Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:30 a.m. in "The City."

The current temperature is 65°, coincidentally, our overnight low. There is no precipitation of note in the forecast. The sun will rise today @ 6:44 a.m. and set later @ 8:54 p.m.

We had both ends of the train run yesterday. At 8:36 a.m., I observed MMRR locomotives #2019 and #2025 heading south, towing 13 CHCs, and one DBTC. Later, @ 12:30 p.m., I saw those same locomotives heading north, towing four CHCs, one DBTC, and one DWTC.

Baseball news yesterday was mixed.

The still 1st place by 2.5 games over the Cardinals in the NL Central Cubs and their $126 million man, Yu Darvish, 4 - 6, once again lost to a team that the Cubs should normally beat, the55 - 59, 4th place Reds, 2 - 5. Nick Castellanos got a home run for the Cubs, but Darvish was ineffective, as usual. The Cubs and the Reds play again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT, when Kyle Hendricks, 8 - 8 takes the mound.

My beloved, 62 - 56, 3rd place in the AL East Red Sox, hammered the 56 - 61, 4th place in the AL West Angels, 16 - 4, on the strength of two J.D. Martinez home runs and the home-runs of three other Sox players. Marcus Walden, 7 - 1, was totally effective and got the win. The Sox and the Angels play again today @ 4:05 p.m. as Rick Porcello, 10 - 8, gets the start.

The 35 - 78, 5th place in the AL Central Tigers, saw the return of Edwin Jackson to the Tigers after a 10 year absence. In between, Jackson played for thirteen other teams. Jackson and the Tigers defeated the 41 - 76, 4th place Royals, 5 - 2. Jackson only pitched for the Tigers one year, 2009, when he was selected to the All-Star team and helped the Tigers get to a tie-breaker with the Twins, which the Tigers lost. Still, it was an electric season in Detroit. The Tigers meet the Royals again tonight @ 6:05 p.m., when Spencer Turnbull, 3 - 9 starts for the Tigers.

The 8th place in the MWL East Div. West Michigan WhiteCaps, lost once again to the 2nd place Bowling Green Hot Rods, 3 - 5. The Caps travel to Lake County, OH to meet the Captains tonight ! 7:00 p.m.

We traveled about yesterday afternoon after a tasty lunch of spaghetti noodles with garden-fresh tomatoes, vegan Italian meatballs, and olive oil. We didn't go very far. We bought more paint for yet another painting project before we stopped for gasoline and then traveled to Spring Lake and picked up a picture frame @ Love Inc. our favorite resale store. In between we stopped at the grocery store for a few items. Dinner was vegan hot dogs and baked beans. Not fancy, but very tasty too.

I should mention that the need for the picture frame was brought about by my completion of a colored pencil drawing of a beach scene that I'd like to display. I have to repaint the frame, but that is just a spritz with some spray paint that I already have on hand.

I must water the flowers on the front porch of the manse today and I should get to spraying vinegar on the weeds that are growing in the center of our shared driveway. The weeds impede the drainage of rainwater. I will read more, play more with the girls, and get that picture frame painted too. Then I can collapse. Ciao.