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 under sunny skies is a deceptively comfortable 64° that feels like 64° with a slight wind out of the east @ three mph. 

Unfortunately, the NWS has continued the Air Quality Alert for Allegan, Kent, Mason, Oceana, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties through today. You know that means? It means don't be stupid and use gasoline powered equipment, fill automobiles with more of that same fluid, nor go outside and about if you are in a high-risk group, i.e. people with respiratory issues. 

Today's high temperature will reach 84° now that the sun has risen @ 6:05 a.m., but well before the sunset tonight @ 9:28 p.m. on the day following the summer solstice, the longest day of the year as it pertains to sunshine. 

I accomplished quite a number of things yesterday in spite of my avoidance of outdoor activity. So, as did Mary and Ginger, who walked longer early in the morning and shorter later in the evening to avoid that Air Quality issue. 

Yesterday, we had a visit from the technicians who work for the company that recently serviced our air conditioning system and which will be installing our new water heater. While our old water heater is still working, it is well past 15 years of age, perhaps even 20 years, and we don't want to wait for a failure and the cost of an emergency replacement.

Unfortunately, due to its age, the exhaust piping for said water heater is not up to code as it feeds into an ancient chimney. So, that will require a different exhaust system and the requisite costs for that. Sigh, you just can't win. No estimate yet, but we await that surprise in the next few days. 

Here are some recent pictures taken by Mary at Sheridan Park in nearby Coopersville during a visit we made for me to do some sketching.

The Coopersville Cemetery.

From a bridge over the creek in Sheridan Park. 

In baseball news, the Cubs and the Tigers both won, while the Red Sox took 10 innings to lose to the Twins.

The Cubs and Tigers are off today, while the Sox entertain the Twins this afternoon @ 1:10 p.m.

I have to water today in spite of that Air Quality Alert, but that will be a short lived outdoor activity. 

Mary will likely walk with Ginger, but that too should be an abbreviated activity for the same reason. 

Otherwise, more art for me, more reading and walking for Mary and Ginger, and a collective viewing of another episode of Good Omens for both of us. Ciao.