When Trees Fly

100 Ton Crane Dwarfing the House
Elkridge, MD
June 17, 2020

I saw trees fly yesterday! 

It was sobering to watch the ash trees which had bordered our property and provided years of shade be removed and reduced to logs and mulch. The trees fell victim to the emerald ash borer a couple years ago and had become hazards; dropping branches during wind storms. 

The crane used to make the trees fly was huge. As I told the crane operator, we are not around heavy equipment and so it was exciting to watch the work that the team did yesterday. 

Riding the Crane into the Trees
Elkridge, MD
June 17, 2020

Chris and I had a ring-side seat to the activity. The trees were a threat to our house and property. While it was exciting to witness, it was also sad. The trees had filled the skyline around our house since we moved there. Seeing the bare branches of the formerly majestic ash trees was a stark reminder that our environment is being ruined by foreign invaders.  The trees were killed by the emerald ash borer, an unwanted invasive species from Asia. 

I was especially impressed by the arborist who rode the crane to get into the tree and to make the cuts. I am not sure I would like to do his job. 

Watching the entire top of the trees take flight was something that I had never seen before. The crane operator had to be so careful because of the houses and cars near the landing zone. 

And so the trees are gone. They remain in pictures and in my memory--but, alas, even my memories will fade as I grow accustomed to the new skyline around my home.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rex the Water Dog

Comic relief is crucial. 

After a morning of working in the gardens and hauling the accumulated refuse to the local landfill, watching Chris and Rex, our son's Bull Terrier, play together with nothing more complicated than water from a hose was refreshing. No it's not Spuds McKenzie. 

The dog really gets into water and loves to jump. 

Rex is a solid dog and sometimes he uses his brawn more than his brains. But he has a great heart and fantastic personality. I could tell that Chris really enjoyed playing with him.

The gardens came out looking great, but the cooling water fun was the most enjoyable part of the day. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

Changing Scenery

A View of Lake Kittamaqundi and Columbia, MD
Columba, MD
June 13, 2020

After the disastrous beginning to my Saturday, Chris suggested that a change of scenery would help to break the negative start to my day. I wrote about the beginning of my day in my blog, Saturday Dawns--Needs to get Better. 

A Stream Connected to Lake Kittamaqundi
Columbia, MD
June 13, 2020

I am happy to report that the day did, in fact, improve. We drove to Columbia, MD, to walk around Lake Kittamaqundi and enjoy a true change of scenery from or usual stroll through our local neighborhood. It was refreshing change and, despite being in the heart of Columbia, the walk was full of enjoyable sights. 

Ducks in a Stream
Columbia, MD
June 13, 2020

I had forgotten how peaceful the walk around the lake could be. Despite being in located the heart of Columbia near the biggest buildings and busiest highways, the lake was a peaceful place to enjoy nature and some scenery different from our usual areas. Perhaps it was because we are only just beginning to venture out after the coronavirus lockdowns, but the walk around the lake was a much needed diversion from the usual and changed the course of Saturday from disaster into an enjoyable day which ended around the pool. 

We were joined on our walk by many others who were similarly out to enjoy the day. But it was more than just a leisurely stroll around the lake. We stopped to watch ducks play in a stream and later walked past a gaggle of geese cooling themselves in the shade of trees. It was part of the complete experience.

A change of scenery, sometimes that is all it takes to turn a day around. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Final Call for the Confederacy - Special Blog Supplement

It is time to end the mystique of the Confederacy and its hold on American society. 

Just a few short years ago, I believed that it was OK to allow statues erected to Confederate leaders and generals and to have bases named after them. My bias was that these men had been idealized in my history classes as I learned of the Civil War and the struggle. But I did not fully understand the crippling effect that holding onto these images of the past was having on this country that I love.

I no longer feel the same. The conflict has never ended; the victors have not completed the conquest and the war, which is still called by some the War of Northern Aggression, continues to prevent us, as a society, from ensuring "liberty and justice for all."

