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" where the current temperature is a brisk 54° that feels like 54° with a gently breeze out of the south @ 1 mph under clear-skies. 

Thee are two alerts on the horizon. 

First is a Beach Hazard Statement that goes into effect late tonight and that will then run until late tomorrow night for Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties in MI. High waves from four to seven feet in height, will be accompanied by strong currents, especially near piers, that will pose serious danger to swimmers, mostly south of Holland.

In addition, a Small Craft Advisory goes into effect from St. Joseph to Manistee beginning @ 5:00 a.m. tomorrow and running until 5:00 a.m. Monday. Strong winds will produce those same wave heights of four to seven feet. 

The sun will rise this morning @ 6:34 a.m. and set tonight @ 9:07 p.m.

We walked with Ginger to the auxiliary gardens yesterday, where Mary watered, helped me weed, and assisted in the harvesting of some collard greens as seen below. I have it on good authority that Mary will be making vegan collard greens later today. In there somewhere, I'll be making more vegan Italian burgers and meatballs. 

Also seen in the pic, are some tomatoes from our vast-gardens.

Yesterday, I did a lot of reading along with crossword solving and we watched all of one episode and part of another of our latest TV series, Salvation. 

Baseball news both yesterday and over the last several days, has been so/so and on the sad side too, due to numerous trades, mostly by the sinking Cubs, who @ 50 - 55 and following yet another loss by RHP Jake Arrieta, fresh off the IL and now with a 5 - 10 record, to the 48 - 55 Nats, 3 - 4.

Gone from the Cubs roster are pitchers Andrew Chafin, Ryan Tepera, Craig Kimbrel, Trevor Williams, along with infielders Anthony Rizzo, Javier Baez, and Kris Bryant. In addition, the Cubs traded outfielders Joc Pederson and Jake Marisnick too. There are probably others I've failed to list, but the gist is that the core of the 2016 World Series team is gone to places like the south-side of Chicago, NYC, LA, San Fran, and Atlanta.

Sure, the Cubs got lots of "Prospects" in return, but the Cubs are now a rebuilding team with Major-League ticket prices in effect. The Cubs face the Nats again tonight @ 7:05 EDT when RHP Kyle Hendricks, 12 - 4, takes the mound. 

My beloved, 63 - 42 Red Sox dropped another one to the 62 - 42 Tampa Bay Rays, 3 - 7. The loss went to LHP Marti Perez, 7 - 7. The Sox struggled mightily as they await the arrival of former Cubs' slugger Kyle Schwarber, received in a trade from the Nats and currently on the IL for about 10 more days. In addition, LHP Chris Sale should be back soon. The Sox and the Rays go again tonight @6:10 p.m. when LHP Nathan Eovaldi takes the hill.

The 50 - 56 Tigers and Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera tried to stage yet another late-inning comeback, but they fell short in a 3 - 4 loss to the 36 - 66 Orioles, as LHP Tarik Skubal notched another loss on his less than stellar 6 - 10 2021 won/loss record. The Tigers and the Orioles do battle again this afternoon @ 1:10 p.m., when LHP Tyler Alexander, 1 - 1 hurls for the Tigers. 

The Tigers only trade was sending LHP Daniel Norris to the Brewers for RHP Reese Olson, who will be sent to the Tigers' High A minor-league affiliate, the West Michigan White Caps. That is before being moved up to the West Erie Sea Wolves and potentially the Toledo Mud Hens and then the Tigers sometime next year. Olson is now the Tigers' #13 prospect. 

Speaking of the White Caps, they too were upended, as they lost to the Great Lakes Loons last night, 4 - 5. The Caps and the Loons play in Midland, MI again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

Today should be more laid back as I paint more, read more, solve another crossword puzzle, do the indoor chores, work in the kitchen, and then kick back and rest for the balance of the weekend. Mary is still hard at work on her interim needlepoint project along with listening to her latest book. Plus, I believe she is going to try her hand at those collard greens today too. Ciao. 

Good morning   or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 1:00 a.m. in "The City." We have a current temperature of 68° under fair-skies with a relatively low 74% humidity that I am assured makes being out of doors very pleasant. In fact, our overnight low is forecast by the NWS to drop to 60°.

Today's high will reach a very comfortable 74° under partly-cloudy skies with an overnight low of a chilly 57°. The sun will rise @ 6:32 a.m. and set this evening @ 9:09 p.m.

In between, there is a Beach Hazard Statement still in effect for Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Ottawa and Van Buren Counties in MI. High-waves and strong currents will make swimming hazardous through sometime this morning.

In addition, that Small Craft Advisory continues to be in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee, until 8:00 a.m., with wind-speeds of 15 to 25 knots and possible gusts up to 30 knots which will propel waves from four to six feet in height.

We made it out today for another photo-shoot, this time @ Duncan Memorial Park.

Duncan Memorial Park was left to the City of GH in the early part of the 20th century.

