Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is well past the sunrise of 6:06 a.m., yet well before the sunset @ 9:20 p.m. in "The City." Currently, our temperature is brisk, but seasonal, 50°, although it feels more like 49° with a slight breeze out of the west at four mph. The skies are clear, but that will change as the day wears on, becoming more cloudy as the sunset approaches and the chance for rain showers increases to 60%. 

In fact, the overnight low-temperature tonight will only drop to a very comfortable 55°. However, the cloud cover will once again preclude our seeing the somewhat rare alignment of five planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn in the pre-dawn skies. The last time that occurred was in 2004 and it won't happen again until 2040.

Tomorrow and Monday, the NWS is forecasting a nearly 70% chance for additional showers.

I took the time to bake another of Mary's favorites, apple pie, yesterday afternoon. I started while she and Ginger were on a walkabout, so STWD got to enjoy some tiny pieces of apple without being bothered by Ginger. 

As usual, Granny Smith apples and my soon-to-be-famous crust made a great pie.

But, I'd be remiss if I didn't add some pix taken by our Senior Staff Photographer and yours truly of other things around the manse and around town. 

Although this was intended to be a picture of the workers at the fountain in Central Park, the actual overall scene was the point for me.

I completed the framing of my latest colored pencil effort early yesterday from that aforementioned coloring book purchased in 2019. The poem on the left is from Rebecca Loebe, a young singer-songwriter from TX whom we saw at Seven Steps Up.

Ginger and I enjoyed some time on the deck late yesterday afternoon. 

I'd like to say that things have improved in the world of baseball, but I can't. 

The 22 - 30 Cubs were drubbed by the 30 - 22 Cardinals yesterday afternoon, 5 - 14, in spite of a three-run home run and an RBI single by Patrick Wisdom. RHP Marcus Stroman ran his less than stellar record to 2 - 5 in a lackluster effort. 

This afternoon, the Cubs and the Cards play two, to give homage to the late Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks. Those two teams play game one beginning @ 1:20 p.m. EDT with rookie RHP Matt Swarmer, 0 - 0 on the mound. Game two is scheduled to begin @ 7:15 p.m. when rookie RHP Caleb Kilian, recently promoted from the IA Cubs takes the hill for his first MLB start. Kilian was part of last year's blockbuster trade of Kris Bryant to the Giants. Here's hoping he is everything that the pundits have said he is and will be.

Things didn't go any better for the  21  - 31 Tigers, as they too were drubbed, in their case by the vastly superior 37 - 15 Yankees, 0 - 13. Rookie RHP Elvin Rodriguez, 0 - 1, was lit up by the Yankees, so much so, that OF Harold Castro finished the game for the Tigers. Here's hoping that today's game in NYC with another rookie, RHP Beau Brieske, 0 - 4, on the mound for the Tigers goes better in a game beginning @ 1:05 p.m.

My beloved 25 - 27 Red Sox were out in Oakland last night and fared much better, as they defeated the 20 - 34 As, 7 - 2.  This afternoon @ 4:07 p.m., another RHP, Nick Pivetta, 4 - 4, will throw for the Sox.

Sadly, the 22 - 27 Caps were defeated by the 25 - 23 Captains last night, 1 - 2. Those two teams play again tonight @ 7:00 p.m.

Today is another one of those days where I have to stick my fingers in the soil of the vast gardens and hanging baskets here at the manse and decide if they need water and if that chance of showers is real. A game-time decision I guess.

Otherwise, we'll continue to ear-read more of Dear Mrs. Bird and perhaps watch some baseball on TV. That is unless the woeful results so far this season cause me to avoid today's games entirely. We are enjoying being retired, so reading and enjoying the seasonal temperatures here in W. MI is a very real possibility too. Ciao.