I just read this article from a far right wing publication:

Republicans just took one vote that will leave Donald Trump red with rage

In the article it states: 

Donald Trump is defending American culture from a vicious onslaught from the American Left trying to erase the nation’s history.

But the President got some bad news

And it’s all because Republicans just took one vote that will leave Donald Trump red with rage. 

Donald Trump recently announced his opposition to renaming military bases named after Confederate Generals.

“It has been suggested that we should rename as many as 10 of our Legendary Military Bases, such as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Benning in Georgia, etc,” the President wrote on social media.

The time has come to finalize the ending of the war and move forward. We must stop being mired 155 years in the past. 

I believe the following video, which I found on You Tube expresses it best. And I note, it is from a Republican sponsored organization. I urge you to watch it.

It is time for America to finally move forward and for the victors to establish a truly just and free society unencumbered by the racial biases that caused us to go to war 160 years ago.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - June 15, 2020

1. It is the third Monday of June. June has five Mondays this month. It is also June 15th--the mid-point of a tumultuous month. The year 2020 is racing towards being half over. There is still time to salvage the year. 

2. The summer solstice will occur at 5:23 PM EDT on Saturday, June 20th. The longest daylight of the year. Plan to enjoy it!

Baby Robins in their Nest
Elkridge, MD
June 14, 2020

3. The baby robins are growing in their nest. I was able to sneak a picture of them all snuggled down while their mother was out getting food. The hardest thing we are doing is keeping the plant that their nest is located in alive while the fledglings mature. Trust me, I have had some close encounters with the parents!

4. Major League Baseball mystifies me. The other sports are finding ways to get back to the game, and the MLB is finding reasons not to play. America's pastime is being bankrupted by over paid players and risk averse owners. They have forgotten about the game. 

5. Our pool has seen some great use so far this season. It has given me a lot of joy to be able to help others escape the heat and the cares of the day while enjoying a few hours in the pool.

6. Gas prices are creeping up just in time for the reopening of society. Coincidence? I think not!

7. My gym hopefully will reopen on Friday! Maryland is moving along the path of reopening.

8. When we can laugh at ourselves we find the most joy in life.

Fogged Glasses (not me)

9. I got out this morning to play racquetball at the outdoor court again. It was a much more enjoyable activity given the cooler temperatures. I am having a problem wearing a face mask. I fog over--not just while playing racquetball. If anyone knows a simple solution, I would really appreciate it. I am considering contacts, but they will not help with racquetball since I will still wear protective goggles.  I have tried positioning my mask in different places to minimize the fogging.  The mask I have for racquetball has an adjustable nosepiece and I still fog. 

10. Today in History. June 15, 1215, following a revolt by the English nobility against his rule, King John puts his royal seal on Magna Carta, or “the Great Charter.” The document, essentially a peace treaty between John and his barons, guaranteed that the king would respect feudal rights and privileges, uphold the freedom of the church, and maintain the nation’s laws. Although more a reactionary than a progressive document in its day, Magna Carta was seen as a cornerstone in the development of democratic England by later generations.

Coronavirus Cases Spike Across Sun Belt as Economy Lurches into Motion - The New York Times

Tanker Truck Blast on China Highway Kills 19 - The New York Times

Atlanta Police Shooting Sparks New Outrage - The Wall Street Journal

MLB Players End Negotiations, Dare League to Impose Season - The Wall Street Journal

Atlanta police shooting of black man was a homicide, coroner says - Reuters

Chinese capital reinstates curbs as coronavirus resurfaces - Reuters

Twitter compares NBC News tweets on Trump event, NYC rally - Fox News

The Court-Martial of Donald J. Trump - The New York Times (Opinion)

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

I thought I'd try something different and remind everyone of a side of presidents that we have not seen much of these past 3-and-a-half years: Humor! President Reagan's best jokes and humor. There are also some great quotes.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Flag Day: A Time for Rededication

Happy Flag Day! 

