Sunday, September 10, 2017

After the Storms--The Weekend


Fallen Limb
I was able to get into the yard yesterday afternoon and clean up after the rain and wind storms of last week.

Clearly, these storms were not of hurricane proportions, however, I was shocked at the size of the branches which fell into the yard. It seemed like a small tree had fallen and was deeply imbedded into the yard. The wood is well seasoned and will burn very nicely in our fire pit. 

I also made a run to the landfill to recycle more of the clippings from two weeks . 

Timbers at Troy
Hole 2 Tees
September 9, 2017
Somewhere in there I also discovered that our washer has again broken. This time is it a mechanical problem related to the bearings. New bearings are on order and I am hopeful of getting the washer fixed before next weekend.

I did manage 18 holes of golf. More precisely, the golf course managed me. It was not one of my better outings. But as I say, a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day in the office!

And that was only Saturday, I wonder what today will bring?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Finnegan Arrives


Finnegan Taylor
Stand by for an announcement. 

Finnegan Taylor has arrived. 

Chris with Finnegan
The latest animal to become a member of the household has arrived and is already making himself at home. 

He successfully made the journey from West Virginia this morning and has already been accepted by Riordin and Louis into the pack. Makayla seems to be reserving judgement, I think his enthusiasm is more than she can handle. 



Chris has been great at making the new arrival feel at home. 

Finnegan is a Yorkie and is 14 weeks old and weighs in at 2 lbs 15 oz. His expected final weight is about 5 lbs. He has a very inquisitive personality and is a bundle of energy.

He has some big shoes to fill. We lost our previous Yorkie over seven years ago, Zachary Taylor was with us almost 17 years. 

Welcome Finnegan Taylor, or "Finn" as he will be known.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, September 8, 2017

Changing Weather


Leaves in the Pool
September 7, 2017
It was 52 degrees outside this morning. That is 9 degrees below the average low, which for the math challenged would be 61.

I can't say it was cold--but, autumn is definitely in the air. There is not an 80 degree day in the 10-day forecast. 

I spent over an hour last evening cleaning the pool of the leaves which had fallen during the storms of the past two days. The water level was too high and the leaves were everywhere. Sadly, my pool was a storm tossed mess.

But, it is clean now although it is too cold to actually go swimming.


I am mourning the loss of summer. 

The passing of summer this year seems to mean hurricanes are vicious and numerous. 

I am also watching the three hurricanes in the Atlantic Basin. The graphic is from the National Hurricane Center. 

Irma is making its way to Florida and my thoughts and prayers are for the people there, as well as for the people who have already been devastated by the passing of the storm.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Thursday, September 7, 2017

News of the Day


It is a crazy news week. 

There are three hurricanes we are dealing with in the Atlantic Basin: Irma, Jose, Katia. And this is in the wake of Harvey. Irma is a monster storm taking aim at many of the Caribbean islands that Chris and I have visited during the past couple of years. 

Irma is headed to Florida and it is going make a mess of September and is disrupting the lives of millions more people across the Caribbean and in the souther United States. 

But wait, there's more!

Don't forget Texas and Louisiana! Things are still miserable there. 

I heard the story of a woman who lost her pet donkey, I linked it here, and coupled with the total loss of her house, it is a gut-wrenching story. 

Fire in LA
But wait--there is fire!

Despite all of the rain falling on the south and east, the west is dry and burning. It is appalling and I could not even find mention of it on the front page of the New York Times. NBC is carrying the stories of the fires burning out of control in the west. 

Of course, this is just the beginning--but the news is all over the place. China-US relations, missiles in Korea, Brexit is back, and of course Congress is back in session and so the drama is just beginning there.

Stay tuned--it promises to be an interesting week or two ahead. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD



Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Wednesday Rain and Sports Musings


Rainy Day
Today, it is supposed to be another rainy, wet, cool, autumn-like day to close out the summer. 


It rained and stormed last evening and that meant the Orioles game did not start until 9:15 PM. Which is  getting pretty close to my bed time. It was sad, because I had tickets other game, but decided to stay dry at home. 

The Orioles defeated the team from up north whose name shall remain un written and are now just 1game out of the final wild card position. They are hanging around.

The Orioles have sent me the post-season ticket offer! I usually get excited because when the tickets are printed, I have a World Series ticket to look at. So far, I have not had the chance to use it. Sadly. Maybe this year? 

The family conducted its Fantasy Football Draft last evening. That means that the NFL season kick-off is just a few days away--well, tomorrow. I get more teams to cheer for and be frustrated by their on field performance. What a deal!

Go Ravens! 

Because of the weather I am beginning to plan the closing of the pool. I hate closing my pool, but between the leaves falling from the trees into the water and the temperatures being too cool to make me want to swim one last time, I am wondering why I am paying to keep the pool open. 

Sadly. 

Closing the pool is like saying good-bye to summer. Maybe it is time. 

Just like the weather. Summer seems to have escaped and gone away.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Have You Looked at the Trash?


Trash Along the Road
After repairing a cranky Jeep yesterday, I had the opportunity to walk along the local back road and search for a lost item that fell off a car.

This was a family affair--everyone was out conducting the search along the road. 

Since we were searching off the road, we came upon trash!
More Trash

I was amazed at the amount of trash and the diversity. People have no respect for public areas it seems.

In one spot it appeared that someone just threw their fast food wrappers out the window after they were done eating.

I fear that the carelessly tossed trash is just one of the warning symptoms of the devolution of our society into anarchy.

Who is expected to pick this stuff up?

We never did find what we were looking for, but we found a lot more than we wanted.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD


Monday, September 4, 2017

Monday Musings - September 4, 2017


1. Happy Labor Day. The unofficial end of summer is here! Ugh, I can't believe that it is effectively over.

2. Be careful on the roads--schools are back in session!


3. There is another hurricane, Irma, in the weather patterns. It could make a mess for next weekend.


4. The Orioles are still competitive, hanging out just outside the playoff picture. I have to decide whether to purchase my post-season tickets!


5. It is amazing how quickly a quiet evening can turn into an auto repair session.


6. Walking a golf course provides a needed relief from the excitement of life.


7. At least it is not raining! And it is going to be warm today! It will make it into the 80's. 


8. I'm excited to do some grilling on my new grill today!



Headlines


North Korean Nuclear Test Draws U.S. Warning of ‘Massive Military Response’ - The New York Times


North Korea is the only country that has performed a nuclear test in the 21st century - The Washington Post



Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week



"We do not seek an America that is closed to the world; we seek a world that is open to America. We do not dream of protecting America from others' success; we seek to include everyone in the success of the American dream."
Radio Address to the Nation on the Farm Industry, September 14, 1985

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Some Assembly Required


Grill Assembly Underway
I sometimes enjoy new projects.

Yesterday we procured a new grill. Chris and I don't buy new grills very often, but the old one had developed a hole in the firebox and the flame was no longer being contained. There was was a definite safety issue involved.

Supervisor Riordin in the Background
I am unsure how long we had owned the older one, but it was a good number of years and it had come to the end of its useful life.Chris had wanted to replace it for a couple of years now, but I had resisted.

Grills are one those items that rarely come assembled! There is some assembly required and that was definitely the case yesterday. 

Assembly Complete
I actually enjoyed the project because I was watching  Maryland defeat Texas in college football as I was putting the grill together. As can be seen from the image, I also had some help, Riordin supervised the process. 

The project went smoothly and I actually had all of the parts required. It seems that often I wind up a bolt or a washer short--but not this time. Everything went together flawlessly and the wordless instructions were generally clear. 

Dinner was cooked on the new grill and I was amazed at its efficiency. The old grill had trouble getting to and maintaining temperature.  I had to keep turning the new grill down--it is far more efficient.

Another "some assembly required" project successfully completed.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Into the Aftermath of the Storm


The news has provided almost non-stop coverage of the devastation associated with hurricane Harvey. 

I admit, I get a bit numb to the television coverage, yet this morning I read two stories that continued to bring home the incredible toll being exacted upon the residents the region and point to the years-long recovery efforts that are beginning to get underway even before the flood waters fully recede. 

One story was in the New York Times and depicts in multi-media style a drive from Houston to Beaumont, Texas, titles Town After town Under Water in the 100 Miles From Houston to Beaumont.

Scene from the Hurricane
The story provides some surface level video that shows in detail how bad it really is on the ground in the aftermath of the hurricane. 

The other story, in The Washington Post, is about what residents of small affordable luxury community are finding upon their return home. In a flooded Texas subdivision, the hard slog of rebuilding begins, is the title of the article. It contains a heart-wrenching story.

Residents said that almost all of the homes in Lynnwood, eventually, would be livable. Maybe the work would take weeks, or months. But there was one exception — the home that was closest to the bayou, the only home that was swallowed up to the roof, the home of the newest couple in the neighborhood. Now Angel Garzoria, 22, and Alexis Hernandez, 20, were parking their car and coming out to inspect the damage. They walked toward their house but couldn’t go in all the way because of the water. There it was, 100 yards away. Some 1,700 square feet. Purchased in March. Built in four months. Lived in since July. And now, half-submerged.

To save for that home, he’d worked 70-hour weeks at Exxon. She’d worked 50-hour weeks as a medical tech treating people with kidney problems. They had just enough money for a 5 percent down payment, a $6,000 porch, a $1,500 65-inch television. They’d bought a refrigerator, a barbecue pit, a foam mattress. They’d spent a little extra for a larger lot, a play area for the kids they planned on having.
“We spent a lot,” she said. 
“Everything,” he said. 
“A nightmare,” she said, and they’d left in such a hurry, even the most basic things — Garzoria’s Exxon employee ID, for instance — were still in the home, underwater.
She sat down on a folding chair looking out onto what was left of the neighborhood. Their house would be torn down. Their savings were drained. They’d have to move in with her parents. Nothing was happening as planned, and drying in the sunshine before her was a final mortgage document, sent days earlier in the mail, one more thing soaked by the flood. Their first payment was due Oct. 1.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday, September 1, 2017

September Arrives


The high temperature today is expected to be about 68 degrees. I guess that is a fair welcome for September. 

We are rolling into the last three weeks of summer and the weather seems more autumn-like. Too autumn-like.


While I am here worrying about the weather, there are millions of Americans worrying about their next sip of water of rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Harvey. Chris and I have signed up to be foster dog caregivers for pets that need a home until their owners can get a place for them. 

According to NPR, here is a list of ways that aid and help can be directed to help those struggling in the aftermath of the hurricane. Here's How you Can Help the People Affected by Hurricane Harvey

Open up your hearts and homes. We are only beginning to see and understand the devastation.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

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