It happened again.
I was awake, but the clock indicated that I still had time to sleep.
I wanted to sleep--but I could not. My mind was on. Preparing for the day ahead.
Guilt. I will be tired tonight before my usual time. I will probably fall asleep in the chair watching some mindless offering on TV, or worse, during the commercial of the mindless offering.
TV is a sleeping pill for me, it seems. When I travel, I turn the TV on to put me to sleep in the bed that is not my own, on the pillow I just met moments before, in a room that I just walked into, in a city away from home. The only familiar thing are the mindless programs on the television.
But this morning I paused. Listening to the sounds of the sleeping house. Feeling the cat under the covers with his back against mine sharing my warmth. The even breathing of Chris next to me was reassuring. Yet, I grew more frustrated and awake because the clock continued to tell my that I had 20 minutes more of sleep.
Failing sleep, I got up and started the day.
I wonder how it will go.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Mid-Winter Respite
The temperature achieved 60-something yesterday breaking a two week long cold snap.
It was actually nice to walk outside and believe that springtime is as close as the daffodils that are poking through the ground.
The warmer temperatures reminded me that we do not have to continue suffering through the incredible cold, but there are places where it is warmer.
I want to more there.
I thought about putting the top down on Cat and driving around, but, alas, as I am recovering from a nasty cough that probably wouldn't have been the best idea of the day. And, it was only 63 or so degrees. Cat has a heater, though, I probably would have been warm. It is hard to believe that I have had Cat for three years.
Warmer days after a cold snap make me begin to think of the coming warmth. Springtime and pool opening.
With today's forecast of 66 degrees and rain, can springtime be far off?
Tomorrow though, it is back into the 40's.
I will enjoy today--even the rain because it is warm and not snowing.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
It was actually nice to walk outside and believe that springtime is as close as the daffodils that are poking through the ground.
The warmer temperatures reminded me that we do not have to continue suffering through the incredible cold, but there are places where it is warmer.
I want to more there.
I thought about putting the top down on Cat and driving around, but, alas, as I am recovering from a nasty cough that probably wouldn't have been the best idea of the day. And, it was only 63 or so degrees. Cat has a heater, though, I probably would have been warm. It is hard to believe that I have had Cat for three years.
Warmer days after a cold snap make me begin to think of the coming warmth. Springtime and pool opening.
With today's forecast of 66 degrees and rain, can springtime be far off?
Tomorrow though, it is back into the 40's.
I will enjoy today--even the rain because it is warm and not snowing.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Blending a Winning Wine
One of the events that Chris and I look forward to participating in every year is the Consensus Blending sponsored by Keswick Vineyards in Virginia. This past weekend marked the fourth time that we have made the trek to the vineyard to participate.
The task is to create the best tasting wine from the young wines that the winemaker provides as raw material. The event was held over three weekends this year allowing for about 360 members of the wine club to participate. Divided into teams of six people each, which allows for about ten teams on each day of the weekend, the teams come up with their best wine and enter it into the judging to become the Consensus Wine which will be produced, bottled, and sold by the winery.
We went to the winery with a complete team, ready for the blending. Chris and I, and Mark and Peggy are veterans, while George and Sue were the rookies. But, we have gone in previous years on our own and just joined a table when we arrived. It is a pretty laid back start to the day.
This year, Stephen, the winemaker at Keswick, provided two different cabernet sauvignons, a norton, and a syrah as the raw material for blending. Seated in the always too cold barrel room and after a few opening remarks, the blending begins. Stephen says that we are doing in two hours wine blending that takes him six months.
But it is not just blindly blending wine. Or drinking wine for that matter. Each of the prospective wines in the blend must be evaluated for their strengths and weaknesses. Then the team decides upon a strategy to put the wines together to create a complete blends that had a nice aroma, good color, and a full flavor in the mouth. The hazards are many. Out table, for instance, appreciated wine that is dryer, while the most salable wines in America are fruitier and not as dry. The winners will create a wine that others will like and buy not necessarily one that we will like or buy.
Through seven different blends of the wines, we collectively decided upon the blend that we thought was the best of the wines provided. It, coincidently, was the third blend we created, but we had been unable to improve it through subsequent iterations.
Once all of the tables blend and submit their entrants, there is a break for lunch after which the judging begins. Each wine is judged by every table. A couple of ringers are added for control purposes and although there were only 8 tables on Sunday, we judged eleven wines--three of them were the same. It provided insight into how tough it really is to judge wine.
Did we win the day? No. We were a very close third--only four one hundredths of a point out of second place. The wine that won the day then entered the next stage of the competition against the other five day winning wines to become the 2012 Keswick Consensus Blend based upon average score.
