Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 12:30 a.m. in "The City" on this, the first day of my eighth decade of life. Not bad for a man of a certain age. Actually, I am what has always been termed a septuagenarian, a person between 70 and 79 years of age.

The current temperature is 77° and it feels like 77° with a wind out of the west @ six mph under partly-cloudy skies. Tonight's low-temperature forecast calls for 69° before we reach today's high-temperature of 80° under sunny-skies. That's after the sun rises @ 7:06 a.m. and well before it sets @ 8:24 p.m. Tonight's low-temperature will drop to a much more comfortable 62°.

I had a great day yesterday and and I anticipate a better one today. I did some reading, made some vegan Italian burgers and meatballs, while STWD was beneath my feet, trying to hide from the thunder clap she had heard or felt. I also installed my birthday present in my office and music/art studio.

You may be wondering what kind of birthday present needs installation. The answer is window valances that Mary made for me from some fabric we purchased in Plymouth, WI several years ago. That purchase was during one of our pre-pandemic trips to Road America. Here is a picture of one of  the valances over the window above my easel. 

I have the best wife on the planet. 

The baseball news from yesterday was not good, at least on the Major-League level. 

The Cubs were never in their game against that other team from Chicago, as starting and losing RHP Kyle Hendricks, gave up eight earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, en route to a 1 - 13 loss, the fifth in six tries for the Cubs this season. Fortunately for the Cubs, they are off until Tuesday, when they travel to Minnesota to face the Twins @ 8:10 p.m. as RHP Zach Davies, 6 - 10, makes his next start. 

The Red Sox didn't fare any better, as they lost to the Indians, 5 - 7 in a game that the Sox needed to win. The Sox travel to Florida to face the Rays @ 7:10 p.m. as RH P Nick Pivetta, 9 - 6, gets the start.

The Tigers lost another close game, this one to the visiting Blue Jays, 1 - 2. The Tigers will meet the Twins today @ 2:10 p.m. when RHP Casey Mize, 7 - 6, makes his next start.

The only good piece of baseball news came at the High A level, as the Caps nipped the Lug Nuts, 5 - 4. The Caps are home Tuesday night to face the Peoria Chiefs @ 7:05 p.m.

I have already picked out my birthday dinner. I have requested Spaghettirole Casserole. I love it just the way that Mary prepares it. 

Otherwise, I have no firm plans for today. Reading, music, art, and that's about it. In the word of that old beer commercial "It doesn't get any belter than this." I've got the best wife, the best human-children, the best fur-children, I live in a great city albeit in a slightly skewed state, and I have nothing to worry about. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 10:30 a.m. in "The City" where I have just returned from a safari to the Vast Gardens of the Palatial Estate. I went out to water where the (RHI) Relative Humidity Index is 78%. That's the humidity for you non-meteorological types. The actual temperature is 80°, but with that RHI of 78% it feels more like 85°!

Today's high-temperature will only be 82°, but with the continuation of the high humidity, it will feel a lot more uncomfortable. In fact, that is one of the reasons for the NWS to have issued yet another Air Quality Alert for the counties of Allegan, Kent, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren here in MI. 

But wait, there's more! The NWS has also continued the Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Manistee until 9:00 p.m. tonight, with wind speeds from 10 - 20 knots and possible gusts to 25 knots, with waves from three to seven feet. Surfs Up!

But, the NWS was not done yet. They have also issued a Beach Hazard Statement for Allegan, Mason, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties. Strong currents, high waves, and dangerous swimming conditions will accompany the very real chance of being swept off the piers for those foolhardy enough to venture out. 

The NWS is reporting a current barometric pressure of 30.00" of Hg and rising, while my own DTWS is showing 29.36" of Hg and steady. That is one of the things that is unique about the Tri-Cities area. Our weather here is often much different than that being forecast for other parts of MI. Oh, the sun rose this morning @ 7:06 a.m. and it will set later @8:24 p.m.

Our new TV arrived yesterday and with a little effort, we moved he box upstairs, assembled the necessary parts, and Mary programmed the remote and its functions so that I can now watch TV in the media room with a fully functional TV. We donated the old TV to a local thrift store. It workd fine, but it was dated when it came to the internet functions. 

We had the time to do other things too, and so Mary used that time to assemble both a tasty brunch of vegan Italian meatballs and salad and later, a terrific dinner of marinated portabella mushrooms, corn on the cob, and vegan Italian sausages. 