The park is adjacent to Lake Forest Cemetery which we and our fur-children have visited many times. Many of the deer that call GH home live in Lake Forest Cemetery and in Duncan Memorial Park. While we were in Duncan Memorial Park, I snapped a picture of one of the young deer foraging for food.

By the time Mary and Ginger returned to me, the deer had vanished.

However, there are many things to see in Duncan Memorial Park that are of both the flora and canine variety too. 

I was trying a different aperture setting for this shot. 

I had to alter both the aperture and the shutter speed to capture this shot in the bright sun.

Same here.

Along the road that is now a trail, I found this interesting shot.

Nothing can compare with the natural beauty of wildflowers.

Except for out fur-child, Ginger, who was walking with Mary.

It does not take long for nature to reclaim the man-made roadways.

I took this shot to assist with my acrylic painting efforts.

I just had to shoot this log with fungal growths.

Not to mention these fallen leaves. 

In sports, the fire sale for the faltering 50 - 54 Cubs has begun. So far, they have traded two pitchers, an outfielder, and perennial fan favorite, 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo for prospects. It is likely that Kris Bryant will be gone soon and maybe closer Craig Kimbrel as the Cubs break up the 2016 World Series winning team. The Cubs fell to the Reds yesterday afternoon, 4 - 7 and they will move on to D.C. to face the 47 -55 Nats in a 7:05 EDT game as RHP Trevor Williams makes his next start. Fortunately, former Cubs outfielder, slugger Kyle Schwarber won't be with the Nats as he has ben traded to the Red Sox.

My beloved and still in 1st place in the AL East. 63 - 41 Red Sox, were embarrassed by the 4th place in the AL East 51 - 48 Blue Jays last night, 1 - 13. The Sox move on to Tampa Bay to face the Rays @ 7:10 p.m. when LHP Martin Perez, 7 - 6 takes the mound for the beloved.

The surprising, 3rd place in the AL Central, 50 - 55 Tigers used two home runs by Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera to defeat the 5th place in the AL East, the 35 - 66 Orioles, 6 - 2. That gives Miggy 497 home runs in his career. The Tigers and Casey Mize, 6 - 5, easily handled the Orioles last night. The Tigers and the Orioles play again tonight when RHP Tarik Skubal, 6 - 9 makes his next start @ 7:10 p.m.

The 35 - 39 Caps defeated the 41 - 34 Great Lakes Loons in the Loons home ballpark last night, 8 - 2. The Caps and the Loons play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

We traveled to that big-box nearly everything store for a grocery pick up after our stop at Duncan Memorial Park and then headed home for more reading and TV viewing. Mary is multi-tasking as she listens to a novel and works on a needlepoint project. 

I didn't get as much done yesterday as I had on my list, no surprise there, but I'll continue to whittle away at my list today and into the future. 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 2:00 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 77° and it feels like 77° with a slight wind out of the east @ 5 mph under cloudy skies. That wind speed seems to be in conflict with another from the NWS that shows winds over Lake Michigan of 25 - 35 mph. 

Plus, there is a statement and an advisory that went into effect at 2:00 a.m. this morning. They are as follows:

A Beach Hazard Statement will be in effect until 8:00 a.m. Friday for Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties in MI. Strong winds and strong currents pose serious hazards for swimmers and people willing to brave the elements and walk out on piers. In fact, it was those type of conditions that caused two jet-skiers to founder and which also caused the GHDPS to close the entrance to the south pier.

In addition, there is a Small Craft Advisory in effect from 2:00 a.m. this morning until 8:00 a.m. Friday. Once again strong winds will pose serious risk to small boats and they are urged to stay in port, as winds will blow from 10 to 20 knots with possible gusts to 30 knots that may produce waves from two to five feet in height. 

Over the "Big Lake" T-storms have developed with possible wind-speeds of 65 mph, but only until 8:00 a.m. this morning when the sun will be bright. Of course, that's after the sunrise @ 6:32 a.m. and well before the sunset @ 9:09 p.m.

There is a bright side to all of this rainy weather, we won't have to water our gardens until at least Saturday.

We had to get up early yesterday to go to my orthopedic appointment @ 10:00 a.m. in Muskegon for my final RFA (Radio Frequency Ablation). As of now, my yak is feeling good, but that is always the case following injections and other treatments. Here's hoping that this works as planned.

Afterwards, we headed home, but stopped in at Taco Bell for our lunch. I had skipped any food Tuesday night and yesterday morning, so I was ready for some spicy food. 

Last night, Mary made one of her signature dishes, Spaghettirole Casserole, albeit with a slight twist to her recipe. Normally, she uses vegan cheddar cheese, but since she had none of that in her stores, she used vegan mozzarella cheese. Personally, I like this version better. Just one man's opinion.

Here is a pic taken by our Senior Staff Photographer of Mary's Magic Mushroom, a shower gift given to her 48 years ago. It turned out that I didn't have to wash it. I tempted fate as Mary had already placed the Magic Mushroom in the dishwasher. I gingerly removed it and then carefully placed it back in the cabinet, unharmed. Normally, putting in away is Mary's task, as I have never before risked the chance of damage. Whew!

