Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 a.m. in "The City", where the current and Real Feel temperatures are both 56°, with a slight wind out of the east @ three mph. 

Today's high temperature after sunrise @ 7:22 a.m. will be four degrees warmer than yesterday @ 73°, before we fall to the overnight low after sunset @ 7:58 p.m.

We will have two alerts going into effect after 11:00 a.m. today and extending until 11:00 p.m. tonight. 

They are a Beach Hazard Statement for Allegan, Ottawa, and Van Buren counties due to strong currents and waves, and a Small Craft Advisory from St. Joseph to Grand Haven, with 15 - 25 knot winds propelling waves up to five feet in height.  The barometric pressure is steady in Grand Rapids at 29.76" of Hg, while here on the shores of the "Big Lake" the pressure is 29.18. 

Incidentally, the chance for showers this morning is between 49% and 66% from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.

Yesterday, we accomplished part of our goals. The indoor chores are completely done. Unfortunately, Ginger's trip to the veterinarian couldn't be accomplished due to no available appointments until 4:30 p.m. today. 

Yesterday afternoon, Mary took Ginger for a short walk to the library. I understand that Ginger mostly used three legs. I took STWD for a short walk around the block, twice, once in the early morning and once in mid-afternoon, which proved to be too much for the venerable Weather Dog. 

I have the fourth of five appointments for my knees today.

In sports news, the 59 - 82 Cubs and RHP Javier Assad, 1 - 1, took a meaningless game from the 89 - 53 Mets, 5 - 2. This was Assad's first Major League win. Sadly, in days of yore, beating the Mets was everything. Now, it is just another game closer to the end of the season for the Cubs. The Cubs and RHP Adrian Sampson, 1 - 5, take on the Mets again tonight @ 7:10 p.m. in NYC.

The 54 - 87 Tigers were totally outplayed by the 91 - 50 Astros last night, losing 0 - 7. The Tiges too are playing out the string, as they meet the Astros again tonight @ 6:40 p.m., with RHP Drew Hutchison on the bump for the Tigers. 

My beloved Red Sox are in action tonight in Fenway Park verus those damn Yankees @ 7:10 p.m. with RHP Nick Pivetta, 9 - 11, tossing for the Sox. 

Tha't 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 6:45 a.m. in "The City."

Some things never change. Here in Michigan, Interstates 96 and 131 seem to always have crashes when it rains, snows or the sun is shining, or?

The Detroit Lions find innovative new ways to lose games, that is unless they are playing the Chicago, Bears, while the Bears often eke out a win in the nick of time and tantalize their fans with what could be, and then BAM!, the Bears ad the hopes of their fans come crashing down as the season unfolds. All of that is just one man's opinion, but...

In weather-related news, the current temperature under cloudy skies is a very comfortable 63° with today's high-temperature forecast set @ 67° with an overnight low of 57°. Will I be eschewing my summer uniform for long jeans soon? Stay tuned. 

Three alerts are in play right now, with the Gale Warning and its associated high waves and strong winds set to expire @ 8:00 a.m.this morning. 

However, both a Beach Hazard Statement and a Small Craft Advisory will remain in effect until 4:00 p.m. this afternoon. The sun will rise soon @ 7:21 a.m. and set later tonight @ 8:00 p.m. 

We had in excess of 2 1/2" of rain yesterday.

Back to that sports news, the Cubs dropped another, this time to the Giants, 2 - 4. The Cubs are in NYC tonight to play the Mets @ 7:10 p.m.

My beloved Red Sox eked out a win over the Orioles yesterday, 1 - 0. The Sox are home Tuesday night to face those damn Yankees in a game commencing @ 7:10 p.m. 

The Tigers are playing out the string with yet another loss, this time to the Royals, 0 - 4. The Tigers play the Astros in Houston tonight @ 6:40 p.m.

The Caps final game of the 2022 season was a rainout yesterday afternoon, so they finished the season strong, but they will not make the playoffs. Sigh.

As previously noted, the Lions never fail to fail as they lost to the Eagles, 35 - 38. The Lions' next game will be at home versus the Washington Commanders @ 1:00 p.m. next Sunday.

