Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City."

Let's see if I can get this blog in before the sun rises today @ 6:10 a.m. and well before it sets @ 9:27 p.m., on what I've decided to call The Eve of Destruction. I call it that, because today is, as most Americans know, the 4th of July, our Independence Day, when we "Celebrate" our independence from King George III and the British. What this day has become is an annual celebration of pyromaniacs setting off anything that they can buy or find that makes loud noise and generates bright colors, with or without a night sky. We've lost sight of what this day is supposed to be about.

We have a current temperature of 75° with 83% relative humidity. Later today, the NWS is forecasting a high of 80° under mostly clear skies. The much needed rain that was in the forecast has dwindled to a prediction of a mere 20%. Same for Thursday on the rain, but the high temperatures will drop into the upper 70s with lower humidity.

I did get out and water yesterday, as well as doing more outdoor chores than I should have. However, my yak fared well. I wish I could say the same about my aching left-shoulder. It didn't change. No worse, but no better either.

A perfect opportunity to segue to the world of baseball, where the news was mostly good. In a perfect world, the 48 - 35, 2nd in the NL Central, Cubs, wouldn't have to play the 38 - 49, 2nd in the AL Central Tigers, but alas, they did, and the Cubs came away with the win, 5 - 3. I decided that this was a perfect time to segue, because the Cubs' regular third-baseman, Kris Bryant, took batting practice yesterday and still feels the sore left-shoulder that landed him on the DL. He won't be activated today, and may not be activated until Friday at the earliest. The Cubs and the Tigers close out their series today @ 2:20 p.m. EDT. The Cubs are off until Friday when the Reds come to town for a 1:30 EDT game. The Tigers head back to the "Motor City" to play the visiting TX Rangers @ 7:10 p.m. EDT Thursday.

My beloved, 58 - 29, 1st in the AL East Red Sox, manhandled the 42 - 42, 3rd in-the NL East Nationals yesterday, 11 - 4. Xander Bogaerts, Eduardo Nunez, and J. D. Martinez all hit home-runs for the Sox en route to the victory. The Sox and the Nationals play again today @ 11:05 a.m. EDT. No rest for the beloved, as they travel to Kansas City to face the Royals @ 8:05 p.m. EDT on Thursday.

The 42 - 41, 6th in the MWL East, Caps, finally took one from the 53 - 30, 1st in-the MWL East Lansing Lug Nuts yesterday, 8 - 4. The Caps and the Lug Nuts play again tonight @ 6:35 p.m. EDT.

We plan to stay in today and get some work done. I don't need to water again until tomorrow. We will have to comfort the intrepid weather-dog, as she will once more be terrorized by the booming of fireworks, both large and small. In fact, the pyromaniacs have already started their madness. I also plan to spend some time in the kitchen too. Ciao.

Addendum.

I nearly forgot. Mary used the resources of the vast gardens of the PE to refresh the flowers on display in our foyer. So, I'll include the picture she took of the arrangement in all its glory now. You really can't improve on nature, but you can arrange it just right.