Best yet!

Baseball news yesterday was mixed. The Cubs dropped yet another to the Reds, 2 - 8. The Cubs face the Reds again today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox split with the Blue Jays, losing the first game 1 - 4 and winning the second game 4 - 1. The Sox meet the Blue Jays tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Tigers welcome the Orioles to Comerica Park tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The Caps were totally outplayed by the Great Lakes Loons last night, losing 9 - 16. The Caps and the Loons play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

Otherwise, I have my day planned out for today. Music, crossword solving, painting, working on my picnic blanket, and reading. Likely too much for one day, but there is always another day. Mary will be needlepointing and listening to her latest book. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 10:45 p.m. in "The City."

A current temperature of 75° under partly-cloudy skies feels like 75° with a wind out of the south @ 5 mph. The overnight low will drop to only 72° before we rebound to tomorrow's high-temperature of 81°, also under partly-cloudy skies. The overnight low tomorrow will be a more seasonal 66°. The sun will rise in the morning @ 6:29 a.m. and set later @ 9:12 p.m.

Normally, I'd report the baseball news right about now, but all of my teams are still playing, so I'll skip over that part of the blog until all the scores are in and instead report on our day today. 

Update: Cubs win over the Reds, 6 - 5, Red Sox win over the Blue Jays, 5 - 4, Tigers fall to the Twins, 5 - 6. 

We harvested our potatoes today. Not a huge amount, and the plants behind our garage produced no potatoes, but all in all, our container planters rewarded us with some nice potatoes. Mary took some pictures using her Olympus Tough TG-6 camera, so I'll add some of those here.

The first container produced these red potatoes that were easily accessed through the side flap.

Alas, in spite of my hopes, I dug up nothing but dirt behind the garage.

But all told, we had a good harvest in three small containers.

Once we were done with the harvest, Mary moved inside and I watered all of the plantings on the Palatial Estate. I should mention, that during the rain storm the other night, one of the deer of Grand Haven took refuge in our back yard and ate some of our cherry tomatoes. I also harvested another cucumber too.

I came in, rested and read for a while, then Mary took her audio-book and knitting upstairs and left me to one of my favorite activities in the kitchen, pie baking. Today, I made a blueberry pie. We had one-piece each before dinner and we both pronounced it excellent. Here is a pic of my efforts, minus those two pieces.

Mmmmm good!

We decided that a trip to the auxiliary gardens for watering and harvesting followed by a photo shooting trip was a good way to end our day. Before we left, we fed the fur-children, I took some pix in our own vast gardens, and then we set out. While at the auxiliary gardens, Mary watered, I weeded, and harvested a cucumber and another summer squash.

Here are some pix of the flowers that are blooming in our own back yard.

I like the contrast of this black-eyed Susan against the blurred background.

In Mary's rose garden, this is one of many blooms.

These perennial daisies grow near our garage. 

After our stop at the auxiliary gardens, we headed east into the township and stopped at a park along the Grand River or maybe it is near Spring Lake, it is hard to tell. At any rate, it is called Potawatomie Park. There are numerous trails there, picnic shelters, playgrounds, a beach, and of course, water.

Here ae some pix I took.

Built in 1992.

Fishing piers.

Great scenery.

A boardwalk along the lakeshore or riverside.

A gull in flight.

A nice melange or medley of man-made and natural sights.

Part of a still living tree.

Time to head home, eat dinner and pie, relax, read, and get ready for the indoor chores tomorrow. 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 1:00 a.m. in "The City."

In GH, the current temperature is 69° under clear-skies and it feels like 69° with a breeze out of the east @ 1 mph. The overnight low will be 66°. We have no statements, advisories, alerts, watches, nor warnings in effect.

Today's high-temperature will be about 6° warmer than yesterday @ 82° under sunny-skies, while the overnight low will only drop to 71°. 

We did a lot of reading yesterday and I did some painting. Mary thinks that one of my current paintings looks like an acid trip, but that's because I am only part way done with my efforts. However, I am nearly done with my watercolor version of her flower arrangement that was in the living room. She feels that it needs a  border of some type and she is probably right. 

However, I asked if Rembrandt's wife would have told Rembrandt that the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel needed a border what would Rembrandt have said? She said it didn't matter, as the wife was the one who would have been displaying the painting in her living room. I had to tell her that Rembrandt didn't paint the Sistine Chapel, that it was Michelangelo. Mary said the Michelangelo's wife would have said the same thing. Sigh. I'll get on that later today. 

In baseball news, the 49 - 51, 4th place in the NL Central Cubs, used home runs off of the bats of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and newly activated off the 60-day IL David Bote, to get the win for RHP Trevor Williams, 4 - 2, with a 5 - 1 victory over the 5th place, 31 - 70 D'Backs. The Cubs welcome the 2nd place, 51 - 48 in the NL Central Reds to Wrigley Field for an 8:05 p.m. EDT start when RHP Kyle Hendricks, 12 - 4. throws the first pitch. The trading deadline is getting closer and the rotund lady may soon be singing for some of the Cub's stalwarts. Stay tuned.

