Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:30 p.m. in "The City." 

The current temperature is a very seasonal 38°, although it feels more like 32°, with a breeze out of the southwest @ 8 mph. The skies are partly cloudy, and the sun will set this evening @ 6:32 p.m.

Today was a good day, well mostly, as Mary and Ginger went to that big-box nearly everything store for a grocery run and a walk downtown in the "Promised Land", while I was here at the manse, continuing to print-read the novel Mary recommended to me, entitled, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin. It turns out that although this novel is outside my regular reading genre, I like it. Who knew?

Not surprisingly, the grocery run did not go smoothly, as we had to go back to that big-box store so that they could actually swipe the credit card that they had not properly done during the previous visit. 

However, since I was along for the ride this time, I had my camera at the ready and took a few shots of things that caught my eye along the road and here at the manse. So, it was not a waste of time after all. Here are some pix I chose to highlight my efforts today.

At the Salvation Army Headquarters here in GH, the Auxiliary Gardens now have picnic tables for sitting after a hard day of gardening. 

But as of this date, the gardens are still snow covered and not ready for planting.

We also journeyed out to Hofma Preserve, where I took a shot of this barn across the street.

Once again, our daffodils are buried in the melting snows near the deck.

And out in the Vast Gardens, where they continue to spread more each year.

But now that we are safely back at the manse, we have returned to our regularly scheduled activities, already in progress. Mary is once again cross-stitching, I am here in my office/studio blogging, and also trying to use my new Bluetooth™ headphones to listen to my music.

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 4:25 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature of 36°, nearly coincides with today's high temperature of 38°, before we drop to the overnight low temperature tonight of 27°, after sunset @ 6:30 p.m. The current windchill temperature is 28° due to a brisk wind out of the west @ 11 mph.

Tomorrow, the NWS has forecast a Winter Weather Advisory, beginning @ 7:00 a.m. and continuing until 3:00 p.m., with mixed precipitation of one inch of snow, and possible ice accumulations of 1/10 of an inch. Plus, wind gusts up to 35 mph are also in that forecast! That Advisory is for the counties of Clinton, Ionia, Kent, and Ottawa. Slippery road conditions can be expected.

In addition to that Winter Weather Advisory, the NWS has also issued yet another Gale Warning from St. Joseph to Manistee, with 35 knot winds causing waves up to six feet. 

It was a good thing that we got our errands done earlier today, given that the weather tomorrow will be less than desirable for outdoor activities. We made a library stop for a drop-off and pick-up, refueled the car, and dropped off some additional items at the Goodwill Store™.

I took along my trusty Olympus DSLR camera and took some shots at Grand Haven State Park too. It was very windy, so Mary and Ginger took a short stroll, and I was outside the vehicle for only a very short period of time snapping pictures.

Here are some of those pix in no particular order. 

Snow still on the beach, but no ice in the choppy waters of Lake Michigan.

Ginger wanted more walk time, but it was too mucky for anything extended.

Compared to tomorrow's forecast of a Gale Warning, the lake was quite calm this afternoon.

As I noted, snow on the beach near the parking area, but no ice in the lake.

It seems like every state park has one of these trees. 

As my loyal readers may recall, I love pictures of unused playground equipment. 

Ditto!

We are nearly done with our shared ear-read, The Last Dress From Paris, and we have about 50 minutes to go. 

Right now, Mary is ear-reading her personal book and cross-stitching.

I used her cross-stitch expertise to assist in picking the colors for my newest painting and I added some paint to canvas earlier.

Most of today was taken up with brunch, errands, and a submission to the manufacturer of our air-fryer, to begin the process of a recall. Our unit is one of 2,000,000 being recalled. That recall came with and admonition. Do Not Use Your Air-Fryer. There is a strong possibility of a fire due to faulty internal electrical connectors. 

The instructions were very explicit. Cut off the cord, take three pictures of the unit, bottom, front, and back, state the serial number and the P/N number, and submit your claim to the manufacturer. Now! We learned about this recall from the CNN™ website.

Mary had plans to use the air-fryer for tonight's dinner. Oops!

Update from the lower level. There be rainbows!!

We have prisms in four windows of the manse, so yes, "There be rainbows!"

