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", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is 26° as we head towards the overnight low of 18°. However, since there is only a slight wind out of the north @ three mph, it feels like 23°. 

The NWS has issued yet another Gale Watch from Holland to Manistee beginning @ 11:00 p.m. tomorrow night and continuing until 1:00 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. Winds are expected to blow @ 35 knots and waves will build to eight feet in height.

Tomorrow's high temperature will be about 7° warmer than today, reaching 32° under partly-cloudy skies. There is good and bad news for Tuesday. We will see a high temperature near 40°. However, that comes with a strong chance for afternoon/evening rain showers that will turn to snow showers by Wednesday when the daytime high temperature will only reach 27° with a chance for snow showers in the evening. So, the rain on Tuesday will wash away some of the dirt, but the temperatures will fall on Wednesday and make everything, roads included, slippery for drivers. In short, it will be a typical winter day in Michigan.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:02 a.m. and set later @ 5:54 p.m.

I had an easier day today than Mary. She and Ginger went to the grocery store for a pickup and all I had to do was help with the unloading. Afterward, I made some vegan Italian sausages so that Mary could make another of her famous homemade pizzas for our dinner. She has not made one in a long time, so it was a treat that tasted great!

Here is the pizza fresh from the oven atop the wooden pizza paddle that I made many years ago.

Mary decided that it was time for a change of scenery here at the manse. She moved one Lazy Boy to the other side of the living room, relocated one of the end tables, changed the location of some of the things on display in the kitchen, which required my assistance with the higher items, washed other things, and found time to make her famous pizza dough and pizza. 

As she worked, I was ensconced in the dining room watching the Bengals defeat the Chiefs, 27 - 24, and then later, watching former Lions QB Matthew Stafford propel the Rams past the Forty-Niners, 24 - 21. Stafford never got the chance to go to the Super Bowl while he was with the Lions, but now he and his Rams teammates are on their way to Super Bowl LIV in two weeks versus the Bengals. 

Right now, Mary is downstairs ear reading and cross-stitching.

Tomorrow, we are going to take it easier. I hope to do some coloring and play some music along with reading. No newspapers are due until Tuesday, so my plans should all work out fine. Mary will be stitching and hopefully doing less than today. 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", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is 18°, with a slight wind out of the south @ four mph that makes it feel like 12°. There are no advisories, alerts, watches, nor warnings in the current forecast from the NWS.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:04 a.m. and the daytime high temperature will reach 24° before we see the sunset @  5:52 p.m. and an overnight low of 15°.

I did some painting today along with some coloring, since the sun was shining and my studio was bright and cheery.

This afternoon, Mary and I listened to the author's notes for a book she just finished listening to and which she enjoyed immensely. Mary tried listening to a new book, but it was not to her liking. I'm not sure if she has selected another yet.

Finally, we fed our fur-children, left them behind at the manse, and we traveled to the Grand Haven City Hall, the Grand Haven State Park and the Lake Forest Cemetery for a few photo shooting opportunities. We finished our trip at the Loutit District Library for a book drop off and pick up.

As I noted, we made a couple of stops for photo shoots and so I'll include some pix of what we saw now.

Someone erected a large snowman outside of the GH City Hall.

From a parking lot adjacent to the channel, this is Dewy Hill in winter.

The sun was setting behind the north pier as people braved the snow, ice, and frigid temperatures.

I especially liked how the outer lighthouse looked as the sun set behind it. 

We were not alone during our visit.

Looking due south, this is the steam rising off the cooling tower at the power plant near Holland.

I just like this one.

At Lake Forest Cemetery, these deer were clustered near the maintenance bulding.

They were curious, but not afraid.

They have no fear of humans as they forage.

This group was foraging nearby, but separate from the others.

The deer seemed to know where to find food.

All in all, Mary's suggestion that we combine a trip to the library with some photoshoots turned out great! It isn't often that we can get this close to the deer in the cemetery.

