Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is well past the sunrise of 6:08 a.m. and well before the sunset this evening @ 9:17 p.m.

We have a current temperature of 50°, also our overnight low, under clear-skies. It feels like 50° with a wind out of the east @ only 3 mph. There are no advisories, watches, nor warnings in the forecast @ this time. Todays high temperature forecast is 66° with an overnight low-temperature of 54°. In between, there is a 24% chance for showers later this afternoon into this evening as the skies get cloudier as the day wears on. 

We had a lazy day yesterday. We watched the 105th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing", the Indianapolis 500, which was won by 46 YO Julio Castroneves. He is now tied with a pretty select group of drivers that includes A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears. This years race was run under clear skies and was not marred by any crashes outside the pits. All in all, a safe and satisfying race.

The 29 - 23 Cubs saw their six-game win streak come to an end yesterday afternoon, with a 1 - 5 loss to the 23 - 28 Reds. RHP Jake Arrieta, 5 - 5, struggled and took the loss, However, the Cubs' bullpen was still sharp and held the Reds at bay after Arrieta departed. The Cubs welcome the 34 - 20 San Diego Padres to Wrigley Field today for a 2:20 p.m. EDT start. No pitcher has been announced for the Cubs. 

The Cubs are dealing with several players on the IL right now. David Bote is out for at least 10 days with a separated left shoulder. Nico Hoerner is on that list too with a hamstring injury. RHP Trevor Williams will be out indefinitely following an emergency appendectomy, Anthony Rizzo has back spasms, and Jason Heyward is still out with his own hamstring injury. The Cubs will be working with a makeshift lineup for a while. 

My beloved 32 - 20 Red Sox were rained out yesterday versus the Marlins and that game will  be made-up June 7th. The Sox are in Houston today to face the 28 - 24 Astros for a 4:10 p.m. game as LHP Eduardo Rodríguez, 5 - 3, makes his next start. 

The surprising 22 - 31 Tigers swept the 29 - 24 Yankees with a convincing 6 - 2 win yesterday. LHP Tarik Skubal notched his second win against seven losses, but it was his third straight outing with eight or more Ks. The Tigers are in Milwaukee to face the 28 - 25 Brewers for 2:10 p.m. start today, as LHP Tyler Alexander, 0 - 0, makes the start for the Tigers s they play an interleague game. 

The 14 - 9 West Michigan White Caps dominated the 11 - 13 Lake County Captains, with a convincing 7 - 1 romp. The Caps, an "A" level minor-league affiliate of the Tigers are off today before facing the Great Lakes Loons, an  "A" level affiliate of the L. A, Dodgers in Midland, Michigan tomorrow night @ 7:05 p.m.

I completed two painting activities yesterday. First, I finished the tree-man that I hung in our bedroom. I also finished a painting that I thought I had just started, but which Mary liked as it was. It now hangs in our foyer. I guess that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

I finished the weekend crossword with only slight assistance and today, there is no mail and no newspaper. 

Today should be quiet and I am all for that. I'll continue to read and I have a project waiting in the man-cave, but it is nothing that can't wait. Mary appears to have nearly finished her own needlepointed bookmark too. That's all folks Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 7:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 38° under sunny-skies that feels more like 33° with a wind out of the north @ 8 mph. We were supposed to have a Gale Watch in effect until 8:00 a.m. today, but the NWS has apparently revised their forecast. Gee, there's a surprise. 

Our current temperature corresponds with the overnight low of 38° before we rise once again to today's high temperature of 66°, which is 11° warmer that yesterday's high. It was chilly enough yesterday, that I had to put on long pants and wear a fleece to go out with our fur-children and last night, Mary even turned on the heat. 

We had a relatively mild, albeit snowy-winter, a chilly spring, interspersed by a few scattered warm days which morphed into yesterday's high of 54°. Once again, that will bring forth moderate temperatures until we jump back to the 80s a week from tomorrow. The sun rose this morning @ 6:09 a.m. and it will set later @ 9:15 p.m.