Since I have no ukulele session tonight, I think I'll take some time to read and relax until Mary coaxes Ginger and me to the boudoir, so that Mary can ear-read and cross-stitch in peace. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:40 p.m. in "The City", where there are currently no watches, alerts, advisories, nor warnings in effect at this time. I believe that may be a first for quite a while.

The current temperature is 25°, although it feels like 19°, with a slight wind out of the northwest at five mph. The sun will be setting @ 6:27 p.m. tonight.

Tomorrow, the NWS has forecast that the high temperature will rise to 34°, with an overnight low of only 32°, so we should see some of that heavy coating of ice melt away.

We have been ear-reading our latest audio book entitled The Last Dress From Paris, by Jade Beer. It is a story of a young woman's search in Paris, France, (Duh), circa 2017, for a dress worn by her grandmother in 1953-54. It has been a fascinating ear-read and if you are into this type of fiction, I recommend this book without reservation. 

I finished my own print-read early this morning, but I have yet to start another, owing to reading two newspapers, starting their respective crossword puzzles, and doing some painting, and playing some songs in my studio.

I am totally enjoying finding time to do these various activities in my time between surgery, physical therapy, etc., which begins anew next month.

Mary is downstairs finishing the indoor chores, which I assisted with, ear-reading her own novel, and cross-stitching. 

Tomorrow, I believe that we have no specific plans, but that is something that I may have misinterpreted.

That being said. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:20 p.m. in "The City", where the temperature feels like 26°, due to strong winds out of the southwest @ 20 mph. That wind is part of the Gale Warning issued by the NWS for areas along the shore of Lake Michigan from St. Joseph to Whitehall until 10:00 pm. tonight. Wind speeds of 20 - 30 knots with gusts possible to 35 knots will propel waves up to nine feet in height.

Our current temperature of 37° will also be today's high temperature before we fall to an overnight low temperature of a very chilly 21° after sunset tonight @ 6:26 p.m.

Tomorrow's high temperature will only reach 27°, so whatever melting of the ice that coated everything from the latest Winter Storm Warning will only last so long. In fact, the daytime temperatures for the next ten days or so will bounce around from the low 30s to 40°, with low temperatures dropping into the upper 20s to lower 30s each night. It appears that March will indeed come in like a lion and go out any way it pleases.

Worthy of note is that due to that Winter Storm Warning, most schools closed yesterday and remain closed today, while the county offices, and other entities closed early yesterday, and some remain closed today too. In addition, depending on the area in which people are living, power outages range from a low of less than 500 customers in Ottawa, County, to a high of over 7,000 customers in Portage and Kalamazoo, Counties, due to tree limbs coated with ice falling and landing on power lines. Crews are waiting for roads to be safe before attempting to repair those outages. Some customers may be out until the weekend.

We have been enjoying our latest ear-read, while Mary has been ear-reading a separate book of her own along with cross-stitching and baking bread.

I have been painting, sketching, changing the strings on my banjitar, playing music, reading a novel, solving crossword puzzles and crypto quote codes. Plus, I also made more of my soon to be famous vegan Italian burgers, using kidney beans in lieu of portabella mushrooms and also baking nearly three dozen funfetti cookies, Mary's favorite. I have been quite busy as I look back on my week.

Today is more of a day for both of us to do whatever feels right at the moment. Right now, Mary is ear-reading and cross-stitching after reading the newspapers and stowing our latest order from Doorganics™, a service that delivers local and/or organic produce direct to homes throughout Michigan. 

As I noted, I've been painting, sketching, and just enjoying the efforts of our snow removal service, who had to chop at the heavy ice on our deck and driveway to clear a path to the garage and for Ginger to go out.

As for tomorrow, to paraphrase from an old song lyric, "Who cares what tomorrow may bring." Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:30 p.m. on a mostly cloudy afternoon here in GH. Our current temperature is a very comfortable 40°, although it feels more like 36°, with a slight wind out of the southwest @ five mph. Our overnight low tonight has been forecast by the NWS to fall to 29°.

The NWS has issued a Small Craft Advisory in effect until 1:00 a.m. tomorrow, from St, Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds from 10 to 20 knots and gusts possible to 25 knots, causing waves to build to as much as five feet in height.

