Independence Day - 2020

It is July 4th! 

Where are the bands, the parades, the fireworks with which Americans celebrate the founding of this nation?

They are muted and canceled. 

Unlike most other July 4th's excluding the Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War--America's homeland and its citizens are under direct attack on multiple fronts. The mood of the nation is gloomy.

Despite attempts to call it fake and a democratic hoax, coronavirus is attacking Americans everywhere. Despite the bravado displayed by our leaders attempting to reassure us that the virus is under control the rising numbers of cases, hospital admissions, and dangerously low supply of ICU beds tell a different tale. They tell of failed policies that were too late, too little, and too disorganized to be effective. 

Let's face it--when American interests are under attack we usually swiftly, forcefully, and effectively respond. Coronavirus, however, is thwarting the meager, disjointed, and predatory responses of the government. States and counties are being left to fend for themselves because of the vacuum that is the response of the federal government. The statement attributed to Benjamin Franklin upon the signing the Declaration of Independence: "We must all hang together, or we shall surely hang separately," is clearly true in dealing with the coronavirus.

"Make America Great Again," has made America the laughing stock of the world. European countries will not allow U.S. travelers to visit, for instance Italy denied five Americans admittance.  Despite this, the bravado and deception continue as evidenced at Mount Rushmore last evening where thousands gathered without proper spacing or face masks to hear, as one agency reported, Trump Uses Mount Rushmore Speech to Deliver Divisive Culture War Message.

On this July 4th, America is under attack on multiple fronts: disease, divisiveness, and deceit. Citizens recognize this and our Independence Day celebrations will smaller. 

But there is patriotism deep inside my heart that brings optimism believing that tomorrow will be a better day. As long as the sun rises I can make tomorrow better than today. 

Thomas Jefferson
Third President of the U.S.
Primary Author of the Declaration of Independence

For some words of encouragement, I went back to one of the founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson, who like myself was a big fan of Independence Day. 

"The fourth of July, the epoch of American independence, is a day when the heart of every American must glow with pride and gratitude. No village, however sequestered, no citizen, however obscure, forgets the celebration of the anniversary of his country's liberty! Through all the land, from the shores of the Atlantic to our mountain-tops, the sounds of gratulation are heard; the roar of cannon, and the peal of bells, announce the auspicious morn, and people of every rank hasten with their festive offerings round the altar of liberty."
  -- July 4, 1809

Do not not despair, accept the ability to effect change and critically evaluate what is happening in our country. The power is in your vote and your emails to elected representatives. Through it all, we must also celebrate that we have power--the power to make our voices heard and to effect change.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Changing Skyline

Final Image of the Dead Ash Tree
Elkridge, MD
July 2, 2020

While I was laying flooring yesterday, the final and largest dead ash tree bordering my property was removed. This particular tree was the one which most threatened our home and although it once provided welcome shade during the summer, it had since become a threat. The home owners association bordering my property which owned the tree had removed other large dead ash trees a couple weeks ago, but the size and location of this particular tree exceeded the limits of the crane. 

After the Dead Ash Tree was Removed
Elkridge, MD
July 3, 2020

The tree was not felled in the traditional sense. I use the word removed because the tops were cut from the trunks and moved my the crane to a location where they were rendered into chips. The trunks of the formerly majestic and still massive trees remain standing up to about 30 feet in height.

The sightline from the house, the "skyline," is now free of dead trees and presents a lower and greener view. There is one remaining much smaller dead ash tree that we can see from the porch and I will fell that tree in a few weeks--when I get the nerve. It seems to be leaning in the direction that I want it to fall into the wild and unimproved area behind my house. 

For today, my Independence Day celebration will be laying more flooring. My objective is to complete the kitchen!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Flooring Installation

Welcome to July!! I have determined that projects are a valid way to make it through coronavirus. 

The Flooring Project Begins
Elkridge, MD
July 1, 2020

My life seems to have no shortage of projects. I was supposed to be straining the deck this week; however, Jeremy, my oldest son, determined it was a good week to update the flooring in his house. This is not a small task! 

Brothers at Work - Jeremy and Patrick
Elkridge, MD
July 2, 2020

We determined that there are about 1100 square feet of floor that need to be done on two levels. That is a lot of flooring! 59 cases!  I know, I helped move everyone of them. 

Patrick came over last evening to lend a hand and I have to admit I really appreciated his help. We made like a tag team and I tagged-out to go home, decompress, and relax after a hard 11 hour day. 

There is still so much to do it is a bit overwhelming, but we will take it one day at a time and get as much done as possible. Somehow today I need to get the mower deck back onto the mower after the welder fixed it the other evening and of course mow the lawn. And then there is the routine pool maintenance. Pools always need something.

And so the day begins. Project day #3.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Return to the Soviet

Vladimir Putin

President for life? It appears that the Russian people are voting to essentially give Vladimir Putin the chance to be just that. 

A Wall Street Journal Article titled, 

Russians Set to Approve Radical Overhaul That Could Keep Putin in Power Until 2036 details the vote and the probability that the change will be approved. 

