Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 1:30 a.m. in "The City."

I was outside @ 12:45 with both of the fur-children. Each of them did their duty and I was able to escape back into the warmth of the manse very quickly.

Speaking of warmth, while we are not experiencing the type of weather conditions that are predominating on the East Coast that may produce 12 inches of snow from NY to MA. In the southern states, for example, AL and MS, and especially in the panhandle of FL where we traveled to and stayed last year and the year before, the tornadoes that ravaged the area are doing a great deal of property damage. MI is looking better and better every year.

We have had a relatively mild winter both in the amount of snowfall and the cold temperatures that have been largely absent. I've only had to salt the deck and shovel the snow a few times since November.

We have a current temperature of 21° that feels colder due to the winds that are building outside the WW (Weather Window). Later today, the high temperature fall to 20° with a 20% chance of snow. Friday promises a warm-up to 40° albeit with 24 mph winds. Saturday the winds die down and the temperature rises to a balmy 44°. In fact, we'll be enjoying a warm up for a few days and then some temperatures in the lower 30s before we return to the 40s by Saturday the 18th. In short, the weather should be good for walking the fur-children more regularly.

Yesterday, we did some grocery shopping and a few other errands. Today, Mary has to work and I have to finally finish those indoor chores that I have found a way to put off every day before this. I used to work for a man, Bob Apa, at a long gone Mobil™ station in Arlington Heights, IL. He used to say, "Put off until tomorrow, what you can put off until tomorrow." Bob passed many years ago, but his words live on with me.

Otherwise, I have no specific plans other than to lay in bed and listen to the radio. I've stopped watching TV news because, well just because. More reading, more playing with the girls and more retirement.

Mary is awaiting the rise of some baguettes that she will place in the oven for lunch today. Baguettes seem to have a short lifespan before they get dry and hard. Maybe it is that quality that makes them so tasty when fresh.

In case I forgot to mention it, spring is nearly here, spring training that is. Spring starts in earnest on February 13, 2017, when the pitchers and catchers for my beloved Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers report to camp. In case you feel a need to get more in the mood for the arrival of spring, I've added this link to the late Steve Goodman's version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. This is the Bluegrass-themed version that I really like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7Lcy0058MY

The sun will rise this morning @ 7:50 a.m. and set later today @ 6:08 p.m. Ciao.

A special shoutout to John P . and his family. John is still in recovery mode, but all reports are that he is doing better and better each and every day. John, the golf course awaits your presence.