However, that Small Craft Advisory will be superseded by yet another Gale Warning, from 1:00 a.m. tomorrow until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, with winds from 20 to 30 knots and gusts possible to 40 knots, propelling waves up to 11 feet!

The sun will set today @ 6:22 p.m.

We got out to take some pix over the last few days. Mary has been generous in driving, while I have been in my role as the Senior Staff Photographer for my Jax Meanderings Blog. I posted many in yesterday's blog, but without any real order, here are some additional photos that I like.

Another shot of the sunset over the parking lot as the south pier. 

The outer lighthouse as the sun was setting.

It seemed like everyone had the same idea, let's go down to the pier for the sunset.

Once a proud union town, this is one of the last vestiges of that heritage in Muskegon.

In Coopersville, the Coopersville & Marne is closed until spring. 

But this Pullman railcar will be ready to go when the railroad reopens.

But will these locomotives and the caboose will be ready?

Somehow, I doubt it. 

Sadly, Coopersville is yet another small town that time has passed by. All they have now are two pizza places, a couple of restaurants, one outside of the downtown area, and a few small shops. Once per year, Coopersville plays host to an annual Car Show and celebration, loosely based on onetime resident, the late Rock and Roll star, Del Shannon. 

GH has remained vital due to GH State Park and its associated campground, the south pier, the lighthouses, the beaches, and the foresight of several iterations of our city council over the years. Plus, we have our annual Coast Guard Festival and Craft Show, a terrific Fourth of July Fireworks display, and numerous other attractions, such as Salmon Fest, Hispanic Heritage Fest, Jeep Fest, and art shows. 

I finished my last book late yesterday and I am soon to start another. I have returned to my easel and that is another plus to alleviate my winter doldrums. In fact, I have been painting this afternoon, while Mary has been downstairs ear-reading, cross-stitching, and enjoying some time with Ginger, who always wants to go wherever we are going. 

Tomorrow, we have nothing specific on the agenda. We have to finish that ear-read by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as it has to go back into the ether soon. But that's what makes retirement so great. I recently read a novel in which the main character said, "The only problem with doing nothing is, is that you don't know when you are done." I must agree. But one thing is for sure, I'll blog at you soon. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:30 p.m. in "The City." 

I've decided to diverge from my regular blog format, as we've just returned from a photo-op to Muskegon, Swan Lake, and our own Back 40. Yesterday, we made it out to the shores of Lake Michigan, i.e., the South Pier and Lake Forest Cemetery. 

That being said, I'm going to start with some of yesterday's pix and then segue into some from today. 

This deer was just as curious as we were. 

This young deer is getting his antlers for 2023.

Lake Forest Cemetery was Deer Central at sunset yesterday. 

One of the "No Fear" deer.

Sunset at the South Pier and Lighthouses. 

One of those times when the right camera is the one you have with you. That and my original telephoto lens. 

Mary says that these outdoor shelters are one of the few good things to come with the Covid-19 pandemic.

This plaque describes the next picture.

A cold and blustery day, but I was able to walk and snap this pic.

This one near the same location too.

As we returned from Muskegon, Mary stopped and suggested this pic. 

When the weather warms, the boat from Grand Valley State Univ. docks here. 

I really liked this shot of the people gazing at the lighthouses and the South Pier.

This year, with the channel and the Great lakes nearly devoid of ice, this boat will be out and about soon. 

Near our deck, I can't decide if these daffodils are coming in early.

Whatever the case, it felt good to get out, ward off some of the S.A.D. that I've been feeling, and get out for a walk on the windy side.

Today, it is nearly time for the 2023 Daytona 500, so I have decided to watch part of that, with Mary delivering popcorn to the delight of yours truly and Ginger. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 1:45 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under partly cloudy skies is 38° with a Small Craft Advisory being the only concern issued by the NWS until 5:00 p.m. today.

Not much is happening here at the manse. I have been learning my way around my new computer with Mary's help. But mostly, I have to just sit and play with it for a while to get more proficient.

I have some plans, but the reality is that the reason I waited so long to change machines is the need to change passwords, learn where programs store things, etc.