Speaking of tomorrow, the 105th running of the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" the Indianapolis 500, sees the drivers start their engines for a 12:30 p.m. start, with Scott Dixon on the pole. Dixon, of New Zealand, drives for the Chip Ganassi team, and he is a former winner of the 500 in 1992, when he was also the pole-sitter. Be there!

The 28 - 22 Cubs eked out a win over the 22 - 27 Reds yesterday, as Adbert Alzolay held the Reds to no runs and the Cubs offense produced only one run, a home run by David Bote. Today's game @ 2:20 p.m. EDT features RHP Zach Davies, 2 - 2, on the mound for the Cubs.

My beloved 31 - 20 Red Sox got the win in a game shortened by rain over the 24 - 27 Miami Marlins last night, 5 - 2. The win went to RHP Nathan Eovaldi, 5 - 2. The Sox benefited from a three-run home run off the bat of Alex Verdugo. Today's game begins @1:10 p.m., when LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, also 5 - 2, takes the mound for the beloved. 

The 20 - 31 Tigers also eked out a win over the 29 - 22 Yankees last night in 10 innings, 3 - 2, with a walk-off home run by Robbie Grossman, the first walk off home run of his career. Rookie RHP Casey Mize, 3 - 3, looked sharp, but Tigers' manager, A.J. Hinch had to go to the bullpen with the score tied, so Mize did not get the win. Today's game begins @ 4:10 p.m. when RHP Spencer Turnbull, 3 - 2, takes the hill for the Tigers.

The 12 - 9 West Michigan White Caps, AKA the Caps, stole a win from the 11 - 11 Lake County Captains last night, 2 - 1. The Caps and the Captains play again tonight @ 6:35 p.m.

We mostly stayed indoors yesterday. John came by and did his Handyman thing on a few odd jobs around the manse. I know how to do most things, but at my age, I prefer to let John do them rather than risk life and limb. 

Mary made another old-family recipe for dinner last night. Once again, I don't know whose old family, but nonetheless, it was a delicious. Dinner was vegan macaroni and cheese that used chickpea pasta, vegan sour cram, mushrooms, and spices to create what I think is a definite keeper. 

I finished my Richard Wright book, The Man who Lived Underground, and I enjoyed it immensely. I  have started a new to me pulp-fiction book.

Today, indoor chores, a visit to Health Hutt by Mary, and that's about it. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

Yes my loyal readers, you got that right, 1:30 a.m. I sat up reading until a short time ago and then I sat down here to blog. I'll follow the KISS formula for this one.

Current temperature, 54°, feels like 52°. Clear skies and an overnight low of 45° before tomorrow's high-temperature of 64° under cloudy skies. It looks like rain will move in here late tomorrow night and into Friday.

The sun will rise today @ 6:10 p.m. and set later @ 9:13 p.m.

Baseball news. Cubs win, Red Sox Win, Tigers win, and the Caps win  Tomorrow, the Cubs play @ 1:35 p.m. EDT. Red Sox play @ 7:10 p.m. Tigers play at 1:10 p.m. The Caps play @ 6:35 p.m.

Ginger went to her doctor yesterday and she has a small fatty-tumor on her side. It should be removed, but her doctor doesn't think it is a serious problem. She also needs to have her teeth cleaned, something that seems to plague small dogs, That cleaning will require her to be anesthetized for the procedure, so we'll have her tumor removed at the same time. STWD wanted to go along, but when we returned, she knew she had dodged a bullet.

I completed two crossword puzzles and did some cleaning along with making more of my world famous vegan Italian meatballs. I noticed when I was downstairs to empty the dishwasher earlier that Mary had made some vegan bacon, but her plans for vegan BLTs later today was thwarted by the mold on the bread. Plan "B" is now in order.

Late yesterday afternoon, we walked over to JWs for a pitcher of adult beverages and some French fries. This was our first out of the house meal in nearly 15 months. It felt strange.

Earlier, I finished a pulp novel and I can now move on to that more serious novel. I just had to read some junk fiction as a change of pace.

