Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 11:00 a.m. in "The City."

Yes, you read that right, just past 11:00 a.m. That's because after our late night yesterday, I came home, fell asleep in front  of the TV in the media room, and then made it to the bedroom where I was fast asleep until around 10:30 a.m..

 At any rate this blog will not be following the KISS formula, except to say that my beloved Red Sox won, and that the Cubs and the Tigers lost, while the Caps had the day off. The sun already rose this morning into a cloudy sky with T-storms, that drove STWD to her hide - e - hole, @ 6:44 a.m. and it will set tonight @ 8:55 p.m.

Now on to what we were dong up so late last night.

We went over the bridge to 7 Steps Up to see British Invasion pop stars, Peter Asher, formerly of the 60s pop duo Peter and Gordon along with Jeremy Clyde, formerly of the 60s pop duo Chad and Jeremy. Collectively, they are on an abbreviated tour of small venues like 7 Steps Up. They have combined their talents and reminiscences to present a very entertaining, nearly three hour-long show of stories, songs, and fun. Peter Asher went on to produce many other artists such as Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, while Jeremy Clyde went on stage to perform in many dramatic roles.

However, the main focus of the evening, was the stories of their lives and loves, both then and now. The songs they sang were from the careers of both pop duos and also from a more recent interaction with current pop star, Ed Sheeran. All in all, we had a great time singing along while remembering all the words, and reliving our past and looking forward to the future. I took a lot of pix, so I am going to share them here in the hope that my faithful readers can vicariously enjoy the evening as much as we did. Don't forget, that you can click on any pic to enlarge it for your persona pleasure.

Through the magic of computer technology, shown in the background, the pop duo of Peter and Jeremy was born.

One of Peter's associates, a very young, Linda Ronstadt.

Of course, James Taylor

And Ed Sheeran.

Jeremy Clyde in one of his may dramatic roles.

Still another role for Jeremy.

They were singing a Peter and Gordon tune in front of this pic of the late Gordon Waller.

Peter was playing an instrument called a Banjolele on a rendition of the Peter and Gordon hit from the 60s, Lady Godiva.

For those of you old enough to remember, Chad and Jeremy appeared in an episode of The Dick Van Dyke Show, entitled The Red Coats are Coming. In this episode, they played a British pop duo, The Redcoats and were named Ernie and Fred.

The duo closed the first half of their show with the Peter and Gordon hit, written by Paul McCartney, entitled I Don't Want to See You Again.

A relatively short intermission by pop music standards.

Jeremy sang a Chad and Jeremy song, Distant Shores, accompanied by Peter, with Jeffrey Alan Ross on keyboards.

Chad and Jeremy also appeared with Patty Duke, under the names of Nigel and Patrick.

They closed the show with some songs that Jeremy had in what he termed his Bottom Drawer. Never recorded until recently, but we liked them.

Otherwise, the day was filled with more highlighting, more commenting, and more walks with  the fur-children. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

I am going to follow the KISS formula once again

We have a current temperature of 69° as we drop to an overnight low of 67°. Later today, after the sun rises @ 6:41 a.m. and before it sets @ 8:58 p.m., we will have mostly-cloudy skies and a high temperature of 79°. We had a good amount of rain yesterday and that means that I didn't have to water nor will I have to water today. However, the forecast from the NWS indicates no significant chance for rain for the next several day, so I'll be back out there.

I finally gave up on all of the potted veggies and pulled the last one yesterday. With the increase in water rates that came August 1, it seemed like a good idea. I still have to water the flowers and other things, but I won't be wasting water on veggies that will never grow.

Baseball news yesterday was good if you are a Cubs fan, as they stayed in first place in the NL Central with a record of 65 - 47 following a 3 - 1 win over the Kansas City Royals with their AL Central record of 51 - 60. Javier Baez got his 25th home-run and his NL leading 88th RBI in support of Cole Hamels. The Cubs and the Royals play again tonight @ 8:15 p.m.

The Tigers, well they are still in 3rd place in the AL Central, with a 47 - 66 record following their loss to the 56 - 58, 4th place in the AL West Angels, 2 - 6. The Tigers and the Angels play again tonight @ 10:07 p.m. EDT.

My beloved, 79 - 34, 1st in the AL East Red Sox, were off yesterday before they open a series in Toronto against the Blue Jays tonight @ 7:07 p.m. The Sox still have a nine-game lead over the 2nd place Yankees.

The 3rd in the MWL East, 58 - 55 White Caps, eked out a win over the 51 - 61, 4th place Dayton Dragons, 2 - 1 last night. The Caps are off today before they move on to Bowling Green, KY to play the 1st place, 73 - 40 Hot Rods tonight @ 7:35 p.m.