Today is another day of deliveries for Ginger, tomorrow too, as she is in need of a new bed and some additional food. Of course, the FedEx delivery van stopped a bit ago, and Ginger just had to go crazy. She is a Terrierist after all.

Tomorrow, I may, or may not watch some of the Daytona 500. I'm not much into NASCAR, ever, but this is their first race of the new season. For me, the start of racing season begins with the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing" the Indianapolis 500. But even that has lost some of its appeal for me. 

Fortunately, there is always baseball.

I started a new novel after Mary picked up that one and many others yesterday. We continue to ear-read and that is going well.

I should be painting or coloring, but I seem to lack the ambition for that right now. Alas, I may be succumbing to SAD. (Seasonal Affective Disorder).

So, just to keep my hand in, I have written this blog. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 50° with showers possibly in the area. What does that mean? They are or they are not in the area!

At any rate, the wind-chill report from the NWS shows a steady wind of 19 mph causing the temperature to feel more like 44°. The warmer the actual temperature, the less impact that wind has on the feel of the air on the skin. The strongest winds today will come sometime after 7:00 a.m.

The sunrise today will be @ 7:42 a.m., with sunset @ 6:16 p.m.

In between, the NWS has continued that pesky Gale Warning until 4:00 p.m. today, with 40 knot winds propelling waves up to nine feet in height along the shores of Lake Michigan from St. Joseph to Manistee.

Plus, the NWS has also continued the Wind Advisory for parts of the Lower Peninsula, until 4:00 p.m. today, with 50 mph winds possible and the requisite blowing debris, downed tree limbs, and possible scattered power outages. 

Well, another Valentine's Day has come and gone, and while the world didn't stop turning on its axis, the usual cast of characters has either posited that something has to be done about gun violence in this country, or that they have offered up their "thoughts and prayers" for all of the victims of the latest tragedy, yada, yada, yada, while doing nothing! Mary found something on the internet wherein someone called those thoughts and prayers, "Tots and Pears" for the victims. That is probably just as good. But I am being maudlin. 

Today is the day that pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training and the day that my annual subscription to MLB.TV renews. Once again, there is new grass on the field, and all that is good about life in America can receive our focus and drown out our fears for at least a few hours each day.

I decided to add this video from YouTube™ and the movie Field of Dreams, Field of Dreams, as a way of reminding all of us about what was and can again be good in America, if we have the will.

This afternoon, our new living room furniture arrives. We have waited over two months for this event, and we are excited to see what we bought. We remember it as great, but until we see the furniture in our living room, we won't be 100% sure. I think we are going to love it!

As a typical male, I would just set it and forget it, but Mary has the ability to mentally place things and then actually move them about physically until she gets the look she wants to achieve. 

I finished my latest novel about one hour ago, and now I have but one book on my shelf to read. I had a second, but it turned out that I had read that book sometime in the past. A "Senior Moment" I suppose. Oh well, I have more in the queue that await notification from the library that they are ready to be retrieved.

I drove downtown yesterday to do some walking while Mary and Ginger walked all the way. I needed to see if I had the ability to drive to an appointment this coming Friday. I do, but after not having driven for over two months, I was very apprehensive. I don't think I like driving anymore. It is okay by me to leave the driving to Mary. That coming from a once upon a time car guy.

Mostly today, will be more ear-reading for Mary and me, hiding out with Ginger when that aforementioned furniture delivery occurs, working more crossword puzzles after reading the newspapers, and watching as Mary gets the placement of the furniture just so. 

I should probably go back to bed, as I should be tired, but such is life. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just passing 8:00 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 31°, although it feels like 23° with a slight wind out of the southeast @ eight mph. Today's high temperature forecast calls for 53°, with an overnight low temperature of 45°.

The sunrise this morning occurred @ 7:43 a.m. with sunset to follow this evening @ 6:14 a.m.

Once again, the NWS has issued a couple of warnings and advisories that will be going into effect this morning and tomorrow.

First, there is another Small Craft Advisory set to go into effect @ 10:00 a.m. today, from St. Joseph to Manistee, until 7:00 p.m. tonight, with the usual admonitions directed towards operators of small craft.

