Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:25 a.m. in "The City."

I arose to find that the NWS shows the current temperature as 40°, although it feels more like 30°, with a strong wind out of the northwest @ 21 mph, which has the NWS also showing that a Gale Warning will remain in effect until 2:00 p.m. today, from St. Joseph to Manistee. Wind speeds of 45 knots will propel waves up to 13' in height. The surf is up!

Today, the sun will rise @ 6:37 a.m. and set tonight @ 8:46 p.m. In between, it will remain windy, with a 38% chance for additional showers. 

The NWS is showing a current barometric pressure of 29.39" of Hg and rising, while my own, newly recharged sensors and my own DTWS is showing 28.80"of Hg and falling. 

According to the NWS forecast, we should see temperatures in the 60° and above range beginning on Thursday and continuing from then on. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the massive dust storm in Southern Illinois, that caused a massive traffic pileup yesterday. Climate Change? Yes!

In fact, a report that Mary showed me yesterday, indicates that as we transition from an El Nino to a La Nina, this summer in Michigan will see more rain than many summers in recent memory, with less watering of gardens a good side effect.

I also arose to the sad news that Canadian singer/songwriter, Gordon Lightfoot, has died at the age of 84. As a player myself, his music has inspired me to keep on keepin' on. Oops, I was channeling the Grateful Dead there for a second. 

Lightfoot is best known for songs such as: 

If You could Read My Mind, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jiU2lrGnT7U

Sundown, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EOh3EwzoOU

And of course, his haunting ballad, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, which depicted the aforementioned maritime accident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzTkGyxkYI

He will be missed, especially by the coordinator of my Sunday night Ukulele group, Bruce, a big fan.

In an abridged version of my Sports Report, here are the facts, just the facts. 

The 15 - 13 Cubs and winning LHP Drew Smyly, 3 - 1, rolled into Washington D.C., and in last night's game, defeated the 10 - 18 Nationals, 5 - 1, with Dansby Swanson getting yet another dinger. The Cubs are still mired in third place in the NL Central, but they remain above the .500 mark, behind the division leading 20 - 9 Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs and the Nationals play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. EDT, with RHP, Hayden Wisnewski, 2 - 1, pitching.  

The 10 - 17 Detroit Tigers, are also in third place in the AL Central division, a division that finds the Twins @ 17 - 12 on top. 

Finally, my beloved 16 - 14 Red Sox, needed a walk off home run by Alex Verdugo, to defeat the 18 - 11 third place Toronto Blue Jays, 6 - 5. The Sox return to the field again tonight to face the Jays in a game @ 710 p.m. EDT, with RHP Tanner Houck3 - 1, on the bump.

I had yet another P/T appointment yesterday. Recovery is continuing, but you know what they say about "No pain, No gain."

Since we were out, Mary drove me to the shores of the "Big Lake" and maneuvered the car so that I could get some pix. 

Lake Michigan was angry yesterday.

But this lone kite surfer was not deterred.

He even "Caught some air" at one point.

Waves crashed, winds blew, but the inner lighthouse stood tall. 

We returned home to find that we had visitors in the back forty.

This mourning dove was resting on our fence.

While this black squirrel was digging in our planter.

We finished watching 84 Charing Cross Road yesterday and continued ear-reading The Women of Copper Country. Mary is working on an interim cross-stitch project too. I restarted a print-read of another book entitled, The Third Grave, by Lisa Jackson.

Today, I have a six-week appointment with my orthopedist to assess my knees. I think I am doing well, but as you know, I am not patient. Right now, I have a goal to make it to the library for a Coffee and Coloring session on May 11. It has been over two years since I was able to go to that recently restarted activity, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and my knees. Here's hoping I can make it. I am still struggling to rise easily from chairs. If I can't rise easily after sitting, Mary has promised to come to my rescue so that I can go. 

That's enough for one blog, as I have been sitting too long now. Ciao.