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."

We have a current temperature of 65º under clear skies. With a wind-speed of 4 mph, it feels like 65º.

No rain last night, and we have a 5% chance for additional precipitation today, so I watered once again last evening.

The sun will rise @ 6:36 a.m. and set later @ 9:05 p.m.

Starting tomorrow, the high temperatures should be in the mid to upper 70º range with the possibility of rain tomorrow morning and also T-storms on Monday, both with a 60% probability. I won't hold my breath.

As you probably surmised, I didn't get up to write this blog yesterday morning. It was nice to just lie in bed and listen to the radio.

Wednesday afternoon, I journeyed to our deck with STWD, while Mary and Ginger took a trip to Lakeforest Cemetery. I played with Abigael as STWD listened and panted, which ultimately led to our going back indoors. While at the cemetery, Mary and Ginger got to see and photograph some of the deer that call the cemetery and the nearby Duncan Woods home. As is often the case, Mary wished she had her camera along for the ride, but since she didn't, she used her Smart Phone to take some pix.

As long as Ginger didn't bark, the deer were not spooked.

These three were of varying ages.

They were all keenly aware of Ginger's and Mary's presence.

As she was preparing to park, Mary took this shot through the windscreen of our Jeep™ Renegade.

In addition, yesterday afternoon, I was perusing one of the vegan Facebook groups I follow and came across a mention of vegan mushroom stroganoff. So, I suggested to Mary that the mushrooms we had in the refrigerator would make a nice dinner of mushroom stroganoff and she happily chopped and cooked her way to a delicious repast.

In the cookpot.

On the plate.

 Lest I forget, I harvested in our vast vegetable gardens early Thursday afternoon and I found three additional cucumbers for more kitchen fun.

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away, I had another bumper crop of cucumbers similar to what we have now. Adam asked one evening if we could go out to dinner. When queried as to why he simply said that he didn't want to eat any more cucumber salad. Mary has since become much more creative and adept at using cucumbers in salads and with vinegar and cream-based dressings on salads.

Much larger than pickling size and very tasty.

I also espied the trains passing on the RSTL yesterday. The southbound run of locomotives 2019 and 2025 took place @ 8:51 a.m. and consisted of that locomotive tandem towing 12 CHCs, four DBTCs, with one of those very long and one very rusty, and three DTWCs, all loaded.

Later in the afternoon, those same locomotives passed by, but they were towing a total of only three CHCs.

The baseball season is still very much up in the air. The 5 - 2 Cubs behind 1 - 1 RHP Yu Darvish, subdued the 2 - 5 Pittsburgh Pirates, 6 - 3, with 2nd baseman Jason Kipnis getting his first home run as he platoons at 2nd with rookie Nico Hoerner, who is also having a good year.

Yu Darvish looked good, but as has become the norm, erstwhile closing RHP Craig Kimbrel, came into the game with a 6 - 1ead in the ninth and promptly served up two home runs to the Pirates. Unless things change, this guy is another in the long-line of busts that the Cubs have given huge money to acquire. The Cubs and the Pirates square off again tonight in the "Friendly Confines" when RHP 1 - 0 Tyler Chatwood goes for the Cubs @ 8:15 p.m. EDT.

My beloved 3 - 5 Red Sox fell to those damn 5 - 1 NY Yankees last night, 1 - 5, as RHP, 0 - 2 Ryan Weber, couldn't get the job done and the Yankees took advantage. Tonight's game features RHP 0 - 0 Zack Godley on the mound for the Sox in Yankee Stadium @ 7:07 p.m. EDT.

The pleasantly surprising 5 - 3 Tigers, looked almost real as RHP Spencer Turnbull used the efforts of the Tigers trio of the bottom of the order big boppers, C Austin Romine, OF Christin Stewart, and OF JaCoby Jones took it to RHP 0 - 1 loser, Luis Castillo, for the 7 - 2 win over the Reds. TheTigers hope to continue their winning ways today @ 1:00 p.m. EDT as 0 - 0 RHP Michael Fulmer gets the nod from Tigers' manager Ron Gardenhire.

We gave the fur-children pawdicures yesterday afternoon and it is likely that Ginger gets a bath today. Plus, it is once again time for their monthly heartworm medication.

Since I watered last evening, I won't have that chore to do today. Instead, I can focus on my reading, my music, and my imagination to have a pleasant afternoon. Mary continues to read and we will probably get in another episode or two of The Man in the High Castle and Downton Abbey. Busy, busy.

Ciao.