My beloved, 1st place in the AL East, 61 - 39 Red Sox, came from way behind, when they scored five runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to outduel the 51 - 47, 3rd place Yankees, 5 - 4. The Sox welcome the visiting 4th place, 49 - 46 in the AL East Blue Jays tonight for a 7:10 p.m. start with RHP Nick Pivetta, 8 - 4 on the mound for the Red Sox. 

A side note, Red Sox LHP Chris Sale was a little shaky in a rehab start for the Double A Portland Sea Dogs, but he didn't give up a walk, hit one batter and pitched out of several jams while throwing at a top speed of 96 mph! He will be back in a Red Sox uniform sometime in August, 17 months after Tommy John surgery. 

The 47 - 54, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers fell to the 4th place, in the AL Central 42 - 55 Royals, 1 - 6 yesterday. RHP Tarik Skubal, 6 - 9, gave up too many home runs and the Tigers had slumber in the lumber yesterday in the loss. The Tigers move on to face the 42 - 58, 5th place in the AL Central Twins tonight @ 8:10 p.m. 

The 33 -38, 5th place Caps outdueled the 34 - 38, 4th place Lug Nuts last night, 3 - 0. The Caps are off tonight before traveling to Midland, MI Tuesday to face the 40 - 32, 1st place Great Lakes Loons @ 7:05 p.m.

Otherwise, we have no specific plans for today. We should get Mary's recently cross-stitched ornaments mounted, but I seem to remember there is something else we have to do too. Oh well, Mary will remember, I hope.

I plan to paint more, read more, and play more music. Mary plans to knit and needlepoint more along with working on those aforementioned ornaments. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 12:00 a.m. in "The City" where the current temperature is 75° under cloudy-skies. It feels like 75° with a wind out of the south @ six mph. The overnight low will drop to 72° before we rebound to tomorrow's high-temperature of 79° with an increasing chance for T-storms by late afternoon into the evening hours. The overnight low tomorrow is forecast by the NWS to fall to 68°.

We had a real gully-washer early yesterday morning that knocked several of my tomatoes off the vine and which washed some of the dirt out of the vast gardens into our shared driveway.

There are some statements and advisories for this morning into tonight too. 

First, is a Beach Hazard Statement for Mason, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties. Strong currents will be hazardous to swimmers and people foolhardy enough to venture out onto the piers from 8:00 a.m. today until 8:00 p.m. this evening. 

Second, is a Dense Fog Advisory from Holland to Manistee until 8:00 p.m. tonight. 

Finally, there is a Small Craft Advisory in effect from 8:00 a.m. today until 8:00 p.m. tonight, also from Holland to Manistee with wind-speeds of 10 - 20 knots with gusts up to 20 knots that will produce waves from three to five feet in height. Once again, Surf's Up!

Baseball news yesterday was mostly good. 

The 48 - 50 Cubs and starting RHP Zach Davies handcuffed the 30 - 69 AZ D'Backs, 8 - 3. This may be one of the last games for that 2016 World Series group of players, Baez, Bryant, and Rizzo. Pitcher Zach Davies may also be on the move as the Cubs dump salary and players who never produced more than one World-Series championship. Today's game will also be @ 2:20 p.m. EDT when RHP Alec Mills, 4 - 3, makes his next start.

My beloved, 60 - 38 Red Sox triumphed over their rivals, the 50 - 46 NY Yankees, 6 - 2. The win went to RHP Yacksel Rios, 3 - 0. The Sox and the Yankees meet again in Fenway Park today @ 4:05 p.m. as Nathan Eovaldi, 9 - 5, makes the start for the Sox.

The 47 - 52 Tigers were on a roll, but starting RHP Wily Peralta looked good for a while until the 40 - 55 Royals came to life and defeated the Tigers, 3 - 5. The tigers and starting RHP Casey Mize, 5 - 5, meet the Royals again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The 32 - 37, White Caps defeated the 33 - 37 Lansing Lug Nuts at home last night, eking out the win, 6 - 5. The Caps and the Lug Nuts play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

I was a busy beaver yesterday. I read a lot, made three different vegan items in the kitchen, and vacuumed the upstairs. STWD should be bald based upon the amount of hair she sheds and vacuum up along with the amount of fur which I remove with a Furminator™ every time we go out for her offerings. Alas, she has a thick and full coat, which includes an undercoat, that is supposed to keep her warm in the winter and cool in the summer. 

Today is another of those indoor chore days and more reading. I need to play more music and work on my art if there is enough natural light. 

In spite of what may seem like my complaining and while retirement has proven to be a full-time job, I am okay with that as there is always something that needs to be done. 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 6:15 a.m. in "The City" on the shores of the "Big Lake", Lake Michigan, which during our short outing yesterday had calm waters, busy-beaches, and sunny-skies overhead. 

