Monday Musings - August 30, 2021

 

1. August is passing. This is the final Monday of the month and there are 17 Mondays remaining in the year.

Wooly Worm
Elkridge, MD
 August 28, 2021

2. I happened upon two more woolly worms Saturday. They, like the previous one I found, were totally black which is a prediction of an unusually hard Winter. 

3. The Orioles have managed to start another winless streak. After finally winning two games, they have gone 0-3. The prospects for a dismal ending to an unremarkable season are growing.

4. The summer is lingering. The heat and humidity are keeping the area hot and steamy. I have enjoyed being outside in the pool.

5. The lawn has begin to go into its Autumn look. There are leaves falling form the trees which make the season seem much later than it really is. 

6. I have suspended quoting Ronald Reagan every Monday.

7. Darkness is descending upon the land. The length of the days have grown unreasonably short already and we are only just two months into the descent into the dark season. It is total darkness outside at 6:05 AM. Just four short weeks ago I had a Tee time and was playing golf at this hour. And a month ago I was able to start playing racquetball at 5:35 AM on an outdoor court.

8. Today in History. On August 30, 1967, Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. He would remain on the Supreme Court for 24 years before retiring for health reasons, leaving a legacy of upholding the rights of the individual as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

 

United Jets With Engines in Denver Incident May Not Fly Until Next Year - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Targets Suspected Suicide Bombers in Kabul Drone Strike - The Wall Street Journal

North Korea Appears to Have Restarted Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Again Records a Daily Average of 100,000 Covid Hospitalizations - The New York Times

Charles M. Blow: Ron DeSantis, How Many Covid Deaths Are Enough? - The New York Times

New Zealand's Auckland stays in lockdown, officials report Pfizer-linked death - Reuters

China August factory activity seen growing at slightly slower pace - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rise and Shine Golf

Clifton Park Golf Course 18th Tee
Baltimore, MD
August 29, 2021

 I was told by Jeremy, my oldest son, that as his alarm went off this morning he wondered, why he set an alarm for Sunday? 

Then he realized: Golf!

I picked him up at 6:30 am and we headed off to the golf course for a round. We had a single golfer, Dave, added to our twosome and the three of us spent the next three and a half hours enjoying the successes and perils of Clifton Park Golf Course. 

The day started out cloudy and drab but by the 17th hole the sky had cleared and the sun began shining brightly, with is great because the view from the 18th Tee is stunning.

To be honest, Jeremy and I both started out poorly. It almost looked as if we had never played the game before. But, we were hitting much better by the time we reached the back nine. I was four strokes better on the back nine than the front nine. I still wasted too many strokes all over the course. At times I felt as if I were in a pitched battle against my clubs and they were resisting my attempt to get solid contact on the little white ball. 

Dave made the comment that golf spelled backwards is flog and that is what golfers do to themselves after poor shots. I flogged myself quite a bit today, but in the midst of it all I managed to sink two long putts--over 30 feet each. In fact, I had a great putting day averaging 1.67 putts per hole! It was the entire rest of my game that was a shambles. 

And that is why I love golf. To borrow a quote from Forrest Gump, changed slightly, Golf is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

1st Outing, 1st Win

 

I stepped back onto a baseball field as a coach for the first time since Covid-19 this morning in Severn. I am helping with the Severn Seminoles 14U team. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the thrill of coaching in a game helping to mould young ball players. 

As can be seen from the partial box score to the left, the Seminoles were successful in their first outing. It was a great first outing and the boys actually had fun and enjoyed the game even in the oppressive heat of the morning. 

It was a bit weird playing a baseball game when there were football games happening on a nearby field--but that is what Fall Ball is all about. Keeping the baseball skills sharp while developing into well rounded baseball players. 

The box score is really very good. Everyone contributed and since it is Fall Ball we used 5 pitchers to give the most opportunities to everyone to get back onto the mound and deliver a pitch for the team. 

The game ended due to the time constraint--but the two teams were fairly evenly matched. 

Most importantly, we all had fun coaching or playing a game that we love.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Two in a Row

 

AL East Standings as of Games Through August 26, 2021

For 19 straight games the Orioles found creative ways to lose baseball games, and now they actually have a two game winning streak.

The Orioles wine for the second time in as many tries yesterday. It was the longest winning streak of the month! During August, the Orioles have managed to amass the worst record in baseball. They are the 30th best team in the league--there is no number 31. 

