Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."

I tried to get the fur-children to go out around 2:30 a.m., but they were more interested in any snack-food I might have rather than going out in the dark.

We have a current temperature here in the Tri-Cities area of 53° that feels like 52° as we drop to a comfortable overnight low of 50° under clear skies. Later today, the NWS is forecasting a high of 62° under cloudy skies. Good and bad news for Wednesday, as the high is forecast to reach 72°, albeit with an 80% chance for T-storms in the afternoon. The sun will rise today  6:29 a.m. and set later @ 8:54 p.m.

I got those final two roses planted in Mary's rose garden. She would likely say that it is our rose garden, but I'll stick to tending it and she can use the flowers in "our" flower room downstairs. I also pulled a couple of dandelions too. Later, I made another edition of vegan beest after returning from the grocery store with everything on the list, but not with everything Mary had sent me to get. That's the danger in her having a basic list of groceries that she keeps in her head for regular purchase, while I rely on a written list.

Mostly, I read the newspaper after walking with STWD and then I sat and started a new novel called Orphan X, by Gregg Hurwitz. I am liking this book much better than the other one I gave up on, so much so that I have another work by Hurwitz on my Amazon Kindle™. Of course, this book follows one of my favorite genres, the rogue government agent turned fixer.

Ginger and I did some trainspotting yesterday. At 9:05 a.m., Mary called out that a train was passing on the RSTL. It sped by so fast, heading south, that I missed the passage of EMD GP 38- 2 locomotive #2025 running solo. I can't add a picture because of copyright concerns. I can't wait until I get skilled enough with our new camera to get my own train photos.

Later, @ 1:03 p.m., that same locomotive was spotted heading north towing 29 CHCs and one DBTC, all fully laden.

I'd be remiss if I didn't add some baseball news.

The 4th place in the NL Central. 17 - 15 Cubs, finally broke their hitting drought with two home runs off the bat of Ian Happ and one each off the bats of Kris Bryant and Javier Baez en route to a 14 - 2 drubbing of the 13 - 21 Florida Marlins. The Cubs also placed pitcher Yu Darvish in the 10-day DL with a flu-like virus. The Cubs and the Marlins play again tonight @ 8:05 p.m. EDT.

My beloved 1st place in the AL East 25 - 9 Red Sox were off yesterday as they rested up for a visit to Yankee Stadium to play the 2nd place in the AL East 24 - 19 Yankees tonight @ 7:05 p.m. EDT. The Sox will soon be welcoming second-baseman Dustin Pedroia back from the DL. That move will create a log-jam of middle-infielders and someone will be optioned to the Sox' Triple A, Toledo Mud Hens when Pedroia returns.

The 3d place, 14 - 20 in the AL Central Tigers, squandered another lead and lost to the 14 - 23 5th in the AL West Texas Rangers, 6 - 7. What can I say, the Tigers are a rebuilding club. The Tigers and the Rangers meet again tonight @ 8:05 p.m. EDT.

The 17 - 13 4th in the MWL East Caps fell to the 1st in the MWL West Clinton, IA Lumberkings yesterday, 7 - 8. WHat can I say. They will be playing again tonight @ 8:05 p.m.

The only news I have on our local team, the Grand River Loggers, is that their season opens sometime in June. Stay tuned. 

Mary kept busy indexing while I was planting and shopping, and reading, and she will finish today. I will be going to my last orthopedic appointment for my knee injections. I am going to ride my bike for the first time this year and I am also going to ask the doctor why my knees have been painful since late last week. I normally get sore knees two days after an injection, but that effect doesn't usually last and I always feel better shortly thereafter. Otherwise, I'll be putting on my editor's hat and assisting in getting the index to the publisher. Ciao.