The election move hearkens back to the days of the Soviet Union. The Russian people are voting to allow additional terms for their president which would give Putin the opportunity to hold the office until 2036. 

Putin Shirtless on Horse

The Soviet Union was effectively ruled by the General Secretary of the Communist Party. They continued in office until they were deposed, resigned, or died. We know some of the greats and infamous, for example Stalin, Brezhnev, Khrushchev, Gorbachev. 

Putin was elected to the first of his four terms during 2000. With the exception of four years between 2008 and 2012 when he served as Prime Minister, he has been Russia's president since 1999 when we was appointed as acting president. He was reelected in 2008 for his third term. His time as president may rival Stalin's 30 years and 7 months of leadership. If Putin is reelected for the additional terms he might possibly be President for 33 years. 

I am not sure that the world needs that much Vladimir Putin. 

I am very thankful that our Constitution has clear term limits for the president.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Crazy Cat

Riordin Inspecting a Bag
Elkridge, MD
June 23, 2020

Chris and I have two cats. 

Riordin in a Bag
Elkridge, MD
June 23, 2020

One of them, Louis, is mostly a lump. The classic cat that just lays around and makes me wonder why I have a cat.

The other one, Riordin, is more of a dog than a cat. He loves to sit on my lap when I am reading or watching TV. He has a very extroverted personality and does some really interesting and crazy things. He keeps life interesting, especially at about 2 AM when he decides to join me in bed and sleep next to me. I am allergic to cats!

The other day he decided that an empty bag on the counter needed a closer inspection. A very close inspection--from the inside. The bad was on the counter and he just needed to be deep inside of it. He never panicked, but he did try to move around d. We had to save him from falling off the counter at one point. After a few minutes we pulled the bag off--he actually went back into the bag and we finally had to put the bag on the floor for him to enjoy at his leisure. 

I know why the saying that cats have nine lives exists.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - June 29, 2020

1. It is the last Monday of June 2020. The year is one day from being half over. 

Dad, Chris, Mom
Letchworth State Park, Castile, NY
June 26, 2020

2. Because some asked, here is the image of Chris with Mom and Dad at Letchworth State Park on Friday afternoon. I am behind the camera. 

3. Coronavirus still grips the land and the U.S. has become the example for the world of what not to do. Apparently one of the only countries which will accept U.S. travelers id Mexico--how weird is that?

4. Traveling to upstate New York was made a pleasant experience because there were few cars and trucks on the highways. 

Masked Moose
Rest Stop near Tioga, PA on Route 15 South
June 28, 2020

5. Why is gasoline 15 cents per gallon cheaper in New York than Maryland? Why is gasoline almost 50 cents per gallon more expensive in Pennsylvania?

6. Saw this at a rest stop in Pennsylvania driving back to Maryland yesterday. Although they are promoting face mask use in PA, they do not seem as committed as either New York or Maryland to enforcement. 


7. Independence Day is Saturday! The biggest holiday of the summer is upon us. I am saddened by the number of fireworks displays that have been canceled. 

8. I have been engaged in discussions about face mask use and effectiveness. The CDC has a page devoted to Considerations for Wearing Cloth Face Coverings which goes into some detail about the use and effectiveness of the face coverings. I also have found studies that convincingly state that face masks cannot cause CO2 poisoning. I think a lot of the "science" people use concerning health reasons for not wearing face masks is similar to that about not getting vaccinations. People looking for studies to confirm their own beliefs. 

9. Today in History. On June 29, 1995, the American space shuttle Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir to form the largest man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth.

This historic moment of cooperation between former rival space programs was also the 100th human space mission in American history. At the time, Daniel Goldin, chief of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), called it the beginning of “a new era of friendship and cooperation” between the U.S. and Russia. With millions of viewers watching on television, Atlantis blasted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in eastern Florida on June 27, 1995.

Florida’s Covid Cases Up Fivefold in 2 Weeks: ‘The Numbers Are Scary’ - The New York Times

Mississippi Lawmakers Vote to Retire State Flag Rooted in the Confederacy - The New York Times

Gunmen Wage a Deadly Battle at Pakistan’s Stock Exchange in Karachi - The New York Times

Russian bounties to Taliban-linked militants resulted in deaths of U.S. troops, intelligence assessments say - The Washington Post

Pence urges mask-wearing as cases soar - The Washington Post

Intel doesn’t back up NYT on Russian bounties to kill US troops: Trump - Fox News

Chicago man kills 2 teens after they asked him innocent question: cops - Fox News

Stocks hit two-week lows, oil slides on virus surge - Reuters

Oil drops on sharp uptick in coronavirus cases globally - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

For just a moment, let us listen to the words again: "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.'' Last night when we rededicated Miss Liberty and relit her torch, we reflected on all the millions who came here in search of the dream of freedom inaugurated in Independence Hall. We reflected, too, on their courage in coming great distances and settling in a foreign land and then passing on to their children and their children's children the hope symbolized in this statue here just behind us: the hope that is America. It is a hope that someday every people and every nation of the world will know the blessings of liberty.