Tomorrow, we have no specific plans. If the sun cooperates, I'll do more painting and more coloring. I have two crossword puzzles to work on too. I could do some indoor chores, but they can wait until Sunday.

Mary is continuing her cross stitch efforts on two different projects, so she has plenty to keep her busy too. I think that's 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 6:20 p.m. in "The City."

Per the NWS in GR, we have a current temperature of 18° under cloudy skies, but it feels like only 3° with a wind out of the southwest @  17 mph. Tonight's low temperature will drop to 17° before we rebound to tomorrow's high temperature of a balmy 30°. 

But wait, there's more! The NWS forecast calls for tomorrow night's low temperature to drop to a very wintry 8°!

If that wasn't enough, the NWS forecast also includes a Small Craft Advisory that went into effect today @ 4:00 p.m., continuing until 10:00 p.m. tonight from South Haven to Manistee. Wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots with possible gusts up to 40 knots will propel waves on the "Big Lake" up to seven feet.

Just when you think it is safe to go back into the water, that Small Craft Advisory will be superseded by a Gale Warning with winds of 20 to 30 knots and gusts also possible up to 40 knots and increased wave heights up to 10 feet!

It looks like our daytime temperatures will yoyo up and down for several more days. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:04 a.m. and set tomorrow evening @ 5:50 p.m.

We had a small fender bender in front of the manse this afternoon between a pickup truck and a bus. No biggie and no harm befell anyone, with the exception of the slight traffic backup. 

We haven't had this much snowfall for several years. I am so glad that we have a snow removal service. Both my yak and my shoulders say thanks. However, I did take some pictures following yet another visit by our snow removal service. They/we are running out of places to pile the snow.

Our front steps are clear and ready for any visitors.

As is our shared driveway.

And now there is room for either our trash or recycling bin, but not both.

Our neighbor had someone come by and plow/pile the snow off to their side of the driveway.

While not part of the immediate manse environs, the street has been plowed and is very passable, thanks to the efforts of our GH Public Works Department, or GHDPW.

We watched the last several episodes of the third season of Virgin River this afternoon and it was obvious that the show needs a fourth season. Fortunately, the show is so popular that there will be a fourth and perhaps a fifth season. Phew!!!

Otherwise, things around the manse were quiet today. I didn't get any painting done, but I hope to get to some music right after this blog.

Tomorrow, more inside and out of the weather for my old bones. Ciao.

Good mornng 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", where the current temperature is 21°, but it feels more like 12° with winds out of the north @ seven mph under skies that are still delivering snowfall. However, that snowfall is considerably lighter than it was up until about 6:00 p.m. tonight. We received about six or seven inches of additional snowfall throughout the day.

In addition, the NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the counties of Mason, Muskegon, and Oceana, which are all north of our county, Ottawa.

But, we have not escaped our share of inclement weather, as the NWS has also issued a Small Craft Advisory  from St. Joseph to Manistee until 7:00 a.m. Wednesday with a warning that windspeeds of 30 knots may produce waves up to seven feet in height. 

The overnight low tonight will fall to 16° before we rebound to tomorrow's high temperature of 18°, which will be six degrees colder than today. 

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:07 a.m. and set later @ 5:46 p.m.

When I arose the morning around 9:00 a.m. to let STWD and Ginger out for their visits, the snow on the deck had already accumulated several inches. It was tough going, but they mad it. However, by the time they were ready for their second late morning outings, the snow was so deep, that Ginger couldn't navigate through it and STWD had all she could do to get through. I had to go out and clear a path to the backyard so that both of our fur-children could make their way out after dinner.

Fortunately, our snow removal service waited until the snowfall had abated and they came by and cleaned up the front porch, our rear deck, and the shared driveway. So shortly, our fur-children will be able to go out without any more impediments. Best of all, I didn't have to stain my yak nor risk any other problems.

Earlier, Mary gave Ginger a bath and washed the linens while I vacuumed the common areas so that everything is now ready for more indoor fun.

