Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 49° under cloudy skies, but it feels like 44° with a wind out of the south @ 10 mph.

Today's high temperature of 41° will be 10° lower than the temperature yesterday and the low tonight will drop to 30°. The sun will rise today @ 7:35 a.m. and set this evening @ 8:05 p.m.

There is a Gale Warning in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee from 6:00 a.m. today until 7:00 p.m. tonight, with wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots and gusts to 49 knots that may produce waves from five to eight feet in height. The surf will definitely be up!

Sadly, the Loyola Chicago men's basketball team, the Ramblers, couldn't win another for the nun, Sister Jean, as the team was outplayed by the Beavers of Oregon State, ending in a final score of 58 - 65. So, the Beavers move on to the NCAA Elite Eight, while the Ramblers go home. 

I finished another crossword puzzle yesterday, read more of my latest novel, and completed the indoor chores. Then, I took my camera to the back-forty and took a series of pictures of the local flora to be found there using a close-up setting and one of my telephoto lenses.

I started near our deck.

Moved to the Vast Gardens for these soon to open daffodils..

This daffodil near our deck is nearly open.

I never can remember what these flowers are called.

I like this close-up of some nearby flowers. Crocus maybe?

This one too in a different color.

Shot almost straight down.

Back to the deck for a group photo.

Today, we have no specific plans, though we will be going to the library for a pick up. We have a recipe or two to try and more reading to do. Mary has been hard at work cross-stitching my artist's apron and I think she is nearly finished.

Otherwise, the cold weather will keep us mostly indoors and that's fine with me. If we get some sunlight in my studio, I  hope to add some paint to my canvases. Mary want's to experiment with some different sauces. She made a very tasty tofu dish for last night's dinner. 

I need to make another loaf of my never to be famous English Muffin toasting bread. That just requires some mixing, rise time, and baking for an hour or so. Ciao.