Somewhere in there, we set out for a return and a pick up at the library and then we went looking for a place to take some pix. Given the poor air quality, we didn't stop at any of our favorites, but we did espy some skydivers landing at the Grand Haven Municipal Airport, so we stopped in there to await the next plane load of sky diving enthusiasts to take to the skies under the auspices of the local purveyor, Sky Dive Grand Haven. 

This old fighter aircraft is at the entrance to the airport.

Sky Dive Grand Haven has a large hangar at the airport.

But, we had to await the departure of the drop plane and the arrival of the next group of skydivers themselves. We didn't have to wait long.

The drop plane taxied out to the runway with the skydivers ready to jump.

The aircraft took off rising into the azure-blue skies.

With relatively light winds.

It wasn't long before we spotted the returning skydivers.

It appeared that these were "Tandem Jumps", in which an experienced skydiver pairs with a
non-experienced or newbie jumper as the experienced skydiver executed several turns.

And also several straight dives.

Until they touched softly down.

With four happy partners.

Since I am starting to get long, I'll state that the baseball news was half and half. The Cubs and RHP Alec Mills, 6 - 6. soundly defeated that other team from Chicago, 7 - 0. Patrick Wisdom has been on a home run tear, getting two more in yesterday's win. Today's game will feature the stylings of HP Kyle Hendricks, 14 - 5 @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox took 10 innings, but with the aid of a three RBI home run off the bat of J. D. Martinez, they prevailed over the Indians, 5 - 3. Today's game in Cleveland begins @ 1:10 p.m. with RHP Tanner Houck, 0 - 3 on the mound for the Sox.

The Tigers tried, but they came up short, 2 - 3 in 10 innings versus the Blue Jays. Today's game begins @ 1:10 p.m. as LHP Matthew Boyd, 3 - 6 goes for the Tigers.

Sadly, the Caps took a loss yesterday to the Lug Nuts, 6 - 7. their next game is this afternoon @ 1:05 p.m.

The 2 - 1 in the NFL preseason Bears, took one from the also 2 - 1 Tennessee Titans last night, 27 - 23. 

Otherwise today, I have some kitchen plans, Mary has some sewing to accomplish, and we both have a crossword puzzle to solve and more reading to do. Ciao. 

I hate when that happens. I hit one wrong key and blam, my entire effort is gone. That being said, I think I'll just include some salient facts facts from yesterday and today. Current time, approx. 8:50 a.m. Current temperature, 78°. Today's high-temperature. 83°. Chance of T-storms tomorrow, 64%. The sun rose today @ 7:05 a.m. and it will set later @ 8:25 p.m.

In between, there will be a Heat Advisory and an Air Quality Alert from 11:00 a.m. until  8:00 p.m. Don't go out, don't refuel vehicles, and don't worry, be happy. If those advisories and alerts, don't get you, the Covid-19, Hurricane Ida, the changing climate, or something else will.

Cubs lost to that other team from Chicago, 13 - 17, Tigers win over the Blue Jays, 2 - 1, Red Sox eke out a win over the Indians, 4 - 3, and the Caps pound the Lug Nuts, 11 - 6. 

Lions go 0 - 3 in the NFL preseason, losing to the Colts, 17 - 27. The Bears try to go 2 - 1 in the NFL preseason tonight versus the TN Titans, and neither the Lions nor the Bears look to be better than mediocre this year. Stay tuned.

Pix from yesterday's travels and at the manse.

MMRR locomotive 2019 and a DBTC passing the manse heading north.

The Grand River near Spring Lake, MI.

A bird on the dock at that same location.

Two chairs waiting on the shore for some people to enjoy the view.

An old barn on our return trip.

Today, indoor chores, reading, crossword solving, etc. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 a.m. in "The City."

The NWS is reporting that the current temperature is 70° under partly-cloudy skies. The "Real Feel" is that same 70° with a breeze out of the west @ one mph. Not so coincidentally, that 70° will be the overnight low for tonight/morning, Sadly, that likely means that I'll have to water today, as the NWS has downgraded the chance for rain to a measly 15% with only a slight chance for a stray shower or T-storm. Sigh. Maybe tomorrow monsoon come with a 50% chance for morning T-storms.

The current barometric pressures are 29.94" of Hg and rising and 29.30" of Hg and falling per the NWS and my own DTWS. The sun will rise today @ 7:00 a.m. and set later @ 8:32 p.m.

Unlike the happenings at Wrigley Field of late, the Cubs had a five-run comeback late in the game and utilized a walk-off home run by OF Rafael Ortega to win their game over the Rockies, 6 - 4. Don't get excited folks, but wait until next year, or even later tonight when the Cubs and Rockies tangle once again as LHP Justin Steele, 2 - 2, starts for the Cubs @ 8:05 p.m. EDT.

My beloved Red Sox had to wait until the the bottom of the 11th inning for a walk-off grand slam home run by IF Travis Shaw, newly returned from the IL, to win the game 8 - 4 over the visiting TX Rangers. Next up for the Red Sox, the Twins come to Fenway, as RHP Tanner Houck, 0 - 3, starts for the Sox @ 7:10 p.m. tonight. 

The Tigers are in St. Louis tonight for a game against the Cardinals beginning @ 7:05 p.m. as RHP Casey Mize, 6 - 6 gets the nod from Tiger's manager A.J. Hinch.

The Caps are also on the road tonight when they travel to Lansing to face the Lug Nuts @ 7:05 p.m.

Elsewhere in the local news, our Senior Staff Photographer, Mary, took another picture of Pink using our Smart Phone. This one turned out great and Pink can be seen offering one of her blooms to our deck. I think that the framing, composition and the variations in the sunlight make for an interesting picture. 

One small bloom for our deck, but many more to come. 

I was busy here in my office yesterday, so Mary took STWD for a very abbreviated walk due to the high-temperature and high-humidity. Mary returned to take Ginger to the waterfront, but by the time they made it to Third Street, they turned back, sat in Central Park for a short time, and then headed home due to that same high-temperature and high-humidity.

We collectively made some vegan bacon yesterday afternoon and then I finished the weekend crossword puzzle. Mary hopes to do more crafting today while I do as little as possible. I am feeling the need to just kick back and be retired. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 10:00 p.m. in "The City", where the current temperature is 71° under clear-skies with a "Real Feel" of 71° with a wind out of the West @ seven mph. 

Our current barometric pressure is being reported as 29.94" of Hg and rising by the NWS, while my own DTWS is displaying 29.30" of Hg and steady. The overnight low is forecast to drop to a more comfortable 64° before we rebound to tomorrow's high-temperature of 81°, with the overnight low falling to 71° under partly-cloudy skies. The sun will rise tomorrow @ 6:58 a.m. and set later @ 8:35 p.m.

We still have the Beach Hazard Statement in effect until 11:00 p.m., along with that Small Craft Advisory, also in effect until 11:00 p.m. tonight. 

I watered this morning and then went back to bed. Later in the day, Mary and I walked with our fur-children to the library and then we took Ginger along for several errands. We stopped at the auxiliary gardens to water, then traveled to the east side of GH for more pix to accompany those I had already taken of our own vast-gardens. Finally, we traveled to that big-box nearly everything store for a pick up. 

When we returned to the manse, I fed the fur-children. Previously, I kept my word and did not watch any baseball. Instead, I followed through and worked in the kitchen creating several vegan Italian items.

However, I do know the following about the baseball results from earlier today. 

The Cubs lost their 13th in a row at home, this time to the visiting Royals, 1 - 9. RHP Alec Mills must have been totally ineffective given the final score. The Cubs have a chance to lose 14 in a row tomorrow night, when they welcome the Rockies to the Friendly Confines for a game beginning @ 8:05 p.m. with RHP Kyle Hendricks going for his 15th win against five losses.

Good news in Detroit, as the Tigers nipped the visiting Rangers, 5 - 3. Miguel "Miggy" Cabrera, joined 27 other players in the 500 plus home run club, as he nailed  number 500 today. The Tigers are off until Tuesday's game in St. Louis against the Cardinals, as RHP Casey Mize tries to get his seventh win versus six losses when he starts the game @ 7:45 p.m.

The Red Sox and the Rangers were rained out by Tropical Storm Henri today. The Sox and the Rangers try to play again tomorrow @ 1:10 p.m. as RHP Nathan Eovaldi goes for his 11th win versus eight losses.