I'd like to say that I got more paint on canvas today, but I can't. However, I did get some on yesterday and I am liking my progress. I am branching out and trying new things so that I can definitely say that I am improving. I also spent some time playing guitar too. 

I didn't take any pix today, I was just being lazy. However, I read out loud from two books and worked the weekend crossword puzzle from the USA Today, so that in itself was an accomplishment.

Tomorrow, we have nothing specifically on the agenda except the balance of the indoor chores. Mary is doing some of those tonight in between cross-stitching and listening to her latest book. Can you call it a book when it is in audio form? I don't know. A question for the modern times in which we live.

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", where the current temperature is a brisk 25° with snow showers that are forecast to last until 6:00 a.m. It feels more like 13° with a wind out of the southwest @ 14 mph. Our overnight low will drop to today's high temperature of 21°, which is seven degrees colder than yesterday. 

There is a Small Craft Advisory in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds of 10 to 15 knots and gusts possible up to 25 knots, which may propel waves up to six feet in height. The sun will rise this morning @ 8:08 a.m. and set tonight @ 5:45 p.m.

It was a good day here at the manse. We finished the indoor chores, I worked on a crossword puzzle, Mary and I completed a small jigsaw puzzle, Mary is stitching an elephant, and we watched another two episodes of Virgin River, a show on Netflix. 

I did some painting, Mary did some cross-stitching, and the fur-children wanted more out time. Sadly, my old bones had to say no to their desires.

In the sports world, it was great to see that the Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Tennessee Titans yesterday afternoon, 19 - 16, while last night, the San Francisco Forty-Niners took down the Green Bay Packers in frigid Lambeau Field, 13 - 10. The only thing better than a Lions or Bears win over the Packers, is any team beating the Packers and their anti-vax QB, Aaron Rodgers. I enjoyed a bowl of popcorn while watching the ineptitude of the Packers.

Today, we have no plans except to stay indoors and paint, read, and cross-stitch more. I have no need to watch any more football, so it is likely that we'll watch more Virgin River which ends with this third season's episodes.

Otherwise, 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 4:30 p.m. in "The City", where the NWS forecast for a large Lake-Effect snowfall never came to pass, at least not here in GH. We did get about one or maybe one and one-half inches of light snow, but that's all I have to say about that. 

However, the NWS is forecasting a Gale Watch from St. Joseph to Manistee from sometime tomorrow evening to sometime Saturday afternoon. And if you believe that squishy forecast, it also calls for wind speeds of 20 - 30 knots with gusts possible up to 40 knots and waves up to 10 feet in height. Just saying.

The current temperature is a brisk 19° under cloudy skies, but it feels like 8° with a wind out of the north @ nine mph. The overnight low-temperature forecast calls for an actual 10° before we get back to 24° tomorrow under partly cloudy skies. Tomorrow night, the low will only be 22°.

As if that wasn't enough, Saturday's forecast calls for a 70% chance of an additional one inch of snowfall in the morning and a high temperature of 28°. It will be a windy day, so perhaps that Gale Watch is justified.

The sun rose this morning @ 8:16 a.m. and it will set later @ 5:41 p.m.

Our fur-children are circling the wagons, as they know that their dinner hour is approaching. Too bad, so sad, as I am not going to rush dinner for them.

Today was rather mundane here at the manse of the Palatial Estate. We got up early so that STWD could make a visit to the back forty and then back to bed for a bit. We got up around 11:00 a.m., arose so that the fur-children could get their brunch and a full morning outing. That late hour is why I am not giving them dinner until at least 5:00 p.m.

I had hoped to do some painting today, but I had an appointment at the podiatrist and like my mother-in-law, Eleanore used to say, I was just too busy. 

Tomorrow, we have some things to get to, but when you are retired, there is always another day. However, I am doing my best to play music every day so that my skills don't atrophy. My painting can do nothing but improve, but I think I am getting better and trying new things.

