Good morning GH. It is just after 2:30 in the AM, and the current temperature is 49 degrees. The rain that we were expecting came, but not all that much. This afternoon, we are expecting a high that is lower than our current temperature reading, but not much rain. On Monday, the temperatures will rise and the chance of showers will also increase. However, by Wednesday, we expect less chance of rain and again, lower temperatures. Like I've been saying, enough already on this winter.

Mary and I took a trip to a little town in Michigan called New Era. Nothing really expected and we just wanted to give the new car a workout. Mary of course took pictures, and I expect that she will post them on her own blog in the near future.

Still hearing that the fishing is good here in West Michigan. Our neighbor had some pictures of recent catches, and it was truly amazing. He is into bow fishing, and said he could have caught more, but went for the bigger ones. I'd say he succeeded.

I am still trying to make my knitting machine work. The problem isn't the machine, it is my understanding of the instructions. I will win yet! There, I just did another row, and I may have it. Only time will tell.

I am listening to a repeat radio broadcast in which they are discussing firearm rights. They are using the metaphor of lawn darts, and how they can be lethal too, but not at any great distance and not in any fashion that usually makes their use irreversible. But, we banned the use and sale of lawn darts too, because they could hurt children. Any parallels there?

I heard a joke on television the other day. "A man walks into a bar and orders a glass of water. The bartender puts a glass down and then pulls out a shotgun. The first man says thanks, doesn't drink the water and then walks out." Can you guess why the first man was happy now? If you have any questions, I'll answer them in the future.

By the by, the Cubs managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory yet again. I know that they are professionals, and yet, I can't help but wonder when they will begin playing like pros, as their bio calls then a professional baseball team located in Chicago. Fortunately, the Tigers beat the Yankees and are on top of their division, while the Yankees are in fifth place. So, there was some good news from Saturdays action in the major leagues. Unfortunately, the West Michigan White Caps lost to Dayton. Did I mention that the White Sox eked out a victory over the Mariners? But, here is the good part, the Red Sox also won and are on top of their division too, while the Yankees are in fifth. Oh by the by, Michigan made it to the final game for the college championship in basketball. So, there was mostly good sports news here in our fair state.

So, now it is time for bed and then...Tea time. Ciao

Good early morning GH. It is closing on 3:00 AM here in our fair city, and I just had to get up and blog a bit. I got Barb's notification that she is back. Glad to hear that all is well, especially since she was on a cruise on one of those oft ill-fated ships.

Our current temperature is 37 degrees, and the shower chances peak at 70% by late in the day, the same time as the the high temperatures peak at 56. If we can get out early enough on the various things that Mary wants to do, we can avoid the majority of the shower activity. Here's hoping that Mary was paying attention when they said that the newly minted host for UP, Steve Kornacki, doesn't start until next weekend.

As I mentioned in the last blog, one of the electricians called back and he was available for a service call after l:00 PM. He was prompt, and when shown our concerns, got right to work. He is a local contractor, and best of all, the chandelier that wasn't working, now is. Apparently, a loose neutral in the box above the fixture. When I rocked it to change the bulb, the connections came loose. Translated, the connections weren't secured properly in the first place. Then he moved to the ceiling fan in Mary's kitchen. Another lucky break for us. The entire fan was secured to the ceiling by two toggle bolts with a tenuous hold. No box nor other fastening device. At some point, very soon, they would have come out and the fan and its wiring would have come down in a crash taking out the ceiling, the wiring, etc. This was one of those times when it paid to call an expert. He knew what to do, got the correct parts, and then with a bit of a struggle, he got them installed and secured. Now, the fan is solidly mounted and will outlast the other parts nearby. We don't yet know the cost, his company will bill us, but the alternative would have been a lot more costly. Now we have an electrician here in GH. I should mention that the circuit breaker that I threw last night was the right one. Dumb luck will overcome skill every time. While the fan was down, I cleaned the top of the blades and now I can forget about anything but dusting them for awhile.

Right now, a short train is going by, heading north. As usual, the same two locomotives have reversed course and are once again headed to their northern terminus. Somehow, I like it. Much the same way that I enjoy reading the ship column by the man who writes for the Grand Haven Tribune. In all cases, his stories about the ships that come and go here in GH are of interest because they have a local slant. There was a book at the local indie bookstore that identifies some of the ships to be found in our channel. I'll have to check it out.