-- Address to the Nation on Independence Day, July 4, 1986



-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Fly Away Day

Young Wrens
Ithaca, NY
June 27, 2020

I missed the departure of the robins from the nest at my house, but I was able to see two wrens exit their home for the great big world yesterday. It rained all morning, but as the skies cleared during the afternoon it was time for these two wrens to exit their nest. They hopped across the yard to a tree where their parents were urging them to go, but not yet being able to fly they huddled together at the base of the tree deciding what to do next. My job was to ensure that no predators arrived to take advantage of the earthbound birds. It was fun to watch their parents trying to demonstrate how to fly. I departed the area to allow the birds to work together without worrying about a human being too close.

Chris and I were concerned that Finnegan would be a bit too interested in playing with the birds and we kept him well away from them. He does enjoy chasing the rabbits that hop into our yard and he has learned that the robins are too fast for him. But, earthbound wrens would likely be too hard to resist. 

Within a few minutes the family of wrens departed for new locales and a bit more ground cover than the recently mowed lawn.

Finding something new to amuse myself on a rainy coronavirus day. 

— Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

Escape from Coronavirus

Dad, Me, Mom
Letchworth State Park
Castile, NY
June 26, 2020

Chris and I made our escape from coronavirus yesterday. The timing seemed right for us to complete the trip we had planned and subsequently canceled during mid-March into the wilds of upstate New York to visit my parents. 

The drive was easy due to the bright and sunny day as well as the low traffic volume. It has been some time since I have driven through the rural countryside and mountains of central Pennsylvania and upstate New York. The green hills and open farmlands are welcome change from the densely populated Washington-Baltimore region.  

But, this was a day to visit with Mom and Dad. We arrived without incident and spent a great afternoon with them. We actually enjoyed lunch in a restaurant! Yes, inside. We were the only people in one of the rooms of the Glen Iris Inn at Letchworth State Park in Castile, New York. It was a marvelous lunch surrounded by the natural beauty of the falls which Letchworth StatePark highlights. I had never been to this park before and it is another of the wonderful natural beauties which adorn upstate New York. 

The visit with Mom and Dad was great. To actually see and touch them after so many weeks of Zoom-ing.  We gave Dad his late Father's Day gift. It was late because we had originally planned to visit them last weekend and deliver it in person early, but a last minute change forced us to delay a week. 

For a day we escaped from coronavirus. We wore our face masks as required, but since we were mostly outside or seated at our table in the restaurant, the only time we had to don them was when we actually walked through the facility to be seated or to depart. 

I realized that yesterday marked my first trip outside of Maryland since February. With the cases of coronavirus on the rise, it was good to get away. 

Chris and I made a promise to make these trips more frequent.

— Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

And They’re Gone

Fledgling Robins
Elkridge, MD
June 24, 2020

It happened yesterday. Our fledgling robins fled the nest. It happened while we were out and Chris and I did not even get to say goodbye or watch them flee. When we returned, it was quiet and they were all gone. Apparently all four of them made it out successfully.

I took this image the day before and it shows how tightly they were packed in the nest. It has been fun to watch them develop from egg to feathered bird. We do miss the activity that has surrounded the nest these past couple of weeks. But, we have the use of our porch back.

Well, now, we can reclaim the hanging basket and dispose of the now empty nest. We are truly empty nesters now.

— Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

It's Not Going Away

Coronavirus has made America the laughing-stock of the world. 

Confirmed Cases by Country
Johns Hopkins Covid-19 Dashboard
June 25, 2020

Self-proclaimed as the most advanced and most powerful country in the world, the virus has exposed our weak underbelly--we have a short attention span. 

It seems that our discover it, deal with it, and be done with it approach to problem solving is not working. Coronavirus is not going away or hiding. It is unaffected by the testing we are doing. 

Deaths by Country
Johns Hopkins Covid-19 Dashboard
June 25, 2020

While it is easy to lay blame on our leaders for the debacle which is the U.S. response to the coronavirus, it is incumbent upon each one of us to be cautious and take precautions. The total numbers of cases is not because we are doing more testing--there are other measures that show trends which indicate that that statement is misleading at best and mostly untrue. I find it fairly consistent that the U.S. has both 25 percent of the confirmed cases and 25 percent of the worldwide COVID-19 deaths. 

The U.S. has so many cases because we lost interest in protecting ourselves as started to do dumb things. The number of deaths and hospitalizations are a measure that shows that we, as a society, are unprepared to deal with a threat like coronavirus. 

Don't do dumb things! 

E.U. May Bar American Travelers as It Reopens Borders, Citing Failures on Virus-- that should be a sure sign that we are mishandling the response to the virus.

We have rights, got that--but your rights stop at my nose! We need to protect each other and we need to protect ourselves. It is clear that the government needs our help--so let's be helpful and take responsibility for our own health. 

Putting our heads in the sand is not the correct approach!

That is one reason that Chris and I have canceled our mid-July trip to Florida. It is hard--but we need to take responsibility for ourselves and our health, and the health of those around us.  

The virus in not going away--we need to learn to live with it and that means changing our lifestyle.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD