Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. 

It is early afternoon here in "The City", where the current temperature under clear skies. 

I was recently informed by one of my loyal readers, that I have been remiss in y blogging, but that's because I have had many other things on my mind. Plus, I am considering ceasing publication after so many years. I may just have run out of things to say. But, like all things, that is subject to change based on my personal whims.

Be that as it may, we took our lives in our hands earlier today and ventured out into the surrounding community to go to the Farmer's Market and a phot shoot, but the hubbub that is GH during the annual Coast Guard Festival convinced us that any travel was not a good plan. 

So instead, I'll just add that the Cubs are over the .500-mark in the NL Central, and they are just four games behind the division leading Reds, whom the Cubs defeated last night by a lopsided score of 20 - 9.

Here are a few pix I took while we were out and about.

Just a small sample of the produce available at the Farmer's market. 

I used the trees as a frame for the Pere Marquette. 

The coal tipple still stands guard over the Pere Marquette.

The carnival has been relocated to the Chinook Pier area near the market.

With the requisite food vendors too. 

Otherwise, I have nothing to add. 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 a very comfortable 75° under partly cloudy skies. However, the NWS has issued a warning that there is a "Marginal Risk" for sever weather conditions beginning soon, with possible T-storms and small hail. 

If that isn't enough, the NWS warned that until 12:00 p.m. tonight, an Air Quality Alert will remain in effect for Allegan, Kent, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties. You know what that means, don't you? It means that we should all be like the proverbial ostrich and stick our collective heads in the sand and pretend that it won't happen because we need to keep burning those fossil fuels and drilling for more. 

Plus, tomorrow brings the following. A Beach Hazard Statement for Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties from 2:00 p.m. tomorrow until 11:00 p.m. tomorrow night. In short mit would be a bad idea to go into the waters of Lake Michigan unless you are a fish.

Finally, the NWS has also issued a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee, with the possibility for 10 - 20 knot winds and waves up to five feet in height. What's that old saying? "Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water. 

Oh, the sunset tonight will be @ 9:27 p.m.

Tomorrow, the high temperature will only reach 74° before an overnight low and chilly temperature of 58°.

All of that being said, I had a great day today in Holland, MI, at Centennial Park, with members of the West Michigan Urban Sketchers. We talked, we sketched, we shared and we had a great time. Here are some pix from today's activities.

It pays to be retired. Time to sketch, time to relax and time to do whatever feels right. 

Our "Throwdown" taken at the end of our gathering. 

We had a great setting and perfect weather for sketching.

Once I arrived back at the mane, I filled Mary in about my delightful morning/afternoon, and then we had an afternoon snack of cookies and lemon tea as we listened to more of our latest ear-read. Speaking of reading, Mary read a great number of pages in her current novel while I was out.

Dinner time rolled around, and we did more ear-reading before Mary went upstairs. 

She soon told me to grab my camera and take some pictures of the deer that has been visiting and eating in our vast gardens salad bar. Here he or she was, totally nonplussed by our presence.

I stared through my camera and the deer stared right back as he/she finished chewing. 

Then, the deer nonchalantly turned around to leave. 

Up behind our garage and into our neighbor's yard. 

Leading to a leisurely stroll behind the mostly decimated planters at the rear of our estate.

I guess you might say that the deer had a good evening of grazing, but our plantings are not faring very well. Alas, that's life in Michigan for one day. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 2:00 p.m. in "The City." The NWS has forecast a 49% chance for showers around 3:00 p.m. today. 

What does that mean? Well, within a given area, 49% of the area may receive some showers. What it really means is that I will be either spared watering duties today, or I won't. Oh, the forecast also calls for a possibility of T-storms any time now. Guess what? I haven't heard any thunder, so far. 

The current and apparently high temperature for today will reach 74°. Much the same for tomorrow. The sunset tonight will be at 9:28 p.m.

In spite of my never-ending hope as a die-hard Cubs fan, things do not look good on the northside of Chicago. The Cubs spent a boatload of money this past winter on free agents, and they extended the contracts of several players this year, but, so far, they are five games under .500 as they near the midseason mark. 

I told Mary that she heard it here first, David Ross, the Cubs' manager, will soon get the axe. Is it his fault that a free-agent pitcher who was supposed to be a proven winner can't seem to get any left-handed hitters out? Is it his fault that the bullpen has been mostly terrible? Perhaps not, but you can't fire players with huge contracts, so guess who that leaves.

Otherwise, I have been spending time in my studio, doodling, coloring, listening to music, and staying inside out of the smoky air that the Canadian wildfires have been sending our way. 

Mary has been happily print-reading of late and we have been enjoying a collective ear-read over meals. She has put down her cross-stitching for a while. She tried coloring, but that didn't prove satisfying. I think that the problem is that she likes to take long walks with Ginger and this foul air has made that impossible. I need to walk more too, but even short walks outside the manse have not been very enjoyable. Sigh.

Tomorrow looks like more of the same, at least for me. I had hoped to spend some time taking photos around the area, but this looks like it will be one of those years where none of my hoped for outdoor activities will be achieved, at least in the short-term.

I think that's enough for my first blog in a while. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 7:45 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is a very comfortable 74° under partly cloudy skies. The sunset tonight will be at 9:28 p.m.

We still have that Air Quality Alert in effect for Allegan, Kent, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties in Michigan through at least tomorrow. All of the old admonitions still apply.

However, that did not deter Mary from going outside with Ginger for a morning walk. Nor, did it deter all three of us from walking downtown to view the annual Grand Haven Art Festival, after which I was left to my own devices to sit at the Lynn Sherwood Waterfront Stadium to do some sketching of Dewey Hill.

Mostly, I just enjoyed the beautiful day, took some pictures, and enjoyed the chance to sit and sketch. It really doesn't get much better than that.

Baseball news hasn't changed much, as the Cubs play in London, England tomorrow and Sunday, the Red Sox have yet to begin, and the Tigers are entertaining the Twins in Comerica Park and losing, 0 - 3. 

That being said, I'll share some of the pix I took while walking through the Art Festival and then watching the boats pass by in the channel, and then, as I was walking back to the manse.

I took this pic before we left as the foliage is very attractive. 

The Art Festival was well attended. 

Some boats were of the power/speed variety. 

While others were more about just cruising. 

As I headed home, I snaped this sidewalk picture behind the scenes. 

Dewey Hill still has its anchor on top. but the grass is very dry. 

We both thought that it was a great day. Mary finished Fairy Tales by Stephen King and she is now back to her regular ear-reading, I am just getting started on The Making of Another Motion Picture by Tom Hanks. Yes, that Tom Hanks. So far, I like it. 

I walked a lot today, but my new knees felt fine and even my yak is doing okay. 

That's enough for me. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. across the nation and across the world. It is just past 7:00 a.m. in "The City", where the current temperature under sunny skies is a deceptively comfortable 64° that feels like 64° with a slight wind out of the east @ three mph. 

Unfortunately, the NWS has continued the Air Quality Alert for Allegan, Kent, Mason, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties through today. You know that means? It means don't be stupid and use gasoline powered equipment, fill automobiles with more of that same fluid, nor go outside and about if you are in a high-risk group, i.e. people with respiratory issues. 

Today's high temperature will reach 84° now that the sun has risen @ 6:05 a.m., but well before the sunset tonight @ 9:28 p.m. on the day following the summer solstice, the longest day of the year as it pertains to sunshine. 

I accomplished quite a number of things yesterday in spite of my avoidance of outdoor activity. So, as did Mary and Ginger, who walked longer early in the morning and shorter later in the evening to avoid that Air Quality issue. 

Yesterday, we had a visit from the technicians who work for the company that recently serviced our air conditioning system and which will be installing our new water heater. While our old water heater is still working, it is well past 15 years of age, perhaps even 20 years, and we don't want to wait for a failure and the cost of an emergency replacement.

Unfortunately, due to its age, the exhaust piping for said water heater is not up to code as it feeds into an ancient chimney. So, that will require a different exhaust system and the requisite costs for that. Sigh, you just can't win. No estimate yet, but we await that surprise in the next few days. 

Here are some recent pictures taken by Mary at Sheridan Park in nearby Coopersville during a visit we made for me to do some sketching.

The Coopersville Cemetery.

From a bridge over the creek in Sheridan Park. 

In baseball news, the Cubs and the Tigers both won, while the Red Sox took 10 innings to lose to the Twins.

The Cubs and Tigers are off today, while the Sox entertain the Twins this afternoon @ 1:10 p.m.

I have to water today in spite of that Air Quality Alert, but that will be a short lived outdoor activity. 

Mary will likely walk with Ginger, but that too should be an abbreviated activity for the same reason. 

Otherwise, more art for me, more reading and walking for Mary and Ginger, and a collective viewing of another episode of Good Omens for both of us. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:00 p.m. in "The City", as I am writing this special edition of my regular, sometimes daily, blog. 

It is indeed warm outside, but if you are in the shade, as I was when I visited Central Park earlier this afternoon, then that is not a problem. You'd think that someone like me would be happy with the warmer temperatures, but like most human beings, I like my living temperatures to be in the lower 70° range, a "Comfort Zone" so to speak, like goldilocks and her porridge. 

Unfortunately, the 84° has brought forth another weather alert from the NWS, an Air Quality Alert  for Allegan, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties starting sometime tomorrow. That means that the filling of gasoline tanks, using outdoor gasoline -powered equipment, and charcoal starting fluid should be avoided. Carpooling and/or biking to work are highly recommended. If you or your children suffer from respiratory issues, you should curtail your outdoor activities. 

Oh well, since I didn't use the car, and since I walked to the library and then Central Park, there was little I could do to change the situation.

At any rate, I picked up some books for Mary and myself at the library and then segued over to Central Park to sit on a bench in the shade and do some sketching.

I took a couple of pictures of both my subject matter and of the drawings I worked on. 

I was sitting on a bench in CP at the corner of fifth Avenue and Columbus whenI snapped this photo of my subject matter. 

My drawing of what I was viewing. 

And a generic dog picture I've been adding to for some time. 

Mostly though, I just enjoyed Central Park, something I've never really spent any time doing over the last 12 years. Go figure. 

Tonight, we plan to continue to watch our latest TV show, about Good and Evil and Armageddon entitled Good Omens, and then I plan to segue upstairs to watch some TV and print read. 

Mary will continue to read a book I've already finished, entitled Fairy Tales by Stephen King. She was out on our deck this morning with Ginger when they got back from their morning safari reading the same book. She is enjoying it as much as I did. 

Nothing else is new. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 a.m. in "The City", where the skies are not cloudy and the current temperature is a comfortable 63° that feels like 63°, with a wind out of the northeast @ seven mph. Today's high will be a very sultry 87° with an overnight low temperature of 64°. The sun will rise today @ 6:05 a.m. and set tonight @ 9:27 p.m.

Yesterday was mostly productive here at the manse and in the surrounding area. 

I had a plan to get to the man-cave to do some little nagging chores, but Mary had a bigger plan, as she wanted still more yard art to add to her growing collection. Truth be told, my Cubs whirligig had seen better days, having hung under the eaves of our garage and in the weather for several years, so a replacement of some type was appropriate.

We ended up our quest at a garden center in Fruitport, where we purchased a beautiful, both visually and sound wise, wind chime that plays bird calls. I suppose so, if you listen closely. In addition, Mary has been hankering for a wicker rocking chair for our deck, so a stop at Ace Hardware™ in Spring Lake yielded a resin version of her desire and it too came home with us. 

It took a call to John, our handyman, to get that windchime hung, while I was able to use my limited skills to assemble that rocking chair and get it on the deck. All in all, both items look great and satisfy our needs quite nicely.

Since it has been hot the last several days, I decided to water the vast gardens last evening before dinner. While my day had included other plans, I crossed several of those off of my personal to do list in spite of hitting the road early to gather those aforementioned items. 

I'll happily state, like the true baseball fan that I am, that the Cubs, the Tigers, and my beloved Red Sox all won their games last night. 

The Tigers came from behind on the strength of Kerry Carpenter's three-run home run late in the game to earn the win for relief pitcher Tyler Alexander. Spencer Torkelson also played well, hitting his own home run in the Tigers' 6 - 4 win over the hapless Kansas City Royals. The Tigers and the Royals tee it up ion Comerica Park again tonight, with Michael Lorenzen on the mound for a 6:40 p.m. start. 

The Cubs hammered the Pirates in Pittsburgh last night, 8 - 0, to close to 3 1/2 games behind the new NLC leaders, the Cincinnati Reds. Drew Smyly got his seventh win versus three losses, while the Cubs offense seemed to be on cruise control as they took the lead and never looked back. The Cubs and the Pirates take the field again tonight @ 7:05 EDT, with Marcus Stroman on the mound for the boys in blue.

My beloved Red Sox handily defeated the Twins last night, 9 - 3. Still the Sox languish in last place in the AL East as they head into tonight's game @ 7:40 p.m.

Today, we hope to be more retired, as the heat builds, and the sun continues to dominate the sky. We have no rain in the forecast for multiple days, so I'll be out there with my watering hose in the near future and for several more days. Ciao.