Mary is listening to her latest book, cross-stitching, and whatever else comes to mind. 

A side note: Have any of my loyal readers ever considered when or if phrases like "Riding Shotgun", or "That's my kryptonite" will vanish from our vernacular? I'm sure that there are myriad other phrases such as those, but they are the ones that came to mind for me. Just asking for a friend. Is that another one?

Otherwise, 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 4:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is 25°, but it feels more like 16° with a wind blowing out of the northwest @ 10 mph. 

Coincidentally, that 25° will be our overnight low temperature as we head for today's high temperature of 31° before an overnight low of 25°. 

The NWS has extended the Small Craft Advisory from St. Joesph to Pentwater until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow, as winds will blow from 10 to 20 knots with gusts possible up to 25 knots that may produce waves up to seven feet in height.

The sun will rise this morning @ 8:12 a.m. and set this evening @ 5:37 p.m. Yes, my loyal readers, the days are getting longer as we try to put winter into our collective rear-view mirrors and get ready for spring, and dare I hope, the opening of baseball season. Of course, with the Covid-19 pandemic still raging, the chance of our seeing any baseball in person is slim to none and Slim left town leaving no forwarding address.

Yesterday, I was more of a chair potato than usual in between going out with our fur-children. I finished a large-print book entitled Mercy by David Baldacci, but I have yet to start another. Sometimes it takes a few days for my mind to get ready to jump into another tome. I did order a few new books, but they are not yet available. 

Mostly, I let the NFL play in the background as I read, but I really wasn't interested in the outcome of any one of the games. There are things I could have done, but I did some painting on Saturday and played my baritone ukulele too, so those will have to suffice. 

Mary was far more productive than I, as she prepared meals, listened to her book, and cross-stitched like she was possessed. 

Today, we have no plans, but I would like to put in more time at my easel, play more music, and enjoy the warmer temperatures that are forecast to end as we drop to a daytime high temperature on Thursday of a more seasonal 19°.

So, 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 9:30 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 35° but it feels more like 32° with a wind out of the northwest @ three mph. The skies are cloudy and tonight's low temperature will drop to 18° before we recover to tomorrow's high temperature of 23°. Unfortunately, the low temperature will drop to a very brisk 11° tomorrow night. 

In addition, the NWS has continued a Small Craft Advisory from St; Joseph to Manistee until 1:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon with 15 - 30 knot winds propelling waves up to six feet in height.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:14 a.m. and set tomorrow evening @ 5:33 p.m,.

We took advantage of the "Golden Hour" and went downtown to get some pix of the channel and the downtown area as the sun was setting. I have been relying on our Senior Staff Photographer and her "Wing Gal", Ginger, lately so when she suggested I get off my duff and take some of my own, I agreed. Oh, we also went to the library for a drop-off and a pick-up too. 

I think that I got some good shots with varied F-Stops today. 

Looking towards Lake Michigan using the fence of a building on the channel.

Something about this said, "Take my picture."

The moon was nearly full over a local restaurant.

I hope that this shot captured what we were seeing along Harbor Drive.

A lone gull against the gray sky.

I liked how this shot captured the empty channel and the adjacent parking area.

Mostly today, I worked on some crossword puzzles, made some vegan Italian burgers, and basically did little else. I did watch out the window as Mary chopped the ice and shoveled ahead of the falling temperatures and the cold days to come. 

Tonight, I hope to watch some TV and that's about it for me. Mary will be cross-stitching, watching the news, doing some indoor chores, and listening to her latest book.

Tomorrow, we have no specific plans other than to get up with STWD around 9:00 a.m. and then go back to bed and listen to the radio. After that, I hope to read, play music. Mary will be cross-stitching while I read. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:45 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 27° under fair skies according to the NWS, but a look out the WW shows lots of wispy cirrus clouds and mostly sunny skies. At any rate, with a wind out of the south @ 17 mph, it feels more like 14°.

Perhaps that wind is tied to the Gale Warning that is in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds up to 40 knots and waves as high as 13 feet!

