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."

We had the privilege yesterday of seeing both ends of the train run. I was up in my office/music-room/weather-center/art-studio, when I heard that lonesome whistle blow. I looked out the WW @ 8:57 a.m. to see MMRR EMD GP-2 locomotives 2025 and 2019 moving down the RSTL towing 12 CHCs, three DBTCs, five DWTCs, and one GTC. Judging by the shaking of the manse, the cars were full.

I was down in the man-cave doing some maintenance work when the afternoon run took place, so I had to rely upon my apprentice train spotter, AKA, our Senior Staff Photographer, Mary, to record that passage. She needed more verbiage than I normally use, but she got the essentials recorded accurately. Both locomotives were seen towing 13 DBTCs, three DWTCs, and one CHC. Solid information.

We traveled to Newaygo yesterday so that Mary could add to her already voluminous yarn stash. I only asked that she finish the window treatments for my office/music-room/weather-center/art-studio, before starting another knitting project.

The ride was uneventful, unless you count the many trucks of all sizes in a hurry to get to their destinations, hopefully not the graveyard, a few seconds sooner than we did. But, if you ignored them, it was a very pleasant day in the country. I sat in my favorite chair at the New Ewe, as Mary perused the yarns before buying two types and a couple of patterns. However, she didn't get the no-grease lotion that was the ostensible purpose of our trip, as they were out of stock.

We stopped at a packed Stan's Bar and Grill, on the way home to our dinner of leftover soup and fresh salad with homemade Thousand Island Dressing. I need to update the soup ingredients description, as I was remiss in the characterization in my previous blog. While I got the essentials correct, I didn't mention that the soup was bean-based, i e, split peas, Great Northern Beans, lentils, etc., with the addition of Mary's hammish to the soup for the flavor of a ham hock. At any rate it was everything I remembered from the previous time and more.

Mary started a loaf of no-knead rye bread last evening to replace the store-bought loaf that had mold on it, just one day past the freshness date. I guess that means that the date for no-preservative bread is generally accurate. However, who knows? Some breads and most other items are fine, as long as they are not opened. Mary thinks that this loaf suffered from being put into the plastic bag while it was still warm from the oven.

Today, the current temperature before the sun rises @ 7:19 a.m. and well before it sets @ 6:35 p.m. is 26° as we rise to today's high of 30°. We are experiencing snowfall right now and I just watched as the city plows went by once again to clear the street and put the snow in our shared driveway.

In Mesa, AZ, the Cubs are feeling the current temperature of 58° as they await today's sunny skies and 73° high temperature. During yesterday's spring game against the D'Backs, Cubs' pitcher Jose Quintana, threw two scoreless innings and used his change-up pitch more than usual, something that he planned to focus on this spring. The Cubs won the game, 10 - 2.

A bit of additional baseball news. Bryce Harper, late of the Washington Nationals, AKA the Nats, signed a free-agent contract with the Philadelphia Phillies, for $330 million for 13 years. If you are dong the math, that's $25.4 million per year, up from the paltry $13.6 million he "earned" last year with the Nats. Since he is 26 years old, he would be 39 when this no-trade, no opt out, all money payed contract would end. Oh my, what can any one player do to earn that kind of cash? By the by, the Cubs thrird baseman, Kris Bryant, a former MVP and Rookie of the Year, is currently earning $10.28 million per season. When his contract comes up, what will he be asking?

In Lakeland.FL, home to the Tigers, the current temperature is 65° with a partly-cloudy skies high of 84° expected today.

In Ft. Myers, FL, spring home to my beloved Red Sox, the current temperature is 67° as they head for a sunny high today of 84°. J.D. Martinez makes his spring debut for the Sox today. Oh yeah! One of the Sox' catchers,. Sandy Leon, hopes to improve his hitting this spring and keep his spot on the team. The Sox will carry two catchers this season versus three last year. So, as good as Leon's behind the plate work is, he needs to improve his offense to stay with the team.

Today promises to be a bit more laid back than yesterday here at the manse. I want to make the sugar cookies that I planned, do more reading and that's about it. Mary will be working on her bread, probably knitting, and perhaps working on our laundry bag and my valances. Ciao.