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."

Am I late? Am I early? Or, in an homage to Goldilocks, is my timing "Just Right?" I'll leave it to history to be the judge of that.

We have a current temperature of 65° as we climb towards today's high of 70°, quite a drop from yesterday's high in the mid-80s! The NWS is also forecasting a Gale Watch to remain in effect until 8:00 p.m. tomorrow night. As you may recall, the NWS issues a Gale Watch when wind-speeds may exceed 34 - 47 knots and waves may reach heights of 4 - 7 feet! Plus, with the high water levels that are prevailing in all of the Great Lakes, there is also a Flood Watch in effect for that same time period. The risk of significant shoreline erosion due to those high winds and waves is also a strong possibility. Ah, the joys of living on the shores of the "Big Lake."

As the day progresses, the NWS is also forecasting rain to begin in earnest around 11:00 a.m. this morning and continuing throughout the day. The temperatures for the next several days will only be in the upper 60s and rain is also in the daily forecast too.

We had a good day yesterday, but we only drove by the Tin Can Campers Open House. One look at the traffic and parking situation made us rethink our plans. A long time ago, the city of St. Charles, IL, started a Scarecrow Festival in their main city park. The first couple of years, the crowds were smaller and Adam and other children enjoyed making scarecrows and just having fun. Then, like most good things, the crowds began to swell in the ensuing years and all of the fun went out the proverbial window.

Our own Coast Guard Festival Craft Show and the accompanying fireworks and parade are like that too. I suspect that the Wo-Sha-Wa Festival in the Wisconsin Dells has gone that same route. Too many people in too little space. Yes, tourists bring money to the restaurants and shops, but the crowds become so large that the experience stops being fun. Or, maybe I am being curmudgeonly. Who knows?

At any rate, we made our stop at that big-box home center in Norton Shores on the way back to GH, and then stopped for dinner at our favorite watering hole before the crowds that were in town to enjoy the lakefront and shopping descended there too. In another proverbial saying about that two-edged sword, the tourists bring the money, but they also jam up the restaurants and streets as I noted earlier. I guess I really am being a curmudgeon.

I got up early yesterday too. I played my 12-string guitar, Ivy, and did some coloring and other activities in my office/music room/art room. Sometimes, well most times, I like the solitude I get from being awake before most people in town and just doing whatever I want without interference. Yep, I am officially a curmudgeon.

Since I was awake, I took some pix out the WW to commemorate the partly-cloudy and soon to be rainy skies in GH. I like the look of the sky to the north when the sun is just topping the treeline and the clouds, which make a nice frame for the rising sun.

Enjoy.

I did.

 

Indeed!

When I was outside with the fur-children yesterday morning, I noticed that the Irises that we got from Staph and Adam several years ago were finally blooming. I told our Senior Staff Photographer and so she ventured forth with both her Smart Phone and our Olympus camera with her macro lens in place to take some pix. I think they turned out great!

The aforementioned Irises from Steph and Adam.

Our own Irises.

Columbine closeup?

I like the way her macro lens allows our Senior Staff Photographer to get these closeups.

Frankly, I'm not sure, but I like it!

As further proof, as if I needed any, that I am getting up there in years, I turned off the camera after downloading the pix for this blog, when a mourning dove landed on the peak outside the WW. By the time I got the lens cap off and the camera turned back on, the mourning dove had taken flight. Sigh.

I've rambled on so long, that I'd better wrap this blog up, and soon.

The once again statistically tied for 1st place in the NL Central Cubs, watched in horror as the usually reliable Jon Lester surrendered four runs to the visiting Cardinals in the top of the 1st. However, the Cubs scratched and clawed their way to a final score of 9 - 4. The Cubs and the Red Birds go again tonight @ 7:05 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox split a double-header with the visiting Rays yesterday, losing the opener, 2 - 9, but taking the nightcap, 5 - 1. Today's game in Fenway takes place @ 1:05 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers sent reliever Buck Farmer to the mound yesterday as an emergency 5th starter, aren't all Tigers' pitchers pitching in an emergency? At any rate, with the help of another reliever, the Tigers defeated the Twins, 9 - 3. Maybe the Tigers need to look at Farmer as more than just a relief pitcher?

 The Tiger's owner/chairman/CEO, Chris Ilitch, noted that the Tigers' top pick in last year's MLB draft, Casey Mize, is doing well in the minor leagues, but that the Tigers are in rebuilding mode, so there is no rush for Mize to make his MLB debut. The Tigers and the Twins run onto the field to day @ 1:10 p.m. EDT.

The Caps and the Hot Rods were postponed in Bowling Green yesterday due to inclement weather, but they will try again today @ 1:05 p.m.

I assembled our new hammock yesterday. I still have to learn how to get in and out safely, but I can do it if I put my mind to it.

Today. nothing on tap except for more reading. I finished my last book yesterday and started a new one. I want to read the weekend edition of the Grand Haven Tribune and do the crossword puzzle too. If we are going to walk the fur-children, it will have to be early this morning or not at all. Ciao.