The sun will set today @ 5:30 p.m. and rise again tomorrow @ 8:14 a.m. before setting once again @ 5:32 p.m.

While today's temperature was about 14° warmer than yesterday's high temperature, and even though the daytime temperatures will be above freezing for the next two days, after that, the daytime temperatures will only be in the teens and twenties for the foreseeable future. Hey, this is Michigan, and in order to enjoy the four seasons, especially my favorite, spring, we have to endure a couple of months of cold temperatures. I'll take it!

I know I've been mentioning Mary's efforts @ cross-stitching in my last several blogs, but I have to brag on her latest effort, a castle. 

Today, Mary sized her castle to fit a frame and it now resides on her desk.

For those of you who follow the CFP standings, there was good news if you are a Georgia Bulldogs fan and not-so-good news if you are a fan of the Crimson Tide of Alabama. The Bulldogs are now the undisputed champions of college football, having defeated the Crimson Tide last night, 33 - 18. All good by me, as the Bulldogs crushed the Wolverines of Michigan 34 - 11 on December 31, 2021. So, I take solace in the fact that the best team in the nation defeated the Wolverines. 

We finished the indoor chores today and then I went off to my fourth of five knee treatments. I'm almost there for another six months or so. 

I added some paint to a couple of canvases in my studio today too, and since I have nothing on tap for tomorrow, if the sun cooperates, I can add more paint tomorrow also. 

Mary is once again listening to her latest book and embarking on yet another adventure in cross-stitching. 

Tomorrow, Mary and Ginger will likely be taking a road trip to that big-box nearly everything store and perhaps a walk in the woods. I plan to stay in with STWD.

I think that's 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 11:30 p.m in "The City", where the current temperature is 36° per the NWS in GR, or 38° per the display on my DTWS, in both cases under cloudy-skies. The NWS is reporting a "Real Feel" of 26° with a wind out of the southwest @ 16 mph!

We have two advisories in effect as of now. The first is a Winter Weather Advisory for Central, South-Central, Southwest, and West-Central, MI until 4:00 a.m. tomorrow. Per the NWS and our on-scene Weather Reporter, there is rain/drizzle falling which will coat the snow-covered driveway, our deck,  and the sidewalks with a layer of ice, making walking and driving conditions very hazardous. 

Second, there is a Small Craft Advisory in effect from St. Joseph to Whitehall until 7:00 a.m. Monday. Southwest winds from 15 to 25 knots with gusts up to 30 knots will change to Northwest winds that will propel waves up to 10 feet in height!

The forecast high for tomorrow is 34° under mostly-cloudy skies, with an overnight low-temperature of a very chilly 15°! However, that daytime high-temperature will be four degrees warmer than today. The sun will rise over the ice-covered vast-gardens and our deck tomorrow @ 8:16 a.m. and set later @ 5:27 p.m.

We decided to go out earlier to visit our local library, followed by a stop at Grand Haven State Park  to get a few shots of the waves as they broke over the south pier and the lighthouses, followed by a visit to the Lake Forest Cemetery.

The wind was blowing sand and snow so strongly, that focusing was nearly impossible.

But I still got a couple of good shots.

These steps lead to one of our favorite spots in Lake Forest Cemetery, the plots of the Ferry Family .

The only deer we saw was unconcerned with our presence.

Lake Forest Cemetery is adjacent to Duncan Woods, so the deer roam freely between the two. 

We finished the indoor chores, read the USA Today and the Grand Haven Tribune and worked the crossword puzzles from both. Mary accomplished more than I, as she listened to more of her book and also cross-stitched at the same time. Mostly, I read and worked the crossword puzzles.

Tomorrow, we had no set plans, but we are certain that the icy precipitation will be a sure deterrent. That's all folks. Ciao. 

Good morning ot good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is nearing 11:30 p.m. in "The City.", where the current temperature is either 23°, as per my DTWS, or 21° per the NWS. The NWS is reporting the "Real Feel" temperature as 10° with a wind out of the south @ 11 mph. 