A short trainspotting report from yesterday. At 8:40 a.m., MMRR EMD GP 38 - 2 locomotives 2025 and 2019 passed by on the RSTL heading south with no cars in tow. Later, @ 3:35 p.m., those same locomotives passed by heading north towing four CHCs, four DBTCs, and two GTCs.

The new indexing project is now in. So once Mary prints out the pages, I'll be off the air for a few days as I devote my time to highlighting and commenting,

We ran some errands yesterday and had dinner at the favorite watering hole, which was surprisingly busy for a Monday following Coast Guard Fest. Oh well, we got a table and had what we have dubbed the Sarah Special, chips topped with re-fried beans, and cold vegetables.

We managed to get the fur-children out for their walk after the rain ended about 2:30 p.m. yesterday. We should have better luck today.

I finished my latest novel and now I have to decide on my next read. That assumes that the highlighting/commenting doesn't take over my life. Ciao.

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

Well, another one has come and gone. The annual Coast Guard Fest 2018 is in the books. All reports indicate that it was a tremendous success. Local businesses reaped the benefits of a fest that has grown each year. The fireworks, that Mary and I viewed out her office window were attended by more than 150K people!

I was going to take a tour of the USCGC Escanaba Saturday while the annual parade was in progress, but somehow, the already lengthy lines at the ship deterred me. I had ridden my bicycle to the waterfront, after having maneuvered through the parade route and the crowds, but it turned out that my plan was shared by many others. Oh well, maybe next year, even though the Escanaba won't be here. However, since I was at the waterfront, I did take some close-up pix of the ship and her portmates from Canada.

She is beautiful.

Smaller, but still colorful.

I was walking to the manse after a short trip to the annual parade and took this picture of the manse and our white Coast Guard Flag in the background.

Fortunately, the Michigan State Police bomb squad wasn't needed.

The beginning of the parade.

Our own Grand Haven High School Buccaneer Marching Band.

I got to see the crew of the USCGC Escanaba near the front of the parade.

The enlisted women and men and their officers are 100 strong!

I guess the best thing about the weekend was watching my beloved, 79 - 34, 1st place in the AL East Red Sox, sweep their division rivals, the Yankees, to move to a 9 1/2 game lead over the Yankees. The Sox have the day off as they travel to meet the Blue Jays on Tuesday night @ 7:10 p.m.

The 64 - 47, 1st place in the NL Central Cubs managed to lose once again to a lesser team, the 44 - 70, 5th place in the NL West Padres, 6 - 10. If it weren't for the 2nd place Brewers loss, the Cubs would be tied with the Brewers. The Cubs are off to Kansas City to face the 34 - 77 Royals tonight @ 8:15 p.m.

The 47 - 65, 3rd place in the AL Central Tigers, well they were once again dumped by the 67 - 46, 2nd place in the AL West Oakland As, 0 - 6. The Tigers were never in the game. They move on to La La Land to face the 55 - 58 Angels tonight @ 10:07 p.m. EDT.

The MWL East 3rd place, 57 - 55 White Caps, AKA the Caps, fell to the Dayton Dragons yesterday afternoon, 3 - 5. The Dragons are in 4th place in the MWL East with a record of 51 - 60. The Caps and the Dragons play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m

We have a current temperature of 75° under cloudy/rainy skies. T-storms are a possibility throughout the day today too. I may be able to avoid watering. However, parts of the vast gardens are under the cover of the trees, so I may still have to water some.

I baked a blueberry pie yesterday and according to Mary, it is very good. I'll try some later today. I also baked some tofu snacks and some tofu for a the dinner that Mary made last evening. We decided that the recipe was only so-so, so it was consigned to the ash-heap of history.

Today, I have to call the vet to make a boarding appointment for the fur-children, since Mary and I will be at the races in Wisconsin in September. Our regular sitter is unable to stay with the fur-children at the manse, so we are going to try having the fur-children stay @ their doctor's office.

Otherwise, not much is on tap for today other than the morning walks and reading. The sun will rise later this morning @ 6:40 a.m. and set this evening@ 8:59 p.m. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."

I was wakened from my slumber around 12:30 a.m. by the all that rat-race noise, out in the street. Since I brought up that rat-race noise out in the street, I thought this was a great opportunity to slide in a tune from YouTube™, written by Carole King, and recorded by artists such as The Drifters, James Taylor, Neil Diamond, Carole King and James Taylor, together, and many others. I've always liked this version recorded by The Drifters the most, so here is their version of Up on the Roof.