The Caps eked out a win versus the Tin Caps, 2 - 0. The Caps are headed to Lansing, MI for a game against the Lansing Lug Nuts @ 7:05 p.m. Tuesday night.

As I noted earlier, I took a few pix in our vast gardens and then on the east side of GH. Here there are in no particular order.

From a few blossoms, to a veritable explosion of flowers from Pink today.

A tad closer to one of Pink's blossoms. 

On the east side, there is a smaller version of Pink.

As well as this view of the Grand River.

At this point, the Grand River is part of Spring Lake.

For my son, this old Willys Jeepster was cruising near that big-box nearly everything store. 

A more panoramic view of Pink and Major Wheeler in bloom to Pinks left.

Tomorrow, I hope to do as little as possible. I have no watering to do. However, I do have a need to play some guitar and harmonica and finish the weekend crossword puzzle. Otherwise, zip, zero, nada. Mary plans to continue some needlecraft project she is working on along with listening to more or her latest audio book. Ciao.

Let's K.I.S.S. this one. Current temperature, 73°, feels like 73° under cloudy-skies. Wind out of the northeast @ 7 mph. Water temperature @ Grand Haven State Park, 75°. Barometric pressures, NWS 29.95 and rising. DTWS, 29.30 and falling. Sunrise today was @ 6:58 a.m. and sunset will happen @ 8:35 p.m.

Beach Hazard Statement and Small Craft Advisory in effect until 8:00 p.m. tonight. Beach Hazard Statement for Allegan, Muskegon, Ottawa and Van Buren counties. Small Craft Advisory from St. Joe to Whitehall, with 10 to 20 knot winds and waves from three to four feet.

Cubs still suck, from now until the end of the season, especially following yet another loss to the Royals, 2 - 6. Patrick Wisdom got dinger number 20, Keegan Thompson pitched okay, but still took the loss. Today's game @ 2:20 p.m. EDT with RHP Alec Mills on the mound.

Red Sox suck too. Sox' manager Alex Cora said the Sox embarrassed themselves in yet another way. He says coaches are partially to blame for the 1 - 10 loss to the Rangers. Perhaps, but the players committed the season-high five errors, not the coaches. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez remains inconsistent and didn't get out of the fourth inning. No pitcher has yet been named for today's 1:10 p.m. start. I think it is like being the last man standing etc.

The Tigers were also embarrassed, but they can be somewhat forgiven considering they are a rebuilding team. However, the Tigers still lost to the Blue Jays, 0 - 3. Some guy name Drew Hutchinson will pitch for the Tigers today @ 1:07 p.m. in Toronto.

The Caps lost to Tin Caps, 1 - 2. Today's game starts @ 2:00 p.m.

A mostly good day yesterday. Indoor chores, done. Table assembly, not done, as we received only package two of two. Package one was reported as damaged in transit. Refund issued, new table ordered. Crossword done. More reading done. Trip to Spring Lake for bread, done. Trip to Fruitport for a photo-op, done. 

Pictures from Norris Creek in Fruitport as follows:

On a road never taken.

We espied this pond through the reeds.

And this deceased tree.

With nice flowers

And lots of algae in late-summer.

Today, watering of plantings, new and old, done. Blog, done. TV to watch, no baseball for me. Another newspaper to read and the weekend crossword to be finished. Perhaps some kitchen time for vegan Italian things. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever  you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:00 a.m. in "The City" where the current temperature is 73° under clear-skies with a "Real Feel" of 73° fostered by a six-mph wind out of the west. That 73° will be the overnight low before the high-temperature today reaches a sultry 85° under skies the will range from sunny to partly-cloudy with an overnight low of 70°. The sun will rise today @ 6:57 a.m. and set later @ 8:37 p.m.

The NWS is reporting a current barometric pressure of 29.87 and falling, while my DTWS is showing 29.21 and rising. Go figure. At least the NWS reported temperature agrees with that being shown on my DTWS. 

I had a very productive day yesterday. First thing yesterday morning, I watered our plantings before I returned to the media room for some inane TV viewing. Later, I finished the daily crossword puzzle, followed by those repairs to the storm-windows on the manse, after which I trimmed some bushes too. Later, I sat on the deck and finished one of my pulp novels. Come to think of it, that was way too busy for someone who is retired. I'll have to take it down a notch today. All I have to do today is some indoor chores and help Mary assemble our new dining-room table. How hard can it be after we assembled the four dining-room chairs earlier this week? Considering the high-temperature forecast for today, indoor activities will be good idea. 

I won't dwell on the news from baseball yesterday, except to say that the Cubs management may be saying all the politically-correct things, but they are still fielding a cast of characters who have little to no chance of winning at the Major-League level, "The Show" as it is often called by the minor-league level players. 

That being said, the 54 - 70, 4th place in the NL Central Cubs only bright spot yesterday was provided by what some may call an oxymoron player, a journeyman/rookie, Patrick Wisdom, age 29, who hit his 19th home-run in a 2 - 6 loss to the 53 - 68, 5th place in the AL Central Royals. Another day, another four home-runs surrendered by RHP Zach Davies, 6 - 10. Today's game features a true farm-system Cubs pitcher, RHP Keegan Thompson, 3 - 2, starting @ 2:20 p.m. EDT.

Alas, it is too late for me. I'm too old to "Wait until next year!" I was at Wrigley Field when I was much younger, around age eight, and later as a teenager on too many opening days and other days when the Cubs opened the wall in left-field after the seventh inning to allow anyone into a nearly empty park. Unlike the "Fans" of today, I am a real "Die-Hard" Cubs fan, not like those people who jumped on the bandwagon when Harry Caray arrived and when the Cubs started to play respectable baseball. I carp to Mary about the state of the team, but as long as the stands are filled and the TV money keeps rolling in, there is little incentive for the Cubs' management to improve the team. 

Sure, I hear how the Ricketts family wants to have a winner, but do they really? One World-Championship in over 100 years does not constitute a winning attitude and certainly not a dynasty. In this era of free-agency and long-term, big-money contracts, maybe this is all we can expect. Look at the Royals, the Indians, the Mets etc. Up, then down. Just saying.

My beloved, 3rd place in the AL East, 70 - 54 Red Sox had to rely on the surgically repaired left arm of of LHP Chris Sale last night as he pitched five strong innings, walking one, striking out five and yielding five hits. It took four additional relief pitchers, but the Sox defeated the 5th place in the AL West, the 42 - 80 Rangers, 6 - 0. But, is that all they've got? We'll see. as the Sox send LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 9 - 6 to the mound for his next start @ 7:10 p.m. tonight.

The 3rd place in the AL Central, the 59 - 65 Tigers went into the 10th inning in Toronto last night tied @ 1 - 1. A wild pitch, a timey pinch-hit, and some errant throes from the outfield led to a 4 - 1 for the Tigers over the 4th place in the AL East Blue Jays. Today; the Tigers send RHP Wily Peralta, 3 - 2 out for a start @ 3: 07 p.m. in Toronto.

The Caps looked like a High A level Minor-League team as they fell to another High A team, the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps, 1 - 11. I expect developmental level play from a High A team, not from a Major-League. Once again, just saying. 

I've already covered yesterday's activities. But, I'd be remiss if I didn't highlight Mary's culinary prowess. She used some locally-grown produce to make a dinner of baked tofu with mushrooms and her homemade marinara sauce to make an excellent dinner for last night. Definitely a keeper. Ciao.

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", which means that I finished this blog after the sun rose this morning @ 6:56 a.m., but well before it will set @ 8:38 p.m. this evening.

Our current temperature of 67° under fair-skies is coincidentally also our overnight low and the "Real Feel" temperature with a slight wind out of the west @ one-mph. The NWS is reporting a barometric pressure of 29.99" of Hg and steady, while my own DTWS is showing 29.33" of Hg and also steady. In short, this will be a nice but warm day here in the Tri-Cities area, as our high-temperature reaches 85° under sunny-skies with an overnight low of 70°. Our next best chance for rain will be Tuesday @ 53%.

We took STWD and Ginger, our fur-children, for a short walk yesterday afternoon. Sugar's mind is willing to walk more, but her age is saying no, no no, to that idea as she quickly tires in the warm temperatures. When we get past the next couple of weeks when the daily high-temperatures will remain in the lower 80's, we should be able to get her out more often and for more extended walkabouts. 

We returned home and then Mary, Ginger, and I set out for a pick-up at that big-box nearly everything store, well at least Mary and Ginger did. They dropped me off at the auxiliary gardens so that I could weed, water, and harvest until they returned to pick me up. A nice division of labor and a great time-saver.

