Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

It is raining. I don't care what the NWS predicted for yesterday during the daylight hours, the rain arrived tonight/this morning. However, the rain is scheduled to mostly end by 7:00 a.m. We have plans to go to Hemlock Crossing County Park later today to take what has been billed as a "Wildflower Walk", but the trails may be a bit on the muddy side. With my somewhat limited walking ability due to my not yet ready for prime time knees and my steadily improving yak, I'll make a game-time decision. The sun will be rising today @ 7:08 a.m. and setting later @ 8:23 p.m.

Yesterday in baseball, the results were mixed. The 6 - 5 Cubs routed the now 8 - 3 Pirates, 13 - 5 t stay solidly in 2nd place in the NL Central, two games in back of the Pirates. Those two teams are scheduled to meet this afternoon @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

My 9 - 2 1st place beloved Red Sox are human, as they fell to the 3rd place 6 - 6 Yankees, 7 - 10, in a battle of AL East rivals.. Firmer Tiger, J.D. Martinez, belted a Grand Slam, but it was not enough. A brawl and four ejections marred this strange game The Sox and the Indians play again tonight @ 6:10 p.m.

The 4 - 7 Tigers are mired in 3rd place in the AL Central, as they lost to the 7 - 5 Indians, 1 - 5. The Tigers and the Indians play again tonight @ 6:10 p.m. EDT.

The 4 - 1 Caps were once again victorious over the Great Lakes Loons, 5 - 1 in an Midwest League East match-up. The Caps are off to a hot start and they will play the Loons again today @ 12:00 p.m. EDT.

I spent a huge chunk of my day yesterday in the kitchen making baked tofu, vegan pastrami, and vegan bacon. All three items turned out great and Mary made vegan BLTs for dinner that were accompanied by my vegan Coleslaw, which also turned out great. We have plans to walk the fur-children and pick up some Polish rye bread this morning so that Mary can make vegan Reuben sandwiches. Once again, that walk is a game-time decision.

As an aside, Mary and I decided to go vegan four or five years ago due to our/my late in life realization that animals have a life too. My loyal readers may recall that my epiphany came when I saw a load of pigs on their way to the slaughterhouse. Those pigs reminded me of STWD, a lot, so the move was easier for me than you might expect. Plus, as we aren't getting any younger, so it was/is time to watch those numbers the doctors are always talking about, like LDL, HDL, and BP. So, no more red meat, which I really don't miss, no more dairy, which isn't good for most people as they get older, etc.

I almost forgot to mention that I have now started a collection of U.S. nickels starting with 1970 and ending with 2018 in the blank spaces. No particular reason except that nickels are plentiful, often received in change and are therefore easier to come by. Plus, quarters are heavier and more costly. For $5.00 I can fill my entire nickel book, whereas quarters are an investment of $25.00 for an equal number of coins. Yes, Adam, another cheap hobby unlike my addiction to my three guitars, a single ukulele, a lone banjitar, and a bodhran, and an electric piano. I don't have enough hobbies. Or do I?

I have plans to spend some time in my office/music room/weather center today after we return from our morning walk, playing with the girls. Mary has plans to do something, but I forget what, probably some crafty thing, all before our afternoon Wildflower Walk @ Hemlock Crossing County Park. Mary also printed out the latest indexing project, a short tome of 150 pages. She assures me that it is an interesting book that just awaits my highlighting and commentary. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

My DTWS with its FPMS, is showing a current temperature of nearly 40°, while the NWS is showing 38°. More importantly, the NWS has moved up their forecast and so we are anticipating 47° today, but those pesky showers and snow are also on the menu for today. Those aforementioned T-storms have now been pushed back until Friday and Saturday and in fact, the entire weekend looks rainy. By Sunday, much colder too. Today, the sun will rise @7:09 a.m. and set later @ 8:22 p.m.

Yesterday was not a good day for baseball fans of many stripes. My beloved 9 - 1 Red Sox crushed the 5 - 6, Yankees, 14 - 1 on the strength of great hitting and pitching, with Mookie Betts driving one over the Green Monster for a bases loaded home run, ie, a Grand Slam. Later today, those same two teams meet @ 7:10 p.m.

Sadly, the now 5 - 5 Cubs fell to the now 8 - 2 Pirates, 5 - 8. The Cubs are in a weak division in the NL Central, in 2nd place behind those same Pirates. Those same teams meet again tonight under the lights @ 8:05 p.m. EDT, with Jon Lester on the bump.

The 4 - 6 Tigers were just plain bad, again, as they fell to the 6 - 5 Indians, 1 - 2. The AL Central rivals meet again tonight in Cleveland @ 6:10 p.m.

The Caps fared better, defeating the Great Lakes Loons, 10 - 4 as the Caps once again meet the Loons tonight @ 6:35 p.m.

I saw the train go by heading north on the RSTL with locomotive #2019 towing 11 CHCs. five DBTCs, and six GTCs, I did not see the morning run.

I made it to my orthopedist appointment for my first of five knee injections. I also learned thate my right knee will be sore for a while after my recent fall, but no damage is apparent. I soloed while Mary took care of Ginger and STWD. The doctor was behind, but I still had a nice salad for lunch.

I came home and walked with STWD to The Bookman to pick up the Grand Haven Tribune and a biscuit and then we headed home. Later, Mary and I stopped in at JWs for libations and then we also came home for a light dinner of vegan sausages and the leftover stir-fry from the day before. I was ready for some baseball and that's when I watched the beloved succeed mightily and the Tigers fail miserably.  Then it was time for bed after a couple of naps in my chair. Did I mention that I am becoming a true Michigander as I wore shorts to the doctor.

Today, not much on tap. Perhaps I'll make that vegan pastrami and read more of my latest novel. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

I hadn't planned to get up, but sometimes the best laid plans etc.

Since I got up, the fur-children had to get up too, so I took them down and they did their duty. so to speak. While I was downstairs, I emptied the dishwasher to get the kitchen ready for another day. I don't mind emptying it because I dislike filling it even more.

Speaking of the kitchen, we had a nice stir-fry lunch yesterday that was started before my haircut when I chopped everything and then completed with the actual cooking after I returned. I was quite pleased with the results. Dinner was vegan sausages with Mary's cottage tofu and my homemade applesauce.

After we went to the store and had dinner, I got tired and headed up to watch some TV in the media room before I retired early. Maybe that's why I got up now, I seem to be able to sleep for only about six to seven hours in one stretch.

I have an appointment at the orthopedist today for the first of my five knee injections. Mary assures me that she will stay in the waiting room as she doesn't much care for the actual procedure. I can't say that I do either, but it sure helps when I walk. I need to be sure to ask the doctor to check my sore knee more thoroughly because it is still not feeling right That may be because I am expecting a quicker recovery, as I always do. My yak is feeling better, but it is not where it will be in a few more weeks.

Speaking of the doctor's visit, since we'll be at the hospital, we'll be sure to enjoy a nice salad bar lunch in the hospital's cafeteria. We have determined that of the four hospitals that we have visited in the area, that our own NOCH (North Ottawa Community Hospital) has the best salad bar.

We were going to walk to the hospital, but my gimpy knee and the weather are likely to preclude that plan.

With regard to the weather, we have a current temperature of 31° under mostly clear skies. in fact, the sky is so clear that I saw several planets in the southern sky, most likely Mars, Venus, or Mercury. It's been a long time since I took astronomy in college, so I am working from a faded memory.

We anticipate that today's high temperature will be 41° under sunny skies. I'd like to think that the forecast of 58° this coming Friday is the harbinger of good things to come. However, the T-storms that will accompany that high will rain out any outdoor activities before we see temperatures plunge back into the 30s and 40s for about 10 more days. Enough already. The sun will rise today @ 7:11 a.m. and set later this evening @ 8:21 p.m.

Sports news yesterday was weather dependent too. The 5 - 4 Cubs were snowed out in what was supposed to be their home opener yesterday against the 7 - 2 Pirates. That opener has been rescheduled for today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT with newly acquired pitcher Tyler Chatwood on the mound. Here's hoping that this is another one of Theo Epstein's finds from the pitching scrap heap.

My beloved 8 - 1 Red Sox had the day off yesterday. Today, they face the 5 - 5 Yankees in Fenway Park without Xander Bogaerts who was placed on the 10 day disabled list following a freak injury over the weekend when he slid down the dugout steps chasing an errant throw. He can be replaced on defense, but he was swinging a hot bat that will be hard to replace.

The 4 - 5 Tigers didn't fare so well yesterday as they fell to the now 5 - 5 Cleveland Indians 0 - 2. The Tigers swept that other team from Chicago over the weekend, but that was a short-lived high. The Tigers and the Indians play tonight @ 6:30 p.m. EDT.

The 4 - 1 West Michigan WhiteCaps defeated the 2 - 3 Great Lakes Loons 7 - 3 last night. Those same teams play again today @ 12:00 p.m. EDT.

Still no news regarding the Grand River Loggers.

Today, a bit of kitchen magic along with that appointment at the orthopedist and more reading for Mary, hopefully of a book more to her liking. She has rejected two books in a row that didn't strike her fancy. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just pst 4:15 a.m. in "The City."

Well, that much ballyhooed Winter Weather Advisory looks like it might just skip over us. A quick glance out the WW shows me that a light snow is trying to fall, but so far, it has produced little accumulation. The current temperature is 34° as we struggle to reach today's high of 35°. We are still struggling to get out of the 30s and 40s. We're on track to reach the 50s by Friday, April 13. That's just a one-day occurrence before we drop back into the 40s for a few more days. The long range forecast from the NWS shows that we'll finally break into the 50s and 60s by the 21st of this month.

What can you do, this is Michigan and spring is always unpredictable. What can be accurately predicted is that the sun will rise this morning @ 7:18 a.m. and set later today @ 8:16 p.m.

Yesterday, we got up around noon and then had a leisurely lunch. We mostly sat around until it was time to walk with the fur-children to the veterinarians and get Ginger's bordetella booster, AKA a booster for kennel cough. While Ginger doesn't go to a kennel for boarding, she does go to daycare and interacts with other dogs there. So, she needs to be protected. STWD went along for the walk, but like me, her limit is that distance there and back. I hope to improve, but Sugar is getting older, so we're not expecting much. Of course, I'm getting older too, so my expectations for myself are limited by my own mind.

Later, we traveled to Health Hutt and The Bookman and then settled in at JWs to watch the balance of the game between my beloved Red Sox and the Tampa Bay Rays. It took the 6 - 1 Sox 12 innings to finish the Rays, but they loaded the bases in the bottom of the 12th and then Hanley Ramirez drove in the winning run for the 3 - 2 victory. The Sox are off today before resuming their series against the Rays on Saturday @ 1:05 p.m.

The Cubs bats came to life in a game against the Brewers yesterday as the 3 - 3 Cubs defeated the 4 - 3 Brewers, 8 - 0. Those two teams play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The 2 - 4 Tigers were also victorious in extra innings, with their 9 - 7 win over that 3 - 3 other team from Chicago, 9 - 7. The Tigers are off today before they too resume their current series against that other team Saturday afternoon @ 2:00 p.m.

The 1 - 0  Caps opened their season last night at the Fifth/Third Ballpark with a 6 - 2 win over the 0 - 1 South Bend Cubs. This two teams resume play tonight @ 6:35 p.m., weather permitting.

Today, we will do more sitting, and more reading before we head to our rescheduled book club meeting @ 3:00 p.m. Otherwise, we have no plans. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:45 a.m. in "The City."

A look out the WW and the front window when I was downstairs with Ginger, confirms what the NWS is reporting, it's cold outside. In fact, that Winter Weather Advisory of yesterday produced about one inch of snow and ice that also caused numerous vehicular accidents on the roads. Surprise, winter has not let go of West Michigan, yet.

We have a current temperature of 30° as we drop towards tonight's overnight low of 26°. Later today, we'll rebound to a sweltering high of 36° under partly cloudy skies. The sun will rise @ 7:20 a.m. and set later @ 8:15 p.m. A small bit of good news though, those promised 50° temperatures may arrive by April 12, 2018!. However, the high will only reach 45° three days later before we are permanently in the 50s the next day. Sigh.

Weather update!!! as of 4:00 a.m. this morning. The NWS has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Ottawa, County, MI from 10:00 p.m. tonight until 11:00 a.m. Friday with snow accumulations possible of one to three inches of slushy, wet snow. Most of the accumulation will occur between 10:00 p.m. tonight through 5:00 a.m. Friday. Once again, SIGH!

Our book club was cancelled yesterday due to the weather and rescheduled until Friday afternoon.

Yesterday, Mary made a great brunch of pasta that used some of our leftovers such as the cannellini beans I used to make sausages the other day. Later, she used the last of the vegan corned beef that I made to whip up some sandwiches. Now I'll have to get back into the kitchen.

Otherwise, not much is happening. I'm listening to George Noory on his show, Coast to Coast AM. He is discussing one of his usual topics, psychology, specifically, the human condition in the third millennium, with his guest, Professor Steven Pinker, who believes that life, health, prosperity, and safety are on the rise in the world today thanks to reason and science. That might be true for many places, but I'm not convinced about the US.

I am reading another fiction novel, The Rising Sea, by Graham Brown writing under the auspices of Clive Cussler. Interesting, so far.

The Cubs did not play yesterday and given their recent problems with slumber in their lumber, that may be a good thing. The team is lodged in 4th place in the NL Central with a record of 2 - 3. My beloved Red Sox, with their AL East leading record of 5 - 1, had the day off before they play the Tampa Bay Rays today @ 2:05 p.m. Mercifully, the Tigers were postponed in Detroit due to that previously mentioned inclement weather. They are mired in 5th place in the AL Central.

The White Caps, AKA the Caps, are scheduled to open later today in GR against the South Bend Cubs @ 6:35 p.m. I like going to their games, but I'll wait until the weather improves there.

Still no new information on the Grand River Loggers and their inaugural season here in GH. They had signed an agreement to play at Sluka Field here, but there is no news about that either.

So once again, that looks like enough for one day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 11:00 p.m. in "The City.

Let's see if I can follow the KISS formula once again.

I did a lot of work in the kitchen today. I made cookies, baked some tofu, and a loaf of cheddar-beer bread. The cookies are fine, the bread is great, but the tofu is kind of bland, owing to the lack of spices in the coating. Oh well, it is edible for a quick snack.

We have a current temperature of 34° as we head down to an overnight low of 29° before we rebound all the way up to 32° as our high tomorrow. In addition, there is a winter weather advisory in effect for tomorrow. Spring is trying hard to skip its arrival.

The sun will rise tomorrow @ 7:21 a.m. and set later @ 8:14 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox took extra innings, but they defeated the Rays, 4 - 2 in 13 innings. That gives the Sox an overall record of 5 - 1 in the AL East. The Cubs were postponed due to the weather. The Tigers were shutout by the Royals, 0 - 1 and fell to 1 - 4 on the year.

Ginger and I train spotted again today and @ 8:55 a.m. we spied locomotive #2019 heading south towing one CHC, 13 DBTCs, one DWTC, one DRTC (Dreaded Red Tank Car) and one GTC.

At 2:15 p.m., that same locomotive was seen heading north, towing nine CHCs, eight DBTCs, seven DWTCs, one of those with an anti-corrosive green stripe around its mid-section and one GTC.

Tomorrow, we will be going to our history book club meeting in the late afternoon and then hunkering down for the night. Otherwise, we have nothing on our schedule. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, It is just past 2:30 a.m. in "The City."

What kind of a day was yesterday? Well, we went to the orthopedist and I got the all clear for my yak to resume regular activities, with the cautionary note, "Within reason!" I also used the services of the doctor to check the knee that I fell on the other day which made walking difficult. Apparently, what I did didn't cause any serious damage, as the doctor performed some basic structural tests and determined that I had no unusual swelling and no pain that indicated a long term problem such as a tear in my meniscus. Whew, I dodged another bullet.

In other news, I finished my latest novel and I liked it a lot. I tried to tell Mary about the plot-line, but it really isn't a genre that she enjoys. This from a woman who loves apocalyptic movies and Sci-Fi series like The X-Files. Go figure.

We have a current temperature of 38° according to my DTWS. That corresponds with the temperature being reported by the NWS. Right about now, a winter weather advisory is in effect until 11:00 a.m. for several of the lake-shore counties. Snow and ice will produce some accumulation. According to the NWS, we will have to wait until Friday, the 13th of this month, to get into the 50s. All of that is a long winded way of saying that spring has yet to spring here in West Michigan. The sun will rise later this morning @ 7:23 a.m. ans set later @ 8:13 p.m.

The Cubs fell below .500 @ 2 - 3 with an 0 - 1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds yesterday. Those two teams play again tonight in Cincinnati @ 6:40 p.m. My beloved Red Sox upped their record to 4 - 1 with a 7 - 3 win over the Marlins. to stay atop the American League East. The Sox play the Marlins again tonight @ 6:10 p.m. The Tigers finally won a game yesterday with a 6 - 1 win over the equally porr Royals. This is expected to be a rebuilding year for the Tigers. Those teams play again today @ 1:10 p.m.

I hope to get into the kitchen today to make cookies for our book club meeting on Wednesday afternoon. I'll also be making another loaf of cheddar cheese laced quick bread too. And, if all goes well, I'll try to make some baked tofu while the oven is on. I'll be busy.

Mary made some vegan faux meatballs yesterday that taste good, but she has some ideas for ways to make them better. She generally experiments and her efforts evolve and get better with each effort. She tried a recipe for some homemade ranch dressing that I would describe as bland. I like the previous version much better. Me, I'm not good at making changes to a recipe. I try to get it right and not make any changes after that.

So that looks like enough for one day. Ciao.