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

The current temperature is a very comfortable 62º that feels like 62º with only a 3 mph wind blowing from the west. Over the channel, there is fog, but here at the manse, located on the grounds of the Palatial Estate, there is no fog in evidence. Today's high temperature forecast calls for 71º, while the overnight low is expected to be 60º. 

I finally followed through on my do as little as possible plan yesterday. With some assistance, I finished a crossword puzzle and that was the extent of my exertions for the day. What a relief. I even found time for an afternoon nap before a great dinner of homemade pizza topped with a home grown green pepper, fresh-sliced mushrooms, chopped onions, Mary's secret recipe sauce, and a topping of a meat-substitute that Mary had made earlier in the day. In hindsight, I agree with her that her other recipe for that part of the topping is better. 

Pre baking

Post baking

I also accompanied Mary on her stop at the big-box nearly everything store before we returned and took the fur-children for a walkabout to the cemetery. 

Not our actual parking space, but a reasonable facsimile. 

As I mentioned, we went walkabout and I took along my camera to capture whatever caught my eye.

Shadows and substance.

The sun through the trees.

A patch of unspoiled flora.

I have to report that the 32 - 24 Cubs are trying to be ready for the post-season, but in spite of the strong efforts by the Cub's starting rotation, they are still not ready for prime-time. The Cub's hitters aren't hitting. It may be due to a lack of spring training, or it may be due to the shortened 60-game regular-season, but whatever the cause, they are not producing hits and therefore no men are on base to get RBIs. The Cubs' lone run last night came off the bat of Anthony Rizzo in the bottom of the first inning. 

Starting and losing RHP Kyle Hendricks, 6 - 5 did his usual great job, but one run won't get it done.

The Cubs close out their series in Pittsburgh @ 1:30 p.m. today when RHP Alec Mills, 5 - 4 takes the ball. 

My beloved, 22 - 34 Red Sox dispatched the 23 - 33 Orioles last night, 9 - 1. The Sox are out of the post-season, but next year should be a lot better. One possible position switch has current error prone 3rd baseman, Rafael Devers and his offense switching places with rookie 1st baseman Bobby Dalbec next year. Dalbec has above average skills at third and his offense is solid, so maybe. Plus, next year, Chris Sale should be coming back from Tommy John surgery. 

Maybe starting LHP Eduardo Rodriguez can make a comeback from his own medical concerns. We shall see.

The 23 - 22 Tigers dropped another heartbreaker to the 35 - 22 Twins last night, 6 - 7. Hard-luck rookie RHP Casey Mize, 0 - 3, took the loss, but he looked good. With the emergence of fellow rookie, LHP Tarik Skubal and the resurgence of tonight's 8:05 p.m. starter Michael Fulmer, 0 - 2, who should be fully recovered from his own Tommy John surgery, the Tigers on paper look to be much improved next year. 

Today, a bit of time spent playing music, a bit more spent reading, and maybe I'll get to that man-cave visit, it should be a good day. I've already changed the bulbs in the upstairs bathroom fixtures, so that is one task already off my to-do list. 

Mary has more reading to do and whatever else comes to mind .The fur-children will want to go walkabout again too, so we'll see about that. Ciao.