I have some outdoor plans today that include watering the vast gardens here on the PE, likely very soon as the sun is now up, and also repairing some fallen storm-windows on the driveway side of the manse. That repair will require some ladder time with Mary spotting for me and a ladder that I am borrowing from our western neighbor. Plus, a drill and four screws too. I believe that Mary has plans to finish the carpet cleaning in the dining room too in preparation for the delivery of our new dining room table today or tomorrow. Mostly though, I have plans to read, do a crossword puzzle, and stay out of trouble. 

A quick update on the baseball front. The Tigers squandered eight runs yesterday as they fell to the visiting Angels, 10 - 13. The Tigers take one step forward and on and one-half steps back on a daily basis. The Tigers welcome the Blue Jays to Comerica Park for a 7:07 start tonight as LHP Tyler Alexander makes his next start.

My beloved Red Sox have fallen to third-place in the AL East following a sweep by the Yankees of their three-game series. Man oh man, the are playng badly of late. The Sox take the field again tonight @ 7 :10 p.m. when LHP Chris Sale makes his second start after coming off the IL following his Tommy John surgery.

The Cubs? They have won two in a row recently, but they are not going anywhere this season and perhaps for several more seasons. The only bright spot may be that RHP Kyle Hendricks is closing on 1,000 Ks for his career. The Cubs will send RHP Zach Davies to the mound for a 2:20 p.m. EDT start today.

The Caps took a squeaker from the Tin Caps last night, eking out a 4 - 3 win in Ft. Wayne, IN. the Caps are home tonight for a game against those same Tin Caps beginning @ 7:05 p.m.

Good news, the college football season will be starting soon.

Otherwise, I've already reported on the happenings here at the PE for today, so I'll just say Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 11:00 p.m. in "The City."

We have a current temperature of 71° that feels like 71° under clear-skies with no wind in the forecast. The overnight low tonight/tomorrow morning will be 66°. Our current barometric pressure, according to the NWS, is 30.01" of Hg and rising, while my very own DTWS is reporting 29.36" of Hg, also rising. The high temperature tomorrow is forecast to reach 83° with an overnight low of 66°. The sun will rise @ 6:53 a.m. and set later @ 8:43 p.m.

We traveled over the bridge to Spring Lake, to buy a loaf of bread, but the bakery was way too crowded, so we continued our journey, landing @ Ottawa Sands Park for a photo-shoot for me and a walkabout for Mary. She took some pix, as did I, but somehow in my zeal to save hers, I lost them into an unknown folder on my computer, never to be seen again. 

The sign at the entrance to Ottawa is not like the others in the Ottawa County Park system.

I was trying some different settings when I took this picture.

I liked how the trees formed a frame for this picture. 

While Mary walked the trails, I mostly sat on this bench near the lake.

Mary said I should shoot this pic. I'm glad she did.

True colors as seen at the park.

I like to shoot through the grasses on the lakeshore. 

As we were departing, I thought that this leaf was striking in its coloration. 

At the manse, I took some pix of Mary's giant pink hibiscus, because she quickly loses her blooms.

Pink drops her blossoms, usually within one day of their opening. 

On the other hand, Mary's roses have long-lasting blooms. 

Earlier this evening, I walked over to Central Park for one of only four Tuesday's in the Park concerts to be held this year. Normally the concerts stretch from mid-June to late August. Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic has put a crimp in the schedule, limiting the concerts to just four this month. I took some pix of the band, Natchez Trace and of the relatively large crowd, as well as the dogs who came to enjoy the music of the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Poco, and John Denver, just to name a few. 

Last year, the fountain in Central Park was dry.

Lots of spectators enjoying the beautiful weather and the music in the park.

Natchez Trace has several more members, but only three performed tonight. 

As you may recall, our dowager fur-child, STWD, is a Corgi/Beagle mix, so I just had to take this picture. 

This small dog reminded me of our other fur-child, Ginger.

I wish that I had only good things to say about my baseball teams, but tonight, only three of four were victorious. 

The Cubs and Kyle Hendricks eked out a 2 - 1 win over the Reds tonight to snap their 12 game losing streak. My beloved Red Sox fell out of Wild Card contention by a few percentage points, as they lost to to the Yankees, 3 - 5 and 0 - 2. The Tigers took a 2 - 2 tie into the top of the ninth, but they fell hard to the Angels, 2 - 8 . However, the Tigers' High "A" farm team, the West Michigan White Caps, defeated the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps tonight, 5 - 3.