We have a current temperature of 63° that feels like 63° with a slight breeze out of the north @ two mph. Not coincidentally, that 63° will be our overnight low temperature under clear-skies. Today's high-temperature will reach a very comfortable 76° under skies that may yield a slight chance of a stray T-storm early. There is a very real possibility for additional T-storms after midnight tonight with a growing probability from 24% to 72% by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow. I have to make a final call regarding watering the vast-gardens sometime today. 

The sun rose today @ 6:25 a.m. and it will set later tonight @ 9:16 p.m.

I am a glutton for punishment, perhaps that's redundant, since I am a card-carrying member of the Die-Hard Cubs Fan Club. What can I say, I watched and I listened last night as the 47 - 49 Cubs once again experienced slumber in the lumber and fell to their rivals, the 48 - 48 Cardinals in 10 innings, 2 - 3. No, starting RHP Kyle Hendricks, 12 - 4, didn't lose the game and break his "Winning Streak." That dubious honor went to closer Craig Kimbrel, 1 - 3, but a loss is a loss. 

The Cubs are facing the very real likelihood of now being a rebuilding team, a team with little in the way of prospects in their minor-league system, especially pitchers. The only bright spot is that the Cubs have some hot-hitting position-players in their farm-system who will be a big help in a few years. However, with little to show for a mortgaged future following their only World Series victory way back in 2016, it is going to be a tough future. 

It is no wonder that the architect of that World-Series season, Cubs' President and CEO Theo Epstein, stepped down and yielded the team leadership to Epstein protégé, Jed Hoyer. Now it is up to Hoyer which players will be traded, which players to draft, and which players to give long-term contracts. I don't see any chance for a return to post-season play for several years. Sigh. 

At any rate, the Cubs and the 48 - 48 Cardinals close out their series in St. Louis tonight when RHP Adbert Alzolay, 4 - 7 throws the first pitch @ 7:15 p.m.

My beloved, 58 - 38 Red Sox dropped the 48 - 44 Blue Jays in Buffalo, NY, last night, 7 - 4, with RHP Garrett Richards, 6 - 5 getting the win. The Sox slugged five home runs last night and 11 over the entire series versus the Blue Jays, as the beloved prepare to meet tonight's nemeses in Fenway Park, the 50 - 44 Yankees, when RHP Tanner Houck, 0 - 2, recently called up from the Worcester Red Sox, makes the start @ 7:10 p.m.

The 46 - 51 Tigers are still on a roll, as they took another game, their sixth win in a row, over the 35 - 61 TX Rangers, 4 - 2, as rookie RHP Matt Manning, 2 - 3, notched the win. The Tigers will be in Detroit this afternoon for a 1:10 p.m. start when LHP Tyler Alexander, 1 - 1 goes for the Tigers' seventh win in a row. 

Tigers' GM, Al Avila, says the Tigers are done rebuilding and will not be adding or subtracting players at the trading deadline later this month. I have to agree, it is time that the Tigers watch the future begin to unfold as they strive to once again become a perennial powerhouse in the AL Central for many years.. It is easy to become a Tigers "Homer" as I watch a young team begin to gel under manager A. J. Hinch's guidance. 

The Tigers' High-A affiliate, the 31 - 30 West Michigan White Caps, AKA the Caps, won last night's game over the visiting 32 - 38 Lansing Lug Nuts, 5 - 1. The Caps and the Lug nuts play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

We took a short stroll with the fur-children yesterday afternoon and then traveled to the auxiliary gardens and that big-box nearly everything store with Ginger. We made our first harvest at the auxiliary gardens, a cucumber and a summer-squash. Mary is right, I am enjoying the auxiliary gardens in spite of my early reticence to add to our gardening workload. I guess when you are retired, the term workload is probably not accurate. 

At any rate, we are seeing the first of our cherry-tomatoes begin to ripen in the vast-gardens of the PE. We have already harvested one jalapeno pepper and many cucumbers here. The potatoes we planted back in May will soon be ready for harvest along with some sweet green peppers too. I love gardening.

Otherwise, I am making steady progress reading Preventable, "The inside story of how leadership failures, politics, and selfishness doomed the U.S. response", by Andy Slavitt. While I am generally reluctant to cast aspersions, this was a huge failure in leadership from the former POTUS on down, especially the former POTUS. 

I did a little research in my own blogging history and found that as of 3/23/20. I wrote that the U.S. had a mere 35,000 cases and only 458 deaths due to the Covid-19 virus. I was way too optimistic back then and now here we are. This is not a hoax, it is a serious abdication of responsibility by the GOP here in Michigan and across the U.S.

If you aren't aware of what is happening, you aren't paying attention. The U.S. has over 600,000 dead and the rising number of new illnesses and hospitalizations that are coming with the GOP's mishandling, nee their outright bungling, of the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. This was not just a series of mistakes, but a series of malfeasant and deliberate and malevolent acts. Life will never be the same again, to borrow from Michael McDonald and his hit song. I Keep Forgettin'. Sigh. That's enough. 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 the current temperature is 70° under clear-skies and it feels like70° with only a four mph wind out of the west. Tomorrow's high-temperature will reach 79° under sunny skies with an overnight low of 67°. The sun will rise @ 6:21 a.m. and set later @ 9:20 p.m. Yes my friends, the days are once again getting shorter. 

