Saturday, July 5, 2025

And Now, the 5th

Fireworks over the ICW
Tequesta, FL
July 4, 2025

 It was a bang-up 4th. 

The expected multitude of thunderstorms never fully materialized, thankfully. 

We enjoyed a great party with friends and new acquaintances.

After the party, Chris and I returned home and I walked out to watch the fireworks in the neighborhood. We get some sophisticated displays. 

And so now, it is the 5th. It is also the second day of a three-day weekend, although I know a lot of people who made it a four-day affair. 

We do not have any plans at this point, which allows for multiple opportunities, thunderstorms notwithstanding. 

Enjoy the weekend. 

I was reminded that today marks the first day of the 250th year of our country! We are going to celebrate the formation of these United States for the entire coming year!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

 

Friday, July 4, 2025

Independence Day - 2025

Happy Independence Day



I read something this morning that reminded me about the importance of Independence Day. It was from my Congressman, with whom I have had many disagreements, who is a decorated veteran and whose personal sacrifice in the service of our great nation I deeply respect.

Brian Mast wrote in an email this morning:

On Independence Day, I’m reminded of the unalienable rights our Founding Fathers declared for the American people: the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Our nation was built on the unshakable belief in freedom, a belief that still rings true today.

Even in times of division, it’s important to remember what unites us. We are a people who have always defended our homeland and believed in the promise that anyone—regardless of their background—can rise and succeed through hard work and determination.

That’s only made possible because of our freedom. And that freedom is never guaranteed—it must be protected and preserved by each generation. From our founding to today, brave men and women have always stepped forward to defend the ideals we now celebrate. As we gather with friends and family, watch fireworks, and enjoy the many blessings of our great nation, let’s also take this moment to honor those who laid down their lives for our freedom.

May we continue striving toward a more perfect union, may we be grateful for our freedom, and may God always bless the United States of America!   (Brian Mast, United States Congressman)


Well written Congressman and thanks for reminding me.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL


Thursday, July 3, 2025

When the Weather Radar Says Stay Home

Wednesday Afternoon Wx Radar
South Florida
July 2, 2025

 It has been quite a week, since Monday's Happy Hour on the Beach. The region has been besieged with successive storms. Sadly, it appears that the 4th of July is going to be a washout. 

I took an image of the storm tracker yesterday about 4:21 PM as we were riding out successive storms. Not shown is the lightening which makes Finn a bit crazy. 

The good news is that we did not lose power. But, it has rained off and on for the better part of two days and the cycle continues until at least Sunday. 

I have found a short break in the storms this morning and am going to try to get in a bike ride. I likely will get wet at some point. I will keep it short.

Chris and I felt bad for the lawn care workers as they were cutting lawns and trimming in the rain as long as the lightening remained far enough away. 

Well, since the weather radar said stay home--we did.


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

Is the American Dream Gone?


 T
he Senate Republicans caved. 

If the House passes the revised Big Beautiful Bill (BBB, B3, or B-cubed), the American Dream is gone for at least a generation. I am saddened that the last thing of consequence that the Boomer Generation will likely do is to sell America to the Billionaires. That is not the legacy I had hoped to pass onto my grandchildren. 

The B3 transforms America from a country focused on assisting its people into a police state as funds are transferred from social programs to deportation programs, military, and immigration enforcement as well as what has been dubbed the largest transfer of wealth from the working class to the rich in history. 

The bill reduces credits for renewable energy and actually provides incentives for fossil fuel initiatives. There is a great legacy for our grandkids. Oh yea, and it will likely increase energy costs which violates a Trump campaign promise of inexpensive energy for all Americans. 

As one writer summed up portions of the bill:

The measure cuts taxes for the wealthy and corporations and offsets those cuts in part by slashing Medicaid and food security programs for low-income Americans.

But there is at least one aspect of American life on which the bill is lavishing money. While the measure slashes public welfare programs, it pours $170.7 billion into immigration enforcement. The American Immigration Council broke out the numbers today: The Senate bill provides $51.6 billion to build a wall on the border, more than three times what Trump spent on the wall in his first term. It provides $45 billion for detention facilities for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, an increase of 265% in ICE’s annual detention budget. It provides $29.9 billion for ICE enforcement, a threefold increase in ICE’s annual budget. (Letters from an American)

But wait:

While all of this was playing out, did anyone notice that the economy contracted at 0.5 percent during the first quarter of 2025. Don't look now, but we may already be in a a recession. It takes a few months for the numbers to actually prove that but there have been two successive months of economic contraction. 

