss us, it was a good thing that I watered late yesterday.

The high-temperatures for the next several days will be in the low 80º range. We anticipate an overnight low tonight of 70º.

The current barometric pressure indicates that we won't see that rain, so I'll take a wait and see approach on that. Mary saw a few drops fall on our deck yesterday, and I stress a few, so that's why I watered.

The sun rose this morning @ 6:31 a.m. and it will set later @ 9:10 p.m.

Along with that watering, we collectively accomplished some indoor chores and watched some TV news and entertainment.

Brunch was one of my personal favorites, grilled vegan cheese sandwiches with tomato soup for me and minestrone for Mary. Dinner was vegan hot dogs wrapped in crescent rolls accompanied by vegan Coleslaw. What's not to like?

There was some scary news in baseball yesterday, as two games were canceled. The Miami Marlins had 11 players and coaches test positive for the COVID-19 virus. They played the Phillies on Sunday afternoon, so the Marlins' team is quarantined in Philadelphia and could not play their home opener in Miami against the Orioles. In addition, the game between the Phillies and the Yankees in Philadelphia last night was also canceled due to those test results. I am going to report the baseball news as of now, but I am concerned that the entire season may yet be canceled.

The Cubs improved their record to 3 - 1 following a win over the Reds in Cincinnati in a weather-delayed game, 8 - 7. LHP Jon Lester got the win, but "closer" Craig Kimbrel was very erratic, loading the bases in the ninth and then hitting a batter. The Cubs escaped with the win as Kimbrel was relieved by RHP Jeremy Jeffress, who shut the Reds down. Kimbrel has been a disappointment following his big-money signing last year and I think there was a reason he wasn't resigned by my beloved Red Sox.

The Cubs return to the field tonight in Cincinnati @ 6:40 p.m. when RHP Mike Montgomery takes the mound against the Reds RHP Tyler Mahle.

The now 2 - 2 Tigers have come back to earth, as they were drubbed by the visiting 2 - 2 Royals last night in the Tigers' home opener, 14 - 6. Oft-injured RHP Michael Fulmer, the 2016 Rookie of the Year, gave up a few dingers to aid in the Tigers' demise. Obviously, the relief corps didn't fare much better. Tonight's game has already been canceled due to weather. The weather on the east side of MI is very different from the west side where we live. Both teams will try again tomorrow @ 4:10 p.m. EDT.

My beloved, 1 - 3 Red Sox fell to the visiting 2 - 2 NY Mets last night, 4 - 7 as LHP Josh Osich didn't fool enough Mets' hitters and the Mets Michael Wacha fooled enough Sox hitters to notch the win over the Sox. Tonight's game will see LHP Matt Hall go for the Sox versus a pitcher as yet to be determined for the Mets @ 7:30 p.m. EDT.

Today, weather permitting, we may make that trek to the cemetery for ourselves and the fur-children. STWD is getting antsy, as is Ginger, for some outdoor walking time.

Otherwise, I plan to bake an apple pie and do some reading and playing with the girls. Mary is still reading her book, In Search of Mary while I try to decide if I like my current read, Knife by Jo Nesbo which was translated from the Norwegian language. I am at a stage in life where I don't give a lot of time to a book before I give it up. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 6:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 75º under partly-cloudy skies. With wind-speeds of 8 mph, it feels like 76º. Today's high-temperature forecast from the NWS calls for a sultry high of 79º under sunny skies. We had a 45% chance for some T-storms beginning around 8:00 p.m last night. As usual, the rain events missed us and so it was a good thing that I watered yesterday. I'll be watering again tomorrow.

The high-temperatures for the next several days calls for temperatures in the low 80º range. We anticipate an overnight low tonight of 69º.

The current barometric pressure is 29.85" and falling according to the NWS, while a separate reading of 29.27" on my DTWS shows steady pressure.

The sun will rise later this morning @ 6:30 a.m. and it will set later @ 9:11 p.m.

Brunch yesterday was chickpea linguine topped by a homemade down and dirty sauce, as Mary likes to call it. I was outside watering, so who am I to complain? Later, she took the time to make a marinade for some of the tempeh that we had in the refrigerator and when coupled with her homemade thousand island dressing and sauerkraut, the Reuben sandwiches were delicious as we watched another two episodes of Downton Abbey. Previously, we watched The Man in the High Castle again and it is eerily prescient. Or perhaps, it is a warning of things yet to come.

I was privy to the final scores of the MLB™ games of my choice through the magic of radio, TV, and the internet.

My beloved Red Sox fell to the visiting Orioles. 4 - 7, as the Sox thin bullpen once again proved their downfall for the second straight game, as the beloved lost to the Orioles and lost their first series of the season. The now 1 - 2 Sox welcome the also 1 - 2 Mets to Fenway Park for a game tonight @ 7:35 p.m. EDT as LHP Josh Osich pitches for the Sox against former Cardinal RHP Michael Wacha.

The Tigers are now 2 - 1 on the young season, as they once again topped the 1 - 2 Reds, 3 - 2, with RHP  José Cisneros getting the win in relief following a dinger by 1st baseman C. J. Cron in the top of the ninth that the Reds could not answer. Tonight, the Tigers are home for the first time to face the K. C. royals and former Cubs RHP Mike Montgomery, with the Tigers' own RHP, Michael Fulmer, set to go @ 7:10 p.m. tonight in Comerica Park. Fulmer had a rough, injury-plagued season last year, but he looks to be healthy once again versus Montgomery.

The boys in blue, AKA the Cubs, took their game 9 - 1 over the visiting Brewers with RHP Tyler Chatwood recording eight strikeouts as he got the convincing win. If Chatwood has turned the corner, he can be a part of what was a suspect Cubs' pitching staff. Catcher Willson Contreras got his first homer of the season, a 451' shot to the empty centerfield bleachers. 3rd baseman Kris Bryant got his first hit of the season as he dropped one into centerfield in the 6th, which brought cheers from his teammates. The Cubs are now 2 - 1 on the season. Tonight's game features the Cubs LHP Jon Lester against the Reds own LHP, Wade Miley in Cincinnati @ 6:40 p.m. EDT.

Today, I plan to do more reading, more playtime with the girls, and perhaps take a walk in Lakeforest Cemetery with the fur-children, which yesterday's heat and humidity precluded.

Mary will return to her latest read, In Search of Mary, no pun intended, by Bee Rowlatt. This is the story of Rowlatt's search for the true-life legacy of Rowlatt's heroine, the first celebrity feminist, Mary Wollstonecraft, an 18th-century feminist, philosopher, and writer. I have my genre's, detective, and adventure fiction, while Mary has hers, which tend to encompass her own avenues of interest, like feminism and dystopias. Otherwise, that's enough for one day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 5:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 76º under clear skies. With wind-speeds of 8 mph, it feels like 76º. Today's high-temperature forecast from the NWS calls for a sultry high of 85º under sunny skies. We also have a 45% chance for some T-storms beginning around 8:00 p.m tonight and continuing as T-storms/showers until early Monday afternoon. As usual, I am not counting on those, so that means that I have to water again today.

The high-temperatures for the next several days calls for temperatures in the low to the mid-80º range. We anticipate an overnight low tonight of 73º.

The current barometric pressure is 30.02" and falling according to the NWS, while a separate reading of 29.42" on my DTWS shows steady pressure. Once again, I'll have to rely on my WW and STWD for a more accurate forecast.

The sun will rise later this morning @ 6:29 a.m. and it will set later @ 9:12 p.m.

We picked up some groceries at the Fast Lane™ store yesterday and then took a short trip past the beaches of our fair city. They were crowded, both on the beaches themselves and in the waters of the "Big Lake." Since this is normally the time of the season for our annual Coast Guard Festival, that likely accounts for the crowds on the beaches, in the state park, and in downtown.

I harvested two more cucumbers from our vast vegetable gardens yesterday. The cukes are coming fast and furious now. We are also seeing some sweet peppers beginning to sprout too. The tomatoes are looking fine, but they won't be ripening for another 30 days or so.

Yesterday afternoon/evening, the fur-children were going crazy over something that we couldn't see. It turns out that our neighbor's cat, Phoebe, the six-toed Hemingway cat, was visiting our parkway garden and enjoying the chance to drive our fur-children to distraction. We think that Phoebe is very aware of her effect on the fur-children.

At any rate, our Senior Staff Photographer took some pix of Phoebe doing her thing.

Like STWD, Phoebe needed an afternoon snack at the parkway salad bar.

She is totally blase about her chance of being disturbed.

Just getting some rays I guess.

Same here.

We also had a visitor at our front door, but Mary couldn't tell if it was Phoebe being extra-bold or a similar cat as this cat was pawing at the door.

No visible paws to allow for a toe count

I wanted to have a homemade pizza for dinner and Mary obliged, even making her own secret recipe sauce and some TVP pepperoni. I liked it, but I think I would have cut the amount of cayenne in the pepperoni in half to make it better. I like it hot, but this may have been over the top. Just one man's opinion. No pic.

Mary finished her reading of The End of October and she pronounced it terrific and terrifyingly prescient. Having already read the book, I'd have to agree.

I'm currently reading a book entitled  Recursion by Blake Crouch. This is a story about influencing memories and perhaps changing the way we perceive events from our past. It is interesting and different.

Sadly, while the Cubs won their season opener Friday night, RHP Yu Darvish, the $126 million man, once again looked mediocre as he surrendered too many runs to the Brewers and gave way to a porous relief corps, losing 3 - 8. I'd say it is going to be a long season, but we only have 58 more games to go. Today's game will feature RHP Tyler Chatwood for the Cubs against RHP Freddy Peralta for the Brew Crew. @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

By the by, 3rd baseman Kris Bryant has major league slumber in his lumber. He looks like a ghost of the MVP and Rookie of the Year from a few years ago, striking out and popping up too many times. Cub's manager, David Ross is going to have to make a decision on Bryant very soon if things don't change.

My beloved Red Sox took the season opener from the Orioles on Friday night, 13 - 2 in support of RHP Nathan Eovaldi's great pitching. Unfortunately, the Sox came back to earth last night as they fell to the Orioles, 2 - 7, as LHP Martin Perez dug a huge 5 run hole by the second inning from which the beloved could not recover. Today's matchup features 29-year-old RHP Ryan Weber for the Sox versus the 35-year-old veteran, LHP Wade LeBlanc for the Orioles @ 1:35 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers evened up their season record @ 1 - 1, with a 6 - 4 win over the Reds as reliever RHP George "Buck" Farmer got the win in relief, as DH Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera, catcher Austin Romine, and OF JaCoby Jone all went yard. Today's game @ 1:30 will feature RHP Spencer Turnbull against the Reds RHP Trevor Bauer.

Today, I plan to play with the girls after brunch and watering. I'll also attempt another crossword puzzle as I get caught up on the puzzles from last week. Mary has plenty of books to choose from so now she will either continue one she started previously or begin anew. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 7:30 a.m.

We have a current temperature of 65º under partly-cloudy skies. With wind-speeds of 6 mph, it feels like 65º as we head for today's high temperature of 81º, also under partly-cloudy skies. That temperature forecast and the lack of rain until at least Monday's 60% chance for morning T-storms, means that I have to water again today.

High-temperatures for the next several days are forecast to be in the upper 70º to the mid-80º range.  We anticipate an overnight low tonight of 64º.

The current barometric pressure is 29.93" and rising according to the NWS, while a separate reading of 29.54" on my DTWS shows steady pressure. As usual, I'll have to rely on my WW and STWD for a more accurate forecast.

The sun rose this morning @ 6:27 a.m. and it will set later @ 9:14 p.m.

I picked my first of many cucumbers from our vast vegetable gardens yesterday. There are at least two more ready to be harvested. Here is a pic of our first fruit. I was certain that our first harvest would be late this week and I was right. There's is nothing better than fresh veggies from the garden to make a day more enjoyable. I believe that Mary in her role as Chief Cook and Bottle Washer will be turning this beauty into a nice salad later today.

Our Senior Staff Photographer chose a regular teaspoon as a way to give a size comparison.

I finished two crossword puzzles before we departed to take the fur-children for a walkabout in the Lake Forest Cemetery yesterday afternoon. It's a quiet place to walk, mostly undisturbed, and to take some pix of the flora and fauna of our little hamlet. Our Senior Staff Photographer took some great pix of the tombstones, the flora, and also three deer that did their best to go unobserved by the fur-children. 

Like yours truly usually does, Mary chose shots that caught her eye.

We collectively chose these markers due to the names.

Nice contrast between light and dark.

STWD sniffing and enjoying her first outing in over a week with no air-quality issues.

A marker for an infant who loved a scant six-months in the early 1850s.

I think Mary's pic of this tree stump is better than any I've tried to capture.

I like playgrounds and industrial scenes, Mary likes trees.

If you look closely, there is a fawn and its companions in this shot.

All pictures were taken with our Senior Staff Photographer's trusty Olympus Tough Camera.

We segued towards home and since Mary had preplanned and prepared our dinner of tofu fried rice from another old family recipe that she modified. Here's a pic of her efforts on that fried-rice with mushrooms, carrots, and peas to accompany the tofu. I liked it and I hope that she plans to make it a keeper and a regular feature on our menu.