We went on a ride about today after a short walk with our fur-children. It was a warm one today, so STWD had about two to three blocks in her and she was spent for the afternoon. We believe that it is less important for Sugar to walk long-distances than it is for her to get out and smell whatever she can find. Ginger could have kept going, but we had some errands to run, so she was left at home when we went out today.

Our first stop was at the auxiliary gardens where we discovered that in our absence, summer squash had formed, peppers, cabbage, collard greens and marigolds were growing, and the cucumbers were doing their best to grow up big and strong. We watered some and we were off to our next stop.

It turns out, that the Village Baker in Spring Lake was closed for the day, but that gave us more time to find some photo shooting sites. I am still loving my 75mm to 300mm telephoto lens, especially when I engage the feature on my Olympus 4/3 digital camera that effectively doubles the focal length of that lens. Here are some shots of various things and places in Spring Lake and here in GH.

Just a few small boats were sailing on this part of Spring Lake.

Including this pontoon boat. I didn't notice the gulls sitting on the dock in the foreground.

Very calm and serene as seen from the east side of Spring Lake.

An old silo on a road in Spring Lake.

That is part of this dilapidated barn.

One of the trestles belonging to the RSTL adjacent to Harbor Island in GH.

The swinging bridge in its normally open position across the Grand River. 

I'm not sure why there are canoes stored here.

Old used RR ties rarely get hauled away, they just get put to the side of the tracks

This man was a train spotter walking the bridge as we left.

All in all, a very pleasurable photo-safari. 

Baseball news today/tonight was not very good. The Cubs tried to stage yet another come from behind win over the generally hapless D'Backs, but the Cubs came up short, 4 - 6. The Cubs are in St. Louis to take on the Cardinals tomorrow night when Alec Mills makes the start @ 8:15 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox were totally outclassed earlier in NYC by the Yankees, 1 - 9. The Sox still have a firm hold on 1st place in the AL East, but they did not look good versus the Bronx Bombers. The Sox move on to face the Blue Jays tomorrow night @ 7:07 p.m. when Nick Pivetta makes his next start for the beloved. 

The Tigers swept the Twins yesterday afternoon with a 7 - 0 win. A good series for a rebuilding team that is now 43 - 51. The Tigers are home tomorrow night to face the TX Rangers @ 7 :10 p.m. when Casey Mize toes the rubber for the Tigers. 

The Caps were also outplayed yesterday, in their case by the Ft. Wayne TinCaps as the Caps fell to the TinCaps yesterday, 2 - 9. The Caps are off tomorrow before they welcome the Lansing Lug Nuts to the West Michigan Credit Union Ballpark for a Tuesday night game that begins @ 7:05 p.m.

We also did some reading, some crossword solving, and some cooking today that included a vegan meatloaf that was very tasty addition to our dinner and which is a definite keeper. Last night, Mary was busy in the kitchen, making ranch dressing and a rice salad. 

Oh, I watched out the WW as MMRR locomotives 2170 and 21019 passed by on the aforementioned RSTL heading south, towing 10 CGCs.

Tomorrow, I hope to get back to some of the painting I have been working on. I didn't like my efforts at first, but upon further review, I think things are progressing well. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world,. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City" where all the news that 's fit to blog will be posted.

We have a current temperature of 67° under mostly-cloudy skies that feels like 67° with a wind out of the north @ 7 mph. There are no watches, advisories, alerts, nor warnings in effect at this time and the water temperature of the "Big Lake" @ the Grand Haven State Park is a brisk 62°. 

Here in MI, there is a debate going on regarding closing the beaches and not allowing swimmers into the water when there is either a Beach hazard Statement or a Small Craft Advisory in effect. However, the surfers here on the Third Coast are concerned that in their zeal to protect people from themselves, and the very real danger posed by the waves that make Lake Michigan attractive to surfers, the regulators may place the lake off-limits with the proposed restrictions. 

We certainly want to keep people safe and not have them falling off of piers nor being dragged under by Rip Currents, but there needs to be a balance between draconian rules/regulations and the enjoyment of surfing enthusiasts who have saved many lives and who enjoy the thrill of surfing when the waves are peaking. Stay tuned.

Today's high-temperature is forecast to reach a more seasonal 79° under cloudy-skies with a 46% chance for showers this morning, sometime after 9:00 a.m. As of now, a glance out the WW shows no showers. However, we had some showers in the morning yesterday. The NWS is reporting a barometric pressure of 30.02" of Hg and rising, while my own DTWS is showing 29.40" of Hg and falling. No consistency here in GH. Tonight's low will drop to 61°. The sun will rise this morning @ 6:20 a.m. and set later @ 9:20 p.m.