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

Meanwhile, after I got up, I took some time to watch Perry Mason on the TV in the media room before I sat down here to blog. I like old B & W TV shows, because they are totally divorced from the current reality.

We have a current temperature of 63° under clear-skies, before we hit the morning low of 62°. Later today, the NWS is forecasting a high temperature of 89° under sunny-skies. By the time the Coast Guard Fest Parade steps off @ 11:45 a.m., the high temperature will mean that I'll remember past parades while I am avoiding the parade today. I was planning to go down to the waterfront during the parade to take a tour of the USCGC Escanaba while the crowds are otherwise occupied, but if it gets that hot, I may just follow that old adage, "Let's not, and say we did."

At any rate the sun will rise in a few hours @ 6:38 a.m. and set tonight @ 9:02 p.m. Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard Fest for 2018 will conclude with the fireworks that attract tens of thousands of people from all over MI and nearby states. I've seen reports that the fireworks have attracted over 150,000 people to our little city of 11,000, in years past!

I know for certain that STWD will need to be in her Thundershirt™ as she hides in the bathroom during the fireworks. I feel so bad for her, but once these fireworks are over, she'll be free and clear until the 4th of July in 2019.

Baseball news yesterday and early this morning was very good. Well, mostly good, as the Tigers and the As were still playing early this morning with the score tied @ 0 - 0, when the As scored the winning run in the bottom of the 13th to win the game, 1 - 0. The Tigers and the As go at it again tonight @ 9:05 p.m. EDT.

The 63 - 46, 1st place in the NL Central Cubs, took a game from the 5th place, 43 - 69 in the NL West Padres, 5 - 4. That win gives the Cubs a one-game lead over the 2nd place Brewers. As usual, Javier Baez played extremely well as he bids to be the MVP in the National League. He hit a home-run that ties his career high, 22, and also gives him a National League leading 84 RBIs, while sparkling in the field. Along with Baez, Anthony Rizzo got a home-run of his own, as starting pitcher, Jose Quintana recorded six Ks and got the win, The Cubs and the Padres play this afternoon @ 2:20 p.m.

My beloved, 1st place in the AL East, 77 - 34 Red Sox, took another game from their division rivals, the Yankees, 4 - 1. That gives the Sox a commanding lead over the Yankees of 7 1/2 games! The Sox and the Yankees play this afternoon @ 4:05 p.m.

The 56 - 54 Caps, were also victorious over their MWL East Rivals, the 39 - 79 Great Lakes Loons, 2 - 0. The Caps welcome Mary's sentimental favorites, the Dayton Dragons to the Fifth/Third Ballpark tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

We ran a few errands yesterday, spanning the globe, well the globe of W. MI, as we traveled north to Muskegon to see Justin at The Camera Shop and also to make the deposit for our replacement carpet at the carpet store. Then we motored south to Holland to get some kitchen supplies, and then back north to go to Spring Lake. It was a busy, busy day while Ginger was at daycare and STWD was resting at home. Since I like to include videos from YouTube™, I'll insert this one from ABC television's Wide World of Sports.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7frGJf77AA

While we were out, we made a stop at The Bell for lunch, where Mary took some nice photos of the flora on the edge of the parking lot. I especially liked this one she took with her macro lens.

We both agree, that taking pictures makes us both more aware of our surroundings. This pic incorporated both man-made and natural elements, including the vertical slats of the white-picket fence.

While we were in Holland, I put my zoom lens on the camera and took many pix. I tried to capture different things that were of interest to both Mary and me. Here are some in no particular order.

Just a series of fascinating shapes, shops, and people.

Just because.

What's a blog without a dog picture?

Some might say that this man is a simple street-busker. I like to think that he is a retired guy living the dream, playing his ukulele, singing Beatles songs, and having fun while collecting tips.

Mary pointed out this shot from across the street, a seemingly out of place 19th-century bay window alongside lots of 20th-century windows.

Very industrial/commercial, with natural elements for interest.

An over the treetops shot of the top of the church @ Hope College in Holland.

Same subject matter, but through instead of over those same trees.

Today, Mary plans to go to the Craft Fair in Central Park and in the GH Community Center, while I go to the waterfront during the parade. I am still deciding on the trip to the waterfront with the heat and the crowds. Otherwise, more watering of the vast gardens and walking with STWD. We can't go far, as the crowds will be too much for Sugar. I'd also like to bake a blueberry pie today too, as we picked up some fresh berries during our errands. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 2:00 a.m. in "The City."
Things here in GH are cool, but cloudy. During the day yesterday, the temperature reached a high of 82°, but as the evening approached, the temperature became very comfortable until we dropped to the current temperature of 68°. We'll continue to fall to the overnight low of 61° under partly-cloudy skies. There is no significant precipitation in the forecast until Monday and Tuesday, when the NWS has forecast a 50 chance for T-storms. We shall see. Today's high temperature will be a comfortable 76°, but Saturday, Sunday, and Monday will be in the lower 80s and not nearly so comfortable.  The sun will rise today @ 6:37 a.m. and set tonight @ 9:03 p.m.