Later today, we'll be doing some gardening and some light indoor chores. That's all folks! Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 10:30 p.m. in "The City." We have a current temperature of 68° that feels like 68° in spite of a wind out of the south @ 14 mph. There are showers/T-storms in the forecast from the NWS, but they should not be an issue until early tomorrow morning. 

In addition, that forecast includes another Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots and wave heights from three to five feet, which will be in effect until 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. Our overnight low will be a brisk 44°. Tomorrows' high temperature will reach a very comfortable 64° with cloudy-skies/showers in the AM hours and sunny-skies in the afternoon. 

Earlier today, I had my fourth of five knee injections. When I returned home, we decided to go out to Coopersville, MI to visit the Across The Tracks food store there. We came away with several useful things, including another quarter to add to my National Park Quarters Collection's Map. 

Coopersville is another of those small American farming towns that time has passed by, but there are many photogenic things to focus on, so to speak. 

A small pavilion adjacent to the Coopersville Splash Pad. for kids. 

At least the clock there is accurate.

The train currently runs weekends only.

in this direction, is the small Michigan town of Marne.

I like to think that the Coopersville and Marne RR is in Reality Scale.

This rolling stock, doesn't.

Another view looking north. 

Coopersville is home to the annual Del Shannon Car show and Coopersville Summerfest, held in August. Recording artist Del Shannon lived in Marne a long time ago.

As I mentioned, I received another quarter for my collection, this one for the Tallgrass Prairie National Historic Park, established November 12, 1996, and located in Kansas. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic put a crimp in my collecting for 2019 and 2020, so I still need to locate quarters for Idaho, TX, and Guam from 2019, along with  Vermont, Connecticut, and American Samoa from 2020. Plus, there is still a coin from Alabama for 2021 that I hope to locate this year..

Our own bearded iris blooms atop the dianthus that we recently planted.

These columbines are thriving near our garage in the Vast Gardens.

I just finished listening to the 25 - 22 Cubs eke out a win over the 18 - 29 Pirates, 4 - 3. Joc Pederson hit two home-runs to spark the Cubs and give RHP Jake Arrieta his 5 - 4 record. The Cubs' bullpen was once again solid.

The Cubs and the Pirates play again tomorrow evening @ 6:35 p.m. EDT, when RHP Trevor Williams, 2 - 2, makes his next start. 

The 18 - 30 Tigers lost to the 26 - 20 Indians, 1 - 4, as RHP Tarik Skubal fell to 1 - 7 and the Tigers' bats fell asleep. The Tigers face the Indians again tomorrow night @ 7:10 p.m. when RHP Jose Urena, 2 - 4, takes the hill for the Tigers. 

My beloved 29 - 10 Red Sox, had no offense, as they fell to the 24 - 24 Braves, 1 - 3. The beloved face the Braves again tomorrow night @ 7:10 p.m., when RHP Nick Pivetta, 5 - 0 Takes the ball from Red Sox manager, Alex Cora.

The 9 - 9 Caps also eked out a win over the visiting 11 - 8 Lake County Captains, 4 - 3. The Caps and the Captains play again tomorrow night @ 6 :35 p.m.

We accomplished our indoor chores earlier today and I finished Native Son before dinner, by the late Richard Wright. I liked the book and now I am on to Wright's final work, The Man Who Lived Underground, written five years after Native Son. I'll be curious to read if Wright had changed his style over the ensuing five-years. Oh, I used the line trimmer to cut down some of the tall grasses in the shared driveway area. 

Mary made a lunch of vegan hot-dog wraps with a side of one of my favorites, cheesy grits. Dinner was her cucumber salad, a lettuce salad, and my famous vegan Italian meatballs.  

Tomorrow we have an appointment for Ginger at her doctor to have a checkup for a small lump we felt recently. More on that later. 

Otherwise, not much is planned. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 11:30 p.m. in "The City", where I have just finished watching a great game between the 24 - 22 Cubs and the 26 - 20 Cardinals. More on that in a bit. 