But for now, I am headed back to bed. It will soon be...Tea time and time for Sugar the Weather Dog to take me for a walk. Then, Mary has plans to visit some town I don't remember its name, but I know that it is north of GH.

My boys in blue had their own power problem on Friday. Their bats led them to a loss 1- 4 to the Braves. But, the Tigers won their home opener, rather handily, over the Yankees, behind two homers by Prince Fielder. My beloved Red Sox won, 6 - 4 over the Blue Jays and the White Sox were edged by the Mariners 8 - 7. It would have been a great day if they had lost and the Cubs and Tigers and Red Sox had won. I must give honorable mention to the White Caps, as they won their game final exhibition game 6 - 0 on Friday. The Caps are the "A" level affiliate of the Tigers. The Caps home opener is today, at 1:00 PM at the Fifth Third Ballpark near GR. I heard a shortened name for GR the other day, kind of like KZoo for Kalamazoo, but I can't recall it now.

Finally I'm done. Ciao.

Good morning GH. I wouldn't be up now, but the train went by and shook the house, as usual. Not really a bad thing, but sometimes just enough to wake a person, well at least me. The current view out the Weather Window is dark as always at this hour. But even though I didn't actually see the train, I know that it had two locomotives and not as many cars as it often does.

Our current temperature is 36 degrees, and we are expecting a high in the mid forties. No rain today, but tomorrow, with a high in the upper fifties, we are also expecting a 60% chance of precipitation. With those temperatures, I think that walking in the rain could be fun.

A bit of bad news. We had to put in a call to the electrician to make an appointment to get our chandelier in the dining room repaired. He has yet to return our call, but I think I managed to turn off the correct circuit breaker in the man-cave. It started when one of the bulbs burned out. I changed it, and then the chandelier no longer worked. Go figure. We may be paranoid, but Mary and I felt that turning off the circuit breaker was a good idea. The circuit has one of those fancy dimmers and that may be the problem. That's why we need an electrician. A man has to know his limitations, to borrow from Dirty Harry.

Otherwise, the day went fine. The new car is running great. I have to get some super glue, or maybe Adam will email and tell me we have some here and I don't know where it is.

I heard from a former student who is living in California. He wanted to know about a paper that I wrote for my master's program years ago about the right to carry a bazooka. I had started at limiting or eliminating guns and ended up at everyone owning a bazooka. As I said to him circular logic, but that is why writing allows you to do some serious meta-cognition. The paper was well researched and about personal rights and freedoms remaining unlimited. So, in spite of my initial misgivings, I recognized that the need to protect the rights of all extended to a need to protect the rights of all. As I said to this former student, rights are not easily given, but too often easily restricted or taken away. I would never own a firearm personally, but if we want people to be able to marry freely, or to assemble, etc., then we have to allow people to do things we may find personally distasteful. Of course, there are some exceptions like: carrying a loaded weapon into a bar, church, school, library, or whatever. What was it that Benjamin Franklin said, "Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." While not the exact quotation, the words are pretty close and still applicable today.

Otherwise, not much on tap for the day. We have to drop off Mary's pet cactus, Spike jr., for re-potting at his adoption agency. It may take a few days, but they know what gloves to wear, how big the pot should be, and what soil to use; all things that can affect the health and well-being of Mary's pet. We did very little to her last pet cactus, and he grew in our old home for over twenty years. In fact, he grew so well, that we had to cut him down three or four times to allow him to clear the ceiling. OUCH! You may have noticed that that I used the masculine pronouns for her pet, but since he is definitely taller/longer than he is wide. Well, you get the idea.

We stopped in to see Sally at the post. It was quiet when we got there, but they were having a Swiss steak dinner last night. People started to come in around 5:00, PM, for a 5:30 - 7:00 PM dinner. We saw the first platefuls, and for $7:00, it looked good. Not our cup of tea, but still, it looked good. We had cheese quesadillas for dinner, which I washed down with the last of the home-baked bread and peanut butter. 

Well, it is time for rest and relaxation and lying in bed in the early hours of the morning. Then, it will be...Tea time, and hopefully we will hear from the electrician about getting that chandelier repaired. A quick mention that I didn't get to see my student last evening, as he called to break our session time. I am done. More on that in the future. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It sure makes a difference when you stay up late. Instead of getting up at two or three AM, you can sleep in until seven. Not bad. The current view out the Weather Window shows the Sun is on the rise and it looks like it is going to be a beautiful day. Our current temperature is 28 chilly degrees, but we anticipate a high in the lower fifties later this afternoon. In fact by Saturday, we are expecting a high of 57, albeit showers, the rainy variety, are also on tap. Unfortunately, the expectations for next week show temperatures in the upper forties and rain in the forecast. According to the farmers around here, the cold temperatures mean an improved apple crop and that means lower apple prices. Still, I want spring to actually spring.

While Mary and I had a great day, my boys in blue went down to defeat, according to the official site, the pitching was fine, but the bats went cold. Any way you slice it, the end result is a 500 record. Today is the rubber game, and as always, hope still springs eternal. I may watch s the game today if it is on my cable system. Across the country, my beloved Red Sox beat the hated Yankees 7 - 4, for a perfect record, of 2 - 0. Unfortunately the White Sox also are 2 - 0. The Tigers took a late loss caused by the Twins, 2 - 3, so they, like the Cubs, are also 1- 1.

We went to the big box hardware store and picked up a few things later in the day. Not much, but at least the visit was painless. I got to use my rebate and get another. As Adam always says, use the resources that are available. I also contacted the eyeglass supplier and got them to waive a mailing fee for a defective part and they are supposed to send me a replacement for no cost. We'll see. According to their web site, the shipment has occurred. But, they were supposed to email me about that. Not really good at customer service.

I installed my new bench light in the man-cave yesterday which will make it easier to see small parts. I piloted my small helicopters a little bit too while there. I think I was about 50/50 in terms of my skills/ability. Of course, the low ceiling and close quarters in the man-cave made it a tad more challenging. A bit of digression, I watched my favorite show in a rerun last night, the 200th episode, and I loved it. More of the family theme.

So, I think it is time to go back to bed for awhile. Then, it will be...Tea time and time for reading and walking Sugar the Weather Dog. Ciao.

Good early morning GH. It is just past 2:00 AM here in GH and the view out the Weather Window is dark and gloomy. Well not really, but sometimes you like to start out with a catchy phrase. I guess that I could have started out with,"It was a dark and stormy night," but then I would have sounded like Snoopy when he was writing novels. Currently, our temperature is 33 degrees heading for a high of 42. By the weekend, we expect sunny and highs around 50. I'll take it. In addition, there is no real chance of precipitation until Thursday of next week.

Today, we have nothing on tap. That's good. We may take a short trip to the big-box hardware/home store, but that depends on whether we have a yen to go anywhere. I know that following my knee treatments, that I can't walk far with Sugar the Weather Dog. Too bad for both of us, but by Friday I'll be fine again. What's that saying, "No pain, no gain." Sadly in this case, that's true.

I actually got Mary to let me drive the new car on Tuesday, and it was great. However, I don't have a need to drive. I like being  passenger just fine. But a word of caution. When she let's me drive, I don't need a constant set of instructions. I have been driving longer than she, and I can still do it. Kind of like Tom Selleck in Quigley Down Under when he says, "Didn't say I didn't know how to shoot a pistol, just said I didn't have a need for one," or words to that effect.

We met a man earlier who lives in our fair city near the railroad tracks, like us. He likes the sound of the trains as they pass, and he likes to walk etc. Sounds like a match. A quick follow up. A train just went by at 2:58 AM. The usual, twin locomotives and just a few cars in tow. I hope he likes this one.

Mostly, I plan to read, play a little guitar, and maybe watch some television today, likely with Sugar the Weather Dog in my lap. It doesn't get any better than that.

So until next time, it is just a chance for me to get more sleep and of course...Tea time. Ciao.

Good morning GH. It is nearing 4:00 AM here in the city and I am up just long enough to write this blog. As always, I can report that the view out the Weather Window is dark and the current temperature is on the cold side. In fact, it is 30 degrees, and we are hoping for a high of 35. Of course, there is light at the end of the tunnel, 50s by the weekend. However, that comes with additional precipitation, albeit in the form of rain, not that white stuff that has been falling.. Mary said it is okay to put away the snow shovels now along with the salt. Wow, I hope she is right.