Due to Mary's pre-planning and preparations, we were able to finish the first episode of Downton Abbey and also episode two. We have found a great replacement for Outlander and Poldark.

Once dinner was over, I moved upstairs to read more and watch some not so good TV news about our nation and the world before settling in to watch Bull Durham, one of my favorite baseball movies. Mostly I read and zoned out. Here is one of my favorite scenes from that movie which starred Kevin Costner, Susan Sarandon, and Tim Robbins, courtesy of YouTube™.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBUS3vQtDCA

I finally toddled off to bed and that's where I was until about 6:30 a.m. this morning.

Our plans for today include some indoor chores, that aforementioned watering, and for me, the first "Regular" season game of the Cubs and the Tigers.

Just as a reminder, Baseball is life! Therefore, I'll be enjoying the Cubs and Tigers' games tonight in our media room after dinner.

Mary will continue to read her pandemic book, The End of October, by Lawrence Wright and I plan to play with my girls in my studio and read. I edited more music yesterday, so I am anxious to try it out and move some of the chords to their proper places, if necessary. Computers and word-processing programs are a great invention versus the old days of hand-written or typed music. I can make as many changes as I like and reprint the music as I deem necessary. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 6:30 a.m.

We have a current temperature of 66º under partly-cloudy skies. With wind-speeds of 3 mph, it feels like 65º. Considering that the forecast that called for T-storms/rain yesterday morning fell apart, I had to water again.

High-temperatures for the next few days are forecast to be in the upper 70º to the mid-80º range.  We anticipate an overnight low of 63º tonight.

The current barometric pressure is 30.00" and rising according to the NWS, while a separate reading of 29.40" on my DTWS shows falling pressure. Go figure. I'll have to rely on my WW and STWD for a more accurate and immediate forecast.

I spent more than a few minutes in the vast gardens yesterday, watering and weeding.  I also spent some time in the kitchen. Mostly, I worked the weekend crossword puzzle, edited some music, and read my latest novel, A Minute to Midnight, by David Baldacci.

After watching our first episode of Downton Abbey and dinner, I retired to the media-room to watch as the Cubs defeated the Twins in an exhibition game in an eerily empty Wrigley Field, 4 - 3. LHP Jon Lester pitched well and left with a lead that the Cubs' bullpen nearly squandered. So what else is new?

The Cubs open their "Regular" season on Friday night @ "The Friendly Confines: @ 7:10 p.m. EDT. when RHP Kyle Hendricks takes the ball for manager David Ross.

My beloved Boston Red Sox were rained out in their final "Pre-Season" game against the currently homeless Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays have been banned from their home park, Rogers Field, in Toronto, Canada due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so they had hoped to play home-games n Pittsburgh, but the state of PA has nixed that plan. Perhaps the Jays will call the Blue Jays AA team ballpark in Manchester, New Hampshire home for this truncated season. The jury is still out on that.

At any rate, the beloved open their shortened "Regular" MLB™ 2020 season @ home in Fenway Park when the Baltimore Orioles come to visit and RHP Nathan Eovaldi takes the mound @ 7:30 p.m. EDT.

In a side note and sad note, former Red Sox OF Mookie Betts, who was traded to the LA Dodgers, signed a 12 year, $365 million contract with the Dodgers yesterday. He is guaranteed $65 million as a signing bonus. Ah, what might have been for the Sox. But it is good news for Betts.

The Detroit Tigers fell to the Cincinnati Reds yesterday, 1 - 2, as they had slumber in the lumber once again. The Tigers open their "Regular" season on Friday @ The Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati when they take the field against the Reds @ 6:10 p.m. EDT, when LHP Michael Boyd takes the ball.

By the by, Baseball is life! That being said, here is my first song of the season from YouTube™, John Fogerty's Centerfield. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnWQd70br9g

Otherwise, we hope to get to my studio valances today. In preparation, I think, Mary picked up her knitting yesterday. I hope that she is getting into craft mode to facilitate those valances. If not, she enjoys knitting and hasn't picked it up in quite some time, so I'm okay with that too.

Otherwise, more music, no watering, and "Whatever comes our way", to borrow from the Steppenwolf song, Born to Be Wild, used in the 1969 movie, Easy Rider, also from YouTube™. And you thought that I couldn't find an appropriate way to close this blog.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egMWlD3fLJ8
 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.

We have a current temperature of 72º under cloudy skies. With wind-speeds of 3 mph, it feels like 72º. Considering that the forecast that called for T-storms this morning is quickly falling apart, it looks as though I'll be watering again today., that is unless those T-storms that are in the forecast come to pass.

With the exception of today, high-temperatures for the next few days are forecast to be in the mid-80º range.  We anticipate an overnight low of 65º tonight.

The current barometric pressure is 29.90" and falling according to the NWS, while a separate reading of 29.45" on my DTWS shows rising, indicating that we may not or may see those T-storms. I'll have to rely on my WW and STWD for a more accurate and immediate forecast. As of now, the radar shows that the precipitation is likely to go south of our fair city. Sigh.

When I sat down at my desk, one of my virus cleaning software packages wanted to install yet another update. I have often thought that either the people in their basement eating cheese-curls have nothing better to do than write additional malware or the people who make money supplying anti-virus software are in on the deal. Just one man's opinion.

We traveled to the library yesterday to return some books and pick up others. While we were out, we made a quick circuit of GH and the waterfront. Oddly, the beaches were not very busy for a Tuesday afternoon during the season. However, I took some pix of the mean streets and also in our own vast gardens when we returned.

Dewey Hill, with all the Admiral's flags flying.

The mouth of the Grand River leading into the "Big Lake."

Another parkway garden in GH.

Our temporarily perky hydrangea bush and the Green Man in the foreground are slowly becoming one.

We are still about 45 days from our tomato harvest.

But I anticipate our first cucumbers later this week.

With numerous blossoms, we should see lots of cucumbers this year. But, it doesn't look good for the sweet peppers.

I finished my latest novel last night and so I am ready to start anew. However, I may wait a couple of days because I am so busy.

I was ruminating about all of the things I miss from the days of yore, like playing golf. I have not played in many years, and my yak won't let me play anymore. Still, I miss the game nonetheless.

I also miss being able to go to one of the local watering holes and watch baseball on one of the TVs there and also to be able to talk the game with whomsoever will listen and respond. Alas, while I am thankful for the 2020 season that begins tomorrow, it won't be the same with the shortened season, rules and rosters made especially for this year, and the more localized nature of the competition. However, it is baseball, so I am "Game."

Today, we have no plans other than watering and perhaps a trip to the cemetery to give the fur-children some exercise.

We're hoping to get started on the valances for my studio tomorrow. That requires devoting serious time to that activity. Like Cecil B. DeMille, my valances have been an epic in the making. Rome was not built in a day, so there is no hurry here at the manse. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 6:30 a.m.

We have a current temperature of 64º under clear skies. With wind-speeds of 7 mph, it feels like 64º, We had a very real need for watering yesterday, as all of the plants in the vast gardens were looking very droopy.. Considering that the forecast high-temperatures for the next few days are in the mid-80º range, I will be watering again on Wednesday, that is unless the T-storms that are in the forecast for tonight @ 80% and Wednesday morning @ 50% come to pass. We anticipate an overnight low of 70º tonight to accompany that possibility.

We have a current barometric pressure of 30.05" and rising according to the NWS and a separate reading of 29.45" and steady according to my DTWS, indicating that we may not or may see that additional precipitation. The sun rose this morning @ 6:24 a.m. and set tomorrow night @ 9:17 p.m.

Yesterday was rather pedestrian, a passing reference to my podiatrist appointment that took longer than it should have. It never fails that when Mary agrees to drive me, that things often go awry. 

Otherwise, not much of note happened. We watched that final episode of Poldark which while satisfyingly tying up the loose ends, left us wanting more. But there is supposed to be another season in the can, so maybe.

We spent a lot of time reading in the afternoon and early evening after dinner. Mary decided that we were having enchiladas, and they were great. She had a Jack oops on the stove when the pot she used to make her enchilada sauce turned out to be a tad small. Oh well, that's the way the sauce spills sometimes. I have to first remind myself and then Mary that I like my enchiladas with onion in them.

We watched some TV news and then I adjourned to the media room to watch the same TV news from my Lazy Boy and fall asleep while reading. Mary stayed downstairs to read and she is making great progress when Ginger isn't in need of attention.

But, Ginger is a cute diversion.

Today, more of the same old same old, without the need for watering. Perhaps some kitchen time and of course art, music, and ...today too. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night. I thought this would be a nice way to blend two days worth of blogging into one blog.

We have a current temperature of 73º under partly-cloudy skies. We did not get the heavy rains that were forecast for this morning, but we did get enough rain to preclude any need for watering until at least Tuesday. Considering that the forecast high-temperatures for the next few days are in the mid-70º range, I may be able to get more time in between.

