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.