Yesterday, we had a great opening day party. Mary made hot "veggie" dogs with all the trimmings. relish, mustard, celery seed, and for me, pepperoncini or peperoncini if you prefer, in place of the usual sport peppers. By the time we got to them, we had to stop ourselves from inhaling them due to hunger. She also made ballpark nachos with sliced jalapenos. Well actually, I had the jalapenos, she had salsa. Best of all, we had stopped in Holland prior to our car appointment and bought some peanuts in the shell. We also had a few beers in celebration of opening day too.

Oh, did I mention that it was opening day?  Jeff Samardzija, the newest Cubs player anointed the "Ace" of the pitching staff, actually pitched very well, striking out nine, with a mid-nineties fastball, and breaking pitches that actually broke. He also got some very solid support from newly anointed phenom Anthony Rizzo, first baseman, with a home run on the first pitch of his first opening day at bat. He drove in Starlin Castro with a towering drive. Speaking of Castro, he was pretty spectacular himself. Castro got a couple of solid hits, made some great plays at shortstop, and in general lived up to his billing as a true all-star. Left fielder, Nate Schierholtz, may be the latest in the long line of acquisitions by GM Theo Epstein who turns out to be just what the doctor ordered. Known for being a defensive fielder, Schierholtz got on base all four times he came to bat and did not embarrass himself in the field. However, Brent Lillibridge, the sub for Darwin Barney, our regular second baseman, booted the ball on his first chance and put runners on. Fortunately our newly anointed "Ace" was up to the task and no real harm was done.

However, what would a Cub's game be without the opportunity to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Carlos Marmol, the closer, got torched when he replaced Samardzija to open the ninth, gave up a run, put two men on, and so and was pulled from the game. His replacement, James Russell, got his man and then the latest Japanese player for the Cubs, Kyuji Fujikawa, got the final out. There went the shutout, but not the game. So, the "Boys in Blue" are 1 and 0 in this new season. Do I sound like a "Die Hard" Cubs fan?

By the by, my beloved Red Sox beat the dang Yankees. The Detroit Tigers also won, and the White Sox, well they won too. A side note, for anyone who follows baseball, the Nationals also won.

A lengthy train is going by now at just after 4:00, late for them. Oh well, what would be the trains in this town if they were predictable.

Not much on tap for the day. A trip to the orthopedic doctor for my weekly knee treatments, only four more to go for six months, a stop at the library to pick up some books, and a short trip to the office supply store for a lamp.  Then a stop at the big-box hardware store for some gardening supplies and things. Doesn't sound like we'll be too busy today.

So now it is bedtime and then...Tea time. Ciao.

Good morning GH. Well, we are fast closing on 9:00 AM here in the fair city of GH, and the view out the Weather Window is beginning to look ominous, although there is a rising sun. When I let Sugar the Weather Dog out for her morning constitutional, there were actually a few flakes of snow falling. Currently our temperature is 30 degrees. We will be anticipating a high of 34 today. Pretty much the same story for tomorrow. By Wednesday, we should be turning the corner toward the lower fifties, and then all should be well. I even put the snow blower in the man-cave yesterday, so I hope that the forecast is correct. However, I have not yet consigned the snow shovels nor the salt to the nether regions. You never want to be too optimistic.

Today, we plan to pick up the new car. We also plan to shop for some peanuts and things in downtown Holland. I had thought about going to one of the smaller farm stores, but when I checked on line, they didn't have anything I really needed. I think we may stick to the local retailers for our wants and needs. Mary will be ordering seeds on line from our favorite seed supplier. Boy, don't I sound like a real farmer? Well, when you have a palatial estate, you have to use the land for something productive.

Otherwise, just the Cubs opener on tap for this afternoon. Hot dogs, nachos and cheese, and of course, the obligatory overpriced beer. I have to check the T.V. listings for a certain channel and time. I'll do that right after I finish this blog.

So, until next time when I can report more about the new car and the cautious drive back from Holland in it, I'll be off to the television listings and of course...Tea time. Ciao.