We have a current barometric pressure of 29.85" according to the NWS and a separate reading of 29.24" according to my DTWS. In both cases, the pressure is rising, indicating that we are unlikely to see additional precipitation until Wednesday. The sun will rise tomorrow morning @ 6:23 a.m. and set tomorrow night @ 9:18 p.m.

We had a great homemade pizza for dinner on Saturday night that included green peppers, vegan Italian sausage made by yours truly vegan cheese, and store-bought pizza sauce. Mary asked if I liked the store-bought sauce which was good, but I like her sauce better and I told her so.

At any rate, here is a pic that was taken by our Senior Staff Photographer of that pizza.

Looks good, tasted fine, but it would have been better with Mary's sauce.

This morning, Mary viewed a pic of a tofu scramble, so she decided that she would make one for our brunch. It was great with a little green Tabasco™ sauce on top.

Tasted great and it was totally vegan.

Yesterday, I was feeling ambitious and so I peeled, pared, and boiled some red potatoes that we had on hand. This afternoon, we used an old family recipe to make a tasty Italian salad dressing that Mary used to make a potato salad from some of those potatoes that became part of our dinner when paired with two more of my vegan Italian sausages. I liked the potato salad. No pic of that meal. We also gave the fur-children a pawdicure.

Today, we finished watching the TV movie version of  Stephen King's 11/22/63. While there were differences between the movie version and the novel, we liked both. Sadly, there were only eight episodes.

We also watched the next to the last episode of Poldark. We'll likely watch the last episode tomorrow and then continue watching a series we started some time ago entitled The Man in the High Castle, which Adam turned us on to in less restrictive times. It has been several months, so we are starting from the beginning.

I also spent time editing some music and I think I've got it near to where I want it to be. However, I am always tinkering, so there may be more revisions in the future.

Mary is still enjoying the pandemic book I recommended, The End of October, by Lawrence Wright. Mary pointed out that it is hard to read when Giner wants attention.

Mary wanted a lap dog, so here she is.

I am currently reading a novel entitled The Terminal List, by Jack Carr.

Tomorrow, I have an appointment at the podiatrist and that's the extent of my plans. Otherwise, not much is happening. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation, and across the world. It is just after 3:00 a.m. in "The City."

The sun will rise this morning @ 6:22 a.m. and set later @ 9:19 p.m.
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The NWS is forecasting today's high to be 86º under mostly sunny skies with hot and humid conditions. The overnight low tonight will be 74º. We have only a 5% chance for showers right now, but that increases to 60% overnight tonight and into Sunday morning with possible T-storms.

According to the NWS, the current outdoor temperature is 73° and it feels like 73º with a wind speed of 7 mph. My DTWS shows 75º on both the deck and the front porch. The NWS reported barometric pressure is 30.03" and falling, while my DTWS is showing 29.39" and rising.

There is an Air Quality Alert in effect, for Muskegon, Ottawa, Kent, Allegan, and Van Buren counties.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy has declared Saturday, July 18th until 9:45 p.m., to be an Action Day for elevated levels of ozone. Pollutants are expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. 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. Ya think?

I guess that it's a good thing that I watered yesterday. If those T-storms/showers materialize, I may be able to avoid watering Sunday too. Otherwise, it will be a good day to stay indoors and enjoy our A/C today.

I rechalked our mudroom chalkboard with an outdoor scene and worked on a crossword puzzle. I gave up on that novel I was reading too. Like Mary often opines, I don't have time to waste on a book that requires work to read. I'm going to try another one, the first in a series by Jack Carr, entitled The Terminal List. It is in my preferred Large Print format.

Theoretically, the 2020 MLB™ truncated season begins Friday for the Detroit Tigers with a game @ 6:30 p.m. EDT, as the Tigers travel to Cincinnati to face the Reds as LHP Matthew Boyd takes the mound against the Reds'  Gray. Both pitchers have an 0-0 record.

My beloved Boston Red Sox also take the field @ Fenway Park against the Orioles @ 7:30 p.m. EDT Friday too. No pitcher has been announced for the beloved, while the Orioles are expected to start LHP John Means.

Finally, the Cubs return to action @ 7:10 p.m. EDT in the "Friendly Confines against the Milwaukee Brewers, as RHP Kyle Hendricks gets the start versus the Brewers' RHP Brandon Woodruff. This will mark the managerial debut of David Ross for the Cubs.

It will be an odd year in baseball this year in MLB baseball, with teams limiting their travel and meeting more teams from the other league, but I'll take what I can get.