My yak is feeling better following my recent RFA last Wednesday. I walked more yesterday and the day before than I have in a long while. I have one more side to be worked on before I can call the results a real fix, not a cure, as there is no cure for arthritis, but a real pain-relieving fix nonetheless. I love getting to use the word nonetheless in a blog.

The 45 - 46 Cubs returned to the field last night in AZ versus the 26 - 67 D'Backs and as expected, the Cubs were triumphant as RHP Kyle Hendricks, 12 - 4, got the 5 - 1, assisted by home-runs off the bats of Anthony Rizzo, Patrick Wisdom, and pinch-hitting Jason Heyward. The Cubs are still in talks with several teams regarding trade possibilities for several players, but other than that recent trade of OF Joc Pederson to the Braves, there is nothing new to report. The Cubs  and the D'Backs take the field again today @ 4:10 p.m. EDT when RHP Adbert Alzolay, 4 - 9, takes the ball from Cubs' manager David Ross.

My beloved, 56 - 36, running away with first place in the AL East Red Sox, upended their arch-rivals, the 46 - 44 Yankees, 4 - 0. The Sox used 8 Ks by starter and winner, LHP Eduardo Rodriguez to get the win as the second-half of the season got underway in NYC. The Sox and the Yankees play again tonight @ 7:15 p.m. EDT, when RHP Nathan Eovaldi, 9 - 5 goes for the Sox. 

In other Red Sox news, the team called up their #3 prospect, CF Jarren Duran from their Triple-A affiliate the Worcester, MA Red Sox along with RHP Tanner Houck. By the by, LHP Chris Sale reported that he is making great strides in his planned return to the Sox in late August following last-season's Tommy John surgery. 

The 40 - 51 Tigers and the Twins were rained out across the state in Detroit on the shores of Lake Erie. The missed games will be made up as part of a double-header today and on August 30th. Since neither team is going anywhere this fall, that should be just fine. 

In addition, the Tigers optioned IF Willy Castro to their Triple-A affiliate, the Toledo Mud-Hens, as he has not  been able to get his groove back this year. The team has not given up on Castro, but they hope he can get back to being the player that he was last year with some time in the mints away from the big-league spotlight. In addition, the Tigers designated OF Nomar Gazara for assignment as he has been a major-league disappointment this season. 

The Tigers and the Twins try again for another double-header beginning today @ 1:10 p.m. when RHP Jose Urena, 2 - 8, makes his next start. Game two of the split double-header begins @ 6:10 p.m. EDT with not Tigers' starter yet named. 

The 30 -33 Caps took their third in a row from the 28 - 36 Ft. Wayne TinCaps last night, 4 - 1. Both teams are scheduled to play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. EDT.

Elsewhere on the homefront, I finally got around to some outdoor chores my yak has been resisting and I made another vegan stir-fry for dinner. That was along with completing another crossword and reading more. I want to paint today, but unless the cloud cover breaks, I don't see that in my plans. However, I will be doing more indoor chores 

Mary will be in charge of meals today along with more reading and more needlepointing. I went to bed last night to listen to the Cubs on the radio in what was a first-time for me broadcast scenario. The Cubs broadcasters were in Wrigley Field to do the play-by-play, while the Cubs were in AZ playing. I do not know why.

Mary was late coming to bed, as she was being held hostage by her lap-dog, Ginger, downstairs.

Mary wanted a lap-dog and she got one.

That looks like 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 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 64° that feels like 64° with a minuscule wind out of the east blowing @ one-mph. That's under partly-cloudy skies. We did get some rain overnight and into the early morning hours yesterday, which should be enough to sustain the Vast Gardens of the Palatial Estate and Mary's Auxiliary Gardens too. 

Today's high-temperature forecast from the NWS calls for 76° under cloudy-skies with an overnight low of 64°. There is a slight 19% chance for rain in the forecast for this morning. The sun will rise @ 6:20 a.m. and set tonight @ 9:21 p.m.

We made it to my dental appointment yesterday afternoon, where I learned, not surprisingly, that I need some extensive work to replace my failing bridge. Let's just say that the cost will not be small. Oh well, at least Mary and Ginger got to do a short exploration of the nearby Hoffma Preserve in Grand Haven Township while I was being examined. 

They couldn't stay long, as they had to return to retrieve me, but Mary has decided that Hoffma Preserve is her latest favorite. Lots of amenities and trails for hiking. Hopefully, my yak and I will be able to join them in the not too distant future. While they were at Hoffma, our Senior Staff Photographer, AKA Mary, took some pictures for my edification and Mary's future hiking plans.

A nice picnic shelter with a playground for kids in the background.

A nice paved trail with a map of the trail system.

I think that our Senior Staff Photographer captured this trail very well on her birthday.

As you can see, there are myriad trails to explore at the preserve. 

A more rustic trail.

Plus, Mary liked that there are full facilities there too.