We have a current temperature of 57° under cloudy skies that feels more like 56° with a wind out of the east @ 10 mph. We had some rain today, but not really enough to make a dent in what are almost drought-like conditions here in W. Michigan. There is also a Dense Fog Advisory in effect from South Haven to Whitehall until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. 

Today's high temperature here in GH was 64° and tomorrow's high will be about 7° warmer @ 71° with a low of 62°. Mary reports that the deck is wet, but that the rain is not falling at this time. However, tomorrow's morning forecast from the NWS indicates that there is a 42% for additional showers. 

As the world turns, Friday's forecast includes a high temperature of a non-seasonal 59°! The sun will rise tomorrow @  6:13 a.m. and set later @ 9:10 p.m.

We made it to that pick-up at the big-box nearly everything store and then traveled through Spring Lake to the trailhead of the North Bank Trail, which was built upon the right of way of two railroads. One was the interurban Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, and Muskegon Railroad that ran from Grand Rapids to GH from 1902 to 1928. and which made stops in Muskegon and Fruitport, originally named Crawville by its founder, Edward L. Craw in 1868. 

The town was renamed Fruitport in 1869, when the Pere Marquette Railroad built a station there in the middle of a fertile fruit growing region.  So, that's how Fruitport got its name. Of course, the Pere Marquette Railroad ceased passenger service in the 1950s

At any rate, the trail is flat and extends for many miles from GH to points east. I took along my camera to get some pix, but not before I took some shots of the flowers that are blooming right here in the Vast Gardens of the Palatial Estate.

Our bearded iris in bloom.

The iris that our children bequeathed to us from their house in South Haven. 

Our poppy.

I believe that this is a phlox.

Mostly flat, but still a good place to walk or ride a bike.

Yes Virginia, it is really that flat.

I'm not sure what this plant is.

Bleeding Heart flowers along the trail

I have to get in an industrial shot .

Or two.

And an empty playground.

A Kettle of Turkey Vultures in flight.

A lone Turkey Vulture. It is the shape of the wings that allowed us to ID these raptors. They look very similar to other large birds of prey, like eagles, condors, and hawks. 

All in all, we had a great time, The temperature inland by only four miles or so, was near to 80°, but the humidity was low enough that we didn't notice. 

Tomorrow, we have nothing of note on our agenda. We have another drop off at the Goodwill Store and that should be enough for one day. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 11:00 p.m. in "The City."

A current temperature of 70° feels like 70° with only slight wind out of the south @ 4 mph. The skies are partly-cloudy, perhaps a harbinger of tomorrow's forecast for a 48% chance for showers. Our overnight low tonight will be a comfortable 59° as a prelude to tomorrow's 7° cooler high-temperature forecast of 65°. 

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 6:14 a.m. and set later @ 9:09 p.m.

I've just finished watching the 23 - 22 Cubs lose a close game to their arch-rivals, the 26 - 19 St. Louis Cardinals. That loss drops the Cubs to 3 games in back of the division leading Cardinals, as RHP Adbert Alzolay, 2 - 4, pitched very well, but his teammates left too many men on base. 

Mary and I agree, the announcers of today are not what they were in our younger days. Yes, someone should tell us to "Get off of my lawn!" At any rate, the Cubs send RHP Zach Davies, 2 - 2, to the mound in St. Louis tomorrow night for a 7:08 EDT p.m. start. 

My beloved 29 - 18 Red Sox eked out a win over the 22 - 24 Phillies tonight, 4 - 3. The Sox and the Phillies play again tomorrow @ 1:05 p.m. when LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 5 - 2, takes the hill for the Sox.

The 18 - 27 Tigers used up all of their mojo last night. So today, they fell to the 21 - 23 Royals, 5 - 7. However, tomorrow is another day and the Tigers will send rookie RHP Casey Mize, 3 - 3 to the mound for a 2:10 p.m. start. 

Sadly, the 7 - 8 West Michigan White Caps dropped two to the 7- 9 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 7 - 8 and 8 - 9 that let the 7 - 9 Rattler. The Caps and the Rattlers play tomorrow afternoon beginning@ 2:05 p.m.

