Good morning or good evening, wherever you maybe, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:15 p.m. in "The City", where we've just returned from a photo shoot to Spring Lake and its environs.

This is normally the time where I update the local weather, and I will, but as I gaze out the Weather Window, the skies are a beautiful azure blue and there is not a cloud in sight. All good by me. 

However, the NWS has continued the Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee, until 10:00 p.m. tomorrow night. Southwest winds of 30 knots will propel waves from four to eight feet, that will build to six to ten feet by tomorrow afternoon. 

The sunset tonight will be @ 7:55 p.m. with an overnight low temperature of 34°. It looks like we are finally done with the overnight lows below freezing, so that when spring actually springs tomorrow evening @ 5:24 p.m., the March Equinox, the days will continue to be warmer and the nights less cold. Plus, it is less than two full weeks from opening day, when I'll be born again as the MLB™ season commences. 

But as always, I digress. We specifically went out for my last photo shoot before my knee surgery and P/T puts me out of commission for several weeks. But I'll be fully bionic in my knees and ready to face the world by late May. Here are some pix I shot while at Mill Point Park and the location that is now the home of the Splash Pad in Spring Lake, the Harbor Island boat launch, Swan Lake, and our own back forty.

These Canada geese were just visiting and not launching. 

The shelter at Mill Point Park made a nice frame. 

I like that this bench awaits warm weather visitors.

The only patrons of the playground today.

Even this isolated part of Spring Lake was choppy.

In the neighborhoods of the village of Spring Lake. 

I'm not sure the purpose, but this crane was on a barge in Spring Lake.

Gulls were on the ground, on the ice-covered waters near the boat launch, and in the air. 

Any day now, our daffodils will bloom and bring color to the vast gardens. 

As previously noted, tomorrow is my final knee surgery. While I don't look forward to the surgery itself, nor the requisite P/T, I do look forward to my aching knees being a memory.

My ukulele session tonight will be the last for a couple of weeks, as I tend to require lots of sleep as I mend.

Tomorrow Ginger gets boarded, Mary drives me to the hospital and waits in my recovery room while I am in surgery, and then I get deposited in our car to go home for a long sleep. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." Our current temperature is a very brisk 25° under skies that are cloudy with light snow, although it feels more like 11°, with a strong wind out of the west @ 20 mph!

Sunrise today will occur @ 7:52 a.m., while sunset will happen slightly more than 12 hours later @ 7:54 p.m. The NWS has issued two advisories.

First, is a Winter Weather Advisory calling for Lake Effect Snow, for Central, Southwest, South Central, and West Central MI until tomorrow @ 2:00 a.m., with 40 mph wind gusts and two to four inches of snow accumulation. Slippery driving conditions are expected as a result.

Plus, the NWS has also issued another Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee, from now until 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night. You know the rest.

Yesterday was a great day here at the manse. I got into the kitchen and baked another batch of my soon to be famous vegan chocolate chip cookies. I have it on good authority, that they are very tasty. I have yet to taste them myself, but an initial perusal of their appearance indicates that they should be great! Take a look for yourselves!

Famous Jack's?

We had to wait until later in the day to go out to the library for a drop off and pickup.  At our first stop, we topped off the fuel tank in our Jeep Renegade™ in preparation for my upcoming knee surgery and rehab sessions next Monday and beyond. Then it was off to the Grand Haven State Park and beach area for a photo-op. 

Did I get out of the car? Nope! I stayed inside the vehicle and snapped happily away to avoid the hazards of flying sand and debris propelled by those very strong winds from a Gale Warning that caused huge waves in Lake Michigan and smaller swells in the channel leading to the lake itself. 

Mary had planned to get out with Ginger for a short sojourn on the beach, but once outside the car, she quickly determined that the winds made that an impossibility for both her and our little terrier. So, she hopped back in and maneuvered so that I could get my pix.

A quick snap yielded this great shot of the huge waves crashing over the outer lighthouse.

For perspective, this shot shows the waves and the roiling lake waters. 

This lone surfer was headed for the lake as we left.

The gulls were out in force over the windy lake.

I just liked this shot.

Since Mary and Ginger couldn't go walkabout at the beach, we decided to head over to the Lake Forest Cemetery for less windy walking conditions and more photo-ops for me.

I was going for the texture of this stump, leaves and twigs.

As well as these fallen trees.

It was late enough in the day for the deer to be feeding among the markers.

And patience allowed for this long-range shot of one of those deer.

Lastly we made that aforementioned library stop and then I headed upstairs, where I finally changed the strings on Abagael and then returned downstairs for newspaper reading, crossword puzzles, and dinner, all before a Friday night Hallmark Channel™ Christmas in March movie with Ginger while Mary ear-read and cross-stitched.

Today, we hope to stay indoors and do as little as possible. I hope. That's enough for one session. 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."

Our current temperature under rainy skies is a seasonal 41°, although it feels more like 34°, with a strong wind blowing directly out of the south @ 15 mph. That's the reason why the NWS has continued a Small Craft Advisory from Holland to Manistee until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, with 15 to 30 knot winds causing waves up to five feet in height.

In addition, that Small Craft Advisory will be superseded by a Gale Warning, also from Holland to Manistee, commencing @ 5:00 a.m. tomorrow and continuing until 2:00 p.m. Wind speeds of 35 knots will cause waves to gradually build to 13 feet in height! The surf will definitely be up! 

Tonight's sunset will be @ 7:52 p.m.

I took a long walk today, at least for me, of close to one mile in length. While that isn't as far as Mary and Ginger walked, it was a greater distance than I had previously traveled, so I am pleased. 

When I returned, and as Mary and Ginger departed, I did some indoor chores that are impossible for Mary to tackle, polishing the cabinets in the kitchen. With our nine-foot ceilings, those cabinets are almost too high for me to reach.

As an aside, about 10 years ago, we added a shelf to Mary's spice cabinet to accommodate all of her myriad spices. Yesterday, we took out that extra shelf and had to move the remaining shelves to different spacings, which required drilling some additional holes for the shelf holders. Mission accomplished and Mary now has moved things to their new homes, at least for the near future. 

But as usual, I digressed. Since I have to concentrate when I am walking, I didn't take a camera with me. But Mary had her Smart Phone, so she took a picture of the channel near the Third Street Bridge, to show how gray the skies appeared, but also how calm the waters looked. She and Ginger had to scurry home to beat the oncoming rain and they made it just in time.

Here is a picture of what they saw off the bridge.

The near absence of color was just how gloomy the day was, not due to being in black and white. 

Tonight, I have a Zoom™ session courtesy of the Lehigh Valley Photography Club, featuring Olympus Visionary and OM Ambassador, photographer, Frank Smith. The subject matter will be Architecture and the Art of Graphic Elements. I like to take pictures of urban settings along with my love of pictures of forested areas, trails, and the lakeshore, so this should be an informative session. I always come away from these sessions with a few useful tips.

Tomorrow, I hope to do some baking of cookies, some reading, and some retirement. I will be having my second knee replacement Monday, so whatever I can accomplish before then will be all I can do for several weeks thereafter, what with physical therapy, lack of mobility, and pain management.

I think I've said 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 4:15 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under mostly cloudy skies is a seasonal 38°, with the NWS forecasting an overnight low temperature of 28°. The Wind Chill temperature is 33° with a slight wind out of the west @ six mph. Sunset tonight will be @ 6:46 p.m.

Tomorrow, the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 38°, but an overnight low temperature of 31°, with a 35% chance for snow showers tonight and into tomorrow.

Don't forget, that Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow morning @ 2:00 a.m., when you should set you clocks and watches ahead one hour. You know, "Spring Ahead!" I've already managed to reset my Citizens Eco-Drive™ wristwatch ahead so I'm feeling like I should buy a lottery ticket.

I took a walk towards the downtown area earlier this afternoon, making it as far Third St., before turning the corner back towards Columbus Ave. and heading back towards the manse. Along the way, I used Mary's Olympus TG-6 Tough camera to take some pix. Nothing special, but pix, nonetheless.

The Tribune Lofts are slowly rising towards the sky at Third and Columbus.

Meanwhile, across from Central Park, the GH Community Center is now displaying its new moniker, Central Park Place: Arts, Events, Community.

I think I like the previous picture better, as it has more going on.

I just finished my last novel by John Grisham, The Reckoning, and it was not his best in this man's opinion. While he did a great job of description in most of the book, the ending seemed contrived. Time for another book.

Mary finished her latest ear-read, and she has now downloaded another of the books she had in her queue.

I added more paint to my canvas yesterday and today and I also added some pencil outlines of what I'd like to add to another. I sometimes paint with great zeal, while at other times, I add only a few strokes and then I am done. Michaelangelo took a long time to finish the Sistine Chapel too, so I have good company.

Tomorrow looks like a great day for more retirement, as I am only eight days out from my next knee replacement and of course, the requisite rehab. Sigh.

However, Mary has some plans for me to accomplish some things here at the manse during the next several days, things that I won't be able to do for a while. Dusting, polishing, and the like are on that list. 

There, I made it and now it is time to say adieu. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:15 p.m. in "The City."

The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 40° under partly cloudy skies, with an overnight low expected to fall to 25° after sunset @ 6:45 p.m. In addition, the NWS has continued the Small Craft Advisory from St. Joesph to Manistee until 10:00 p.m. tonight, with wind speeds of 10 - 20 knots, and gusts possible up to 30 knots producing waves up to five feet in height. 

Our snow removal service came this morning and cleared our decks, Ginger's outdoor play area, and the sidewalks of the approximately six to nine inches of snow that fell overnight into late this morning. 

Since I was up early this morning, I grabbed my camera to capture pictures of the way the snow looked prior to being cleared. 