Tomorrow's high-temperature will be a balmy 34°, which is about 10° warmer than today. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:16 a.m. and set later @ 5:26 p.m. We have no advisories, watches, nor warnings in effect at this time. 

I took some pix of the snow that accumulated overnight and into early this morning before and after our snow removal service had come by to clear things up. 

The deck was a challenge for our fur-children for their first outing.

So, I had to go out and clear a path for their second trip. Just enough, but not too much.

After the snow removal service was done, we were all clear. 

The front porch snow cover did not deter the USPS.

But the outer doors to the man-cave are now a pile of snow.

I finished a few crossword puzzles today, added some paint to my canvas, and that was about it. Mary did a bit of cross-stitching, but mostly, we collectively finished watching Being the Ricardos. 

Mary made a great sauce for or spaghetti dinner without the Crockpot™. She also did the whites of the indoor chores and then I put them away when I came upstairs. 

Tomorrow, I'll finish the indoor chores and try to do some reading. I can't decide if I like the book I am avoiding. It may be just a mindset, but it may be that it isn't intriguing enough.

That's enough for today and tomorrow. 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", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is 22° or 18°, depending on the source you consult. The "Real Feel" temperature is 8° with a wind out of the northeast @ 8 mph.

According to the NWS, we have two alerts in effect right now. 

First, is a Winter Storm Warning for the shores of Lake Michigan, where Lake Effect snowfall may accumulate an additional 6 to 12 inches of the white stuff for southwest and west-central Michigan. The heaviest snowfall is expected to be south of South Haven, where it is possible to see an additional one to two feet of snow! The storm is expected to come ashore north of Holland early tomorrow morning. Motorists should expect hazardous driving conditions. 

Second, is a Small Craft Advisory in effect from St. Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots and possible gusts up to 30 knots propelling waves up to 8 feet in height. Naturally, inexperienced mariners should not venture out. Duh!

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:16 a.m., warning the outdoor temperature to 24° before the sunset @ 5:25 p.m. and the overnight low-temperature drops to 15°

As I noted in my last blog, the snow at the manse accumulated from last night and into this afternoon and so our snow removal service was needed and welcomed. I took some pix to memorialize the before and after of what we have dubbed Snomageddon, 22!

No pain for me, but lots of gain.

A  lot of effort was required to clear the door and the driveway . 

The deck and the steps were buried.

As part of our activities here at the manse, Mary started a loaf of bread last night that just came out of the oven a few minutes ago. I have it on good authority that the bread turned out excellent in spite of some early misgivings on the part of our bread baker in chief.

A perfect loaf of no-knead bread baked in a Dutch oven.

Today, we read, worked puzzles, cross-stitched, and had to work hard to get our fur children out for their daily offerings.

Tomorrow, much the same as we have no requirements and no obligations. I hope to get to some painting, more reading, and more puzzle solving along with some music. Mary will be stitching and listening to her latest book. Here's hoping that the forecast for more snow accumulation proves to be pessimistic. 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." I don't need the NWS to tell me that it is snowing. I was downstairs with the fur children for what we hope is their final out and I can see that our deck is covered in snow. Plus, my view out of our own front door allows me to see what used to be the end of our driveway, and our front porch, which is also covered with snow. That tells me all that I need to know. 

 

The NWS has issued a Small Craft Advisory that went into effect following the end of the Gale Warning @ 10:00 p.m. last night. The Small Craft Advisory is from St. Joseph to Manistee and it will be in effect until 1:00 a.m. Friday. Wind speeds of 15 - 30 knots and waves of 6 to 11 feet are possible. 

What is more important is that the NWS has continued a Winter Storm Warning for southwest and south-central Michigan until 10:00 a.m. Friday. As I understand it, additional snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are possible, making driving conditions hazardous. Ya think? Apparently, our weather sweet spot here in GH on the shores of Lake Michigan has turned into a less than sweet spot.