We were being lazy today following our indoor chores and my watering duties, but we finally decided that we would sally forth and visit the Village Baker in Spring Lake and then continue on to Sheridan Park in Coopersville, MI for a photo-op. Along the way, I snapped some additional pix of barns and blue-skies with puffy white clouds. At Sheridan Park, we took a different fork in the trail system, to paraphrase the late Yogi Berra. I took a series of pictures to memorialize our trip.

This barn is used as a wedding venue. 

A pic taken while in Sheridan Park.

Also this one.

We did cross this bridge.

We normally go straight ahead when we leave the parking area. But this time, we turned left and passed this trail we did not take..

It was great day for a walk in the woods. Not surprisingly, since Coopersville is about 15 miles east of GH, the temperature was in the mid-80s in Sheridan Park versus the mid-70s here on the shores of the "Big Lake."

I started reading a new novel, well anyway, new to me, Richard Wright's Native Son, which was first published in March of 1940. I also finished the Friday crossword puzzle and Mary finished stitching my new bookmark, an owl asking" Who dunnit?" Didn't I nicely manage to avoid stating whether she was needlepointing or cross-stitching?

Tomorrow, should be a good day for a short driveabout. I'd let Mary and Ginger go solo, but Ginger is never left alone in the car, as someone might steal the second cutest dog on the planet, so I will  have to go along while Mary goes inside to make a pick up. Plus, I think we may have to replace a couple of our veggie plants as the pepper plants are not looking well, so that requires a two -person effort. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 9:00 p.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 75° under partly-cloudy skies that feels like 75° with a wind out of the south @ 3 mph. In addition, the NWS has issued the first Air Quality Alert of 2021 for tomorrow here in Ottawa County, MI. People are strongly encouraged to avoid refueling vehicles, mowing lawns with gasoline powered equipment, and other activities which can contribute to adding additional ozone to the atmosphere. 

Also, people with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, should avoid strenuous outdoor activity. It looks as though even though I don't have any respiratory problems, I am nearly 0 years of age and I think it best if I too avoid strenuous outdoor activities. Thus, my plans for my inaugural 2021 bike ride will have to be postponed. I am glad that I did my watering today. 

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 6:16 a.m. and set tomorrow evening @ 9:07 p.m.

I just had to take my camera out to the vast gardens in the back-forty before I watered our plantings. I got several great shots of our first bearded iris blooms, as well as some of the other plantings and hardscape here on the Palatial Estate.

I was shouting down when I captured our first bearded iris flower.

Which is growing right behind those aforementioned blooming Dianthus plants.

This might be our next iris bloom.

These yellow and red tulips are late-bloomers. 

While the white tulips are done for the year.

Mary planted this geranium in a pot atop a reclaimed chair.

Horseradish also has flowers early in the spring. 

We purchased Harry the Hare as a hose stop for the vast gardens.

The 22 - 21 Cubs were paced by Ian Happ's two home runs in their 5 - 2 defeat of the 17 - 23 Washington Nationals. That win gave the boys in blue five wins out of their last seven games also three out of four wins over the Nats. LHP Justin Steele, 2 - 2, got his second win of 2021. The Cubs placed outfielder Jason Heyward on the IL with a hamstring injury. The team called up outfielder Nick Martini from their triple A Iowa team to take Heyward's place on the roster. 

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer is playing his future plans for trades close to the proverbial vest, but he also noted that the Cubs are lagging behind in reaching the 85% Covid-19 vaccination level that would allow the 
Cubs to relax some restrictions, most notably, attendance at the Friendly Confines. 

The Cubs travel to St. Louis for an 8:15 p.m. EDT game tomorrow night against their arch rivals, the NL Central division leading 25 - 18 Cardinals, as RHP Kyle Hendricks, 3 - 4 gets the start for the Cubs.

The 17 - 26 Tigers were off today before meeting the 20 - 22 Royals in Kansas City, MO tomorrow night for a game beginning @ 8:10 p.m. EDT, when RHP Jose  Urena, 1 - 4, makes his next start.

2My beloved 27 - 18 Red Sox defeated the 23 - 19 Blue Jays in Florida, 8 - 7, scoring three unanswered runs inthe top of the 9th. The Sox play the 22 - 21 Phillies in Philadelphia  tomorrow night @ 7:05 p.m. when LHP Martin Perez, 1 - 2, takes the mound.

The 7 - 7 Caps defeated the 6 - 9 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers tonight, 4 - 1. The Caps and the Rattlers go again tomorrow night in Wisconsin @ 7:35 p.m.

I played Ivy, my Ovation 12-string guitar this morning and I think I was playing well and staying vocally in tune on many songs. Later, after lunch, I watered, weeded, and cut down some other weeds with a string trimmer. 

Mary was at that big-box nearly everything store with Ginger when I made some vegan steaks for our dinner repast that was accompanied by a nice salad. Lunch was some leftover pasta after some toasted raisin bread slathered with vegan margarine. 

We walked to the Loutit District Library with STWD to pick up some books Mary and I had on hold. Sugar wanted to do more, but while her desire is strong, her flesh is not as strong as her desire. We made it home so that she could get some rest.

Tomorrow, I  think it best that we stay indoors and out of that Air Quality Alert caused by that ozone buildup. To that end, we turned on the A/C to keep the bad air out and keep the good air in. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 63° that feels like 62° with light winds out of the east @ 5 mph. According to the NWS, we should be having light-showers right now with a 48 - 52% chance, but my glance out the WW shows dry pavement in front of the manse. More often than not, the precipitation, whether in the form of rain or snow, splits up over the lake and that is apparently true this morning too. That 62° figure is also our overnight low before we rebound to a high-temperature today of 75° under cloudy-skies this morning with clearing-skies this afternoon. At any rate, it should be a pleasant day here in the Tri-Cities area.

We did see some light rain yesterday afternoon. Not a lot, but enough to wet our plants, to paraphrase local West Michigan gardener and one of the hosts of the local radio show on WOOD AM radio, The Flowerland Show, Rick Vuyst. Rick is the Sales and Marketing Specialist @ Flowerland garden centers, a frequent contributor to local ABC Tv affiliate WZZM, and author of several books, including I Just Wet My Plants. 

Oh, after all of that, the sun will rise this morning @ 6:16 a.m. and set tis evening @ 9:07 p.m.

With little assistance, I finished two crossword puzzles yesterday and also finished reading a book entitled Killing Town, a novel begun by the late Mickey Spillane many years ago and finished by a friend of Spillane's, Max Allan Collins. Collins is a mystery writer in his own right and his own graphic-comic series, Road to Perdition, was the basis for a 2002 movie of the same title starring Tom Hanks. No surprise, I enjoyed the read as this book was of my favorite genre. 

The 21 - 21 Cubs looked good Monday and Tuesday nights. However last night, the banged-up Cubs, minus slugging 1st baseman, Anthony Rizzo, and SS Javier Baez, were  unable to score enough runs versus the 17 - 22 Washington Nationals, and fell 3 - 4, as RHP Jake Arrieta, 4 - 4, took the loss. The Cubs and the Nats go again today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT, when RHP Trevor Williams, 2 - 2, tries to give the Cubs the win. 

Worthy of note, is that regular right-fielder Jason Heyward, was removed from the game with a hamstring injury. As is all too often the case, Heyward is a great defender, but his plate appearances are often lacking. 

My beloved 26 - 18 Red Sox, were down in Florida last night to take on the 23 - 18 Blue Jays, and the Sox came away with a 7 - 3 win for RHP Garrett Richards, 4 - 2. Tonight, the Sox and the Jays try again, as RHP Nick Pivetta, 5 - 0, goes for his sixth win @ 7:37 p.m.

The  17 - 26 Tigers actually looked like a Major League team again last night, as they followed Tuesday night's no-hitter by RHP Spencer Turnbull, 3 - 2, with another win over the 21 - 23 Mariners in Seattle, 6 - 2, as LHP Tarik Skubal, 1 - 6, got the victory. The Tigers are off today before a stop in Kansas City for their first game against the 20 - 22 Royals with Jose Urena, 1 - 4, taking the mound for an 8:10 p.m. start. 