In sports news, my beloved, 55 - 36 Red Sox were postponed in NYC for their game tonight versus the 46 - 33 Yankees due to team members testing positive for the Covid virus. Will they get in a game today? Maybe. If so, that game would begin in NYC @ 7:05 p.m. when LHP Martin Perez, 7 - 5, throws the first pitch for the Sox. The Yankees have not announced a starter for themselves. 

The 44 - 46, and falling Cubs, are now officially sellers following the All-Star break. The Cubs traded OF Joc Pederson to the Braves for a hard-hitting 1st base prospect. Does this mean that current Cubs' 1st baseman Anthony Rizzo may soon be gone?  He along with SS Javier Baez and IF/OF Kris Bryant are also free-agents, so they too may be shipped out soon along with resurgent closer, RHP Craig Kimbrel. The Cubs are scheduled to play a game tonight in AZ versus the D'Backs when RHP Kyle Hendricks, 11 - 6, makes his next start @ 9:40 p.m. 

The 40 - 51 Tigers are not trading anyone away nor acquiring anyone either, at least so far. They are still rebuilding and they will be welcoming the 39 - 50 Twins to Comerica Park for a 2:10 p.m. game this afternoon when RHP Jose Urena, 2 - 8 throws for the Tigers.

The 28 - 33 Caps, took two from the 28 - 34 Ft. Wayne TinCaps today/this evening in Ft. Wayne, IN, a make up pf a rainout from earlier in the year, 5 - 0 and the regular game, 4 - 0. The Caps come home tonight to face those same TinCaps in the Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark for a game beginning @ 7:05 p.m.

I finished a crossword puzzle yesterday and made another batch of my vegan Italian meatballs and assisted with the preparation of Coleslaw. Mary did the hard part, mixing the dressing. I just had to peel and grate. 

Today, I hope to get back to my painting, but with the cloudy-skies, I may have to settle for some other less natural-light dependent pursuit. Mary is downstairs now with Ginger, probably watching some apocalyptic movie and needlepointing on her latest project. 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 10:00 p.m. in "The City."

The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 74° that feels like 74° with a wind out of the southeast @ 8 mph under partly-cloudy skies. Tomorrow's high-temperature will be a very comfortable San Diego-like 72°, albeit with a 96% chance for T-storms in the ayem, followed by cloudy-skies the balance of the day and perhaps a 45% chance for more showers on Friday. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 6:18 a.m. and set tomorrow evening @ 9:22 p.m.

In addition to the above forecast, the NWS has added a Beach Hazard Statement for Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties in Michigan from 2:00a.m. tomorrow until sometime tomorrow evening. Apparently the time will be announced later. Swimming conditions will be hazardous due to strong currents that can pull people under, especially on the south-side of piers. Also, the waves can sweep foolhardy people off of the piers too. 

Further, there will be a Small Craft Advisory in effect from 2:00 a.m. tomorrow until 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night from St. Joseph to South Haven, and from Pentwater to Manistee. Once again, that advisory has skipped GH. Wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots and wave heights of three to five feet are possible.

I didn't go far with my camera today, but earlier in the week, Mary and her wing-gal, Ginger, took a walk to the waterfront and back. While there, Mary, AKA our Senior Staff Photographer, took some pix of what she and Ginger saw along the way.

Knowing that I am fond of things seen when looking down Mary snapped this pic.

Our own Lynne Sherwood Waterfront Stadium bandstand.

The Grand River channel looking towards the "Big Lake."

Late in the day, most of the boats were in dock.

Of course, not to be outdone, I took some picture earlier today of the Hydrangea flowers that Mary cut for viewing in our living room. I also pencil sketched her arrangement for later water-cooling too.

I am hoping for a nicer picture when I get this sketch colored.

This is what I was sketching in living color.

A closer view.

I read more today and did two crossword puzzles along with texting back and forth with our son regarding my orthopedist appointment that was for my first Radio Frequency Ablation ( RFA) on my yak. I received that treatment on the right-side and in two weeks, I'll get the same treatment on the left-side. Not very painful, owing I think in large-measure to the skills of Dr. Kapteyn and the staff at Orthopedic Associates of Muskegon, MI. But of course, I'll have a better handle on that tomorrow.

I didn't get any painting done today as the light was not streaming in the windows of my studio. Tomorrow doesn't look very promising either. 

Mary made a new version of pizza for dinner that incorporated one of my vegan Italian sausages. This was a new crust. I agree with Mary, it was/is not a keeper. 

This pizza looks better than it tasted. 

There is no Major-League baseball tonight. All teams will be off until Friday. The American League won last night's All-Star game, 5 - 2. 

The West-Michigan White Caps, AKA the Caps, fell to the Ft. Wayne TinCaps, 1 - 2. The Caps and the TinCaps play again tonight @ the Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark beginning @ 6:05 p.m.

So, other than that dentist appointment tomorrow, we have nothing on tap. Oh, there is one thing, I'm singing in the Rain, Just Singing in the rain. Why, because it is not raining right now, but it is Mary's birthday. Singing in the Rain  All good by me. Ciao.