But back to the regular weather forecast. We have a current temperature of 28°, but it feels like 13° with strong winds out of the northeast blowing @ 20 mph. Today's high temperature will reach only 26° with an overnight low temperature of 14 ° as the snow continues to fall. The sun will rise @ 8:16 a.m. and set tonight @ 5:25 p.m.

Otherwise, not much happened yesterday. I read more from our shared book At War With Government, plus I finished my latest large-print novel, David Baldacci's Hells Corner. Now, I am just about to start another novel. We collectively finished the indoor chores and Mary did more cross-stitching and listening to her own book. 

I also took time to organize my desk drawer and my paint supplies cart too. I've been meaning to get to that for a few weeks, so I'm happy to say that both tasks are now complete.

Speaking of books, the Loutit District Library closed yesterday @ 3:00 p.m. due to "Inclement Weather" and will be reopening as conditions improve.

Did you know, that Catholic Pope Francis issued a statement that said that couples who adopt pets instead of having children are being selfish. Say what? 

Today looks like a good day to stay inside, wait for the snow removal service and do more reading and little else. With the rapid spread of the Omicron version of the Covid-19 virus, perhaps staying indoors for a couple of days is a good thing. 

By the by, I am listening to Coast to Coast AM with George Noory right now. It has been a long time since I have done that. Not much has changed. There are still people out there who believe in UFOs and aliens. What a world. I think I'm done now. 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", where the current temperature is 31° under fair skies, whatever that means, with a wind out of the southeast blowing @ 17 mph that makes it feel more like 20°. 

The NWS has issued yet another Small Craft Advisory from South Haven to Manistee that will be in effect until 7:00 p.m. tomorrow night, with 15 to 25-knot winds and gusts up to 30 knots with waves possible up to nine feet. 

That  Small Craft Advisory will be superseded by yet another Gale Watch that goes into effect for those same locales and continues until sometime Wednesday evening. That Gale Watch will see wind speeds from 20 - 30 knots with gusts possible up to 40 knots and waves approaching 12 feet in height!

Tomorrow's high temperature will be four degrees warmer than today @ 35° with an overnight low of 30°

At least the sunrise will be normal with that occurring @ 8:16 a.m. and the sunset happening @ 5:22 p.m.

I did a lot of reading today, after lunch and then I had a bake-a-thon, or was it a bakeapalooza? At any rate, I used the Granny Smith apples we got over the last couple of grocery runs to bake another of Mary's favorite treats, a deep-dish apple pie. This one turned out great. Of course, she loves my Funfetti Cookies too, so I guess it's a toss-up.

Mary says the apple symbol should have been above the Pi symbol. I think it all depends on how you read it. 

Otherwise, I did very little today. But hey, I'm retired with nowhere to go and a lot of time to get there. 

Mary continues to listen to her book and do cross-stitching. Tomorrow, not much is on tap other than the third of my five knee treatments. That consumes my day. 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 got my second wind so that I could report the following about life in the Tri-Cities area. 

We have a current temperature of 25° that feels like 25° with a slight wind out of the east @ 2 mph. There are no alerts, advisories, watches, or warnings in the forecast from the NWS.

Tonight's overnight low temperature will be a chilly 21° under cloudy skies which will give way to party-cloudy skies tomorrow and a high temperature of 30° before we see only a slight drop to 29° overnight. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 8:16 a.m. and set later @ 5:21 p.m.

Coincidentally or not, the sun will soon be setting on the head coaching career of the current Chicago Bears' head coach, Matt Nagy. In spite of the surprise win by the Bears over the Seahawks last week in Seattle, 25 - 24, and today's drubbing of the Giants, 29 - 3, his fate is likely sealed as demonstrated by the huge number of no-shows @ Soldier Field today for the final Bears' home game. All it takes is for the usually slow Bear's front office to have a post-season discussion and Nagy is gone. Well, if you can fire a Bears legend like Mike Ditka, no one is safe. 