Next up, there will be a Gale Warning going into effect when that Small Craft Advisory expires @ 7:00 p.m. tonight until 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, also from St. Joseph to Manistee. Winds can be expected to be steady from 20 to 30 knots, with gusts possible up to 40 knots, causing waves up to nine feet in height. 

Given that forecast for Gale Force winds tomorrow and a high temperature of 46°, it looks like the surfers will be out on the third coast. 

Finally, there will also be a Wind Advisory for Central, South-Central, Southwest, and West-Central Michigan in effect from 1:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. tomorrow, with strong winds of 25 to 30 mph and possible gusts up to 50 mph, causing damage to tree limbs and power lines. 

After all of that, it is hard to focus on what is important today, but here goes.

This is St. Valentine's Day, a lover's and greeting card holiday, but it also marks the fifth anniversary of the mass carnage @ Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, in which 17 people lost the rest of their lives and devastated the lives of 17 families forever. What should have been a day for lovers and friends to enjoy each other's company, became a day to be remembered as one of devastation, permanent injury, either physical or psychological, and in 17 cases, death.

Last night and into the early-morning hours today on the campus of Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, a lone gunman, since deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound prior to capture, took the lives of three people and wounded five more, some with life-threatening injuries. 

It will take a great deal of investigation to determine his motivation, information that may have died with him. One thing is for certain, the Founding Fathers. and I doubt that any of their significant others had any input, never predicted that type of carnage when they added the infamous "Second Amendment" to the US Constitution in the late 1700s.

Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer, opined that this is "A uniquely American problem," and added, "We should not, and cannot, accept living like this." However, it looks like this is the current and future state of affairs in this country. Must we accept this as the price of living in a free society? I don't know about any of my readers, but I don't feel very free today.

Otherwise, I am at a loss about additional things to say. 

Mary and I are still ear-reading Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? by Dr, Martin Luther King Jr. and the words he wrote in the mid to late 1960s are still as apropos today as they were over 50 years ago. 

I am still reading that novel by Nelson Demille, entitled Nightfall, in which fictional retired NYPD detective, John Corey, and his wife, current FBI agent, Kate Mayfield, explore what happened to TWA flight 800 which crashed shortly after takeoff enroute to Paris, France in 1996. In many ways it is eerie, as that crash took place after the first attempted destruction of the World Trade Centers in NYC, but before that tragic day, 9/11/2001, when those buildings were toppled by terrorists using large jet aircraft. Many of the same characters we learned about after that infamous date, were featured in this novel. 

Mary continues her solo ear-reading and cross-stitching between indoor chores, grocery runs, and TV news watching. 

Happy Valentine's Day to Mary.

To borrow from Forrest Gump, "That's all I have to say about that." Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 7:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under clear skies is a very seasonal 31°, although it feels more like 25°, with a slight wind out of the southwest @ six mph. 

In what is a first in many days, the NWS has issued no alerts, watches, advisories, or warnings for today. In fact, after the sun rises @ 7:46 a.m., the high temperature is forecast to reach 40° under sunny skies. After the sun sets @ 6:12 p.m., the forecast calls for an overnight low temperature of 35°.

Much of yesterday was consumed by collectively ear-reading a book written by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, entitled Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community? regarding the lack of civil rights in America. We have made progress, but many of the points Dr. King made in 1968, still have a lot of poignancy today. In fact, it is possible that we are in need of a new champion for the rights of all women and men, from all walks of life, racial backgrounds, and beliefs. 

Lest it be said that that was all we accomplished, Mary spent about one and one-half hours in the morning yesterday watching a podcast presented by Curt Dykstra of the Ottawa County Parks and Recreation system, regarding migratory birds and their habits. I like to watch birds, but Mary is totally into this subject. Maybe it is like her love for cross-stitching, which she was also doing for a goodly part of the day. When she gets into something, she wants and needs to know more.

The vegan kitchen finally reopened for the first time in many weeks, as I spent about one-hour preparing a batch of my famous vegan Italian sausages. Along with some fresh broccoli prepared by Mary, two of those sausages became part of our dinner. 

As an aside, I am hoping for cheezy grits for breakfast this morning. 

