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."

The current temperature is 61° under clear skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 78°, under mostly-sunny skies. I am starting to feel like I am in San Diego, CA. The sun will rise today @ 7:27 a.m. and set tonight @ 7:50 p.m.

Let's start with some really good news. I got an email from our favorite local concert venue, Seven Steps Up in Spring Lake, that was in regard to an upcoming concert Friday night. The featured artist is Amy Speace. She is described by Craig Havighurst of Nashville's Music City Roots as, "A folk singer, timeless and classic, and a bit out of her own era." "She has one of the richest and loveliest voices in the genre and her songs are luxuriously smart." "She's profoundly personal yet also a bit mythic."

What can I say, we've never gone wrong when we gravitate to artists who are mostly unknown to us, yet as talented as any you may have seen over the years. At any rate, I went to YouTube™ and plucked these clips for your for your enjoyment. I hope you like them. The first is entitled, Ghost.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asXjnY-ysB8&list=RDasXjnY-ysB8&index=2

Plus, I found this clip of a song entitled Rider on An Orphan Train, written by David Massengill. I hope you like this one too.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2IIRbexIu0

Moving right along, the 82 - 69, once again tied for 2nd place in the NL Central Cubs, lost ground last night as they fell to the 71 - 81, 4th place Reds, 2 - 4. In spite of setting a record for strikeouts with eight in a row as a Cub, Yu Darvish took another loss. He gave up three runs in the top of the 1st and the Cubs couldn't make up for those. According to Joe Maddon, Yu is on a run right now, but with only 11 games left in the regular season, the Cubs have to find a way to win, especially over teams with inferior records like the Reds.

In what is purported to be "Good News", Cubs' closer, Craig Kimbrel, pitched a simulated game and "aired it out." How he feels today will be the deciding factor on his return date. Time is a wasting, as they say.

The Cubs and Jon Lester hope to bounce back tonight @ 8:05 p.m. EDT in the "Rubber Game" of the series.

My beloved, 70 - 71, 3rd place in the AL East Red Sox, have stopped winning the easy games too, and they are essentially out of any hope. The stars would have to align in ways that have never before been seen for the Sox to make a Wild Card appearance. The Rays and the Indians would have to fall apart for the Sox to make a post-season appearance.

As the late heavyweight boxer, Muhammad Ali once intoned regarding Smokin' Joe Frazier's chances of beating Ali, "Frazier's got two chances, Slim and none, and Slim just left town." That about sums up the chances for the beloved. The Sox continue their march for the couch this fall with a game against former Cub, Jeff Samardzija and the 73 - 78 Giants tonight @ 7:10 p.m., when Jhoulys Chacín takes the mound for the Sox.

The 45 - 105, last place in the AL Central Tigers, lost another game, surprise, to the 88 - 63, 2nd place Indians last night, 2 - 7, as Zach Reininger took the loss for the Tigers. The Tigers hope to win tonight when they send Spencer Turnbull, 3 - 15, to the mound @ 7:10 p.m.

Elsewhere, the City of Grand Haven is repaving Columbus one-block east of the manse and the noise, dust, and traffic make being outdoors unpleasant. Yes, the street need to be repaved, but...

Mary went walkabout with Ginger yesterday to the waterfront. They encountered lots of people out on a beautiful afternoon in GH and so they headed home very quickly.

I was done painting in my studio/music room/office/weather center as they were departing, so I walked with STWD for about six blocks and then Sugar was spent. Both Ginger and Sugar were quick to take up space on the floor to recharge their collective batteries. We left them there and braved the noise, dust, and traffic on Seventh to recharge our own batteries @ JWs.

Today, we have no plans and that's the way I like it, Uh huh, Uh huh. Ciao.