A Walk in the Silver Creek Gorge

Behind Silver Creek Falls, Oregon

I grew up in Upstate New York,  an area blessed with waterfalls and gorges. Beautiful places to hike and spend time discovering, around every turn some great aspect of nature and of life. 

Yesterday was a return to my youth, but in a very new place and with some spectacular results. To say it was fun is an understatement. 

Silver Creek South Falls

The day began with a walk around one block of pinot noir vines in the Willamette Valley Vineyard. What better way to start the day than hiking around the vineyard to enjoy the world as the vines wake up. The day was clear and spectacular and the morning a bit cool--which was fantastic.

After breakfast it was off to the Silver Creek Gorge and the State Park after the same name to hike the trails. 

View Across the Vineyard towards the
Willamette Valley Vineyards Tasting Room and Guest House

We chose an easy four mile hike which allowed us to vies two spectacular waterfalls. The beauty of this trail is that it was designed to also go behind the falls, an experience that I do not often get to enjoy. 

Armed with really cool cameras, we captured the experience in many different forms.  The panoramic shot is neat. Click on it to enjoy it.

And then so is the video from behind the Lower South Falls.

It was a beautiful couple hour, four mile hike. hike on the trail.

Another awesome day in Oregon.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Turner, Oregon

At the End of the Oregon Trail

Mount Hood on Approach to Portland

 I had totally forgotten about the Oregon Trail from the days of the prairie schooners and the westward expansion. But here I am, sitting in an idyllic winery overlooking a vineyard as dawn breaks this morning after traveling from Baltimore yesterday for a week of experiencing  Oregon--the scenery and the wine. Although the Oregon Trail started in Independence, Missouri, my journey began somewhat east at the Baltimore Washington International Airport. Where the early travelers of the Oregon Trail took months to complete their dangerous journey, I was strapped into a Boeing 737 for six relatively short hours. Both journeys ended in the Willamette Valley.

North Silver Falls

During my short trip so far, I have seen a stunning mountain rising up through the clouds, experienced a waterfall surrounded by a pine rainforest, and of course vineyards. There was a short stop alongside a highway so that Chris could take pictures of fields of poppies. She loves poppies and despite almost causing an accident on the narrow road, we managed to get the poppy pictures without incident.

Chris taking pictures of poppies

I am blessed this morning to wake up on the grounds of the Willamette Valley Vineyards in the guest house. My view to the southwest, across the vineyards to the mountains beyond as the sun crawls up into the sky behind me and paints long shadows, is nothing short of spectacular. The morning is cool contrasting to last evening as I baked in the rays of the hot setting sun. 

Morning Shadows at Willamette Valley Vineyards
July 16, 2014

Yes, I have already enjoyed the fruit of the Oregon vines, and done a thorough tasting at the winery--but there is so much more to do. 

Most of all, during this short week away, I want to escape from the speed of life and enjoy being and somewhere and doing something different. Experiencing life in a different way will further enhance my day-to-day living. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Turner, Oregon 

Storms and Days

Storm over the Atlantic 2013

The hot days of July have turned into days of storms and more storms. Some ferocious storms have passed through the area bringing with them rain, but high winds which have been damaging trees and subsequently power lines in the area.

As the dog days deepen, the All Star Break has arrived to remind me that summer is passing. I notice that summer flies by almost effortlessly, while winter lingers indefinitely overstaying its welcome with every additional day. 

4th of July Fireworks

I must slow down to enjoy the day and savor its coming and subsequent passing.

They pass so quickly that unless I take time to notice them, July will quickly become August and then September and then summer will have come and then gone.

Each day needs to be savored and enjoyed like a fine wine. Each event deserves to be recorded and remembered not for future posterity, but to remind me later, during the cold days of the dark time, that there was a summer and that it was grand. Because, during the dark times, I forget the warm, sultry days of July when the sweat rolled off my forehead and I savored the hot, stinging rays of the sun beating on my back.

Slow down July. Your passing will come too soon. Allow me to linger here a few more minutes to enjoy my favorite month of the year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 14, 2014

1. It is Bastille Day, my second favorite foreign holiday. Vive la France! Cinco de Mayo is my favorite foreign holiday. I realized that I do not have a third favorite foreign holiday, yet!

2. Major League Baseball's All Star Break begins today. Amazingly, the Orioles are in First Place with a four game lead. Let's see of they can avoid their usual July-August post-All Star Game slump and keep it up.

3. Congratulations to Germany for winning the World Cup. Although the USA Team did win, they made a good showing and there is a lot of promise for the future. 

4. Climate change is affecting Australian winemakers. The Barossa Valley, where world-class Shiraz comes from may be mostly unsuitable for winemaking by 2050 according to an article in the New York Times. 

