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.