I also did some painting, calligraphy practice, coloring, and finally resting too, as I unintentionally got up way too early and needed an afternoon nap. Mary says I should ignore her rising early for events when I don't have to get up early, but I seem unable to do that. Sigh.

Today, I have plans to get back into my studio and with Mary's help, get my new computer set up and ready to go. Plus, there is more coloring and calligraphy to work on too. As of this juncture, I have no plans to watch Super Bowl 57 at this time. However, I do have plans to join my Sunday night Ukulele session tonight @ 9:00 p.m.

Mary has plans to stitch more, listen to podcasts, collectively ear-read, and we may collectively take a walk in the sunshine. We can't go downtown due to the large number of shoppers who are always attracted by a sunny day in downtown GH.

That looks like a good day's blogging. Ciao. 

 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 a.m. in "The City", where the wind-chilled temperature is a brisk 27° due to a strong wind out of the northwest @ 13 mph. The actual temperature under cloudy skies is 36°,

The NWS forecast for today calls for a high temperature of 37° and an overnight low temperature of 29°, accompanied by yet another Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee until 10:00 p.m. tonight. Wind speeds from 15 to 25 knots will produce waves from four to seven feet in height.

The sunrise today will be @ 7:49 a.m. and sunset @ 6:09 p.m.

Yesterday was rainy, so we didn't accomplish much outdoors. In fact, the only outdoor activity we had was watching the rain fall and letting Ginger out for her daily visits. 

While I was reading and Mary was stitching, she played a podcast regarding the future of battery/electric powered vehicles and the effects of mining for lithium needed to produce the necessary batteries. I had only half an ear at first, but I listened to the second half and found the podcast interesting.

Mostly, I came away with the thought that the answer to a reduction to the negatives associated with mining for lithium could be alleviated by more public transportation and less use of personal automobiles. Yeah, like that will happen in this car-crazy society in which we live.

As was pointed out, the larger the vehicles get, the larger the batteries become and so the benefits of electric vehicles are offset by the huge batteries they need, that old adage, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, was cited by the podcasters as the way to go. 

Oh yes, we can recover the lithium from old batteries and reuse that, but even a fossil-fueled bus with numerous passengers was better for the environment than one person in an electric SUV on the way to the grocery store.

I started that new book, Mary continued to ear-read and cross-stitch, and I finished two crossword puzzles. Collectively, we ear-read more of Little Souls, we are nearing the end, and we watched very little TV. As far as I'm concerned, that's just fine, as long as we have a local newspaper. 

It's not that we aren't concerned about the future, we are, but right now, it seems like too many people are too busy to care about what really matters.

Today, finish the old crossword puzzles and the daily crypto quote, more art, more music, more cross-stitching, more newspapers, more print-reading, more retirement, more ear-reading, etc. Ciao.

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", where the current temperature is 39° under partly cloudy skies, while the wind chill makes it feel more like 35°, due to wind out of the south @ five mph.

The NWS has issued a Wind Advisory beginning tomorrow @ 10:00 a.m. and continuing until 11:00 p.m. tomorrow night, for Allegan, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties. Wind speeds are forecast to be between 20 and 25 mph, with gusts possibly up to 50 mph, resulting in windblown debris and possible damage to power lines. That's on land.

However, the NWS has also issued a Gale Watch for the shores of Lake Michigan from St. Joseph to Manistee, from 7:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night, with 20 to 30-knot winds, with gusts possibly up to 40 knots, propelling waves as high as 10 feet in height. If it wasn't for the rain in the forecast @ 100% tomorrow, I believe that the surfers would be out here on the "Third Coast." 

The overnight low tonight will drop to only 34° before we rebound to tomorrow's rainy high temperature of 44°, followed by another overnight low temperature of 34°.

Sunrise on Thursday will be @ 7:50 a.m., followed by sunset @ 6:07 p.m.

Well, the computer mystery was solved. Mary took time to think the problem through and determined that the problem was that the Thumb Drive we were trying to access was too old for Windows 11. So once we tried a more up-to-date Thumb Drive, voila, no more problem. 

However, Windows 11 needs a Memory Card Reader to access pictures from either of our cameras. We received one of those from that big-box e-tailer late Wednesday, plugged it into the computer, inserted the SD card from my camera, and once again, voila, the problem was resolved. 