And the dollar has lost 10 percent since Trump took the oath of office. That is a hidden inflationary problem for imports. It will impact the economy. Fortunately, the U.S. is a net exporter of oil and so gas prices may not rise all that much--but it will hurt.

Do you know why the Fed is kept separate form the President? Because they are the ones keeping us afloat while the president would contribute to a more inflationary system by lowering interest rates. Presidents are not economists.

To summarize B3 provides: 

Increased funding to support a police state 

Cuts to programs that upon which regular Americans rely. 

Cuts to environmental programs.

Fossil fuels are not supported over renewable energy.

And this is only the beginning. . . 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Starting the Week Correctly

Wine and Sand
Carlin Park Beach, Jupiter, FL
June 30, 2025

Happy July!


 It was Monday, after all. 

The weekend was over and it was time to settle into the rhythm of the week. 

I began the day with an almost 18-mile ride. I was very hot when I returned home. But, it had been a great ride. 

On the Beach with Friends
Carlin Park Beach, Jupiter, FL
June 30, 2025

Chris and I then headed off to the store for supplies. It is weird, no matter how often we go for groceries, there always seems to be something more that we need. I definitely have noticed the prices creeping up. Has anyone else noticed that ginger ale is now more than $1 per bottle?

After doing some work around the house, we headed off to the beach for Happy Hour. Despite the nearly suffocating humidity and temperatures at the house, the beach was very nice with a wind coming off the ocean. There water was warm and inviting--and I enjoyed the ocean water for more than a few minutes. 

It was a great ending to the month of June!

Now arriving--my favorite month of the year: July!


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday, June 30, 2025

Monday Musings - June 30, 2025

 

1. The end of the month of June has arrived. This is the last Monday of the month and we have arrived at the halfway point of the year. As expected, there are 26 Mondays remaining in the year. 

Finn in the Lead
Tequesta, FL
June 29, 2025

2. Finnegan led the way on our walk yesterday. It was hot and humid, but he took the almost 1.5 mile walk in stride. It was good to tire him out. 

3. I remain stunned by the Supreme Court rulings that were rendered on Friday. It may be heresy, but I wonder if some of the justices are not as impartial in their reading of the law and the Constitution as they claimed during their hearings. One commentator saw the ruling as follows:

The law regarding birthright citizenship is clear and well-established. Nor can Presidents rewrite amendments to the Constitution with a stroke of a pen. So why, in this particular case, where the injunctions prevent the administration from doing something that is so clearly wrong and will be so harmful—depriving newborns of citizenship—would the Court decide it’s the right time to take the step of pushing aside the injunctions? It’s hard to believe there was a sudden upswell of concern about protecting the defenseless presidency from overreach by the courts. This case will have real impacts on real people’s lives 30 days from now, and when, or rather if (because there are concerns the solicitor general will posture to keep the substantive birthright citizenship issue out of the sights of the Court) the Court decides that Trump was wrong a couple of years down the road, many people will have been damaged in ways that will be hard to undo. Not all of them will have the resources to find a lawyer and file a lawsuit of their own.  (Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance)

4. The Orioles are back at 11 games under .500 (36-47). They need to continue doing what they did over the weekend, by winning a series from the Tampa Bay Rays, to have a glimmer of hope at being in the playoffs. They need a .608 record the rest of the way, meaning they must win 48 of the remaining 79 games. Time is short. I heard it estimated that it would take 84 winds to squeak into the playoffs as the last Wild Card team. It is time for Orioles Magic.  

5. I am personally very much against the budget bill now being discussed in the Senate. It is bad governance. I am very much against the bill because it allocates too much money for immigration enforcement and building the wall at the expense of Americans and seeks to vilify those who rely on Medicaid by suggesting that they are laggards who should work instead of being on Medicaid. If America first doesn't focus on Americans, then who is it for? Oh yea, I get it--the oligarchs. 

6. Today in History (modified). On this date in 1934 occurred the “Night of the Long Knives,” in which German dictator Adolf Hitler had his elite SS guards summarily execute many leading officials of the SA, a Naziparamilitary group.




Syrian forces massacred 1,500 Alawites. The chain of command led to Damascus. - Reuters

Canada rescinds digital services tax to advance stalled trade talks with US - Reuters

Immigration raids leave crops unharvested, California farms at risk - Reuters

Ukraine F-16 pilot killed in large-scale Russian attack - Reuters

The real reason Republicans are rushing to pass the Trump megabill - MSNBC

Senate rejects War Powers Act measure on Trump, additional military strikes on Iran - MSNBC

Israeli attack on Tehran facility leaves 71 dead, as nuclear concerns linger - FoxNews

Man arrested after disrupting Senate debate on Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' - FoxNews

The bill could change the federal government and U.S. economy. Here’s what’s in it. - The Washington Post


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunday, June 29, 2025

Across the New Bridge

Control Center
US-1 Highway Bridge over
the Loxahatchee River
June 28, 2025


 
I rode across the new US-1 bridge over the Loxahatchee River yesterday. It was exciting and I have wanted to ride the bridge for a while. I made the ride whilst completing a 16+ mile ride. 

Riding across the new bridge was a lot easier than the previous bridge. The bike lane is wide. The previous bridge didn't to have bike lane and I had to ride next to (or in) traffic. I remember sitting in traffic when the bridge had opened and nearly suffocating from the exhaust of the car next to me. The span is easier to ride across as well because it is fully concrete as opposed to the open metal grates of the previous bridge. 

I enjoyed riding over this bridge as opposed to its predecessor. I think I may develop a regular route that includes this bridge into my riding plans because it will allow me to ride along the ocean. While the breeze was in my face heading out yesterday, it was as refreshing as a breeze at 85 degrees could be. 




I videoed of a portion of my ride across the bridge.

 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Saturday, June 28, 2025

The Math is Wrong


 Alligator Alcatraz

Catchy name, but everything else about it is wrong. 

It seems that the governments (Federal and Florida) are excited about the prospect of opening an immigrant detention camp in the middle of the Everglades on an abandoned airfield. 

The worst to operate the facility annually will be $450M to house up to 5,000 immigrants pending deportation. 

I did the math. 

It comes to $90K per year per person (a/k/a detainee) housed at the facility. 

That money comes through Medicaid cuts and other programmatic reductions for Americans! This makes no sense. Are we becoming a country of prisons and camps. 

The airfield was abandoned for a good reason some 50 years ago: to preserve the environment. Reactivating the airfield and housing people there is a bad decision made by people who have no regard for either less fortunate Americans or the environment.

The math is not good for the economy or the environment. 

Who comes up with these crazy ideas? 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday, June 27, 2025

Boats and Storms

Chris and Finn at the Helm on the ICW
Heading Back to the Marina
June 26, 2025

Blue Skies Heading Out at 9:52 AM
Manatee Pocket, Port Salerno, FL
June 26, 2025


Boat day was short yesterday. I could write that it was a tale of two hours. The first hour was blessed with blue skies and calm waters.

We enjoyed the 30 minute trip to our favorite boat-only access beach on Peck's Lake. The winds were fair and the water almost smooth. Being a weekday, there were few other boats plying the waters. I enjoy having the ICW to myself.

We checked out a Bayliner yesterday. I like these boats because they have a ladder in the front which makes for easy egress when we slide up onto a beach or sandbar. It does not handle as nice as the Cobias, but I have gotten used to it and it handles a lot better than the Hurricanes.

We arrived at the beach and got set up to enjoy beach time, but when I checked the weather I was amazed at how it had all changed in the short while since we departed the marina. The storm tracker showed a mixed bag of storms, some with lightening, headed our way and already in Stuart, which is where we had planned to enjoy lunch. 

The Storm from Manatee Pocket at 11:22 AM
Port Salerno, FL
June 26, 2025

Stuart is north of the marina and we were on a beach to the south. I estimated we had about 50 minutes to get back to the marina before the storms arrived. We packed up after enjoying about 10 minutes on the beach and started motoring back.

As we were motoring in Manatee Pocket towards the marina, the storm clouds were very threatening. Chris was very relieved when we tied-up and made it to the car before the rains started. And they did. As we were leaving the marina the rain started. 

We beat the storm, but our total boat time was short of 2 hours--not the day that I had envisioned, but safety of the passengers and vessel is the most important aspect of boating. And it is just not fun to boat in the rain and wind.

There will be more days to enjoy on the water. 


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thursday, June 26, 2025

Grooming Day

 

Keeping a Watchful Eye
Tequesta, FL
June 26, 2025

Yesterday was grooming day for Finn. He hates going to the groomer. I think it is separation anxiety from Chris, but he handles it fairly well. He is becoming used to the process. 

I have to admit, he smells a lot better when he returns. 

They brushed his teeth yesterday. I'm sure that was an experience for him. He hates having things put into his mouth, sometimes that includes food!

This morning, he came down and kept a watchful on the activity of the house. I'm sure he suspects that something is afoot. He does that many mornings and he usually couples that with a few more minutes of shut-eye. 

Today, however, he is getting a surprise. We are going boating and he is joining us! He likes the boat, but does get a bit nervous if the waves are rough. That can be a problem because he gets under my feet for safety. Haha. Right. Safe for whom?


-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

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