Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just after 6:00 a.m. in "The City."


Baseball had only one bright spot yesterday, the 4 - 2 win by the 8th place WhiteCaps over the7th place TinCaps in the MWL East. The Caps next game is tonight @ 7:05 p.m. versus the TinCaps.


The 2nd place in the NL Central Cubs, once again fell to the 2nd place in the NL East Washington Nationals, 5 - 7, which made it the first sweep at Wrigley since 2017. The Cubs are in NYC Tuesday to meet the 4th place Mets, @ 7:10 p.m.


My beloved, 3rd place in the AL East Red Sox lost to the 1st place Twins yesterday, 1 - 3. The Sox are in Colorado Tuesday night to face the Rockies @ 8:40 p.m.


The 5th place in the AL Central Tigers lost to the 1st place Twins, 4 - 7. The Tigers will meet the 2nd place in the AL East Indians @ Comerica Park Tuesday night @ 7:10 p.m.


I went walkabout with STWD to the library to return some books yesterday, while Mary and Ginger walked to the waterfront. While they were out, our Senior Staff Photographer used our Smart Phone to take some pix of their journey.

As is almost always the case on a summer afternoon, hammocks were strung between trees on the waterfront.

The channel was calm and boats were coming and going.

As was this boat rigged for a fishing expedition on the "Big Lake."

Sadly, MACkite, a downtown fixture for many years, is closing its doors soon. Alas, nothing lasts forever.

Indeed, nothing lasts forever. Many merchants on Washington are retiring and closing up shop. We've lost a jewelry store, a clothing store, and now MACkite, to retiring owners. Age catches up to us all.

In an unrelated note, I was thinking about STWD and how that moniker came to be. Sugar reacts to loud noises, but she also reacts to the changes in weather too. She has had that ability for a long time, thus the moniker, STWD, 

When we adopted Sugar nearly 11 years ago in Huntley. IL, they had given her the name Sugar based upon her coloration, that of white and brown sugars. We couldn't think of any better name and so Sugar she was and is. She also was then and is now, "The cutest dog on the planet!"

Ginger, has been with us almost two years. When we adopted her from the Kent County, MI Animal Shelter, they too had given her a name based upon her coloration. Mary had plans to rename Ginger with a name based in mythology, but somehow, Ginger was already appropriately named.

That thinking sent my down the road of how we see people fitting their names too. If you think about it, it would be hard to see our friends and loved ones with any name but that by which we know them.

Legend has it, that Native Americans derived their names from their activities or events with which they became associated. Truth or myth? I can't say, but I know that that idea was popularized in the Kevin Costner film, Dances With Wolves, as the Sioux Indians observed his character, US Army Lieutenant John Dunbar, interacting with a wolf. Accurate? I don't know, but I like the idea as depicted in this YouTube clip.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r_xtiZGT70

Me, supposedly I was named for my mother's favorite uncle, John, "Jack" French, a USAAF pilot in WWII, whom my mother adored. Unfortunately, family legend also has it that I only got a middle initial, "B" and no middle name, because my Godmother's name was Beatrice, "Bea" and my father's father, whom my mother detested, had as his middle name, Bernard. So, did she cave in and I thus got the "B" but no middle name? Legend, myth, or reality? I'll never know, as there is no one alive with direct knowledge to ask. Sigh.

That's why I always encouraged my students to ask questions of the "Keepers of the family history", so that they could know as much about their own histories, family legends and myths as possible.

But I once again digress.

We have a current temperature of 64° under mostly clear skies that will give way to partly-cloudy skies around 7:00 a.m and then give way again to rain around 11:00 a.m. Our overnight low will be 64°, and today's high will reach 73°. Today and tomorrow are forecast to be rainy with a chance for T-storms tonight. In addition, the NWS has issued another Beach Hazard Statement and another Small Craft Warning, both in effect until 5:00 p.m. tomorrow. The sun will rise today @ 7:02 a.m. and will set later tonight @ 8:29 p.m. Ciao.