I will be watering again on Saturday, albeit with one less veggie pot to water, as I gave up on one more tomato plant that had produced one measly fruit that probably cost $5.00 in water. That lone tomato was still green.

I am sad to report that the 62 - 46 Cubs fell to the 43 - 68 Padres last night, 1 - 6. Said Cubs' manager, Joe Maddon, "The Padres came to play." Yeah, but the Padres are still the worst team in the National League. The Padres have the worst record in the National League which explains why they are in last place in the NL West. The Cubs put the ball in the hands of starting pitcher, Mike Montgomery, who pitched well, but alas, his relievers surrendered six runs while the Cubs could only plate one. The Cubs have a 1/2 game lead over the losing Brewers in the NL Central.  The Cubs and the Padres play an afternoon game today @ 2:P20 p.m. EDT.

My beloved, 76 - 34, 1st in the AL East, Red Sox are now 6 1/2 games ahead of the 2nd place Yankees with their record of 68 - 39. The Sox' starting pitcher, Brian Johnson, subbing for the ailing Chris Sale, was touched for four runs in the top of the 1st, but the Sox scored two in the bottom of the frame, then broke the game open in the 2nd with baseballs flying out of Fenway, base-running that dazzled, and 3 home runs by 1st baseman Steve Pearce along the way. The Sox might have been less fortunate if Yankees' starter, C.C. Sabathia had not had to leave with a groin pull. But, that as the ephemeral they say, is baseball.

The Sox have a short, but important list of players on the DL, including regular third-baseman, Rafael Devers, and starting pitchers Eduardo Nunez and Chris Sale, who has been added to the 10 -day DL with soreness n his left-shoulder. Sale has been arguable the best pitcher in the AL this season, but if the Sox want to go to the World Series™ this year, they will need a healthy Chris Sale.

Good news, recently acquired 2nd baseman, Ian Kintzler, sparkled in the field last night for the Sox. He made a couple of defensive plays that should be on the highlight reel. Of course, Mookie Betts and several other players were also terrific. The Sox and the Yankees meet again tonight in Fenway @ 7:10 p.m. The Yankees are struggling to have enough pitching available for the weekend series. Awwwww

The Tigers were off before their game tonight in Oakland @ 10:05 p.m. EDT.

The 55 - 54 Caps, like their parent club, the Tigers, can't seem to put together a long winning streak, and also like the Tigers, they seem to lose to inferior teams, like the 35 - 68 Great Lakes Loons. The Caps and the Loons play tonight @ 7:05 p.m. One good piece of news, the Caps and the Tigers agreed to extend their relationship through 2023.

I was busy yesterday and like the U.S. Army, I accomplished more before breakfast than most people do all day. I mowed the vast lawns, I watered, I transplanted the Azalea bush, and laid waste to the Brown Recluse spiders that are/were trying to set up housekeeping on the PE. As a general rule, I like to leave the wildlife alone, but having been bitten by those spiders and having seen the results of what their bites do to Mary, it was them or us.

Otherwise, I walked STWD to The Bookman for the Thursday edition of the Grand Haven Tribune, and then we headed home due to the heat being more than the intrepid Weather Dog could take. Mary walked Ginger separately.

After that short walk, I made more vegan sausages while Mary went to the grocery store. I had to await her return, as I needed fennel root for the sausages. She helped get the steamer ready and handled the changing of the baskets as I rolled and wrapped the sausages. Collectively, we made some tasty sausages, some of which became part of dinner.

Today, a few errands to run in Muskegon and then we return home to await the annual Coast Guard Fest parade Saturday morning and the fireworks Saturday night. In addition, there is an Eagles tribute band called Hotel California, that I want to see tonight at the Lynn Sherwood Waterfront Stadium. Not the Eagles, but as close as I'll ever get. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 3:30 a.m. in "The City."

A current temperature of 72° will drop to an overnight low of 68° under cloudy skies. The NWS forecast calls for isolated T-storms around this time, but somehow I doubt it, based on my view out the WW. The sun will rise in about three hours @ 6:36 a.m., and set later tonight @ 9:04 p.m. In between there are chances for scattered T-storms throughout the day and early evening. We shall see. My guess is that I"ll be watering today.