Meanwhile, the Detroit Lions were themselves crushed today, 29 - 51 by those same Seahawks, thus ensuring the Lions a top two draft pick in the upcoming NFL draft. Is that any solace for a team to play as badly as the Lions have this year? No!!!

But, the day was not a total loss for us here at the manse. As predicted, our snow removal service came and our porch, driveway, and deck were cleared of snow and my yak feels fine. Later, Mary and I went out without our disappointed fur-children and stopped at the library for a book drop-off and then on to the beach at the Grand Haven State Park for a photo-op before ending our day at that big-box nearly everything store. 

It has been a while, but I finally got out with my camera and took some pix of the cold and windy shores of Lake Michigan.

The sky was very cooperative for today's shooting.

Our Senior Staff Photographer was on the other end of the lens for some perspective. 

Some people walking on what had to be a very slippery south pier. 

I got this shot while no one was on the beach to obscure my view.

Over the dunes, on the north side of the channel, this house may get finished, someday.

We also binge-watched a Netflix™ series entitled Elves. It was good, but hokey in many ways. Not necessarily my cup of tea, so to speak, but I wasn't too scared, so that's good.

Mostly we got up late, wasted no time watching the Bears or the Lions, and had a great second day of 2022.

Tomorrow, the usual assortment of chores awaits. We now have enough apples to make an apple pie and I may get enough sunlight here in my studio to add more paint to a painting I'm working on right now. So far, I like how it is going. I hope to read more too.

Mary is listening to her latest book and cross-stitching right now and likely will continue those activities tomorrow. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is a brisk 19° although it feels like 8° with a wind out of the north @ 9 mph. A least we've reached our overnight low of 19° under snowy skies as the snow event draws to a close.

That means that the Winter Weather Advisory will be ending @ 7:00 a.m. this morning after dumping about three inches of snow on our little city. In fact, @ 4:30 a.m., I watched as the city snowplows drove by and filled the end of our driveway with about six inches of that snow. Not to worry though, as I won't be out there later shoveling it like I did in the before times. Instead, our snow removal service and their much younger crew will be by sometime today to handle that chore along with clearing the balance of our driveway along with our porch and deck. 

In addition, a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Whitehall remains in effect until 1:00 a.m. Monday with winds of 10 - 20 knots and waves up to 5 feet in height.

The sun will rise today @ 8:16 a.m. and set later @ 5:21 p.m. 

It was a sad evening Friday night when the Wolverines of Michigan were thoroughly outplayed on both sides of the ball by the Bulldogs of Georgia, as the Wolverines lost the game, 11 - 34, and also lost the chance to play for the national title. That chance went to the triumphant Bulldogs who will play the Crimson Tide of Alabama on January 10, 2022, @ 8:00 p.m.

There is more sad news here at the manse, as our Christmas decorations, both outdoor and indoor, have been taken down and placed into the basement for another year. Good news. Spring is only a little more than three and one-half months away. Plus, the next chance to decorate the manse comes on the day after Thanksgiving once again, this year on November 25, 2022!

We did get out with our fur-children on Friday. Mary and Ginger once again made it to the waterfront and took some pix of what was happening there while STWD and I took the road less traveled for a short distance.

Perhaps the last visitor to our port was this ship docked to unload its cargo as it easily sailed the clear waters into our channel. 

On their return route, they passed the coal tipple and espied this wreath on the information plaque nearby. Note that the green grass is now snow-covered.

Before any weather-related issues surfaced here yesterday, Mary and Ginger took a shorter walkabout while STWD and I took an even shorter walk through Central Park. 

Today we will be staying indoors, I'll be playing some music and reading, while Mary will continue cross-stitching. I won't watch any NFL games, as there is no point. 

No walks for the fur-children as I don't wish to risk life nor limb so that STWD can get in some sniffs and it is just too darn cold for man and beast to be out. Ciao.