So, not much will be happening outdoors today. We have to do some grooming of the fur-children, but if we can't do that indoors, it won't be happening. I know that the fur-children want to go walkabout and we'd also like to do the same, but...Plus, with all of the ignorant people who are out and about with no masks and a total feeling of superiority and invincibility, it ain't going to happen.

So, that's enough for one day. 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 sun will rise this morning @ 6:21 a.m. and set later @ 9:20 p.m.
  .   
The NWS is forecasting today's high to be 80º under mostly sunny skies. The overnight low tonight will be 71º. We have only a 10% chance for showers this morning,. We also have a 20% chance of T-storms this evening.

According to the NWS, the current outdoor temperature is 64° and it feels like 64º with a wind speed of 2 mph.

My DTWS shows 66º on both the deck and the front porch.

The barometric pressure is 30.06" and rising, while my DTWS is showing 29.48" and steady. We'll take a wait and see position on those T-storms.

I did make it into the kitchen yesterday and did my voodoo. I made two vegan main dishes, Italian sausages and Italian meatballs, pictured in the accompanying photo below as taken by our Senior Staff Photographer.

I think that my version of meatless balls is as good as it gets!

Mary made her usual slow-simmered pasta sauce using her own secret recipe of multiple herbs and spices into which she added some of my Italian meatless balls. Ginger was excited because she could smell the sauce simmering and she knows that when that smell is in the manse, she often gets some pasta noodles as a treat. In this case, Mary had Ginger's favorite, whole wheat spaghetti versus chickpea-based spaghetti, which Ginger will not eat. Who says that dogs have no sense about what they like and don't? While Ginger is like most dogs, food-driven, she is also discriminating.

Otherwise, things have settled into a routine around the palatial estate and the manse. Mary set up a grocery pick up for this afternoon and I plan to color something from a coloring book that Adam sent to me entitled Famous Trains by Bruce LaFontaine. This book contains many pix of famous trains that plied the rails over the years. I just have to decide which one to start with.

With luck, I hope to replace the drawing on our chalkboard for our mudroom. I've erased the old artwork that has been in place for many weeks, so now I have to think of what I want to depict. I have some ideas, but I'm still ruminating. I have so many things to do and seemingly so little time.LOL.

Mary has plans to continue her reading and also to color the cucumber that she has been working on. We will probably watch another episode of Poldark too. We are nearing the end of the series and so we will have to decide on our next series.

We have also been watching episodes of The Bob Newhart Show from the 1970s with our meals and episodes of 11/23/63 which is based in the book of the same title by Stephen King.

I'd like to say that I am enjoying my novel, but it is getting tedious. Maybe I'll change my mind, but right now, I am thinking about abandoning my reading efforts. Novels should not require effort, they should engender enjoyment. Nonfiction is often tedious as the information is generally of the informational nature that necessitates effort.

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 sun will rise this morning @ 6:20 a.m. and set later @ 9:2` p.m.
  .   
The NWS is forecasting today's high to be 79º under partly-cloudy skies. The overnight low tonight will be 67º. We have only a 10% chance for showers this morning,. We had overnight showers that have ended now and won't be returning.

According to the NWS, the current outdoor temperature is 68° and it feels like 68º with a wind speed of 7 mph.

My DTWS shows 68º on both the deck and the front porch.

The official barometric pressure is 29.93" and falling, while my DTWS is showing 29.33" and steady. Since those T-storms/showers materialized. the barometer was indeed correct.

We had a good day yesterday. Mary got calls from her brother, Ed, who lives in TX and from Adam and Steph who reside in IL. Both calls were to wish her a happy birthday.

As for me, I finally got to give her the card I had bought about six months ago that depicts a unicorn on the front. I also helped her open the small gift that I purchased through that ginormous online e-tailer. It is a music box that plays the song, Somewhere Over the Rainbow. In Mary's capacity as our Senior Staff Photographer, she sent me a couple of pix of her gift for inclusion in this blog.

Turn the crank, and you get a short but melodic version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

And, it has an attractive box too.

Twice yesterday, I got to view the runs of the trains on the RSTL. At 8:47 a.m. I watched out the WW as locomotives 2025 and 2019 passed by towing 11 CHCs, 18 DWTCs, and 33 DBTCs, all fully loaded, judging by the vibrations in the manse.

Later, @ 1:38 p.m., I watched with Ginger and Mary as those same locomotives passed by towing 23 CHCs and 17 DBTCs, all empty.

