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

By now, you've probably noticed that I didn't blog yesterday, as I was comfortable in bed, and so I stayed there.

We have a current temperature of 53º under clear skies. A wind speed of 2 mph makes it feel like 65º. When and if winter comes to GH, I'll be adding the wind-chill readings too. Today's high temperature is forecast to reach 81º under mostly-sunny skies.and when coupled with an RHI for today of 69 %, it will be a little less comfortable. Tonight's low will be 69º. I watered yesterday, so I won't be watering again until tomorrow.  The sun rose this morning @ 6:58 a.m. EDT and it will set later this evening @ 8:35 p.m. EDT.

In baseball news, the currently 16 - 9 Cubs looked awful last night against that 16 - 11 other team from Chicago, as LHP Jon Lester, 2 - 2, yielded four of the six home runs that the Cubs pitching staff gave up en route to a 1 - 10 loss. Lester looked all too human and all of his 36 years of age as that other team lit him up before he gave way to the all too human bullpen, which gave up two more home runs. I never like reporting a Cubs' loss, especially to that other team, but as the late CBS newsman, Walter Cronkite used to intone, "That's the way it is." Tonight, the Cubs send  3 - 2 RHP Kyle Hendricks to the mound @ 8:15 p.m. EDT.

My beloved 8 - 18 Boston Red Sox defeated the12 - 14 Orioles last night, 8 - 5 as the Sox won their 3rd in a row. J.D. Martinez on his 33rd birthday got a two-run homer to pace the attack. The Sox traded two pitchers to the Phillies for two other pitchers in a sure sign that they have written off this season and that the beloved are planning for that infamous "Next Year." The Sox once again take to the field tonight in Camden Yards as LHP Martin Perez, 2 - 3 goes to the mound @ 7:35 p.m.



The 10 - 14 Tigers are on a roll, as they defeated the Indians last night to end an 0 - 20 streak against the Indians. RHP Michael Fulmer, 0 - 0, looked like he was going to get another loss, but a huge 4th an inning that included a Grand-Slam HR off the bat of rookie Isaac Peredes in only his 4th game in "The Show" and which was his first of what will hopefully be many more to come. Tonight's game against the Indians begins @ 7:10 p.m. when 0 - 3 LHP Matthew Boyd tries to extend that streak.

Yesterday, I watched as two trains passed by the manse heading south on the RSTL. The first, @ 9:30 a.m., saw MMRR locomotives 2019 and 2025 towing 11 CHCs, 16 DBTCS one DWTC, and one GTC.

Later, Ginger alerted me to the northbound passage of those same locomotives as they towed nine CHCs, 12 DBTCs, one GTC, and a rare Box Car (BC).

I made more vegan Italian meatballs yesterday too. 

Mary put her long-dormant barbering skills to work yesterday and cut my hair. Each day, I have less and less, so the task gets easier each time. While we were on the deck, our fur-children joined us and got rewarded for "good behavior" with an OraVet™ dental chew for each. As usual, Ginger scarfed hers down while STWD savored hers for a longer time.

Last night, Mary opened the mail and discovered that we received a small rebate for the A/C unit we had installed at the end of June. While not a huge amount, I filled out the paperwork and sent it in. I've always said that I'll stand in line to receive money, but never to give it. Filling out some paperwork is of a similar ilk.

Elsewhere, we talked to Adam and Steph for a while. Later, we watched two episodes from the final season of Downtown Abbey. We may have settled on a replacement for that show.

Otherwise, not much was happening. We read more of the Mary Trump nonfiction book about her uncle. After dinner, I listened to that painful loss by the Cubs as Mary stayed downstairs and watched an episode of Daria, an animated show about a brainy high school girl and her struggles to navigate through her time at the fictional Lawndale High School. A flight of fancy or?

Today? Indoor chores, some nail grinding for the fur-children, more music, more reading, and more?

Oh, in keeping with my love of good music, I am including this cut from YouTube™ of America the Beautiful, as recorded by the late Ray Charles in 1972. No matter what your political persuasion, I hope you can appreciate the sentiment.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myBVejwZt8Q

Ciao.