Good evening GH. It is just after 10:30 p.m. in "The City." This is an early start for me, but I just finished a book that I started a few hours ago, so I thought it was a good time to blog. Our current temperature is 39° under partly cloudy skies. We're heading for a low temperature of 29° by the time the sun rises at 7:24 a.m. By the time the sun sets at 5:28 p.m., we should have seen a high temperature of 41° under partly cloudy skies. Saturday and Sunday have a forecast that is not unlike today. Windy, rainy, and a high in the low forties. In short, great weather for Huskies.

Today, Mary and I went to the eye doctor for an exam and new glasses. This is the first time that Mary's glasses and mine were the same price. We made a few stops after that for groceries and some hardware items, since we were on the other side of the bridge. Naturally, we also stopped at the favorite watering hole on that side of the bridge too.

Then it was home for some reading, playing with the girls, and watching the TV. We went out for dinner, but once we were home, I retired to the media room and watched up here. That's where I was when I finished that book. I have another in that series to read. I also have three books to pick up tomorrow. Now that I have some free time, I can enjoy my pulp fiction.

I also got some good news today. My MRI scan came back clean, so I don't have to have another for two years. I have to time it right, because by then I'll be on Medicare and not on private insurance. So just before my birthday month, I'll call and schedule that scan. Like Adam says, I am as likely to suffer a setback as someone who never had a problem. That means that I may not schedule a return visit. I'll have to make a game time decision. What's not to like?.

We have no specific plans for tomorrow, and I like it that way. If the winds aren't too strong, we may journey to the Post in the afternoon. I also have to walk with the intrepid weather dog in the morning and pick up those books after that. All three activities are pleasure trips. Sugar and I will pick up the newspaper, Mary and I will read it, and I'll do the crossword. We may also find time to read more of our shared book.

So that's enough for today and into the near future. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." A long lasting look out the Weather Window shows that the forecast as provided by the National Weather Service is accurate, for once. We have rain falling on our roof and other places, in GH. In addition, we have light winds blowing. That doesn't always happen, the accurate forecast, not the weather itself. We also have a current temperature of 46° before we drop down to 43°. Friday we'll see mostly cloudy skies, but dry conditions. Saturday, the chance of rain zips back to 70% with windy conditions and light rain, just like today.

On Wednesday, Mary and I walked with Sugar the Weather Dog to that grocery store/butcher shop in East Town. Like Tuesday, the weather was perfect. Sugar hadn't been that way in a while, so she had many messages to answer. We came home to find a group of young people from the local school raking the leaves from the front lawn. They did a superb job. The lawn looks as though a vacuum cleaner was used. They are welcome back anytime. I finished up in the back forty and then it was time to read.

Later in the day, Mary and I walked downtown to a local merchant, Michigan Rag™, who had sent out a coupon for 33% off any one item that displayed the Lake Michigan Unsalted caption. Mary needed a replacement fleece with a zipper front and she found one, in pink. I had originally begged off, but she prevailed and so I went along for the walk. All together, I put in more than four miles of walking yesterday. I want to mention that Mary finished my afghan. It looks beautiful, is nice and warm while I sit and read, and it is done before Thanksgiving. What's not to like?

I understand that it is not unusual for a knitter to hate the finishing of knitted items. I can empathize, as in a similar vein, I liked to build things when I worked with wood, but I never liked finishing. Maybe it is because finishing an item means that it is finished and you have to start something new. However, Mary always has two, three, or more things going when she is doing crafty things, so perhaps it is just that she doesn't like to finish. According to the lady at the yarn store where she got the yarn for her personal afghan, and Mary herself, many stores offer services to finish pieces like sweaters or other articles that need assembly. Apparently, the joy is in the journey.

Today, we are traveling across the bridge to go to the eye doctor for exams and replacement glasses. Mine don't fit as well as I would like and I sometimes get eye strain headaches. Mary can't see to read with her glasses on. That may be due to the fact that she hasn't had new glasses in several years. That's probably because with her prescription, her glasses can be very expensive. We're going to a place recommended by Sally. While we are on that side of the bridge, we'll return that laundry basket that we don't really need.

When we return home, I get to play with the girls and read another book. I finished that last one and I liked it.

I heard the train earlier, but I didn't see it. At 4:22 a.m., the northbound run passed by, It consisted of, wait for it, two EMD GP 38 locomotives in the newest livery, #s 2057 and 2019. They were "Dead Heading." Adam knows that that means they were traveling without other cars or duties, as they returned to the yard where they originated.

The sun will rise at 7:24 a.m. and set at 5:28 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City." A current temperature under dark skies of 46°, predominates the forecast. Later today, after  the sun rises at 7:22 a.m., the temperature will rise to 50° with a 0% chance of rain. All of that changes on Thursday to a 90% chance of rain and wind in the morning, with a high of 47°. Friday we dry out again and the temperature will reach 42°.

Yesterday was good day for walking, and Mary and I did just that. We walked with Sugar the Weather Dog. We walked to the polling place. We walked to the Post for some scintillating conversation. We walked home again. With temperatures in the upper 40° and lower 50° range, it was perfect fall weather.

Today we plan to walk to the local grocery/butcher shop in East-Town. Sugar always likes to go that way, as long as she doesn't end up at her doctor. That won't be happening, so all should be good with her.

Once we are back, we'll finish the clean-up on the grounds of the palatial estate and then place the trash and remaining yard waste bags at the curb. Finally, I should have a chance to finish more of the book I am reading and also sit down with the girls. Sugar will spend some time on her couch. What's not to like?

The northbound run of the train roared past at about 4:15 a.m., and it consisted of the regular coterie of locomotives, numbers 2019 and 3885, towing 27 covered hopper cars, two box cars, and two tank cars.

Otherwise, not much on the agenda. The sun will set at 5:30 p.m., and then the day will settle into the regular evening routine. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." A current temperature of 55° will lead to an overnight low of 41°. We are supposed to be having light showers right now, but a quick look out the Weather Window tells me that the part of the forecast that included that prognostication is incorrect. Maybe later this morning the 60° prediction for showers will come to pass, but right now, zip, zero, nothing.

I heard the train pass by about two hours ago. It sounded long, and like the horn-happy engineer was at the throttle, but that is pure supposition on my part. I have not heard another train since, so I don't know what direction the last train was heading.

In other news, Mary and I made it to GR for my annual MRI. I don't have any results yet, and they may not be available for several weeks. However, no news is generally good news. If the radiologist in the MRI lab or one of the technicians had seen anything untoward, I am certain that I would have been on their "talk to" list right away. As usual, the nurses in the MRI lab had difficulty finding a vein into which to inject the dye for the contrasting view. I have been poked and prodded so many times over the last few years, that I took it in stride. Once the dye was in, I was done in another eight minutes. Since I got in early, I got out early.

I should mention that Mary and I stopped in the GR Downtown Market before going to the hospital. We had visited once before, about two years ago, while it was under construction, and it is now complete. A magnificent facility. Indoor gardens, test kitchens for food preparation and many different types of specialty food markets were in evidence. Since the market is situated in the midst of many different college and hospital campuses, the restaurants in the market were busy selling some very tasty looking foods. Cheeses, vegetables, meats, fish and pastries were all available. On Saturdays and during the summer months, there is also an outdoor farmer's market. GR is doing a great job of reinventing itself.

Not much is happening today. We plan to stay in bed and listen to the radio for few hours after the sun rises at 7:22 a.m. Then I will read more, play with the girls more, and Mary says that she will finish weaving in the ends of my afghan. It should be ready by Thanksgiving. We are still reading that book that we started about the founding fathers and their enlightened scientific approach to the governance of the fledgling country. It is entitled Gentlemen, Scientists, and Revolutionaries: The Founding Fathers in the Age of Enlightenment, by Tom Shachtman. We are liking it and learning.

We will get out to vote today, no hurry, and then it will be time to get back home, have dinner, and watch our favorite show on TV. That will be followed by the election coverage. No matter what your personal views, it is important to get out and vote. Shortly after the sun sets here at 5:32 p.m., the polls will close and we'll see what happened, both here in MI and around the country. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 5:00 a.m. in "The City" where the current temperature is a comfortable 50°. As dawn approaches at 7:20 a.m., it will drop to 48° before we see the sunshine. Once the day dawns, we'll see a high of 54° under mostly sunny skies. We're still on track for cloudy skies on Tuesday with an 80% chance of showers in the morning. So our trip to GR should be pleasant today.

As I mentioned previously, we'll be travelling to GR for my annual MRI. The tests require an injection of dye to get a contrast for diagnostic purposes. Otherwise, except for the banging that comes with an MRI, the test is generally uneventful. They always ask what music you'd like to hear, but when the machine is in operation, the music gets drowned out, so it doesn't much matter. Mary has her afghan project started, so that when she is in the waiting room, she has something to do.

We did get out in the back forty yesterday. Leaves raked and bagged and a new garden bed cut in. Mary wisely insisted that I stop after I had harvested the horseradish to preserve my baking yak, which isn't, by the by. Once inside, I washed the roots and fed them to the blender for chopping and mixing with about 1/2 cup of vinegar and a dash of salt. I got about 1/2 jar of Jax Prepared Horseradish in the end. I may get more next year, as Mary is going to give up some pots to the process. I was going to give some roots to Adam, but the last time I did, they didn't take, so I'll keep them for myself. You have to keep horseradish in a container or contained area, or it spreads like a weed. Mary likes how the leaves look, so that is a win-win for me. Still more to be done out there, but that can wait for a few days.

I have to call the doctor today to get the results from my tests. I got the abbreviated version late Friday afternoon, but apparently I need a retest on something, so I have to find out about further fasting etc. More blood, more tests.

The morning constitutional with Sugar the Weather Dog will take place as usual, and then we'll be off to GR. That will pretty much use up the day before we get back to the palatial estate. Sunset will occur shortly thereafter at 5:32 p.m., but that should be early enough to allow us old people to make it home before dark. We don't' turn into a pumpkins or werewolves, but neither of us likes driving after dark.

That's enough for today. Once home, we'll sit back, relax, and get ready to face that stormy weather on Tuesday morning. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:00 a.m. in "The City", where I have finally succeeded in resetting my watch for standard time. I'm glad I don't have to do that more than twice per year. But I digress. Our current temperature is 24°, which is as low as it will get this early morning. Today the sun will rise at 7:20 a.m. and set at 5:34 p.m., due to the changing of the clocks. Tomorrow, Monday, the temperature will rise to a high of 53° and Mary and I will be on our way to GR for that MRI scan. Since I have a 1:30 p.m. appointment, we have to leave no later than 12:00 p.m. to be there by 1:00 p.m., to allow for processing time.

Sometimes Mary is way ahead of schedule. and sometimes she is rather lackadaisical about getting out the door. Yesterday was an example. She wanted to go to the cook's store in Muskegon, so she waited until 2:30 p.m. to get out the door. We arrived at the store with five minutes to spare before their closing time of 3:00 p.m. Somehow she thought that they closed at 4:00 p.m. While I am not a real stickler for time in general, my years of following a schedule in a school setting made me punctual when it comes to being someplace on time. I also had to follow a schedule when I had a business to run. So for me, there are times when I press the throttle of life to get somewhere. Monday will be one of those occasions. I like that phrase, "Press the throttle of life."

At the kitchen store, we got the spatula that Mary wanted, but they didn't have the glass covered cook pot that she desired. All they had were expensive sets. On the way back, we attempted to get the salt for the driveway, but the store didn't have it in yet. I bet that they didn't have it in in North Carolina yesterday either, but wished they had. We did get a laundry basket that is probably going back. We also got two small grocery items that were less than the dollar amount of the cans we returned, so we got money back there.

Lunch had been a delicious stir-fry that Mary assembled from vegetables, tofu, and spices she had on hand. It was wonderful. I may even start to like mushrooms as long as they are prepared the way the ones in that stir-fry were done. Kudos to Mary for that. It was the overflowing rice pot that prompted her desire for that glass-covered pot when it boiled over. Electric stoves can be very tough to tame. Stephany seems to have them mastered, but we still struggle. Too many years of gas stoves I guess.

Today is yard work in the back forty of the palatial estate. Mary reminded me that with my MRI appointment on Monday, we won't be able to use the sunny skies and warmer temperatures then. Oh well, the weather today looks like it should be fine. So many leaves, so many bags, so little time, now that the days are shorter. But the skies will be mostly sunny, or is it partly cloudy?  We also have plans to cut in that new vegetable garden and cover the outdoor furniture. Other than that, we have no plans, except to continue to share an interesting book that Mary picked up at the library yesterday, and of course, to play the girls. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City." We have a current temperature of 31° as we drop to the overnight low of 27°, before we rebound to today's high of 44° under sunny skies. Tomorrow, will be a tad warmer at 49°. Monday promises to be warmer still, at 56° under partly cloudy skies. Those partly cloudy skies will lead to full cloud cover on Tuesday as the temperature falls to 51° with an 80% chance of rain. Mary and I had planned to rake and bag more leaves on the palatial estate tomorrow, but Monday looks even better weather wise. Plus, more leaves will accumulate by then.

Speaking of the weather, Sugar the Weather Dog and I went for our regular constitutional yesterday morning. Mary had some work to finish, so Sugar and I set out on our own. We were fine for about the first block, even with a steady head wind, when a gust strong enough to move the usually sure footed Weather Dog, blew her sideways. With her ears laid back and a determined stride on both our parts, we pressed on to the newspaper box. Once there we reversed our course, and with the wind at our back, we made it home in record time. After that, Sugar and I stayed in, while Mary went out for her influenza inoculation. At that time, the snow was blowing sideways in the strong winds.

When Mary came home, she suggested that we take a jar of potato leek soup to Sally at the Post. I said the if she planned to walk, I wasn't going. One walk in that wind for the day was enough for me. She said no, we could drive, so I agreed. Since it was getting late, we encountered the trick or treating children downtown. Then we needed to get home for the total of two visits by neighborhood children. I guess that the snowy, windy, wet, and cold weather deterred more visitors. More leftover candy for me. I feel like a kid myself with all of this Halloween candy that I can stash, dole out to myself over a period of weeks, and which I know that Mary won't bother, because she doesn't really like candy. Whats not to like?

Today, we are going to brave a trip across the bridge to take advantage of some 20% off coupons from the hardware store in Spring Lake. We'll also stop at the grocery store on that side of bridge to return the cans that Mary has "avoided" taking in two previous trips to the store. If I don't go, she doesn't take the cans. I'll get the newspaper while we are there and then we can head home for more down time. Mary has promised to weave in the ends of my afghan and then I'll be warm all winter in the media room. I'll read the paper, do the crossword, and then continue my next book. I think I like this author too.

The sun will be rising in a bit over three and one-half hours at 8:18 a.m. We have plans to listen to the Saturday morning radio show that we like until 10:00 a.m. before we rise. The sun will be setting at 6:36 p.m. and so will I. Don't forget to turn your clocks back one hour before going to bed. Ciao.