We also conversed with our local insurance representative regarding both our automobile insurance. and our homeowners' policies. We could have opted for a lower rate on the auto insurance since the state of Michigan dropped their requirement for bodily injury coverage that picked up where regular insurance left off. That was something that only MI required. We opted to keep what we have and avoid any decisions regarding what Medicare and our supplemental insurance would pay in the highly unlikely event of our need for long-term care in the future.

We also spoke about our homeowner's insurance regarding our experience with our recent claim for the weather damaged A/C condensing unit. Our agent does not believe that since this was a weather-related claim, a large piece of ice fell from our roof and crushed it, that a rate increase is likely.

I also took a few minutes to complete a form that might net us a rebate for the replacement furnace. We shall see what happens.

We were sitting down to dinner after watching the second part of a Poldark episode, when we saw numerous hot-rods, Corvettes, Fiats, a single Avanti II, several Mercedes', several Audis, many, many Ford Mustangs of various vintages and equipment, Jeeps of all models, etc, passing by We were witness to the 25th and possibly the last annual cruise in honor of GHDPS officer Scott Flahive, who was murdered by a gun nut during a traffic stop in 1994.

The organizer of this annual event, Kurt Pravda, noted that it takes a lot of planning that begins in January and culminates in the run with over 150 cars. He says that he was younger when the cruise first began and that he and many of the participants are not getting any younger. I can empathize with that sentiment.

At any rate, I have included a file picture that was published in the Grand Haven Tribune.

We saw rat-rods, a Lincoln with suicide doors, and myriad cars pass by with passengers and/or drivers waving. We waved back from our front room window.

After a very tasty dinner, a few adult beverages, and those aforementioned episodes of Poldark, I adjourned to the media room and Mary stayed downstairs to read. Well, at least she attempted to read, as Ginger had other plans. She was not to be trifled with and wanted to be petted.

She is a cutie!

Somehow, I know you expected me to add some music, so I'll offer this song by the late Patti Page, recorded in 1952, of How Much Is That Doggie in the Window.

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

Since we had that rain yesterday and earlier today, I won't have to water. Instead, I'll spend some time in the kitchen doing that voodoo that I do so well. Ciao.

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

The sun will rise this morning @ 6:19 a.m. and set later @ 9:22 p.m. The days are getting shorter than my hairline, albeit not cooler.
  .   
The NWS is forecasting today's high to be 82º under partly-cloudy skies. That's 4º warmer than yesterday's high-temperature forecast. The overnight low tonight will be 68º. We have a 20% chance for showers this morning, but overnight that chance may be as high as 60% with some of those possibly thunderous in nature.

According to the NWS, the current outdoor temperature is 71° and it feels like 71º with a wind speed of 7 mph.

My DTWS shows 70º on both the deck and the front porch.

The official barometric pressure is 29.97" and falling, while my DTWS is showing 29.45" and steady. So it is possible that those T-storms/showers may materialize.

We traveled to the library yesterday to drop off some books and to pick up others. Since we were going out, I took along my camera for some shots of the local activities on the mean streets and waterfront of GH and in our own vast gardens.

The first car we saw when we left the library was this vintage VW convertible.

Over by the waterfront, was this trenching machine

Not far away was this workman chipping trees near the State Park.

And the city sweeping the san off the roadway.

We stopped in Duncan Woods on the way to the Palatial Estate and I took this great shot.

Our Senior Staff Photographer pointed out this photogenic stump near the parking area in Duncan Woods.

As well as this black squirrel foraging for food nearby.

Back home, our gardens are looking lush and verdant.

Our cucumbers are coming along nicely.

As are our tomatoes.

Before we set out for the library, I made a vegan Extraordinary Beest. An easy creation from our own recipe as modified by Mary. The hardest part is waiting for the 40 minutes of simmering time to elapse. Whenever I make our own Beest, I like to think of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy story by the late Douglas Adams and his description of the Perfectly Normal Beasts found in that story.

I did some yard work after lunch and read more of my latest novel too. I am still liking it, so that's a good sign. Today, we have only a conversation with the insurance man to discuss our current coverage and its adequacy for our needs on our agenda. I can't remember if it is about the changes in Michigan's new automobile insurance laws, or if it is about the homeowner's insurance. I guess we'll find out this afternoon.

Otherwise, we have some packages to open and that's about it.

In honor of July's birthdays, here is Sir Paul McCartney of the Beatles performing their song Birthday a few years ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjF1bG5LUcs

But of course, I couldn't let it end there, so here is another version of Happy Birthday, also from YouTube™.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCJSNMqub8g

Now, Ciao.