Because the sun had not broken through the clouds, the pictures have a B & W appearance.

The rocking chairs on the front porch.

The snow was fluffy, so clearing it was easier than many times before. 

I like how the snow contrasted with the regular things on the deck.

Our pergola had a large accumulation on top.

As did the deck and the railings, which impeded Ginger's morning visit. 

Most of today has been consumed by Mary searching for cross-stitch floss for her next project activity. Of the required floss, she only needed to add six more colors to her stash. Not bad! She is still hard at work on her previous project too. 

I have been painting, reading a John Grisham novel, The Reckoning, the USA Today, and the Grand Haven Tribune. 

It seems of late, that TV news has been overwhelmingly focused on the possibility of an indictment of the former POTUS, and the goings on over at that conservative cable faux news outlet. Suffice it to say, that we have continued to mostly eschew TV while dining, preferring to read instead. 

I think it is time to close out this blog and get on with more mundane activities. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 p.m. in "The City", where once again we have no alerts issued by the NWS on what is now and was all day, a sunshiny day. 

The current temperature under partly cloudy skies is 44° with a light wind out of the northeast @ nine mph making it feel more like 40°. The sunset this evening will occur @ 6:42 p.m.

Tomorrow's high will be 44°and the overnight 31° respectively, with the skies mostly cloudy.

Today was a great day to get outdoors for a photo shoot for me and a walk in the woods for Mary and Ginger at one of the Ottawa, County Parks, Pine Bend Park, which has numerous trails, and which is also home to the Weaver House, a wedding and event venue. Mary knew that I needed to get out for more walking, so I grabbed my camera, Mary got Ginger suited up, and we set out. 

Mary finished her previous ear-reading late last night as she cross-stitched and has already downloaded her next selection. Ginger and I watched another rom-com. Of late, we have been enjoying our meals TV free and both of us have been print reading.

But as usual, I have digressed. I took many pictures at Pine Bend Park, which included the surrounding woodlands, Weaver House, and the surrounding out-buildings. Here are some of the shots I captured.

Pine Bend Park is part of the Pigeon River Greenway in Ottawa, County.

This sign denotes the level of difficulty for cross-country skiers, but it also applies to the trails during the warmer months. 

The Weaver House has a large interior and deck for weddings and corporate gatherings. 

On the grounds of the Weaver House, is this smaller building, which is great for wedding photos. 

Pine Bend Park is located adjacent to the Pigeon River.

The sun was shining brightly through the leafless trees.

And in between the pines.

While many pines are present, there are also deciduous trees too. 

Suffice it to say, that Mary and Ginger took one of the trails, while I stayed on the paved areas. I should be good to go for more difficult activities by June.

Tomorrow is a routine day here at the palatial estate. I have a doctor's appointment, but that is the extent of my out of house activities. Mary will be driving me to that doctor's appointment, but otherwise, she wants to stay at home and ear-read and cross-stitch. Nothing wrong with that. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:00 p.m. in "The City." The current temperature is a balmy 45° under sunny skies, with no advisories, alerts, watches or warnings at this time. The sunset today will be @ 6:41 p.m., before an overnight low temperature of 29°.

Tomorrow, the high temperature under partly cloudy skies will be 45°, with an overnight low of 30°.

We've just returned from a trip to North Park Beach in Ferrysburg and the north pier here in GH, a place we've never been before. There is a song lyric in there, so I'll add this link to John Denver's Rocky Mountain High part of his Wildlife Concert, in homage to that lyric. Rocky Mountain High.

But I digress, before we left, I tried to take some pictures of a local cardinal calling for his mate, but they came out as more of a silhouette than I'd hoped. Still, here is one of those shots. Notice that the buds are forming on the ornamental pear tree where he is sitting.

More interesting than I first thought.

Although I got my chronology reversed, these shots of the north pier area came out great. This the sand-covered path I traversed to take some of my pictures.

We've lived here over 11 years, yet this is the first time we've been to this side of the channel in GH.

The south pier as seen from the north pier area, including some pedestrians and a fisherman.

Fishermen and their dogs are no strangers to the north pier area.

Ginger got to sniff in an entirely new place as she walked with Mary,

It seems redundant to tell us that this is a cooperative effort with the state, but...

Meanwhile, inside the picnic shelter at North Beach Park, the sand has partially buried these tables.

Ginger had to concentrate as she came down these steep steps.

Which were partially sand covered. 

Just because.

Looking south from North Beach Park at the lighthouses on the south pier in GH. 

Deserted, but spring will soon bring out the tourists and the sand fences will be gone. 

Mary and Ginger were able to walk more than me, but I increased my distance yet again.

Yes, another empty play area.

Something about these stairs attracts me every time we visit. 

As I said, Mary and Ginger outdistanced me and made it to the top. 

We are once again home, safe and sound. The balance of our day will be spent reading, retiring, playing music, cross-stitching, and perhaps painting. What's not to like? Ciao.