Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 10:45 p.m. in "The City." My DTWS is showing a current temperature of 67° that feels like 66° according to the NWS with a wind out of the southeast @ eight mph. 

The NWS has issued a Small Craft Advisory from Holland to Manistee, with 15 to 25 knot winds propelling waves from three to five feet in height, mostly north of GH, beginning shortly @ 11:00 p.m. tonight and continuing until 3:00 p.m. tomorrow.

The sun will rise tomorrow morning @ 7:58 a.m. and set later tomorrow night @ 7 :03 p.m.

I had another successful trip to my P/T appointment. When I got home, I finished two crossword puzzles and then Mary and I walked STWD for about two blocks. As you know, Sugar is getting up in years, so a short distance is all she wants to travel. A few sniffs and stops and she is good to go. 

Also after I got home, I changed the lens on my camera to a more wide-angle type and then we loaded Ginger into the car. We were headed to that big-box nearly everything store, but first, a stop was in order at Duncan Woods, AKA Duncan Park,. I grabbed my camera and we set out for one of Mary and Ginger's favorite spots for walking and one of my favorite spots for taking pix. While Mary and Ginger went walkabout, I found some interesting subjects to focus on in the woods using various aperture openings and shutter speeds. So while it was dark in the forest primeval, I got some great pix.

Very little has changed about Duncan Park since Mrs. Martha Huntington Duncan bequeathed the park to the City of Grand Haven in 1913. Like her husband Robert, she loved the woods and wanted to see the park preserved in perpetuity.

When it rains, the water carves its own path through the forest floor.

Hikers like to pile up fallen limbs into a teepee-like shape.

While I have no idea as to the type of mushroom growing directly out of the forest floor, I like how this photograph turned out. 

I suspect that this is a new sprout of the same type of mushroom. 

These mushrooms or "Fun Guys", like to grow on decaying tree limbs.

As do these.

Whereas these seem to prefer living trees as seen from a distance.

I shot that same growth almost straight on. 

Whereas this shot was taken from below, as suggested by a presenter in a recent Coffee With Olympus session I viewed.

Hey, I'm a photographer, not a botanist, so I once again have no idea about the type of fungi in this shot. 

I  took this shot because of the montage of subjects that surrounded the mushroom.

I don't know enough about mushrooms to allow me to determine if any of theses mushrooms/fungi were edible or poisonous.

Tomorrow, since there is rain in the forecast, I believe I'll be reading more, playing more music, working another crossword puzzle, and making some of my famous vegan Italian meatballs and burgers, along with vegging out after that. Right now, Mary is happily stitching away on a fossil picture and will likely continue tomorrow, along with listening to her latest book. Ciao. 

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", where the current temperature being displayed on my DTWS is 65° that according to the NWS feels like 63° with a wind out of the west @ nine mph. A quick glance out the WW shows that the the skies are cloudy and dark. We have no watches, advisories, alerts, nor warnings in effect as of now. The overnight low-temperature, per the NWS, will be 60°. the sun will rise today @ 7:55 a.m. and set later @ 7:06 p.m.

We had a busy day of reading and indoor chores yesterday, but as the day wore on, Mary and Ginger took a walk to the Third St. bridge where they took a pic with our Smart Phone camera of the channel.

A great pic with the clouds, the trees, and the water contrasting nicely.

While they were out, I took STWD for a short walk. Sugar nor I are as young as we used to be, but Ginger is keeping Mary young as Ginger can walk for many miles most days. 

Once we were all home, Mary and I went out for a photo-op to the Grand Haven State Park campground and Lake Forest Cemetery. It was drizzling a bit, so my camera and I stayed in the car for our shooting. However, I still got in some good shots as Mary positioned our Jeep for the best angles.

We felt like we had dropped into a Grateful Dead concert.

By way of comparison. this tiny trailer was parked nearby as the waves crashed on the shore behind.

Since the winds were blowing briskly, the wind-surfers were there. 

We left the Grand Haven State Park and traveled to Lake Forest  cemetery, where Mary picked up a brochure that showed the location of the many interesting monuments and markers in the cemetery. I just snapped pictures from inside the car with my smaller telephoto lens.

These deer were grazing when we arrived.

They had come from somewhere in the nearby woods.

Mostly, they ignored us. 

And foraged for food amongst the gravesites. 

This deer looked right at me, so I took its picture.

Well, the ALCS series is set for the first game between the Red Sox and the Astros for 8:07 p.m. Friday night. That other team from Chicago was dispatched by the Astros yesterday, 10 - 1. What can I say, getting to the World Series is all that matters in Major League baseball. The 100 win Rays, and the 93 win other team were sent home for the year by the Red Sox with 92 wins and the Astros sent that other team hme for the year in spite of their 95 wins. As Tom Hanks said in his portrayal of Peaches manager Jimmy Dugan in A League of Their Own, "There's no crying in baseball." I have to agree. If there was, the Cubs would have a lot to cry about, having won only one world series in over 100 years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M8szlSa-8o

At any rate, today I have another P/T appointment, Mary, Ginger and perhaps yours truly will be traveling to that big-box nearly everything store, and that's about it for one day. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world @ 9:40 a.m. Does it really matter what the current temperature in GH is? 

No!

Why? Because there is joy in Beantown, the Red "W" flag is flying over Fenway Park and the adjacent Yawkey way in Boston, MA! It's on to the ALCS for my beloved Red Sox and a game Friday night against the Astros or that other team from Chicago in either Houston or Chicago.

Okay, it is rainy outside, the current temperature is 65° and while the chance for rain all day today is only in the 18% to 20% range, the view out the WW is dreary and the high temperature will struggle to get beyond that current number. Satisfied now? 

The sun rose this morning @ 7:55 a.m. and it will set later @ 7:06 p.m. The NWS has extended that Small Craft Advisory until 11:00 p.m. tonight from St. Joe to Manistee, with 15 to 25 knot winds and waves from three to five feet in height. 

It should be a good day to read, play music, do the indoor chores, and whatever else comes to min. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 8:30 a.m. in "The City." A current temperature of 72° that feels like 72° is being displayed on my DTWS. With a wind out of the south @ 16 mph, it is no wonder that the NWS has extended their forecast for a Small Craft Advisory until 4:00 p.m. today, with 15 to 25 knot winds on the lake that may produce waves from three to five feet in height. The sun rose this morning @ 7:54 a.m. and it will set later into more cloudy skies @ 7:08 p.m. There is a 24% chance for showers later this afternoon or evening. 

Last night was a great night for fans of my beloved Boston Red Sox, as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in 13 innings, 6 - 4. That win was fostered in part by a ruling from MLB™ regarding a ground-rule double in the 12th inning with the score tied 4 - 4. 

What looked like a fifth run for the Rays as their runner from first crossed the plate, was instead called back, when a hit off the bat of the Rays player was ruled a ground-rule double, as the ball bounced off of Sox' OF Hunter Renfroe. 

After consulting with the officials in NYC, the umpires determined, correctly, that the runner should return to third-base without scoring the go-ahead run. The runner was left stranded and the Sox went on to get a walk-off home-run from Christian Vasquez to get the 6 - 4 win for RHP reliever, Nick Pivetta, and a 2 - 1 lead in the Best of Five series. Game four is tonight @ 7:07 p.m., when LHP Eduardo Rodriguez hurls for the Sox. Who will be pitching for the Rays is a good question, as both teams used beaucoup pitchers in an effort to win last night's game.

In pro-football, the Lions went for and got a two-point conversion, but that was not enough as the 0 - 5 Lions fell once again, this time to the 2- 3 Vikings, 17 - 19. Nuff said. The Lions host the 3 - 2 Cincinnati Bengals @ Ford Field next Sunday @ 1:00 p.m. EDT.

The 3 - 2 Bears were just good enough to defeat the 3 - 2 LV Raiders yesterday, 20 - 9. The Bears host the 4 - 1 Green Bay Packers next Sunday, also @ 1:00 p.m. EDT.

Otherwise, not much is happening. I finished the novel that Mary had recommended,  Send For Me by Lauren Fox and overall I liked it. I wanted to have a more definitive ending, but that's how I roll, so to speak. However, there were strong parallels or rhymes regarding escaping the tyranny of the Nazis and their all too willing collaborators in Germany before the outbreak of WWII with the direction that this country is heading. Those parallels or rhymes were and are striking and frightening at the same time. 

Today, just a couple of things on the agenda. A P/T appointment for me and a visit to the veterinarian for the fur-children. STWD needs her annual Senior Wellness Exam, just like yours truly, and Ginger needs her annual canine influenza vaccination. 

That should be enough for one day. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 10:00 a.m. in "The City." 

My DTWS is displaying a current temperature of 71° which is comparable tot hat being offered by the NWS, which has in their forecast that aforementioned Small Craft Advisory, that is oon effect from St. Joseph to Manistee until 4:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. Wind-speeds frm15 - 25 knots may propel waves from three to five feet in height. Today's high-temperature forecast from the NWS calls for 79° with an overnight low of 70°. 

I am still wearing my summer uniform and Mary may have to go back to a short-sleeved top, unlike her long-sleeved choice for yesterday which proved to be too warm for a walk with her wing-gal, Ginger.

The sun rose into sunny-skies this morning @ 7:53 a.m., but those skies quickly turned to partly-cloudy/cloudy. The sun will set tonight @ 7:10 p.m.

Yesterday was a good day to go walking with the fur-children, although Mary and Ginger covered a lot of ground, while STWD and I made it as far as the Public Safety building and back. Sugar is still the Cutest Dog on the Planet, but like her human, the mind is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Since Ginger had Mary along for company, they walked to the waterfront, where Mary used the camera app in our Smart-Phone to capture this stunning image, which included numerous boaters out to enjoy one of the reasons why people live in Michigan, a beautiful fall day.

I think that Ginger was in charge of the orientation for this pic. 

After I got back from our walk and after MSU had humbled Rutgers, more on that in a bit, Sugar adjourned to her office in Mary's craft room and I carried the balance of the indoor chores upstairs and put them away. That's when I decided that the sun was also inviting me to sit down at my easel and add some paint to my canvasses. 

I am far from done with any of them, but Michelangelo didn't finish the Pieta, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which depicts the Creation of Adam, and many other works that he felt were not ever finished to his satisfaction.. Fact: It took Michelangelo four-years to complete the Sistine Chapel. I'm not comparing myself to Michelangelo, but if a great artist like him took his time, so should I. 

In sport news, the 6 - 0 Spartans of MSU took a while to get rolling, but once they did, they finished off the 3 - 3 Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. 31 - 18.

The 4 - 2 Huskies of NIU squeaked out a win over the 3 - 3 Rockets of Toledo, 22 - 20 in a MAC 10 game yesterday.

Finally, in college football, I was almost proven right, as the 6 - 0 Wolverines of Michigan were nearly upended by the 3 - 4 Cornhuskers of Nebraska. But, the Wolverines too squeaked out a win, 32 - 29 on a last-minute field-goal. I think the officials were flag happy yesterday, just saying. At one point, they used replay, seemingly incessantly, to check several calls on the field.

The 0 - 4 Lions are in Minnesota today to play the 1 - 3 Vikings @ 1:00 p.m. A battle of titans?

The 2 - 2 Bears travel to Las Vegas to face the Las Vegas Raiders @ 4:05 p.m. I don't know about the rest of you, but I feel like I am getting dizzy just trying to remember where the Raiders are calling home these days. 

Will I watch either game? Maybe, if I have a need to avoid any meaningful dose of reality.

Otherwise, I have a newspaper to read, some cookies to bake, and more novel reading to do. Mary is still hard at work on her cross-stitching while listening to her latest book. I think that defines a full day of retirement. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is well past the sunrise which occurred @ 7:51 a.m., but also well before sunset @ 7:11 p.m. this evening. 

Right now, per my DTWS, the temperature is 64° with a barometric pressure of 29.36" of Hg and rising.

The NWS has issued a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joe to Manistee from 5:00 a.m. tomorrow until 4:00 p.m. Monday afternoon, with winds speeds from 15 to 25 knots and wave heights from three to five feet.

Well baseball fans, my faith in the Red Sox was rewarded or restored last night, as the Sox and RHP Tanner Houck, in relief of LHP Chris Sale, hammered the Rays, 14 - 6. Along the way, the beloved hit five home-runs as J.D. Martinez returned to the lineup as DH. He had four hits on the night, one of those in the form of a three-run dinger. Sox starter Chris Sale got pounded in the bottom of the first inning for five runs before Sox' manager Alex Cora have him the hook in favor of Houck who faced 30 batters and also retired 30 batters. 

The Sox woke up their bats, put on their hitting shoes, and the rest was baseball history, as the ALDS is now tied @ 1 - 1 going into Sunday's game @ Fenway Park. That's when LHP Nathan Eovaldi once again starts for the Sox @ 4:07 p.m. EDT.

As Ken "Hawk" Harrelson used to intone for that other team from Chicago, "Put it on the board, YES!"

Speaking of that other team, they have now dropped two to the Houston Astros in Houston in their ALDS Central Division series. They now return to Chicago for a must-win game @ Guaranteed Rate Field beginning @ 8:07 p.m. EDT.

College football has a full slate today, as the 5 - 0 Spartans of MSU travel to SHI stadium in New Brunswick, NJ, to face the 3 - 2 Scarlet Knights @ 12:00 p.m. today. 

The 5 - 0 Wolverines of Michigan travel to Nebraska to face the 3 - 3 Cornhuskers @ 7:30 p.m. tonight. The Huskers are ready for a big game, so the Wolverines will have to bring their "A" game to Lincoln if they want to remain undefeated.

The Huskies of NIU are also on the road today for a MAC 10 game against the 3 - 2 Rockets of Toledo beginning @ 12:00 p.m. EDT.

I suggested a change for dinner last night, to what we have dubbed Mary's Vegan TVP Helper, and it turned out great. Mary's secret blend of numerous spices, spiral chickpea pasta, and other ingredients were a great repast. Of course, no animals were harmed  in the making of our dinner. 

Otherwise, I am still enjoying my novel, working my crossword puzzles and reading the Grand Haven Tribune for both of us, while Mary is still cross-stitching.

Today is indoor chores day and if it dries up, a walk with the fur-children may be in order, that is if the Spartans handle the Scarlet Knights this afternoon. 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."

The current temperature is 58° under partly-cloudy skies.  the sun will rise this morning @ 7:48 a.m. and set later @ 7:16 p.m.

Today there is joy in Beantown, as my beloved Red Sox dispatched those Damn Yankees, 6 - 2 in a Wild-Card victory dominated by the superb pitching effort of RHP Nathan Eovaldi, the sparkling fielding by the Red Sox' defense, which included a great throw from center-fielder Kike Hernandez to the X-Man, Xander Bogaerts, who relayed the ball to Sox' catcher, Christian Vazquez to gun-down Yankee OF Aaron Judge at the plate. 

Bogaerts, the longest tenured member of the Sox, also added a 2-run home-run in the bottom of the first inning to give the Sox a 2 - 0 lead. He was aided by DH Kyle Schwarber, who also homered. The Sox move on to the ALDS series versus the Tampa Bay rays, in Tampa Bay for an 8:07 p.m. game Thursday night. Be there or be square.

Elsewhere, the Tigers are hoping to add a shortstop to their roster next season. This is a year with many good free-agent shortstops available. In addition, Tigers' GM, Al Avila, says the Tigers need a front-line starting pitcher to go with their young pitchers like Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. 

The Cubs, well where do I begin? They need a solid starting pitcher, they need a leadoff hitter, they need an everyday shortstop, and they need a miracle to contend next year. One bright spot, 30 YO rookie, Frank Schwindel was named September Rookie of the Month in the NL. Okay then. But will he be able to repeat his 2021 performance? The Cubs; do have the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft, so...Wait until next year?

I made it to my P/T appointment yesterday and that went well. I just have to force myself to do what I can at home to aid in my progress. We collectively accomplished the indoor chores too. 

Today, we have only a bit to do on our list. A trip to that big-box nearly everything store and a stop at our auxiliary gardens to get them ready for some winter plantings and also to make them ready for next year. 

That looks like enough for one day. Ciao.