Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 1:20 p.m. in "The City."

The NWS is reporting that it is a beautiful Memorial Day. From personal experience when I was taking photos this morning, as well as a visit to our deck and looking out the WW, I can attest to the veracity of their forecast. 

We have a current temperature of 75°under sunny skies, although the NWS has issued an Air Quality Alert, for the counties of Allegan, Kent, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren in Michigan for tomorrow, May 30, due to elevated levels of ozone. 

People and businesses are strongly urged to avoid refueling vehicles, filling portable gasoline containers, and any outdoor activity which may exacerbate those ozone concerns.

On this Memorial Day weekend, people are encouraged to avoid the use of charcoal starting fluid too. Yeah, like that's going to happen. 

Sunset today will occur @ 9:15 p.m.

I got up extra early, well at least for me, in order to take my camera to the corner of 6th and Washington, near the Grand Haven City Hall, to record the events of the Memorial Day Parade. 

While the parade only lasted about 15 minutes, I got some great pix of the Hooligans Flight Team during their flyover, the participants in the parade, and some of the dogs that were there to bear witness to the veterans of Grand Haven as they passed by. I also shot some pix of our own Grand Haven High School marching band and some of the flowers in our vast gardens.

However, before I could get moving this morning, Mary and Ginger had already been out on one of what has become their morning walkabouts and they took this picture of the post-parade set up for the speeches at the Lynn Sherwood Memorial Stadium. To me, these empty seats are reminiscent of the many, many grave markers at Normandy, France and in our own country at the numerous veterans' cemeteries throughout this nation. 

With Dewey Hill in the background, I love this picture taken with Mary's Smart Phone.

Before the parade stepped off @ 9:30 a.m., the participants were staged and ready.

The US Coast Guard Honor Guard near the beginning.

Many of Grand Haven's veterans marched too.

The Hooligans Flight Team during their formation flyover. 

Gold Star Parents have lost a son or daughter during service to our country. 

As have Gold Star Families. 

The Grand Haven High School Marching Band.

With a young woman whose horn was almost bigger than she was. 

The chase vehicle with a terrier at the ready.

A 1948 Willy's Jeep. 

The age of this Jeep was unknown.

What's a parade without a Cobra replica?

And a dog to cheer the participants along. 

Another dog. 

And yet another.

And one last dog picture.

The poppys are beginning to bloom in our vast gardens.

As are these irises from South Haven.

Mary tells me that I have chosen this type of flower for three years to fill my water pump bucket. What can I say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

I'll report on the happenings in baseball. However, I am too dejected by the Cubs, as they are worse than I reported in my previous blog. Sure, they SUCK, but that is being kind after they were swept over the weekend by the Reds. Nuff said. 

My beloved Red Sox are trying to suck too, as they seem to be experiencing slumber in the lumber more often than not. They are above .500, just, but that isn't saying much.

However, the now 25 - 26 Tigers defeated that other team from Chicago yesterday and they are trying to go even with the league today versus the 33 - 19 Texas Rangers as LHP Matthew Boyd hurls for the Tigers. Here's hoping.

Right now, Mary and Ginger are on the deck ear-reading etc. We have no further plans for today and that's fine with me. Ciao.