Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature in the Tri-Cities area of 61° as we slowly edge towards today's high of 63°. That's okay, because by tomorrow, Monday, the NWS is forecasting a high of 71°. However, today's forecast includes an 80% chance for intermittent showers throughout the day and into the evening. Otherwise, nothing of import has been forecast by the NWS. The sun will rise shortly @ 6:04 a.m. and set later into cloudy skies @ 9:26 p.m.

Mary and I were discussing whether the weather, gosh I can't believe I phrased it that way, was different in the years before we lived here. We decided that when we used to come up after school was out for the year, that it was always cooler in June with perhaps one exception. So, I'll just have to be patient. That's something that should come easier at my age, but which seems to be more elusive, as I want things to go faster sometimes. Go figure.

I recently finished reading humorist Dave Barry's newest book, Lessons from Lucy, anecdotes from his life with Lucy, his adopted shelter dog of mixed lineage. Several lessons were chronicled by Dave, but a few stick out. One, always have fun. Two, always make time for those in your life whom you should try to reconnect with more often. Oh, and one other. That's the lesson that you should never take yourself or most anything too seriously, as time is too fleeting to waste it worrying about the things you can't change or on regrets about things you have already done. Dave also believes that dogs don't consider the superficiality of appearance. If they like your smell, they like you and that's it. Maybe we could all learn from that lesson.

As Dave put it, Lucy, and likely all dogs, live in the now. Once an event has happened, they move on to the next event and don't worry about the past. Once the letter carrier, the UPS man, the trash man, or whomever is gone from their view, they settle back into Dog Snooze mode and life goes on, with one notable exception regarding STWD.

That lesson that I learned regards STWD. She has become increasingly apprehensive regarding loud noises, whatever their source, be it thunder, tape unrolling from a roll of tape, vacuum cleaners, air hammers, and most of all, fireworks. Last night, she raced to her hide-e-hole for solace when the Village of Spring Lake closed out their Heritage Festival with fireworks.

Loud noises with no known source, rhyme, nor reason, must be to Sugar like thunder was to people of olden times. That's why there were/are so many mythical explanations to explain the inexplicable source of thunder. One I remember well, is that the G-ds were bowling in the sky and that's where the thunder noises came from. For Sugar, loud fireworks are inexplicable and so she, of her own personal necessity, repairs to the bathroom in search of safety. I wish I could do more to comfort her, but there seems to be nothing I can do except pet and reassure her. Two more loud nights to go Sugar, the Fourth of July and the Coast Guard Festival fireworks.

But as is all too often the case, I digress.

I was out early yesterday to walk Sugar before I went to my Irish Jam session, and I noticed that the Irises and Roses were in full bloom along with much of the vast gardens. I just had to take some pictures.

Shakespeare would have said "A rose by any other name."

One bloom of the many Irises in bloom.

The vast gardens in all their blooming glory.

Not blooming, but a pic of the great card I got from Adam and Steph for Father's Day, and how I plan to spend it.

More Irises nearby.

Baseball news yesterday was not perfect, unlike the flowers provided by Mother Nature.

The Cubs eked out a one-run win over the Dodgers last night 2 - 1, on a home run in the top of the 9th by Anthony Rizzo. The oft maligned Yu Darvish didn't get the win, but he held the Dodgers to one run over his seven innings of work to make Rizzo's home-run the winner. That win coupled with the loss by the Brewers, ties the Cubs and the Brewers for 1st place in the NL Central. Sadly, pitcher Kyle Hendricks has inflammation in his right, that's his pitching arm, shoulder and is on the IL for 10 days. Tonight, the Cubs and the Dodgers are the feature game on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN, at 7:05 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox handily defeated the Orioles last night, as they should, 7 - 2. Chris Sale once again recorded 10 plus Ks and got the win, his 3rd, against 7 losses. He almost always pitches well, but too often, the Sox' hitters don't deliver many runs in support. The Sox and the Orioles play this afternoon @ 1:05 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers, I wish there was something good to say, but another home loss in front of sparse crowds in a rainy game @ Comerica Park doesn't leave much good to talk about. Another loss, this one 2 - 4, was just not pretty. The Tigers and the Indians play again this afternoon @ 1:10 p.m.

Fortunately for the WhiteCaps, their game against the South Bend Cubs was cancelled due to rain, before anything bad could happen. No word on a makeup date, but the Caps and the Cubs play today, weather permitting, @ 2:00 p.m.

So today looks like a day of reading, resting, fur-children tending and whatever else comes to mind. I have already cleaned the kitchen and the downstairs bathroom, so that is out of the way. One more bathroom to go along with some indoor chores. Ciao.