Yes, the symbol of our nation is celebrated today with its own special commemoration. 

The flag and the issues swirling around respect for the flag have been in the news for years now and I am encouraged that our flag remains big enough and confident enough to fly high and free. 

My Neighbor's Flag
Elkridge, MD
June 14, 2020

This year National Flag Week runs from June 14-20. It is an entire week to celebrate the flag and the republic it represents.

But, we must not use the flag to try to cover up or hide the the pain and suffering that is occurring in our nation. Our flag flies because it strong enough to recognize we are not perfect as a country. It waves because out of our imperfection we strive to become better.

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag reads:

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Our flag must not be used as a symbol of oppression, but instead as a symbol of freedom, justice, and equality. Until the words of the Pledge, "with liberty and justice for all," are fully implemented we must continuously strive to make our country and the flag it represents, better. 

Our flag is the flag for all Americans, not just the privileged. When one group of Americans experiences injustice or discrimination--we must all feel their pain and work correct the injustice. 

The Flag is the flag of the immigrants, some of whom passed by the Statue of Liberty as they arrived in New York Harbor, but however they arrived the words of the poem are still true: 

Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

Our Flag represents the Republic founded upon the ideals contained in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

We must rededicate ourselves to the ideals envisioned in the our founding documents and make them a reality for everyone who calls themselves an American.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saturday Dawns--Needs to Get Better

It has been a wild day already and it is only a few hours old. 

Hydrangea in the Morning
Elkridge, MD
June 13, 2020

After celebrating a great Happy Hour with friends last night ending around a roaring bonfire, I had thought the morning which dawned bright and clear would be spectacular. I even took an image of our hydrangea which caught my eye as I was taking the dogs out earlier. The hydrangea displayed beautiful color in the golden rising sun light. Wow. 

And then the day took a downturn. Mikayla had an early morning drop-off at the vet for some tests. No big deal. So about 6:45 AM, Makayla and I hopped into the truck for the drive to the vet. Everything went well until I got to the vet.

Makayla always has to relieve herself when we get out of the truck, I know that, so I took her for a quick walk and she did pee. I called the vet to announce our arrival and Makayla was wandering around my feet while I was distracted. Well, it was then that I noticed that I had forgotten my facemark, ugh, the new normal. When the vet came to meet me and take Makayla it was then that I noticed that Makayla was pooping on the sidewalk, no big deal, I had poop bags. BUT--as I was cleaning that tile it was then that I noticed she had pooped before that while I was on the phone and distracted AND I had stepped in it!

Of course I cleaned it as best as I could (it was kind of soft) and offered to mop the sidewalk. The vet tech rescued me by saying she would clean the mess. She probably wanted to get rid of the non-mask wearing somewhat frazzled man with whom she was dealing. And a line with other dogs to be dropped off was forming.

So in summary:

By 7:15 AM, before my first cup of coffee, I had taken an image of spectacular flowers, delivered my dog to the vet for tests, forgotten my facemark, and stepped in dog poop! OMG--what else is coming today?

Note: Correction, I called it the wrong flower! Just to add to the mess of the day. I have corrected it. At least they both began with "H."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Democracy Dies in Darkness

The official slogan of The Washington Post is Democracy Dies in Darkness. 

According to Wikipedia, it was adopted during February 2017 and added to the website and then the print version of the newspaper. 

I confess that I had seen the slogan, but was not aware of its recent addition to the banner. For some reason this morning I decided to research when it was adopted by The Washington Post. I was shocked to learn that it was just over three years ago.