So, while we didn't get everything on our agenda done today, it was still a very productive day. We finished the indoor chores, I finished a novel, Mary listened to more of her latest audio book and I got to hear live music performed for me, my first concert  in more than two years.

Tomorrow, the crossword awaits as does more watering of the vast gardens. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation  and across the world. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City." 

The NWS is reporting a current temperature of 62° under fair-ckies. That 62° doubles as the overnight low and as the way the temperature feels with a slight wind out of the north @ three mph. In addition, the NWS is reporting a barometric pressure of 30.03" of HG and falling, while my own DTWS is showing 29.36" of Hg and rising.

Today's high temperature is expected to reach 80 or 81 degrees under mostly-sunny skies with an overnight low of 67°. That low-eighties temperature is about four degrees higher than Monday's high. The sun will rise in a few hours @ 6:53 a.m. and set later @ 8:43 p.m.

In between, the Cubs will likely find yet another way to lose a ballgame to the Reds, who beat the Cubs 5 - 14 last night. Of course, the "Ace" of the Cubs' pitching staff, RHP Kyle Hendricks, 13 - 6, may stem the tide of losses that has reached a season high of 12 as of last night's drubbing. At any rate, the Cubs and the Reds try again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. EDT when Hendricks toes the rubber.

Was there a bright spot in  last nights loss? According to Cubs' manager David Ross, LHP Justin Steele, 2 - 2 worked out of some jams and basically looked good until the game got out of hand. Ya think? Another bright spot may be that the Cubs are scheduled to reprise the Field of Dreams game to be played in Dyersville, IA on August, 12, 2022. What team will the Cubs put on the field for that game? A lot depends on the maturation of players in the Cubs' farm system, the emergence of players received in trades for their corps of traded players, and whether the Cubs can land a top-tier pitcher or a big-bat in the upcoming Free-Agent market. Stay tuned.

To recap, the Tigers play the Angels @ Comerica Park beginning @ 7:10 p.m. The Red Sox play two today, with game one versus the Yankees beginning @ 1:05 p.m. and game two, a weather postponed make-up game against those same Yankees, beginning @ 7:05 p.m.

The Caps are home tonight versus the Ft.Wayne Tin Caps beginning @ 7:05 p.m.

We bid adieu to our children yesterday morning with a promise to get together sooner than two years from now. But, the same Covid-19 virus that caused our last extended separation has morphed into a mutated variant, Delta, that is still making people very sick and which was the impetus for us to cancel our room reservation in Harbor Springs, MI for this year's Festival of the Book in early September. To quote the immortal Joe Jacobs, the manager for Heavyweight Boxer Max Schmeling, who is credited with the quote, "We wuz robbed!" Alas, it doesn't really matter, cuz "We wuz robbed."

Today, is another day of indoor chores, more reading, more retirement and perhaps, a trip over the bridge to Spring Lake. I have another idea for a painting to try too. Yes Virginia, not much changes when you are retired and we mostly like it that way. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 7:00 a.m., which means that we have just passed the sunrise that occurred @ 6:52 a.m. and well before the sunset occurs tonight @ 8:45 p.m. In between, we are supposed to see a high temperature of 79° under sunny skies and then later an overnight low of a brisk 61°. As of now, the current temperature is also a very brisk 59° under clear skies.

I'm going to once again follow the KISS formula for this blog and state that we had a great weekend with our children, but they will be departing this morning for their home base. We hope that they also had a good time and that we won't have to wait another two years to see them in person.

Baseball news was mixed yesterday, as the Cubs, the Tigers, and the West Michigan White Caps all lost. The lone victory came as my beloved Red Sox downed the lowly Orioles, 6 - 2. 

The Cubs play tonight in Cincinnati against the Reds commencing @ 7:10 p.m. EDT.

The Tigers, the Caps, and my beloved Red Sox are off until Tuesday, when the Tigers welcome the Angels to Comerica Park for a 7:10 p.m. start. The Red Sox will be playing two against the  Yankees, with the first game set for 1:05 p.m. and the second game, a make up game, set for a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.

The Caps will be home versus the Ft. Wayne Tin Caps for a 7:05 start, also on Tuescay.

Otherwise, we fired up the Weber yesterday and had a great dinner of vegan Italian burgers for us and beast kabobs for our children, We all enjoyed the salads that our daughter in law created, one with a mix of collard greens, tomatoes, vinegar, and oil, along with many spices. The other, a cucumber salad with onions, vinegar, and still more spices was also excellent. If I got the ingredients wrong, so be it, because I never get those things right. We also had roast corn and portabella muchrooms. 

All in all, it was a great weekend and even our fur-children were glad to see our human-children. 

Today, more reading, more music and more retirement. Ciao. 

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", where the current temperature is 57° and it feels like 57° with a slight breeze out of the northwest @ 1 mph. 

The temperature of the water @ the shore of Lake Michigan near Grand Haven State Park, is not bathtub warm, but a comfortable for swimming, 74°. We have a sunny day to look forward to today after the sunrise that occurred @ 6:50 a.m. and well before the sunset @ 8:46 p.m. The NWS is reporting a current barometric pressure of 30.24" of Hg and steady, while my own DTWS is showing 29.56" of Hg, also steady.

Our children arrived early yesterday afternoon and it felt great to welcome them to the manse here on the PE, something we have been unable to do for nearly two years. I was busy in the kitchen creating another batch of vegan Italian meatballs and burgers when they arrived. 

I got the watering done on our new and old plantings before they arrived. We have been blessed with rain lately, but the next best chance for more is Wednesday's paltry 24% chance, so it is likely that I have more watering in my future.

I wish I could say that the recent moves by the 4th place in the NL Central, 52 - 67 Cubs were looking like brilliant moves, but the Cubs are charging Major-League prices for minor-league baseball players and play. The Cubs fell to the 4th place in the NL East, 50 - 67 Marlins, due in large-measure to three Cubs' errors, 4 - 5. It was ugly. Today's starting pitcher will be RHP Alec Mills, 5 - 4, who hopes to stop the losing streak @ 1:10 p.m. EDT this afternoon. I think the Cubs management is rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic right now.

My beloved, 2nd place in the AL East @ 68 - 51 Red Sox, looked like a real Major-League baseball team yesterday when LHP Chris Sale took the mound for the Sox and tossed 89 pitches, issuing no walks and recording eight strikeouts en route to the 16 - 2 win over the hapless and seemingly minor-league 5th place in the AL East, @ 38 - 77 Orioles. The Sox and the Orioles take the field again today @ 1:10 p.m. when LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 8 - 6 makes the start. 

The2nd place in the AL Central, 58 - 61 Tigers, looked more like the Tigers of the future when they used some faulty pitches by the relief  corp of the 3rd place in the AL East56 - 59 Indians in the bottom of the 8th inning to break a 4 - 4 tie and go on for the win when the Tigers own relief corp held the Indians to zero runs in the top of the 9th @ Comerica Park.

While the Tigers won't be winning their division this year, a division that has been dominated all year by that other team from Chicago. That team was the winner of that Field of Dreams game the other night versus the Yankees. The Tigers future looks brighter than that of the Cubs right now. The Tigers and the Indians play again this afternoon when the Tigers send some journeyman minor-league pitcher named Drew Hutchinson to the mound with a record of 0 - 0 this year for a game that begins @ 1:10 p.m.

A quick reminder that the West Michigan White Caps split two yesterday versus the Lake County, OH Captains, winning game one. 2 - 0, but dropping the nightcap, 3 - 4. The Caps and the Captains play this afternoon beginning @ 1:30 p.m.

I took some pix @ the PE yesterday of the emerging blooms on our giant Hibiscus, Pink, and of some of the other plantings, both new and old, as well as our latest banner.

The first bloom to open on Pink this year.

Pink overshadows the regular cast at this time of year.

But her blooms only last about two weeks every August.

Our parkway garden looks good.

As do our newest plantings.

And Mary's choice for our newest banner that adorns the manse.

Today will be a good day to fire up the Weber™ and grill some corn, some portabella mushrooms, some summer squash, and some of those aforementioned vegan Italian burgers and eat on our deck with our children. 

I will finish reading my latest novel, Lost Symbol today and get on to more of that pulp-fiction that I love after I finish another crossword puzzle. I have no need nor desire to do more. Ciao.