5. Lounging on a floatie in the pool is the bet way to cool off after another around-the-house-Sunday-afternoon project.

6. What would Captain Kirk do? Saw this and it made me laugh, especially since I idolized the character of Captain Kirk when I was younger. 

7. Is it me, or have the network TV offerings become dull and boring?

8. Why was I up at 4AM on a day I didn't have to go to work?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Reflections of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center -- A Review

Udvay-Hazy Center Main Floor

For an aerospace person, like myself, what could be better than spending a day at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum. Well frankly, almost nothing except sampling some very fine wines. 

Trevar with the SR-71 and
Discovery in the Background

It is about an hour drive from the house to the center, but on this Saturday morning it was a fine drive with light traffic. And we had one of those moments along the way that we all hope for. A motorcyclist zoomed by at an incredible speed and we wondered why the police were never around to catch these flagrant speed limit violators. Aha, there was one around and we saw the lights come from behind us and zoom by to shortly race down the motorcycle and pull the offender over. Yay, one for the good guys. 

Shuttle Discovery

I was impressed and the lack of cars in the parking lot. I remember the lot is usually crammed with other aerospace lovers who want to view the artifacts of relating to the achievements of the past. I was amazed when I checked and found that it had been more than two years since I last visited the Center. My blog about the fastest plane details my last visit. 

Standing under the Shuttle Discovery Looking Forward

The biggest change in the museum is the arrival of a real, flew in space shuttle--the workhorse shuttle Discovery. It was my first up close and personal encounter with a real space shuttle. Although I had seen shuttles from the distance, and seen the Enterprise in the same spaces before, there is something really special about viewing an actual shuttle and knowing that it had flow in space on multiple occasions. The display is fantastic and the ability to actually stand underneath the shuttle, at the rear, drives home the size and beauty of there marvelous machines. 

Shuttle Discovery

I remember when the SR-71 was by far the premier exhibit in the museum--but now it has clearly been supplanted by the shuttle. I was able to take an image of the SR-71 with almost no one around it--something that I never remember being able to do before. 

In the Fighter Simulator

In addition to viewing the exhibits on display, I had two other fantastic experiences. I got to get into a simulator with my nephew Trevar and fly a naval fighter combat mission. I was the weapons officer and he was the pilot. After a short training introduction, we climbed into the simulator and took off from the carrier into combat. Although we only recorded one kill, Trevar demonstrated the ability to execute high G turns and fly inverted with the nose down on more than one occasion. Yes, it does go completely upside down! We had fun as Trevar stretched his legs trying to become a fighter pilot. 

Enola Gay

I also broke off from the group for over an hour to listen to a lecture about the Enola Gay and the atomic bomb drops on Japan which ended World War 2. The lecture covered many aspect of the training and development of the techniques to deliver the bombs and some of the men involved in the operation. What went well and what didn't. I also learned that the B-29s that delivered the bombs were not standard production aircraft, but modified aircraft for the missions due to the post release maneuver that needed to be accomplished. The scheduled 45 minute presentation went 1 hour and 15 minutes--maybe I asked a few questions. It is usually hard for me to stand still, but I stood there the entire time and the time literally flew by.

Business End of an F-14

It was another fantastic day in the museum. We also viewed an Imax movie--The Dream is Alive, narrated by Walter Cronkite. The tour of the tower was nice--a good diversion. The 360 degree view is fantastic. The second stop, the mock control center, needs a lot of work to make it a viable exhibit. They could do so much more with the exhibit. Making it more interactive would be one idea.

SR-71

RECOMMENDATION: This museum is a must visit. The history of aerospace on displace cannot be found anywhere else. There is something for everyone and the supporting exhibits on engines, armaments, coupled with the diversity of civil aircraft and combat aircraft on display cannot be matched.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Vacation Begins at the Ball Park

Although it is only Saturday morning, I am actually on vacation for the next two weeks! Yay.

Camden Yards, July 11, 2014

There is something really neat about waking up in the morning and realizing that I am enjoying a weekend that won't end for a long time. It takes the usual stress off the weekend mornings. 

My vacation started last evening with a second night in a row trip to Camden Yards to watch the Orioles defeat an opponent by one run in a nail biting, well-played game. Since we have visitors form the northlands in town who were here to cheer their team, I decided to upgrade to the Club Level for the evening. My experience was superior to the night before in every way. 

DirecTv Blimp over Baltimore
July 11, 2014

It must have been an important game against the team from up north who shall remain nameless, because there was a blimp in the air to monitor the activity. We do not see many blimps here in Baltimore and so it was special. Who knew that DirecTv has a blimp?

By the end of the evening, The Orioles had vanquished their foe for the evening and thereby assured themselves of being alone atop the American League East at the All Star Break.  Perhaps ESPN will begin to recognize the talent in this team. 

But vacation continues today with a trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum to do some research and reconnect with my aerospace roots. I wish they had a B-52, Oh wait, why would they have a B-52? The 50 year old aircraft is still in active service.

And then? Well, I hear the Willamette Valley calling. There is wine there that needs to be sampled.

Vacation--so many things to do and see and so little time. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Date for the Game

Ethan and Poppop Heading for the Game

I look forward to attending Orioles baseball games. I am a partial plan season ticket holder and that means that I sometimes get surprised about having tickets to particular baseball games, because I didn't pick the date or the team I will be viewing.

That just makes it more exciting. Especially when the Orioles are sitting atop the American League East with a 2.5 game lead to start last evening and by ending the night with a win--they increased their lead to 3 games.

Orioles Park, July 10, 2014
From My Seat

It gives me great satisfaction when I can say, "the American East Division leading Orioles" because that means that the team who shall remain nameless from the north, and the dreaded Red Sox are both behind the Orioles in the standings.

Due to a series of weird circumstances, I could not find anyone to attend the game with me last evening until the very last minute. Ethan was the lucky stuck to attend the game with Poppop. 

Selfie at the game

Ethan and I attended a game together about two years ago--it was a rainy night, similar to last evening, although there was over an hour delay for the start of that game. Last evening the game started on time--which is normally a good thing, however, the City of Baltimore has found a new and creative way to bring traffic to a total standstill which meant the usual 25 minute drive to the stadium took over an hour and a half! Ugh. We arrived at our seats for the bottom of the second inning!

It was an exciting game, however, the concession stands were not prepared for the crowds and I missed an additional inning and a half of baseball while standing in line for a crab cake. My grandson is not a cheap date, it seems. 

But despite the late arrival, long lines, and occasional rain during the game--it was an awesome evening. I admit we did leave when victory seemed assured with the Orioles coming to bat in the bottom of the 8th inning to beat the crowds and because my date was tired. All told, I think I was in my seat for 4.5 innings of the 8.5 inning game.

We had fun and Ethan told me that he had a great time and would like to do it again! He is also the Orioles Lucky Charm--they have won every game he has attended except one. He will definitely be attending playoff games if the Orioles make the post-season. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Making the Common Special

Blue Cheese Stuffed Burgers on the Grill

There is something satisfying about a biting into a burger fresh off the grill.

I confirmed that again last evening. Despite the downside of them being "just burgers," these were anything but common!

These were special burgers with blue cheese stuffed inside to add a bit of zing and spice. 

Some evenings it is hard to be creative in preparing the dinner meal. It just doesn't happen with ease. Last evening was just such a case. The meal was going to be boring--burgers on the grill. But, in a lucid moment of cooking genius the addition of the cheese inside the burgers changed everything. Suddenly, it is not just another burger evening, but a dinner complete with wine and all of the fixings enjoyed outside on the pool deck enjoying another beautiful, but storm filled evening.

Taking the common and making it special is worth the effort. It adds creativity and spice to an otherwise lackluster situation.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Crazy Tuna - Review

The Dock at Crazy Tuna

What to do on a beautiful Sunday afternoon? Gather friends together and sojourn to the Crazy Tuna for an afternoon of conversation and fun. 

The Crazy Tuna is located in Essex--it is literally on the other side of the river, or bay from us and so the journey does take a bit of planning. 

The restaurant does have a boat up dock, which is a lot of fun to watch even for those who drive in. There is a beautiful sandy area for a relaxing game of Corn Hole, or on the beautiful day as was Sunday, relaxing at a table under an umbrella watching all of the action. 

The drinks were not spectacular, but the food was good. The group samples many of the appetizers and a few of the entrees. The appetizer winner was definitely the Prince Edward Island mussels--2 pounds for $11.99 cooked to perfection. On the entree side, the fish and chips were soggy, so I would avoid those on a future visit. 

There is a Tiki Bar seemed to be a lot of fun. The day was an awesome one with perfect sun and temperatures. 

At the Crazy Tuna

What better war to enjoy a day with friends--except around my own pool? But, it was great to be on the river experiencing life. 

Summertime is great! And living outside is what it is all about.

RECOMMENDATION: Visit the Crazy Tuna and enjoy a sunny afternoon.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Evening Brought to You Compliments of God

Chris and I were sitting outside last afternoon and evening, in and then around the pool enjoying the weather, the clear azure sky, and then the fading light as sunset descended. 

I looked up and thought about how fantastic the day had been and how enjoyable the evening was and a thought came to me, "This evening brought to you compliments of God.

And it was.

Everything that happened in the entire history of the world to allow us to sit together last evening and watch the sunset from the peace of our idyllic backyard was a gift, like a holiday or birthday present to be opened and enjoyed. 

And we did enjoy it as the evening descended upon us.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD