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

Coincidentally, or not, I am listening to Coast to Coast AM, with George Noory, the inspiration for the first portion my opening phrase, "Good morning or good evening wherever you may be", along with the late Jack Webb of Dragnet fame, who gave me the inspiration for the second part, "The City." But once again, I digress, but, I think reasonably so.

We have a current temperature of 75° with 72% humidity, which makes that temperature feel as warm as it looks. The NWS is still forecasting an 80% chance for T-storms this afternoon and evening, with locally heavy rainfall possible. That rainfall is a result/remnant of Sub-Tropical Storm Alberto which has been pounding the US Gulf-Coast this week. Also according to the NWS, the remnant is heading into the Great Lakes region and also into lower Canada.

Of course, the rains in the Great Lakes and Canada are nothing compared to the volcanic eruption in Hawaii, that has swallowed cars, swimming pools, and is threatening to swallow a geothermal power plant there. Or, the mud-slides that have once again devastated the city of Ellicott, MD, this time even worse than in 2016. Lava flows and flash-floods/mud-slides are relentless, so anything is possible. I'll take our unseasonably high temperatures here in West MI, where the sun will rise over our fair city @ 6:09 a.m. and set later tonight @ 9:16 p.m.

Many knowledgeable people are calling the floods/mud-slides a harbinger or warning of the effects of climate change. I've included a link to an article from the on-line magazine, Slate, to illustrate my point. Be sure to scroll down to the video that shows the devastation there. In addition, I've included a link from CBS News, that depicts in graphic pictures, the effects of the lava flows in Hawaii.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/05/ellicott-city-maryland-flooding-climate-change-is-coming-as-rain.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/lava-flows-on-hawaiis-big-island/2/

Elsewhere in the news, the 29 - 22, 2nd in the NL Central Cubs, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat as starting pitcher, Jon Lester, recorded the win and two singles in the game. 1st baseman, Anthony Rizzo, got things started with a home-run, as the Cubs defeated the 28 - 26, 4th place Pirates, 8 - 6. In addition, Major League Baseball™ came back yesterday stating that Rizzo's slide in the first game of the series, a slide that umpires and the league office in NY, ruled was OK at the time, should have been ruled interference. Personally, I agree with Cubs' manager, Joe Maddon. I think that slides like Rizzo's are part of the game. The Cubs and the Pirates meet again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

My beloved, 38 - 17, 1st place in the AL East Red Sox, handily defeated the 25 - 30, 4th place Bluejays, 8 -3, to maintain the Sox' lead of two games over the 2nd place Yankees. The Sox and the Bluejays play again today @ 1:05 p.m.

The 24 - 30, 2nd place in the AL Central, Tigers, once again looked like what they are, a rebuilding team, as they fell to the 30 - 25 3rd place in the AL West, LA Angels, 2 - 9. The Tigers will once again take the field against the Angels tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The 27 - 24, 3rd in the MWL East West Michigan White Caps, lost to the 26 - 24, 4th place in the MWL East Dayton, OH Dragons, 1 - 2. Oh well, next time for sure. Hopefully, the Caps have not started another losing streak.

Theoretically, the Grand River Loggers should open their season early next month @ Sluka Field here in GH.

I nearly forgot. At 10:10 a.m. yesterday, MMRR locomotives 2025 and 2019 rumbled past on the RSTL heading south, towing 10 empty CHCs. Later, @ 4:00 p.m., we were sitting in JWs when I heard the locomotives warning that they were approaching heading north. In tow, were 10 CHCs, five DBTCs, and seven DWTCs, with two of those having anti-corrosive green stripes around their mid-sections.

I did some indoor and outdoor chores yesterday after a walk with the fur-children to the Loutit Library to pick up some books. Mary went in while the fur-children and I sat on the front deck of the library.

Mary made a nice brunch of scrambled tofu sandwiches, but by the time that we got back from the chiropractor's office and JWs. However later, she opted for tacos from nearby Arturo's Tacos for dinner. In between, we made a batch of soy curl jerky that tastes great.

I am nearly finished with the refurbishment of the front-porch railing that had succumbed to the ravages of rot caused by the weather the last few years. All that is left is the final coat of paint, which may wait if the rains come. Otherwise, we are scheduled to go to Holland to have the car serviced. Ciao.