Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:30 a.m. in "The City."

There are no active advisories, warnings or alerts and the current temperature is 63°. Later today, @ 11:45 a.m. the annual Coast Guard Festival Parade steps off. The weather will be wonderful for the marchers, and watchers alike. We'll see sunny skies and a high temperature of 77° following our overnight low of 63°. The precipitation in the forecast for Tuesday, has been downgraded to a 20% chance for scattered T-storms. Today the sun will rise @ 6:37 a.m. and set later @ 9:04 p.m.


Once again, the 58 - 51, 2nd place in the NL Central Cubs, are just one-half game behind the 58 - 50, 1st place Cardinals, as the Cubs prepare for today's game against the 57 - 54, 3rd place Brewers who are two full games in back of the Cubs. That's following the Cubs victory over the Brewers yesterday, 6 - 2. Jose Quintana, 9 - 7, got the win. Today's game features the return of Cole Hamels, 6 - 3, from the IL list @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.


My beloved, 59 - 52. 3rd place in the AL East Red Sox lost to the 69 - 39, 1st place Yankees last night, 2 - 4. The usually steady Eduardo Rodriguez, 13 - 5, surrendered a grand slam home run in the bottom of the 1st inning and the Sox were unable to overcome that early deficit. The Sox are 11.5 games in back of the front-running Yankees as the Sox head into today's first game @ 1:05 p.m. when Chris Sale, 5 - 10 goes for the beloved. Game two of a rare double-header, which is a make-up for an earlier game lst to the weather, will begin @ 7:05 p.m., when lefty Brian Johnson, 1 - 1, goes to the mound for the Sox.

The 32 - 72 Tigers are so deeply in last place that they are 33 games behind the 62 - 42 1st place in the AL Central Twins. The Tigers starting pitcher, Tyler Alexander, 0 - 2, didn't pitch bad last night, but he still took the loss. Tonight's game @ 8:05 p.m. will see Matthew Boyd, 6 - 8 go for the Tigers. Wait til next year? Are the Tigers a rebuilding team? Put it on the board, YES!

Once again, the 8th place in the MWL East West Michigan Whitecaps lost a squeaker to the 3rd place South Bend Cubs, 1 - 2. The Caps stay in Indiana for tonight's game against the 7th place Ft. Wayne TinCaps @ 7:05 p.m.

Thursday, the southbound run of MMRR locomotives 2019 and 2025 took place @ 11:15 a.m. as I observed those locomotives towing only 13 CHCs. Yesterday, @ 11:28 a.m. Yesterday, those same locomotives passed by heading north, towing 15 CHCs, and three DBTCs. I should mention that locomotive #2025, while operating under the auspices of  the MMRR system, sports the livery of the Huron and Eastern Railway, another short-line railroad here in Michigan. Same color scheme as the MMRR, but with a different logo.

I made funfetti cookies yesterday following my epic cake failure of Wednesday. We/I have come to believe that the cake mix I used on Wednesday was old and so the self-rising flour didn't self-rise. That's my story and I am sticking to it. The cookies turned out great and so I redeemed myself, at least a little bit. 

Adam and Steph continue to visit and enjoy the sights and sounds of the Tri-Cities area and the annual Coast Guard Festival. They went to the Fuel Bar and Refuge in Spring Lake for dinner last night and they say it is everything that it has been reported to be. Great food made in a brick-oven that imparts a smoky flavor to the food.

Today, we plan to watch the Coast Guard Festival Parade by walking to the corner near the manse and then seguing to JWs as the parade is ending. I'll be taking my camera, but I'll be very selective in the pix I take. Before that, Mary wants to take me to the Coast Guard Festival Craft Fair, to see a lawn/garden sprinkler that is also a piece of yard-art that would look nice in our parkway garden.

Otherwise, not much is happening. Ciao.