Trainspotting yesterday was quick and easy, as the southbound run of MMRR EMD GP-38 locomotives 2025 & 2019 occurred @ 8:44 a.m. I noted that the cars in tow were as follows: Two DBTCs, seven CHCs, two GTCs, and one DWTC sporting a green anti-corrosive stripe around its mid-section. Later, @ 12:55 p.m., those same locomotives traversed the RSTL heading north towing three DBTCs loaded with paint or varnish, and one CHC.

Baseball news yesterday was all positive. My beloved Red Sox are still in first place in the AL East by 5.5 games over their division rivals, the Yankees. The Sox host the Yankees tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

The winning 9 - 2 Cubs, had an easy time staying in 1st place by a slim one-game margin over the 2nd place Brewers, as the Cubs defeated the Pirates behind newly arrived starting pitcher, Cole Hamels, who tossed a 9K game. He was relieved by another new arrival, relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler, who tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. The Cubs staked Hamels to a four run lead when he took the mound and he cruised from there. The Pirates played sloppy baseball and never were in the game. The Cubs host the Padres tonight @ 8:05 p.m.

The rebuilding Tigers, stayed in 3rd place in the AL Central, with a 7 - 4 win over the hapless 5th place Reds. The Tigers are off today before starting a series in Oakland against the As Friday night @ 10:05 p.m. EDT.

The 3rd place Caps took one from the sorry Great Lakes Loons, 4 - 2. The Loons are in last place in the MWL East, while the Caps are in 3rd place. The Caps and the Loons play again tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

I am indeed making progress with my aching shoulder, but now I have more exercises to add to my regimen with a stronger resistance band. Sigh. Since Mary was working, I got the honor of walking with both of the puppies yesterday. 

We made a few stops after Mary was done working. They were the carpet store and the fabric store where the fleece fabric came in for my two-sided blanket. I have a plan on how to make that blanket that I think should make it easier.

Today, I hope to do very little other than walking with the fur-children and watering. I'd like to ride my bike, but that is iffy at this time. Maybe that aforementioned blanket. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. It is just past 5:30 a.m. in "The City."

This really should be a short one that follows the KISS formula, since I have no pictures to include.

I found out why Ginger and I didn't see the northbound run of the train on Monday afternoon. That's because it didn't happen until 11:00 a.m. yesterday. So to recap, @ 11:10 a.m. on Monday, MMRR locomotives 2019 and 2025 were spotted heading south towing 18 empty CHCs. Yesterday, while I was out watering, I spotted that same tandem of locomotives heading north towing 12 CHCs., all loaded.

Baseball news yesterday was 50/50. The Cubs remain in 1st place in spite of their loss to the 3d place Pirates last night, 4 - 5. The Cubs and the Pirates resume their abbreviated series tonight in the NL Central @ 7:05 p.m. The Cubs also added relief  pitcher Brandon Kintzler to their bullpen in a trade with the Washington Nationals.

My beloved 1st place in the AL East Red Sox got defeated by the 1st place in the NL East Phillies yesterday, 1 - 3. The Sox are off today before welcoming the Yankees to Fenway Thursday night @ 7:10 p.m.

The Tigers, well they are still in 3rd place in the AL Central, but their 2 - 1 win over the last place in the NL Central Cincinnati Reds, didn't make much of a difference. The Tigers and the Reds play again this afternoon @ 1:10 p.m.

The Caps moved up to 3rd place in the MWL East with a 6 - 5 win over the South Bend, IN Cubs.  The Caps move on to Midland, MI to play the 8th place Great Lakes Loons tonight @ 7:05 p.m.

We traveled to Field's Fabrics yesterday to get Mary's "free" scissors and came back with fabric for a table cloth. We also purchased the fabric for a fleece blanket that I will be making as soon as the fabric for one side comes in, probably by Thursday. One side will feature the Cubs™ logo, while the other will have the logo of my beloved Red Sox™. All that is required is some cutting and tying along the edges. I think I am up to that task.

I have a P/T appointment this afternoon. I believe that my shoulder is benefiting from the therapy and the exercises that I am doing. Of course, as many doctors might say, there is also the placebo effect. Whatever, I'll take it.

Otherwise, I don't have to water today, I don't have to do anything that is not on my list of pleasurable things to do.

We have a current temperature of 68° under mostly-clear skies. Today's high is forecast to reach 78° with only a 10% chance for precipitation. As of now, the NWS is forecasting a 40% chance of morning T-storms on Thursday. The sun will rise today in under one-hour @ 6:35 a.m. and set later tonight @ 9:06 p.m. Ciao.