The Wikipedia article documents the addition of the slogan to the banner as follows:

"Democracy Dies in Darkness" was the first slogan to be officially adopted by the Post in its 140-year history.^[2] According to the newspaper, the phrase was popularized by investigative journalist Bob Woodward.^[3] Woodward used the phrase in a 2007 piece criticizing government secrecy,^[4] and referenced the phrase during a 2015 presentation at a conference when he talked about The Last of the President's Men, his book about the Watergate scandal. Woodward said he did not coin the phrase himself, instead attributing the phrase to a judge ruling on a First Amendment case, believed to be from Circuit Judge Damon Keith. The paper's owner Jeff Bezos, who attended Woodward's 2015 presentation, also used the phrase in a May 2016 interview. The newspaper said it decided to adopt an official slogan in 2016, before Donald Trump won the Republican nomination for president of the United States. This started a process which involved a small group of newspaper employees meeting to develop ideas for slogans. The group eventually settled on "Democracy Dies in Darkness" after brainstorming over 500 options.^[2]

The slogan goes nicely with All the News That's Fit to Print, which of course is the slogan of The New York Times. I could not find that slogan on the electronic version of the paper, but it remains on the printed version. 

It is the job of the free and Constitutionally-protected press to discover and report the news and to cast light upon those things which we need to know and which others may want to conceal from our view. We can disagree about the slant of the reporting, whether liberal-leaning or conservative, but at the end of the day it is the reporting of the news and happenings in our government which lights the dark places to reveal topics which we need to understand and address. 

The press helps the electorate to hold our elected and appointed leaders accountable.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Finding Bias

Looter

The use of language in what is written and spoken is critical. Word choice must be accomplished in a manner to clearly express thoughts and intentions.

Protestors and Demonstrators 

I have been reading the words more closely lately and I have found a basic difference in characterization of the protests underway in the U.S. by the media.

One report of Mitt Romney's walk with the protestors this past weekend reports it as follows:

Over the weekend, Mitt Romney marched with Black Lives Matter to protest President Trump.

Romney made it clear he agreed with the rioters and looters that America is a racist country that needs to pay for its sins.

     -- Patriot Pulse


Fox News reported it more evenly:

Lawmakers including Rep. Ilhan Omar and Sen. Mitt Romney joined the crowds demanding justice for George Floyd in major cities over the weekend -- as some demonstrators seemingly amped up their rhetoric with stronger calls to disband police departments.

CNN Reported the event:

Over the weekend, Romney marched alongside protesters in Washington, tweeting what he has said is an obvious and important phrase to repeat: "Black lives matter."

What I want to point out is the characterization of the people that Senator Romney was marching with in the differing reports. The first implied that they were "rioters and looters." Words that are designed to incite the readers to action. The second and third, use more neutral words: "demonstrators" and "protestors."

Read carefully to discern the bias. Some of what is being "reported" is really propaganda.

Black Lives Matter

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Return to the Court

It was not pretty and the weather was not conducive, but yesterday marked my return to the racquetball court for the first time since mid-March, fully three months ago. 

Outdoors Racquetball Court
Columbia, MD
June 9, 2020

The return to racquetball came on an outdoors court in Columbia, MD. I had never played on an outdoors court before and I have to say it was better than I expected--it was a four-wall court made of poured concrete and cinderblock. Being back on the court was fantastic, even in the 90 degree temperatures with soaring humidity. It showed how out of shape I had become while sheltering in place. I had thought it would not be so bad since I have been walking regularly, but there is a big difference between walking a golf course or with a dog around the neighborhood and chasing a 100 mph blue ball around an 800 square foot concrete enclosure on a 90 degree day. 

My game was understandably ragged. I had to get used to playing in a mask and I also added a hat to help keep the sun off my head. And then there were the shadows on the court--which you can see in the picture. I have to admit, it was a different experience tracking the ball from sun to shadow and back to sun. I felt the concrete walls made the ball play faster--which further highlighted how much work I need to do to get back into some semblance of racquetball shape.

But despite the weather and the raggedness of my game, it was a great return to the court and the next step in finding the new normal living with coronavirus! And we are going to play again next week--during the morning hours to avoid the heat!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD