Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:15 p.m. in "The City."

This will be a slight departure from my regular blog format, as the MLB™ All-Star break is now here and the past weekend's games were nothing to memorialize nor remember. 

The current temperature is a sultry 78° under mostly sunny skies with no chance for rain until at least Wednesday afternoon, and that's a maybe. An Air Quality Alert is in effect for most of lower Michigan today and likely tomorrow too. Our overnight low temperature will only drop to 70° before we see tomorrow's high temperature of 83°.

That said, we took a short ride this afternoon to run some errands and find a place for a photoshoot. This being "The Season" in GH, downtown, the City Beach, the Grand Haven State Park, the downtown were very busy and crowded, so we had to park at Chinook Pier and take some shots near there. 

Fortunately, Mary and Ginger are regulars in that area, so they know the good places to shoot from. But we got to see something that they have never seen nor photographed before, a large cargo ship, the Robert S. Pierson, as she departed after dropping a load at the docks. So naturally, I shot that departure along with some other flora, fauna, and things, both there and in our own vast gardens. 

For perspective.

As the Big Freighters go, she was average in size.

But, she filled the channel as she traversed towards Lake Michigan.

Another shot as she passed.

The Pere Marquette from the back side.

M R Ducks.

As is this guy.

And a friend.

Our plants are finally blooming between the garages. 

As are the roses in Mary's rose garden that the rabbit hasn't eaten.

Something about this shot called to me.

As did this one of our newest annuals and our perennials. 

Otherwise, not much is happening here at the manse. 

I had a nice ukulele session last night. Mary is happily cross-stitching and ear-reading, while I am reading another novel having finished the previous one late yesterday afternoon. We are collectively ear-reading a shared novel too. All in all, retirement is good Ciao.