Otherwise, things are quiet here at the manse of the palatial estate. I stopped reading that book I was uncertain about, Hokuloa Road, and Mary explained the ending, which I know I would have found unenjoyable. I am going to start another book soon.

Meanwhile, back at the manse, we are still ear-reading Little Souls, by Sandra Dallas and we are thoroughly enjoying it. 

Mary continues to ear-read her own book, cross-stitch, take Ginger to her grooming appointment, and try to stay ahead of the indoor chores. 

As previously referenced, we went downtown yesterday to utilize the heated sidewalks and I traveled further than the day before. Today, we didn't go because Ginger was freshly groomed, and my body begged me to rest for a day. Since tomorrow is a rainy day, it will be Friday before we try again.

I am still working on crossword puzzles, painting, playing music, and trying to stay active to regain the strength I lost due to my knee surgery. 

Speaking of which, my right knee is scheduled for March 20.

So, that looks like 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 6:00 a. m, in "The City.'

The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 46°, which will be the highest temperature that we reach today, with a Gale Warning in effect from South Haven to Manistee until 10:00 a.m. Wind speeds will be 20 to 30 knots, with gusts possible up to 40 knots propelling waves as high as nine feet on the "Big Lake." Will the surf be up? Surely, you jest! Of course! It is likely that the surfers will be out today if they can maneuver past the ice clogged shores. 

Strong winds out of the south at 28 mph make it feel more like 33°. The sunrise today will be @ 7:53 a.m. and sunset @ 6:05 p.m.

Yesterday was pretty mundane here at the manse. I started a new book recommended by Mary, Hokuloa Road, by Elizabeth Hand. Mary recommended this book on the strength of a recent ear-read, but I am having trouble liking it. I'll give it a few more pages and then, to paraphrase Chef Emeril Lagasse, Bam! More reading will not spare this books trip to the to be returned pile here at the manse.

Early yesterday morning, I finished my most recent print-read, The Lions Game, by Nelson Demille, and I liked it much more. The large-print edition I read came in at over 1,000 pages, and it was more my cup of tea. 

We also started another ear-read, entitled Little Souls, by Sandra Dallas. It is a fictionalized version of the Spanish Influenza epidemic of the early 1900s set in Colorado. 

I made it to my podiatrist's appointment yesterday afternoon, and as usual, they were behind schedule. It took nearly one hour to get in and out. I am not happy about that in light of the fact that we are in flu season and the Covid-19 pandemic shows no sign of abating and it is likely that it never will. I wore my mask, but it seems as though most people have taken a rather cavalier attitude about the latter.

Afterwards, we went downtown to take advantage of the ice-free walking conditions there. Mary and Ginger went further than I, but I walked farther than Sunday, so I see that as progress.

With some slight assistance from me, Mary did part of the indoor chores and then sat down to do some reading and cross-stitching. 

At any rate, here I am at 6:00 a.m., blogging, as the winds howl outside the manse and Mary and Ginger are snugly sleeping. Mary assures me that this was the norm in olden times, but it would be nice to sleep in like most folks do. 

Mary plans to sit down here today and contact the support people for this PC and hopefully resolve the recalcitrance of this computer to recognize input from any external memory device plugged into a USB port, such as a memory stick or my camera. If they can't help, I'll be in the market for a new computer that can.

That's enough for one day. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and around the world. It is just past 7:15 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is 18°, but with a 17-mph wind out of the southeast, it feels more like 3°. Brrrrr!

Still, after yesterday's high temperature of 14°, today's high temperature of 38° and an overnight low of 36°, will feel like a veritable heatwave, and tomorrow's high temperature of 39° will be downright balmy.

However, speaking of tomorrow, the NWS has extended that Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee until 12:00 a.m. too, with wind speeds of 15 to 30 knots producing waves as high as eight feet.

The sunrise today will occur @ 7:56 a.m., with sunset happening @ 6:01 p.m.

Not much is planned for the palatial estate today. More ear-reading, more print-reading, more music, more crossword puzzles, more cross-stitching, more bread baking, more art, and more retirement. What's not to like?