The 6 - 7 Caps came away from their game last night against the 6 - 8 Wisconsin Timber Rattles in Wisconsin, 6 - 4. The Caps and the Rattlers play again tonight @ 7:35 p.m. when the Caps try to get even for the season.

Mary took Ginger to the spa for her visit yesterday and Ginger came home a few hour later looking beautiful. That's not to say that Mary and I didn't try our best at grooming during our nearly 14 months long Covid-19 isolation, but Ginger requires special efforts that only a professional groomer can provide. STWD wanted to go with, but when she sniffed Ginger upon her return, we think that Sugar felt she got the better end of the deal. 

Throughout the day, we did the bed linens as we exchanged old for new and washed everything. Mary did most of the work and she was tired by the end. However, she still found time and energy to make a terrific dinner of vegan barbecue ribs with crinkle fries. Mary loves chopping, mixing, and prep work with herbs and spices, so it was very relaxing for her. 

Today, we have no specific plans. Maybe a photo-op, probably south or lakeside, as the traffic on Beacon Blvd. is a total mess as the work continues on the bridge over the Grand River and reduces the lanes from three to one. Current plans call for the work to be done by Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of "The Season" here in West Michigan. 

We are still being cautious about mask-wearing, as here in Michigan we have not reached a 70% vaccination rate for the deadly Covid-19 virus. We've come too far to eschew mask wearing now, in spite of the calls by the GOP led legislature for a full reopening of the state. I think that's enough for one blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 9:30 p.m. in The City." 

The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 60° that feels like 60° with a wind out of the west @ 4 mph. That would have  been under sunny skies if the sun hadn't already set. Our overnight low is forecast to drop to 51°. Our high today reached the upper 60s, and tomorrow's high will be a very comfortable 75° under mostly-cloudy skies before Wednesday's high temperature of 71°. That 71° comes with a good chance for rain. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 6:16 a.m. and set later tomorrow evening @ 9:04 p.m.

A bit of interesting news here in GH. The Grand Haven City Council voted to allow a limited Coast Guard Craft Fair, versus a complete cancellation. Instead of the usual 170 vendors, they will allow only 70 vendors. We think that might not be a bad thing, as the huge number of vendors in past craft fairs made it hard to navigate in Central Park. However, many of those extra vendors had spilled over into the parking lot at the nearby Ottawa, MI County Courthouse, so whether the crowds in Central Park will be lessened remains to be seen.

At any rate, Mary took STWD for a short walk and then she and Sugar returned so that we could take Ginger for a longer walk and a photo-op. We had a return to make to that internet based retailer of anything you can imagine, so we walked downtown and then over to the other side of Beacon Blvd. for some pix for our son. I'll open with some pix from our downtown leg and then move on to the others.

Oddly, the clock tower on the church near the downtown was displaying the correct time as we passed. 

St. John's Episcopal church.

Is the home of this "Peace Garden", a great place to meditate and read.

And also this Homeless Jesus statue. 

This fountain is located at the Ottawa County Courthouse. 

This house on Washington Ave. looks like the house that Norman Bates and his mother occupied in Alfred Hitchcock's movie, Psycho.

One of the pix I took for our son's hobby.

We returned with Ginger and then set out to purchase more plants for our vast gardens. We ended up at that big-box home center and picked up some annual begonias and hanging baskets, along with some dianthus perennials. 

Here are two of the dianthus perennials in their new home by our deck.

Mary planted the begonias in the last empty planter out back.

While I was hanging the hanging baskets in the front.

Our fur-children observing our efforts.

I had to struggle to complete the weekend crossword puzzle this afternoon after Mary had made a nice lunch with baked potatoes as a side to my vegan bratwursts with sauerkraut topping. Later, she also made more of my vegan burgers, but this time with a salad that included mushrooms and her own recipe ranch dressing.

Tomorrow, I have my third of five knee injections and that's about enough for me. Otherwise, I want to stay home and do as little as possible. Ciao.