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 55° per my DTWS, but according to the NWS, it feels more like 50° with a wind out of the northwest @ 11 mph. We have reached our overnight low with that 55° reading. We have two weather related concerns to report about. 

First, is a Beach Hazard Statement in effect for Allegan, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties until Monday evening. High-waves and strong currents will pose a hazard to swimmers and people who choose to walk on the piers. 

Second, is a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee, with windspeeds of 15 to 25 knots and wave-heights from three to six feet. The sun will rise this morning @ 7:36 a.m. and set this evening @ 7:36 p.m.

Today's high-temperature is forecast to reach 66° with an overnight low of 59°. I am at a crossroads with regards to my summer uniform of shorts and a short-sleeved T-shirt versus long jeans and a long-sleeved shirt. 

In Sports news, the only good thing to come out of Wrigley field yesterday, was the two-run home run, #28, in the bottom of the first inning of game one, by Patrick Wisdom. Cubs' manager, David Ross, noted that rookie RHP Justin Steele gained some valuable experience versus the red-hot Cardinals as he surrendered three home runs. Maybe, but that's only a slight plus. If he can't get the opposition out this year, why will next year be any better? Just asking. 

The Cubs and the Cards square off again today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT when RHP Adrian Sampson, 1 - 2, makes the start. Speaking of Sampson, I didn't read his name anywhere in the pitching plans for next season. Just saying.

My beloved Red Sox are now only one-game ahead in the Wild Card race, as they lost to the Yankees last night, 3 - 8. Today's game versus the Yankees is scheduled to start @ 4:10 p.m. when RHP Nick Pivetta tosses the first pitch for the Sox.

The Tigers didn't really fare any better than the Sox last night, as they fell to the Kansas City Royals, 1 - 3. Miggy got his 2,980th hit, but that wasn't a deciding factor for the Tigers. The Tigers and the Royals play tonight @ 6:10 p.m. EDT when rookie Tarik Skubal, 8 - 12, throws for the Tigers. I used the verb throws versus pitches, because his record indicates that he needs to be more of  pitcher than a thrower to be successful in the major-leagues.

College football has a full slate today, as the MSU Spartans, 3 - 0, welcome the Cornhuskers of Nebraska, 2 - 2, to Spartan Stadium @ 7:00 p.m. EDT.

The 3 - 0 Wolverines of MI, welcome the also 3 - 0 Scarlet Knights of Rutgers to "The Big House" in Ann Arbor for a game that begins @ 3:30 p.m. EDT.

The 1 - 2 Huskies of NIU host the 1 - 2 Black Bears of Maine in Husky Stadium in Dekalb, IL starting @ 2:30 p.m. EDT. 

We set out yesterday afternoon for a photo-shoot @ nearby Coopersville. That was after I walked STWD. I had originally wanted to go to Muskegon for some shooting there, but the Taste of Muskegon is going on and so we detoured to Coopersville. I got some nice shots while Mary and Ginger went walkabout. We joined up again after while and took a few more pix. While my plans were to take some pix on the southside of Coopersville, we ended up in the downtown area. Oh well, that allowed Mary to purchase some pumpkins for our Halloween front-porch display @ the outlet grocery store there, "Off the Tracks."

The local farmers contributed this bounty, for a price, to the store. It looks like an outdoor cornucopia. 

Mary selected two pumpkins for our front-porch display.

At first, I went walkabout alone and later with Mary and Ginger, for some pix of the downtown area and the railroad tracks and equipment that belong to the Coopersville and Marne Railway. All pix were shot with my 75 - 300mm lens using my newly received and installed lens hood to see how that would change things. I'll let you be the judge of any difference, but I think it helped limit the glare factor of the pix.

Although now relegated to museums, railroads used to have a caboose on every freight train. 

Not a rolling piece of the Coopersville and Marne Railway to be seen in this shot. 

I decided to capture this passenger car through a luggage cart.

The tracks run from Coopersville on the west, to Marne, in the east. 

Marne was the home of 1950s rock-star Del Shannon for part of his life. His life and music is now celebrated in Coopersville every August during the annual car show and Summerfest that bear his name. 

The Coopersville Hardware & Feed store has been in Coopersville for many years in its current configuration. The current owners discontinued the feed and flour mill and remodeled to focus on the hardware side of the store. 

Using these storage silos as a frame for this rolling crane. 

This windmill is in front of the farm museum.

Same, just more of the tower. 

This rusty rolling crane was what I framed in that earlier pic.

A storage and workshop for the railway?

A local resident has their own windmill. 

A switching engine for the C & M Railway.

Ginger near a fire hydrant. Stereotyping?

Today, I think college football, a little kitchen action, some music, and part of the indoor chores are on my to-do list. Mary will be joining in the fun too. I also have another crossword puzzle to solve and more reading of Stephen King's newest novel,  Billy Summers. Ciao.