Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:45 a.m. in "The City."

I got up from my "First Sleep", to paraphrase author Robert Harris, and decided I wanted to go to the kitchen for my regular rounds and also to sit down and chronicle yesterday's events. 

We have a current temperature of 44° under cloudy-skies that feels like 44° with a wee bit of a  breeze blowing out of the east @ one mph. That should last until later tonight @ 10:00 p.m., when the NWS has issued yet another Small Craft Advisory for the shores of Lake Michigan that will be in effect until 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night from St. Joseph to Manistee. Winds ranging from 20 to 30 knots and waves from four to seven feet in height are part of that forecast. 

That 44° looks to be our overnight low until the sun rises today @ 6:48 a.m. and well before it sets tonight @ 8:38 p.m. The NWS has also included a current barometric pressure of 29.94" of Hg and falling, while my own DTWS is showing 29.36" of Hg and rising ever so slightly. Today's high temperature forecast calls for 53° with a slight possibility of showers early this morning before we drop to an overnight low of 35°. 

We're almost there, but Sunday's temperatures will be similar to today's before Monday's high temperature forecast of 67° and Tuesday's high-temperature forecast of 70°! There are still some high 50°s in the extended forecast, but to borrow from that old song by by Barry Manilow, "Looks like we made it." Winter is moving on.

A side note, researchers are certain that the changes in the Earth's climate caused by Climate Change, which has caused glaciers to melt and dump huge amounts of ice into the ocean along with the pumping of groundwater, has contributed to a 13' shift in the position of the Earth's poles since 1980, which has changed our weather patterns. I don't know for certain myself, but the weather patterns here in GH have changed in recent memory, so... If you are the curious type, there is a short video, courtesy of the Weather Channel™ that explains this phenomena @ https://weather.com/news/climate/video/earths-axis-has-shifted-because-of-climate-change-says-study.

In sports yesterday, two out of three is still 66% good, but when the Tigers lose, that is not good news. 

The 7 - 13 Tigers and RHP Casey Mize, 1 - 2, faced the 11 - 7 royals yesterday and came up short, 2 - 6. Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera took BP yesterday and looked good according to Tigers' manager A. J. Hinch, and Miggy could be back at first base as early as Sunday. He will continue to alternate between DH and first base to take it easy on his 37 yo body. Today's game with LHP Matthew Boyd, 2 - 1 on the mound begins @ 1:10 p.m. EDT in Comerica Park.

My beloved, 13 - 8 Red Sox eked out a win over the 12 - 8 Mariners in Fenway yesterday, 6 - 5, as RHP Hiokazu Sawamara, 1 - 0 got the win in relief of ineffective starter, RHP Martin Perez. Once again, the X-Man, Xander Bogaerts, was a key part of that win. This time it was his slick fielding at SS versus his bat, but I'll take it. 

Meanwhile, J. D. Martinez got yet another solo home run, but  the Sox' DH wants to be recognized as a consistent hitter with great bat control, not just a power hitter who hits home runs. The Sox also ply again today @ 1:10 p.m., when RHP Nathan Eovaldi, 3 - 1 goes to the mound for the beloved.

Over in Chicago, the 10 - 9 Cubs drubbed the visiting 11 - 8 Brewers, 15 - 2, as the Cubs put on their hitting shoes and came out swinging. Pitcher Kyle Hendricks was the Hendricks of old, as he cruised to the win, which included a highlight-reel double-play that began with a terrific stop by SS Javier "El "Mago" Baez who flipped while prone to second-baseman Nico Hoerner, who then fired the ball to first-baseman, Anthony Rizzo to put an end to the Brewers hopes. At that point, the Cubs were up 10 - 0, but that stop proved to be a game-saver. 

Today's game will begin in Chicago @ 2:20 p.m. EDT, as RHP Adbert Alzolay, 0 - 2 gets the start. 

I forgot in yesterday's blog to mention that my trepidatious foray into the Dollar Tree™ on Thursday, allowed me to receive a 2020 Salt River Bay National Parks US Virgin Islands quarter in change that added to my National Parks collection. Since we hadn't been anywhere in over one year to receive any change, I have fallen behind in my collecting. Here's hoping for a better 2021.

I spent some time in the kitchen yesterday, making a vegan salami for tonight's dinner pizza ala Mary. I also made four vegan steaks too. A couple of those became part of last night's dinner, also ala Mary. 

While I worked in the kitchen and watched the Cubs' game, Mary took STWD for a short walk to the library, which was about all the old Weather Dog had in her, and then Mary and her wing-gal, Ginger walked to the waterfront to watch the water and read. I have it on good authority that Ginger behaved herself very well. 

I watched early yesterday morning as MMRR EMD GP38-2 locomotive #2019 motored by heading south @ 8:58 a.m., towing 10 CGCs, three CHCs, and five DBTCs. Later, @ 1:15 p.m., that same locomotive was espied heading north, towing 10 DBTCs, two DWTCs, on GTC, one boxcar, and four CGCs. In both cases, the cars seemed to be empty.

I finished reading my latest novel, One Perfect Lie, by best-selling author Lisa Scottoline late last night, which I had returned to after my reading of the Robert Harris novel, The Second Sleep, which was only so-so to me, but which was highly recommended by Mary. I'm now about to begin another oldie, Janet Evanovich's High Five, with her protagonist Stephanie Plum returning once again in her role as an erstwhile bounty-hunter. I know, I generally read books by male authors, but like my odd appreciation for Amish fiction, I like some female characters and authors too. 

I also have it on good authority, that late last night, a total of six deer were espied on the street in two groupings in front of the manse, foraging for food, likely our parkway garden tulips. Those bulbs will be getting moved to a safer, less conspicuous location and tempting for next years blooming. We may have to plant some floribunda roses in their place, which the deer don't bother. 

Today, more crossword solving, more reading, more painting, more music and indoor chores. Ciao.