The Bears, as previously noted, won their game over the 49ers, 19 - 10. But, the Bears face the Packers who lost yesterday, next Sunday night @ 8:20 p.m. Oops! Is 1 - 1 on the horizon for the Bears? 

Today, we have to take Ginger to her doctor to see what's up with her gimpy leg. We almost made a trip to the emergency veterinarian Sunday, but as also previously noted, Interstates 96 and 131 were a crash-induced mess due to the rain. so we wisely decided to wait until today. 

Both Mary and I take our responsibilities as pet parents very seriously, so we had to weigh all of the pros and cons regarding braving that traffic mess and the need for urgent care for our little Ginger. Fingers crossed.

Otherwise, we have some things to do today with regard to indoor chores. A lot depends on Ginger's appointment time. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening,wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 p.m. in "The City."

Rather than bore everyone with the usual weather report, I'll just say that it was beautiful day here in Grand Haven, MI. The sun was shining, the sky was clear and blue, and the temperature was perfect for a photo shoot. 

The majority of my favorite teams are either in action right now or later tonight, so I'll get to their results in a future blog. 

However, I will mention that the Spartans of Michigan State entertain the Zips of Akron tomorrow afternoon @ 4:00 p.m. in Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, MI, while the Wolverines of Michigan are in the Big House in Ann Arbor to play the  Rainbow Warriors of Hawaii @ 8:00 p.m.

There, that's enough of that. I can now get on with my photos dujour. 

If we read the book correctly, this is a juvenile Sandhill Crane.

A sedge of the same species.

Many birds were feeding in the Grand River.

Pontoon boats were moving at a leisurely pace. 

While some boats were flying past the waterfowl.

And others were just tied up.

Our Eye Candy Giant Hibiscus still has many unopened blooms.

In the shadows.

That's enough for today's blog. Ciao. 

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 and real feel temperatures are 60° under clear skies. We have an RHI of 90% with the NWS reporting a barometric pressure of 29.93" of Hg and rising, while my own DTWS is showing 29.36" of Hg and falling. Being on the shores of Lake Michigan alters the weather here in H as compared to the weather conditions to the east.

Today's high temperature after the sunrise today @ 7:18 will be four degrees warmer than yesterday @ 79°, while the overnight low temperature will fall to 65° after sunset at 8:05 p.m.

In a bit of irony, the death of British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, happened one day before she officially became the longest reigning monarch in British history @ 70 years. The Queen is dead, long live King Charles III.

In news around the manse, Ginger was stubborn yesterday morning and wouldn't leave the living room when Mary called her for their morning safari. So, Mary traveled to the library without Ginger, who may or may not have learned her lesson. 

Later in the day, I took STWD for her walk, and she was quite happy to get out and about. 

Mostly, we did very little, and that was just fine with me. 

Today, Mary and I have to go out for our third booster vaccinations @ 12:00 and12:15 respectively. Many people are eschewing the opportunity, but in our Golden Years, we are taking advantage of every opportunity to protect ourselves from Covid-19. It has been nearly three years since the Covid virus began to change everyone's lives. That should be enough to cause people to do all they can to protect themselves and others. That and the fact that hospitalizations are rising should be all the information that people need. 

In sports, news, the much-ballyhooed matchup between the reigning Super Bowl champion LA Rams and the Buffalo Bills become a showcase for Buffalo QB Josh Allen and a wakeup call for the Rams and their QB, Matthew Stafford, as the Bills crushed the Rams, 31 - 10.

In baseball news, the 57 - 80 Cubs fell to the 55 - 80 Reds, 3 - 4, in spite of Adrian Sampson delivering a "Quality Start" for the Cubs. To me, a quality start should be a win, but who am I to say? At any rate, the Cubs are home today for a 4:05 start versus the 65 - 72 Giants with LHP Wade Smyly, 5 - 8, on the mound for the Cubs. 

My beloved 67 - 71 Red Sox had the day off yesterday before traveling to Baltimore for a game tonight @ 7:05 p.m. versus the 72 - 65 Orioles. The Sox will send rookie RHP Brayan Bello to the bump for yet another learning experience in his young career.

The awful 52 - 85 Tigers were also off yesterday. Tonight, the Tigers travel to Kansas City, MO to face the almost as bad, 56 - 82 Royals @ 8:10 p.m, with rookie LHP Joey Wentz, 0 - 1, making the start for the Tigers. 

Last, but certainly not least, the Tigers' High "A" level minor league affiliate, the 70 - 59 West Michigan White Caps, are once again at home and set to play the 76 - 53 Great Lakes Loons @ 6:35 p.m. The success of the Caps this year bodes well for the Tigers sometime in the future. 

Otherwise, not much is happening around here. More ear-reading, more print reading, more crossword solving, more cross-stitching, more music, and more art. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 5:45 p.m. in "The City."

It was a great day here in the Tri-Cities area. We saw a Bald Eagle overfly city hall, I installed Mary's new crystals and they are producing beautiful rainbows in her office and the upstairs in general, and the current temperature is a beautiful 73°, which is also our real feel temperature with a wind out of the west @ eight mph.

The current RHI is 71%, which makes that 73° perfect, especially compared to the temperatures in the western US. Tomorrow, the high temperature will reach a still comfortable 77°, with an overnight low of 55°. All of the sandwiched in between the sunrise @ 7:15 a.m. and the sunset @ 8:09 p.m.

I had my third session with the orthopedist this afternoon and that went smoothly. Now, we just have to wait for those updated booster vaccines to become available here in the GH area. 

Time for a little sports reporting. 

The 58 - 78 Cubs dropped yet another game to the 79 - 56 Cardinals Sunday afternoon, 0 - 2. The Cubs are home tonight to face the 53 - 79 Reds @ 8:40 p.m., with LHP Wade Miley, 1 - 0, and newly returned from the 60-day IL, on the mound for the Cubs. 

My beloved 67 - 69 Red Sox dropped a heartbreaker to the 76 - 58 Rays last night in Tampa Bay, 3 - 4. Tonight's matchup features LHP Rich Hill, 6 - 5, pitching for the Sox @ 6:10 p.m.

The 51 - 84 Tigers are still mired in last place, following another loss, this time to the 59 - 76 Angels in Anaheim last night, 0 - 10. The only bright spot was the strikeout of Angel's two-way superstar, Shohei Ohtani, by IF/OF Kody Clemons in a relief appearance. He is not his father, Roger, who recorded nearly 4,700 strikeouts over 24 seasons, but Kody is keeping that baseball as a memento of his feat. The Tigers and the Angels meet again tonight @ 9:38 p.m. with LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, 3 - 4 on the bump for the Tigers. 

Finally, the 68 - 58 Caps return to the Lake Michigan Credit Union Ballpark tonight to face the 75 - 51 Great Lakes Loons @ 6:35 p.m.

Given the chance, I always like to include some pictures in my blogs, so here are some taken by Mary on her walkabout with Ginger this morning. 

The Pere Marquette almost looked like she was arriving in GH this morning. 

A lone gull just enjoying some downtime. 

This sailboat was under engine power as it moved towards the "Big Lake."

While this sailboat was just tied up at her berth.

With the "Season" winding down in GH, these fishing boats were just moored.

Mary did most of the indoor chores today, while I was out at my ortho appointment. We also listened to more of our collective ear-read of book number eight in the Maggie Hope series. 

Tomorrow looks like a more restful kind of day. Crosswords, ear-reading, print-reading, walks with the fur-children, and more artistic pursuits for me and more cross-stitching for Mary. Ciao. 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 6:45 p.m. on a cool and overcast day in the Tri-Cities area. 

I could comment on the fortunes, or is it the misfortunes of my baseball and football teams. Instead, I'll only say that the Cubs, the Tigers, and the Red Sox are going nowhere but to their respective couches in the post-season. The Wolverines of Michigan look like they will once again be a force to be reckoned with, while the Spartans of Michigan State will be good, but not outstanding.

The Whitecaps should be able to go deep in the MWL East league post-season, while the NFL Lions and the Bears will once again be, good mid-pack teams.

So, I'll just add some pictures that Mary and Ginger took on their morning walkabout earlier today.

A "repurposing" store is being repurposed for a new and unknown purpose.

The kayaker is nice, but the overall effect is what caught my attention. 

These hydrangeas are in full bloom.

M.R. Ducks.

On the path that skirts the road near Linear Park.

A Mourning dove, all alone.

Early, on a cool Labor Day, the channel was not yet jammed with end-of-season boaters. 

I have nothing else to add at this time. Tomorrow is another orthopedist appointment, more print reading, and more ear-reading of a new book for the two of us. That should be enough. Ciao.

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be, across the nation and across the world. It is just past 4:00 a.m. in "The City", where the current and Real Feel temperatures are the same @ 70° with a breeze out of the southwest @ seven mph under partly cloudy skies.

The NWS predicts that the overnight low will drop to 68°. Today's high temperature is forecast to reach 81° with an RHI of 88%. Not a pleasant day for a walkabout. The low tonight will only fall to 70°. While not completely cloudy all day, the skies are expected to be partly cloudy. The sun will rise today @ 7:10 a.m. and set later this evening @ 8:17 p.m.

Yesterday was a great day for my final P/T session and a final evaluation by my therapist, Eric, that indicated that I had made significant progress. However, as Eric noted, he and I know, my yak will never be perfect. But that's okay, any improvement is always welcome. So now, I just have to keep up my exercises and stretches to maintain my improved status.

Yesterday was our 49th wedding anniversary. 49 years later, I still can't believe how lucky I was to find a woman who would stand by me through several medical issues, hang with me through multiple job changes, take time to have her own career, and also find time to raise our son to be the kind of man that all parents wish for. To borrow from that old beer commercial again, "It doesn't get any better than this."

We also had a chance to walk with our fur-children, ear-read, read the newspapers, cross-stitch, and listen to the POTUS give his speech about the current state of the union. Mary also tried to finish her personal ear-read, but she didn't make it. I understand that will happen today, for sure, she will accomplish that feat. Somewhere in there, she and Ginger will take a trip to that big-box nearly everything store for a few items. Oh, we also did the indoor chores too, well, mostly Mary, as I was out at P/T mid-afternoon.

Since I watered last night, I don't have that on my agenda for today. 

The 56 - 72 Cubs are in St. Louis tonight to face their polar opposite, the St. Louis Cardinals for a game @ 8:15 p.m. with RHP Adrian Sampson on the mound for the Cubs. This has been a long season for us die-hard fans.

The woeful 50 - 81 Tigers, took it on the chin in Comerica Park, falling to the 73 - 58 Mariners, 0 - 7. what can I say, the Tigers are not a good team this year, Maybe next year, but that is iffy at this point too. At any rate, the Tigers are once again home tonight to face the equally woeful 53 - 79 Royal, @ 7:10 p.m. with RHP Drew Hutchinson on the bump for the Tigers. Worthy of note, yesterday's loss was the 18th shutout the Tigers have endured this season. 

My beloved 64 - 68 Red Sox waited until the bottom of the ninth in Fenway Park to rally and defeat the 58 - 72 Rangers, 9 - 8, on a walk-off hit. This was the first in the majors by Rob Refsnyder. Sadly, that walk-off, while nice, was much too little too late to salvage this season. The Sox are home again to face the Rangers @ 7:10 p.m. with RHP Nick Pivetta on the mound for the beloved. 

Did I mention, that the Red Sox gave LHP Chris Sale a huge contract extension for $145 million two years ago? Then shortly thereafter, Sale had Tommy John surgery. This year he suffered a rib injury in spring training, an injury that kept him out for much of the season, a broken finger, and now a fractured wrist suffered in a bicycle accident. 

Sale doesn't think he has earned his money this year. Ya think? But he also has an opt-out clause in his contract that he could exercise. Who knows, maybe he will be back next year, but he will be one year older. He may yet earn his huge salary, but is he the next Justin Verlander? Yes, Sale was underpaid for years by that other team from Chicago, but if wishes were fishes, we'd all have a creel full too. So, that's his albatross, not mine.

Finally, the Caps, while they remain three games behind the Lake County, OH Captains in the MWL East, defeated the Tin Caps last night, 5 - 2. The Caps are still in Ft. Wayne tonight for a game @ 7:05 p.m.

I think that's enough for today's blog. Ciao.