I am still having the ups and downs that go with knee replacement. Sometimes I feel like I am on top of the world, while at other times, I get those random pains that remind me that I am only a wee bit more than six weeks out from that surgery. 

Overall, I can't complain, as I have good range of motion, I can get around without a walker or cane, and I can navigate stairs without pain in my new knee. But I want it all! That will have to wait until late April after I have had my right knee replaced. 

Mary has been a rock around the manse. She has picked up the majority of the meal prep, the care of her curmudgeonly husband, Ginger's care and feeding, and the organization of things in general etc. I love her more than ever. Now, I need to get back to a more normal level of activity. I am not good at being dependent on the kindness of others, to paraphrase Blanche DuBois.

So, that looks like enough for one blog. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:05 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is a balmy 32° with a strong wind out of the southwest @ 18 mph, making it feel more like 20°.

That 18-mph wind is part and parcel to the continuing Small Craft Advisory that the NWS has continued until 7:00 p.m. tonight, from St. Joseph to Manistee, with 15 to 25 knot sustained winds, and gusts possible up to 30 knots producing waves as high as eight feet.

Sunrise today will be @ 7:59 a.m. this morning, with sunset @ 5:58 p.m. tonight.

I was able to return to my sporadic kitchen activities yesterday. I am admittedly "Rusty", so the chocolate chip cookies I baked, while tasty, are not of the same size, but hey, just being back in the kitchen felt good. Once again, no pix, as we still cannot get this computer to recognize my camera nor any external storage device. Hopefully, Mary can figure something out.

Mostly, we ear-read, played guitar, worked crossword puzzles, cross-stitched, and watched a limited amount of TV news. I tried watching a movie with Ginger last night, but I quickly fell asleep due to my lack of a nap earlier in the day.

I did sit with Mary in her office upstairs and she showed me a cross-stitch magazine that depicted a stylized Stonehenge, a picture that I plan to try painting at some point.

Today, we have no plans other than to read, work crossword puzzles, attempt crypto quote solving, cross-stitch, and enjoy retirement. Not bad for an average day in GH. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:25 a.m. in "The City", where the current Wind Chill temperature is a brisk seven degrees with a strong wind out of the west @ 15 mph. The actual temperature under cloudy skies is better at 20°, and that will be our overnight low temperature. 

The NWS has once again issued a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee, in effect until 7:00 a.m. Thursday, with wind speeds of 15 to 25 knots and gusts up to 30 knots, producing waves up to eight feet in height.

Today, the high temperature will be 29°, with an overnight low of 28°. Oddly, while temperatures will continue to rise as the days progress, the NWS is forecasting that Friday's high temperature will only reach 15 chilly degrees. No complaints from me, as I don't have to go anywhere until a podiatric appointment next week.

The sunrise today will be at 8:00 a.m. with sunset @ 5:57 p.m. 

I had my latest orthopedist appointment with Dr. Baszler yesterday. I love his bedside manner, and he pronounced my progress super and told me that my professional rehab was now complete and that I just had to work on my own to improve the strength of my left knee. 👍😀

In addition, we scheduled my right knee replacement for late March. I could have waited for summer or next fall, but I want this to be over. If there were an alternative to another knee replacement, I'd do it, but my right knee is not much better than my left was, so...  

We also stopped by the Hulst-Jensen rehab facility to schedule the appointments for that knee. 

As is all too often the case, I went to bed early to watch a Hallmark Channel movie with Ginger and promptly fell asleep. Mary arrived later, turned on The DaVinci Code, starring Tom Hanks, and soon fell asleep herself. I was awake, then I wasn't, and then I was, viewing the ending before getting up to blog etc.

I finished my novel yesterday and worked some crossword puzzles. We continued to ear-read our shared book, while Mary continued her personal ear-read. 

Late yesterday evening, Mary went upstairs to view a ZOOM presentation. I failed to ask the subject, which I had forgotten, and how the program turned out. Today, for sure, if I remember. 

Before I sat down to blog, I took time to order more books for curbside pickup at the library. 

Today, Mary plans to do as little as possible. I concur with her thinking about that. 

More of both types of reading, more puzzle solving, more cross-stitching, more retirement. What's not to like? Ciao.