Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:15 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is 52°, with a "Real Feel" temperature of 48°, due to a strong wind out of the southwest @ 12 mph. The NWS is forecasting that today, showers will begin in earnest around 4:00 p.m.

Tonight's low temperature forecast from the NWS calls for 42° before we "rebound" to tomorrow's high temperature of 46° with an overnight low temperature of 38°. The NWS forecast indicates that we will have to wait until next Friday or Saturday to reach temperatures in the 60s. That's spring in Michigan.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 6:41 a.m. with sunset@ 8:43 p.m.

The 14 - 11, third place in the NL Central Cubs, lost yesterday's game versus the 14 - 13 Miami Marlins, 2 - 3. One bright spot was the home run by rookie centerfielder, Nelson Velazquez, but with the game tied in the ninth, the Marlins took the game from the cubs.

The Cubs take the field again today @ 4:05 p.m., with 0 - 0 Caleb Kilian taking the mound for the Cubs following a call up from the Iowa Cubs. 

My beloved 13 - 14, last place in the AL East Red Sox, lost to the Cleveland Guardians yesterday, 2 - 5, with Nick Pivetta taking the loss. Today, the Sox once again face the Guardians in a game beginning @ 4:10 p.m., with 0 - 1 Brayan Bello on the bump for the beloved.

The 10 - 15 Tigers were rained out yesterday, so they are playing two today. They took game one from the 17 - 19 Orioles, 7 - 4, with 2 - 2 Eduardo Rodriguez getting the win. Game two today begins @ 5:10 p.m., when 1 - 1 LHP Matthew Boyd goes for the Tigers. 

Earlier this afternoon, with Mary's assistance, I walked to Central Park for the Earth Day festivities. Unfortunately, the festivities were mostly indoors at the Central Park Place. However, I took some pix of what was happening outdoors, which included a pony, a carriage ride, and some guitarists.

A very docile pony was there for the kids to pet.

The one-horse carriage circled Central Park with riders.

Not me, but a reasonable facsimile.

Act number two was heading in while we were heading out. 

The balance of today will find me in the media room watching the Cubs and sharing snacks with Ginger. Fortunately, she and I have similar snack tastes.

Mary finished her last cross-stitch project, and she is getting everything together for her next endeavor. 

I finished number one, Sleeping Giants and then book number two, Waking Gods. I am now starting book number three, Only Human, in the trilogy by Sylvain Neuvel, a trilogy recommended by Mary. I enjoyed the first two books, so I have great hopes for this book. 

We are still collectively ear-reading The Women of the Copper Country, by Mary Doria Russell. This book is set in the U.P. of Michigan, circa 1913, and deals with the efforts to unionize the copper mines in a hostile, anti-union environment. I am liking this book too.

I finished yesterday's crossword puzzles and crypto quote earlier today and now I have tomorrow to work on the weekend puzzles and crypto quote.  

Mary is hard at her cross-stitch planning at her desk as I write this. 

That's enough for today. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 3:45 a.m. in "The City."

The NWS is reporting a current temperature under clear skies of 45°, although it feels more like 42° with a slight wind out of the east @ five mph. There are no advisories, alerts, nor warnings in effect at this time. I cannot report the temperatures here at the manse, as my outdoor sensors need to be recharged. Later today, I'll get to that task.

Per the immutable laws of physics, the sun will rise this morning @ 6:42 a.m. and set later @ 8:42 p.m. Symmetry? Catch it!

I/we have another P/T appointment today. With my therapist, Eric, I am working on strengthening my legs so that I can more easily rise from a sitting position. 

Otherwise, not much is happening here at the Palatial Estate. Mary is busily rearranging the furnishings and decor indoors, and I am staying out of the way. We are still ear-reading and print-reading along with working crossword puzzles and crypto quotes. Mary is also doing some personal ear-reading too.

I did get into the kitchen yesterday afternoon to bake another batch of Mary's favorite, Soft Funfetti Cookies. That was before we set forth to get our sixth Covid-19 vaccinations. As people of a certain age, we are being extra cautious.

The 14 - 10 Cubs downed the 13 - 15 Padres yesterday afternoon, 5 - 3, behind a wind assisted home run barrage from Dansby Swanson, his first in a Cubs' uniform, Eric Hosmer, and rookie call up, Nelson Velasquez, who was called up to replace regular centerfielder, Cody Bellanger who is out on paternity leave for a few more games. The Cubs are off to Miami tonight to play the 13 - 13 Miami Marlins @ 6:40 EDT, as 2 - 2 Marcus Stroman starts for the northsiders. 

My beloved 13 - 13 Red Sox had the day off yesterday, before tonight's game versus the 12 - 13 Cleveland Guardians in a game commencing @ 7:10 p.m. EDT with 1 - 1 Nick Pivetta on the bump for the Sox.

The 9 - 15 Tigers dropped another game, this time to the 17 - 8 Orioles, 4 - 7. What can I say, the Tigers just don't have any pitching. The tigers take the field again tonight @ 6:40 p.m. in Baltimore as 1 - 2 Eduardo Rodriguez tries again to earn his money. 

I think it is time for me to retire to the media room for some reading etc. So, I'll say it. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation an across the world. It is just past 5:55 a.m. in "The City."

The NWS is reporting a current temperature under cloudy/rainy/snowy skies of 37°, although with a slight breeze out of the southeast @ four mph., it feels more like 33°. Definitely not a seasonal temperature and that's why we have that mix of snow and rain falling from the sky outside my WW. 

The NWS is also reporting a current Barometric Pressure of 30.19" of Hg and rising, while my own DTWS is displaying 29.56" of Hg and steady. 

The sun will rise later today @ 6:47 a.m., and set much later @ 8:38 p.m.

We traveled to the north on Sunday afternoon to visit Marsh Field in Muskegon, MI, the home of the Muskegon Clippers baseball team. 

Given to a private organization several years ago by the City of Muskegon, Marsh Field is a beautiful ballpark.

Soon, this Field of Dreams, will be hosting the Muskegon Clippers for baseball action.

The Clippers play in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.

Although the field is small, it is well maintained, and the clippers have numerous sponsors. 

We hope to see several games this year, as a way to enjoy baseball without going to Detroit, Grand Rapids, or other baseball cities. The cost is lower, and baseball is baseball. As we know, "Baseball is Life!"

Elsewhere in the news, I had yet another P/T session yesterday and was given some additional exercises to perform at home to add to the strength in my knees/legs. I'm five weeks out on my latest sojourn into my new knees. 

We have been ear-reading, cross-stitching, crossword solving, print-reading, and watching the time get away from us. Mary and Ginger are walking more every day, but today may be a non-walking day due to the inclement weather.

In other sports news, the Cubs are treading water in the NL Central, with a record of 12 - 9, having just dropped three out of four to the LA Dodgers at Wrigley. The Cubs are home tonight versus the 12 - 12 San Diego Padres for a game beginning @ 7:40 p.m. EDT, with 3 - 0 Justin Steele on the mound for the Cubs.

My beloved 12 - 12 Red Sox. I'm not sure what they are doing, as they are better than expected, but not good enough. They once again play the 15 - 7 Orioles in the AL East division, where the Tampa Bay Rays are the team to beat, with their record of 20 - 3. The Sox send 0 - 4 Cory Kluber to the hill tonight to face the Orioles, following last night's loss, 4 - 5 to the Orioles. LHP Chris Sale was awful last night, lasting just one and one-third innings and destroying the water cooler in the dugout as he left.

What the 8 - 13 Tigers are doing, with a record of 8 - 13, may be good enough for third place in a very weak AL Central Division, but they are not a good team. Yet, they defeated the 15 - 8 Milwaukee Brewers last night, 4 - 2. The Tigers are in action again tonight versus the Brewers when 1 - 3 Spencer Turnbull takes the ball for the Tigers. 

Otherwise, we are just waiting for spring to permanently arrive, which it will, but as always, the weather in Michigan is up and down at this point in the season. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:40 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under cloudy skies is a seasonal 43°, although it feels like 41° with a breeze out of the west @ four mph. 

The NWS has issued yet another Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee beginning at 12:00 a.m. tomorrow and continuing until 4:00 a.m., with wind speeds of 25 knots propelling waves up to five feet in height. 

My DTWS is showing a current Barometric Pressure of 29.15" of Hg and rising, while the NWS in GR is showing 29.81" of Hg and falling. Plus, there is a slight possibility of rain showers beginning soon. I'll have to look out the Weather Window to confirm that part of the forecast. As of now, no rain. The sun will rise this morning @ 6:52 a.m. and set later @ 8:35 p.m.

I read three newspapers yesterday and got the crossword puzzles and crypto quotes ready for solving, but then it was time to move to the Media Room to watch the Cubs and starting pitcher, Drew Smyly, 2 - 1, crush the LA Dodgers, 13 - 0, as baseballs went flying out of Wrigley Field four times, as Smyly held the Dodgers to one hit in his eight innings of work. 

In the top of the eighth inning, a freakish infield collision between Smyly and his battery-mate, Jan Gomes, let the Dodgers tally a hit and end Smyly's no hit bid. Oh well, the "W" flag is flying over Wrigley and the 12 - 7 Cubs, as they find themselves in third place in the NL. Central, behind the 14 - 7 Pirates and the 14 - 6 Brewers. 

The Cubs and the Dodgers play again today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT, with RHP Hayden Wisnewski, 1 - 0, on mound.

My beloved Red Sox, 11 - 10, are in sole possession of last place in the AL East, as the surprising 

Tampa Bay Rays, 17 - 3 lead the division and show no signs of slowing down. 

The 7 - 11 Detroit Tigers, are in third place in the AL Central with no real hope for now or anytime soon. Sigh.

I finished my latest novel, Georgie All Along by Kate Clayborn late last night and thoroughly enjoyed this pulp fiction of a young woman at the crossroads of her life. 

Today, I hope to finish those crossword puzzles and crypto quotes and also continue to ear-read more with Mary too. 

Speaking of Mary, her replacement air-fryer showed up without warning on Thursday, and she wasted no time in putting the replacement version 2.0 into service for Thursday night's dinner, as well as for dinner last night too. I wonder if she can find a third meal today?

Otherwise, I am enjoying being upstairs for both the bedroom and the media room. Mary is enjoying being downstairs and undisturbed, as she ear-reads her own novel and cross-stitches. 

So, recovery from my knee surgeries continues and my time in this chair is nearly at an end. So, I'll say it. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. Grand Haven, I'm back

It is just past 4:45 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 44° under mostly cloudy skies, with a strong wind out of the east @ 15mph making it feel more like 37°. The NWS is reporting the Barometric Pressure as 29.95" of Hg and falling, while my DTWS is displaying 29.30" of Hg and steady. 

We had T-storms last night and the NWS is predicting more of the same for this afternoon and evening.

Today's high temperature of 69° will be an anomaly, as we will only be seeing high temperatures in the upper 40s and lower 50s for many more days, well into May. Let's not talk about the effects of Climate Change.

The sun will rise this morning @ 6:55 a.m. and set tonight @ 8:33 p.m.

Good news! After exactly four months living downstairs in the manse, we have officially moved back upstairs, and it feels great! I no longer need my walker and I don't need to use my cane, so now P/T is all about making me stronger and more mobile. In fact, I have another P/T appointment later today and three more next week and I should be done! I am happy, but Mary is over the moon, as she has been my caregiver for those many months, with some respite for her between the surgery on both of my knees. I couldn't have done it without her. 

I too often argued with her about my needs, but fortunately, she saw through my bluster and overrode my cantankerousness, and forced me to get up and get moving. I guess that nearly 50 years of my obstreperous nature can be ignored if and when you try. Fortunately, she did.

Otherwise, not much is happening around here. P/T seems to fill my weeks, as does reading, listening to books, working crossword puzzles, solving most of the crypto quotes, and bemoaning my fate. Mary has been listening to her books, cross-stitching, and preparing meals along with challenging me to get up and get at it.

So, before my knees tell me to get up and go find a more comfortable place to sit, I'll say it. Baseball has been very, very good to me! Baseball is life! The Cubs took five out of six games on their just concluded west coast road trip, but their record of 11 - 6 still finds them in second place in the NL Central behind the 14 - 5 Milwaukee Brewers. Sigh. 

Is this just more of the same old same old? Nope, this year the Cubs could win it all, to borrow from the late Jack Brickhouse.

So, Hey Hey and Holy Mackerel, the W flag flew over the Friendly Confines again yesterday, after the Cubs' stomping of the Oakland As, 12 - 2. The Cubs welcome the 9 - 10 Dodgers to Wrigley Field for a game tonight @ 7: 40 EDT, weather permitting. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under clears skies is a very seasonal 54°, although it feels more like 52°, with a slight wind out of the east @ six mph. The sun will rise in a few hours @ 7:05 a.m. and set later @ 8:26 p.m.

In between, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has issued an Air Quality Alert for the counties of Allegan, Kent, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren effective today, due to elevated and unhealthy amounts of ozone in the atmosphere. That means that for children and other living things, outdoor activities should be limited or curtailed and ozone causing activities should be avoided. Yikes!

Here at the manse of the palatial estate, we had another of those bathtub cutouts installed yesterday in our upstairs bathroom. The one downstairs was so great, that a second seemed in order for when we move back upstairs when my knee rehab is done. Two to three weeks, I hope.

In addition, Mary and I finished our latest collective ear-read The Other Mrs. Miller, and she finished her own ear-read too. I tossed aside a novel I was reading, but which became tedious, in favor of a book that is the second in a series that piqued my interest after reading the first. While we were outside on our deck enjoying the late afternoon warm temperatures, I finished three crosswords and the daily crypto quote. Of course, Ginger was there too, after taking a walk earlier in the day with Mary.

Somewhere in there, we finished the indoor chores and watched our usual evening fare, before I retired with Ginger to watch another Hallmark Chanel™ Rom-Com. I slipped in and out of consciousness, but that's okay, as I anticipated the ending. 

Today, we have an early P/T appointment and that's about it. I have to keep on keeping on, so to speak. 

We anticipate good weather now that April is well underway, with the exception of Sunday and Monday, when rain and cooler temperatures set in before we return to more spring-like weather. No new pix, sorry. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 8:30 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 58° under partly cloudy skies with a "Real Feel" temperature of 56°, with a wind out of the south @ 11 mph. Tonight's low temperature will drop to a very seasonal 50°. 

The sun has already set @ 8:22 p.m., but it will rise again tomorrow @ 7:08 a.m. and set later tomorrow evening @ 8:23 p.m.

In between, the NWS has continued a River Flood Warning that will remain in effect until Thursday afternoon, with minor flooding possible along the Grand River. 

In addition, due to the low humidity, 22%, there is a Fire Weather Watch that will go into effect from tomorrow afternoon until tomorrow evening, with wind speeds of 15 to 25 mph and gusts up to 40 mph, with the inland temperatures in the upper 70° range making outdoor burning dangerous. 

Finally, there will also be a Small Craft Advisory going into effect @ 2:00 a.m. tomorrow and lasting until 8:00 a.m. Thursday, from St. Joseph to Manistee, with wind speeds from 10 to 20 knots and gusts possible to 30 knots producing waves from three to seven feet in height. 

Otherwise, things around the Palatial Estate have been quiet. I have been going to P/T three times per week, with Mary as my driver, and I am now just past three weeks since my most recent surgery. Things are looking up, as I am out of my walker and only sporadically using my quad cane for ambulation. Each day is better than the last. I am scheduled for a P/T session tomorrow and again on Friday.

Since I have been able to get outside to the car and back on the way too and from P/T, I have been able to witness the blooming of our daffodils and they are gorgeous again this year. In fact, Mary brought several indoors for a table decoration too. Oh, I returned to my weekly ukulele sessions last Sunday too.

Speaking of Mary, she has been a stalwart in my daily care and for that I am truly grateful. Mary has once again baked bread, which we enjoyed as part of our dinner tonight of soup and sandwich. 

Mary and Ginger have been walking regularly and I envy their daily sojourns. I'm not there yet, but soon, I hope.

So tomorrow, that P/T session for me along with some reading and crossword solving, and that's about it. Mary and I are ear-reading our latest novel, The Other Mrs. Miller, by Allison Dickson, during meals and at odd times throughout the day. Mary is also solo ear-reading her own novel too. 

That looks like enough for my return to blogging after a three plus week hiatus. Ciao.