In the end the real winner was everyone who participated. The wine craft learning and insight that I get every year is more that worth the trip. But more than that, it is just fun to be in the barrel room with the winemaker talking wine and blending and getting insight into how award winning wines are produced.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
 |
| Keswick Barrel Room Ready for Consensus Blending |
The task is to create the best tasting wine from the young wines that the winemaker provides as raw material. The event was held over three weekends this year allowing for about 360 members of the wine club to participate. Divided into teams of six people each, which allows for about ten teams on each day of the weekend, the teams come up with their best wine and enter it into the judging to become the Consensus Wine which will be produced, bottled, and sold by the winery.
 |
| Chris, Sue, George, Peggy, and Mark The Team |
We went to the winery with a complete team, ready for the blending. Chris and I, and Mark and Peggy are veterans, while George and Sue were the rookies. But, we have gone in previous years on our own and just joined a table when we arrived. It is a pretty laid back start to the day.
This year, Stephen, the winemaker at Keswick, provided two different cabernet sauvignons, a norton, and a syrah as the raw material for blending. Seated in the always too cold barrel room and after a few opening remarks, the blending begins. Stephen says that we are doing in two hours wine blending that takes him six months.
But it is not just blindly blending wine. Or drinking wine for that matter. Each of the prospective wines in the blend must be evaluated for their strengths and weaknesses. Then the team decides upon a strategy to put the wines together to create a complete blends that had a nice aroma, good color, and a full flavor in the mouth. The hazards are many. Out table, for instance, appreciated wine that is dryer, while the most salable wines in America are fruitier and not as dry. The winners will create a wine that others will like and buy not necessarily one that we will like or buy.
Through seven different blends of the wines, we collectively decided upon the blend that we thought was the best of the wines provided. It, coincidently, was the third blend we created, but we had been unable to improve it through subsequent iterations.
Once all of the tables blend and submit their entrants, there is a break for lunch after which the judging begins. Each wine is judged by every table. A couple of ringers are added for control purposes and although there were only 8 tables on Sunday, we judged eleven wines--three of them were the same. It provided insight into how tough it really is to judge wine.
Did we win the day? No. We were a very close third--only four one hundredths of a point out of second place. The wine that won the day then entered the next stage of the competition against the other five day winning wines to become the 2012 Keswick Consensus Blend based upon average score.
In the end the real winner was everyone who participated. The wine craft learning and insight that I get every year is more that worth the trip. But more than that, it is just fun to be in the barrel room with the winemaker talking wine and blending and getting insight into how award winning wines are produced.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Monday, January 28, 2013
Monday Musings - January 28, 2013
1. A measly half of a point separated the team I was on for the 2012 Consensus Blending at Keswick from the first place team. We finished four one hundredths of a point out of second.
2. Looking at a pastoral setting of fields, mountains, a dark sky and cows the remark was made that the cows were peppered across the landscape. Really? Peppered? Nice thought thought--on a plate.
3. The weekend was bookended by bad weather--off early Friday and in late Monday. I still prefer summer though.
4. It is amazing how different the same wine tastes during a blind tasting when it is inserted in three different places. I scored it differently every time.
5. A classic movie: Dr Strangelove premiered on this date in 1964.
6. I have determined that an ice storm serves no useful purpose. Well, maybe it is a good way to prune the weak branches off trees.
7. While enjoying some good Virginia wines this weekend I was struck by how empty the vineyards are after the vines have been trimmed and while they are waiting for the warmth of spring to get them growing again.
8. It is always reassuring when Makayla is excited about seeing me after I have been gone for the weekend.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
2. Looking at a pastoral setting of fields, mountains, a dark sky and cows the remark was made that the cows were peppered across the landscape. Really? Peppered? Nice thought thought--on a plate.
3. The weekend was bookended by bad weather--off early Friday and in late Monday. I still prefer summer though.
4. It is amazing how different the same wine tastes during a blind tasting when it is inserted in three different places. I scored it differently every time.
5. A classic movie: Dr Strangelove premiered on this date in 1964.
6. I have determined that an ice storm serves no useful purpose. Well, maybe it is a good way to prune the weak branches off trees.
7. While enjoying some good Virginia wines this weekend I was struck by how empty the vineyards are after the vines have been trimmed and while they are waiting for the warmth of spring to get them growing again.
8. It is always reassuring when Makayla is excited about seeing me after I have been gone for the weekend.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Sunday, January 27, 2013
So Many Vineyards
Awesome Saturday in Charlottesville. What more needs to be written?
The plan was to visit four or maybe five vineyards for a mid-winter respite.
We actually visited six and passed a seventh without stopping.
The day was beautiful and warmer--still not above freezing for most of the day, but warmer without the biting wind.
The vineyards?
King Family - I highly recommend a visit
White Hall - I highly recommend
Stinson - Limited selection but a nice in between stop
Veritas - Great tasting room, but I didn't really think the wines were drinking that well
Flying Fox - Nice stop--especially for reds. This was a a first time visit for me.
Trump - This was my first visit. The sparkling wines are good, the non-sparkling wines are average at best.
Today we are off to Keswick for the Consensus Blending to see if we can create a winning wine.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
The plan was to visit four or maybe five vineyards for a mid-winter respite.
We actually visited six and passed a seventh without stopping.
The day was beautiful and warmer--still not above freezing for most of the day, but warmer without the biting wind.
The vineyards?
King Family - I highly recommend a visit
White Hall - I highly recommend
Stinson - Limited selection but a nice in between stop
Veritas - Great tasting room, but I didn't really think the wines were drinking that well
Flying Fox - Nice stop--especially for reds. This was a a first time visit for me.
Trump - This was my first visit. The sparkling wines are good, the non-sparkling wines are average at best.
Today we are off to Keswick for the Consensus Blending to see if we can create a winning wine.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
So Many Vineyards
Awesome Saturday in Charlottesville. What more needs to be written?
The plan was to visit four or maybe five vineyards for a mid-winter respite.
We actually visited six and passed a seventh without stopping.
The day was beautiful and warmer--still not above freezing for most of the day, but warmer without the biting wind.
The vineyards?
King Family - I highly recommend a visit
White Hall - I highly recommend
Stinson - Limited selection but a nice in between stop
Veritas - Great tasting room, but I didn't really think the wines were drinking that well
Flying Fox - Nice stop--especially for reds. This was a a first time visit for me.
Trump - This was my first visit. The sparkling wines are good, the non-sparkling wines are average at best.
Today we are off to Keswick for the Consensus Blending to see if we can create a winning wine.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
The plan was to visit four or maybe five vineyards for a mid-winter respite.
We actually visited six and passed a seventh without stopping.
The day was beautiful and warmer--still not above freezing for most of the day, but warmer without the biting wind.
The vineyards?
King Family - I highly recommend a visit
White Hall - I highly recommend
Stinson - Limited selection but a nice in between stop
Veritas - Great tasting room, but I didn't really think the wines were drinking that well
Flying Fox - Nice stop--especially for reds. This was a a first time visit for me.
Trump - This was my first visit. The sparkling wines are good, the non-sparkling wines are average at best.
Today we are off to Keswick for the Consensus Blending to see if we can create a winning wine.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Long Awaited Weekend
Four day weeks--meaning, weeks which contain a holiday, often seem harder than the regular five-day work week. It is simple, really. Five days of activity is crammed into 20 percent less work hours. So, by the end of a four-day week, I am five-day exhausted.
And the weekend is here.
Finally.
This weekend, Charlottesville is in the plan and an attempt to recapture past glory as the Consensus Wine Blenders for Keswick Vineyards.
A great diversion and some real fun learning more about wine and blending and grapes and agriculture.
I think it is a great mid-winter diversion. Drinking and blending wine which is the product of the non-winter seasons.
It couldn't come at a better time--in between the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. I will miss nothing important--well the Pro Bowl gathering in Hawaii. Another placeI long to be during this spate of cold and snowy weather.
At least---it is the weekend.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
And the weekend is here.
Finally.
This weekend, Charlottesville is in the plan and an attempt to recapture past glory as the Consensus Wine Blenders for Keswick Vineyards.
A great diversion and some real fun learning more about wine and blending and grapes and agriculture.
I think it is a great mid-winter diversion. Drinking and blending wine which is the product of the non-winter seasons.
It couldn't come at a better time--in between the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. I will miss nothing important--well the Pro Bowl gathering in Hawaii. Another placeI long to be during this spate of cold and snowy weather.
At least---it is the weekend.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Friday, January 25, 2013
Where Have all the Flowers Gone?
The other day I had to go to Lowe's for some tools and guy stuff.
I love going to home improvement /maintenance stores because there is always something cool to look at that I didn't realize that I needed.
I was looking, on this trip, for some simple fencing to help restrain Riordin, the cat who came back, from jumping off the deck and wandering off into the great unknown, again.
Yes, it seems that his curiosity has gotten the better of him and he has found a spot that is only six or so feet off the soft earthy ground to jump down to freedom.
Not wanting to go through the pain of losing him again, he is currently on lock-down until the restraint can be installed.
The fencing is kept near the garden center and so after heading out the doors, I was greeted by a very stark and empty sight--the garden center was empty. No plants, almost nothing. The area in the image is full to overflowing with plants and trees and flowers during most of the year--but on this dreary January day, it was a drab uninviting place.
I was stunned!
It made sense, but still, I had never experienced such emptiness in a store before. I can only imagine what it will look like by the end of February as the sturdy, cold-tolerant plants begin to arrive for the gardener in me to buy, and plant, and dig in the earth.
Given there is snow on the ground and more in today's forecast, I cannot wait for warmth and Springtime to arrive.
13 weeks until pool opening!
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
I love going to home improvement /maintenance stores because there is always something cool to look at that I didn't realize that I needed.
 |
| Lowe's Garden Department in Early January |
I was looking, on this trip, for some simple fencing to help restrain Riordin, the cat who came back, from jumping off the deck and wandering off into the great unknown, again.
Yes, it seems that his curiosity has gotten the better of him and he has found a spot that is only six or so feet off the soft earthy ground to jump down to freedom.
Not wanting to go through the pain of losing him again, he is currently on lock-down until the restraint can be installed.
The fencing is kept near the garden center and so after heading out the doors, I was greeted by a very stark and empty sight--the garden center was empty. No plants, almost nothing. The area in the image is full to overflowing with plants and trees and flowers during most of the year--but on this dreary January day, it was a drab uninviting place.
I was stunned!
It made sense, but still, I had never experienced such emptiness in a store before. I can only imagine what it will look like by the end of February as the sturdy, cold-tolerant plants begin to arrive for the gardener in me to buy, and plant, and dig in the earth.
Given there is snow on the ground and more in today's forecast, I cannot wait for warmth and Springtime to arrive.
13 weeks until pool opening!
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Snow Surprise
I guess I was totally out of touch yesterday about the weather. When I woke up this morning, snow had graced the lawn and streets.
Imagine my surprise.
The world was white when I expected the brown and gray of a snowless winter. Alas, I think it also surprised the road crews and apparently the roads are also snow covered and slippery.
It is another snowpocalypse? Not hardly, we have only received just over an inch or so--and the snow only reminds me of how cold that the past few days have been.
Ugh! Cold. Fourteen degrees cold--almost too cold to snow!
I guess that it is good that the weather is unpredictable--it provides a wildcard experience in life for a bit of creative problem solving. Who has not experienced a rainstorm when outside activities were planned? Or snow, when any activity was planned?
It is just the way that it is.
Well, at least Makayla loves the snow. She went out and frolicked--yes, I actually wrote that word, in the snow.
My feet just got cold.
Did anyone see where I misplaced the palm trees that are supposed to be growing in my yard?
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Imagine my surprise.
The world was white when I expected the brown and gray of a snowless winter. Alas, I think it also surprised the road crews and apparently the roads are also snow covered and slippery.
 |
| January 24, 2013 at 6 AM Out the Front Door |
It is another snowpocalypse? Not hardly, we have only received just over an inch or so--and the snow only reminds me of how cold that the past few days have been.
Ugh! Cold. Fourteen degrees cold--almost too cold to snow!
I guess that it is good that the weather is unpredictable--it provides a wildcard experience in life for a bit of creative problem solving. Who has not experienced a rainstorm when outside activities were planned? Or snow, when any activity was planned?
It is just the way that it is.
Well, at least Makayla loves the snow. She went out and frolicked--yes, I actually wrote that word, in the snow.
My feet just got cold.
Did anyone see where I misplaced the palm trees that are supposed to be growing in my yard?
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Morning Has Broken, Again
I have noticed and been enjoying the dawn these past few days. With the skies being clearer, although the temperatures are cold, the dawns have had that "fire in the sky" look to them. There is always one star shining at the dawn to remind me of the night--but the sun is spectacular as it casts those first rays on morning onto the light clouds.
I have always loved the dawn.
The beginning of the day when everything seems new and the promise of the day has not yet been tarnished by the reality of life and living.
When the skies are gray and cloudy as they have been many days, I miss seeing the dawn light breaking out of the darkness.
I remember going into a dark room with no windows once and lighting a match. It was amazing how light drives out darkness. Darkness is not the opposite of light, it is the absence of light. I think that makes a difference. I guess that means that darkness cannot overwhelm light--but can only exist when there is no light.
And the morning drives away the dark of night with spectacular color and enthusiasm for the dawning day.
I should be so enthusiastic.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
I have always loved the dawn.
The beginning of the day when everything seems new and the promise of the day has not yet been tarnished by the reality of life and living.
When the skies are gray and cloudy as they have been many days, I miss seeing the dawn light breaking out of the darkness.
I remember going into a dark room with no windows once and lighting a match. It was amazing how light drives out darkness. Darkness is not the opposite of light, it is the absence of light. I think that makes a difference. I guess that means that darkness cannot overwhelm light--but can only exist when there is no light.
And the morning drives away the dark of night with spectacular color and enthusiasm for the dawning day.
I should be so enthusiastic.
-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
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