But the team enters a stretch of 10 games against divisional opponents starting tonight. They could start another 10 game or longer losing streak--but, time will tell. 

A disappointing season continues. But, the Orioles need to get to 47 wins to avoid taking over the 15th position on the all time worst teams in the modern baseball era. With 36 games remaining, I wonder if that is possible?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Damaged Butterfly

Juvenal's Duskywing
Elkridge, MD
August 24, 2021

I found a sad butterfly in the yard the other day. 

It was damaged and struggling in the grass. I really didn't realize how damaged this creature was until I looked up in the guides to identify it. 

I believe it to be a Juvenal's Duskywing--but there are important parts missing along the bottom of the wings. Look at how ragged it is. I am open to a better identification if someone has one. 

I helped the butterfly out of the tall grass and into the air. It managed to fly away before I could place it on a nearby bush. 

This butterfly reminded me of a lot of people that I know--damaged. We all have scars and damage that we contend with daily. The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting how damaged we are as a society right now. The "Me First" movement has gone a bit too far and people are forgetting that through our own personal sacrifice and giving we make everyone stronger.

I hope the damaged butterfly survives, just as I hope we as a society can survive.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Standing on 38

The Orioles streak continues--19 in a row!

Amazingly, that is how many consecutive games the Orioles have found a way to lose. 

And it has not been pretty. 

In fact, I has been downright disappointing.

The Orioles have had 38 wins since I can remember. All hopes for a 60 win season are gone--there are only 38 games remaining in this disappointing season. Given the current stretch even making it to 50 wins would be an accomplishment.

In fact, it is possible that the 2021 Orioles could finish with less wins than the 2018 Orioles who managed 47. They might take over 15th on the all time list of worst MLB teams in the modern era.

For a rebuilding year, I had much higher hopes. 

I am sure the Orioles also had hoped for a better outcome.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bees in the Trees

Wasp Hive in a Crab Apple Tree
Elkridge, MD
August 22, 2021

Bees and wasps are in the late stages of gathering and preparing for the upcoming winter season. Chris and I noticed a large hive the other day while on our walk. The wasps were very busy streaming in and out at an incredible pace. 

We were walking along Ducketts Lane, a very busy area near the Elementary School when we saw the busy hive. Fortunately, even though the hive was directly above the street the wasps were so busy that they did not bother us as we stood directly under it and admitted its size and the steady stream of insects that were flying in an out. 

I wonder how many, or if any, children have been stung?

It is truly interesting what we can find if we keep our eyes open during walks.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 23, 2021

 

1. OK, at some point I thought today was the 24th. It isn't. It is the fourth of five Mondays in August, the 23rd. There are 18 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. 18 is an interesting number. It is the number of consecutive losses recorded by the Orioles during their current losing streak. The Orioles are not the worst team in the Major Leagues. If this were Premier League Soccer, they would be relegated to the Minor Leagues next year. The Orioles have almost no hope of winning even 50 games this season. It this is the definition of rebuilding, I worry about the definition of deconstruction.

Chris looking at Sunflowers
Fulton, MD
August 22, 2021

3. Yesterday, Chris and I drove out to Fulton, MD, to look at a field of sunflowers. That may seem crazy to some, but since we both grew up in relatively rural Central New York getting back to a farm and seeing fields grounds us both.

4. Chris and I contracted with a company to upgrade our kitchen cabinets. They took the doors off the cabinets and took them away for processing. That was well over a month ago. The project is moving forward at tectonic-pace. I am not sure when we will have a complete kitchen again.

5. It has been a rainy and warm summer. At least the grass has not gotten brown. Wait, that means that I still have to mow every week, Ugh!

6. The journey into the future is fraught with missteps, the successful will find a way to continue moving forward despite the forces that would keep us looking backwards.

7. Today in History. August 23, 1927. Despite worldwide demonstrations in support of their innocence, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are executed for murder.

On April 15, 1920, a paymaster for a shoe company in South Braintree, Massachusetts, was shot and killed along with his guard. The murderers, who were described as two Italian men, escaped with more than $15,000. After going to a garage to claim a car that police said was connected with the crime, Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested and charged with the crime. Although both men carried guns and made false statements upon their arrest, neither had a previous criminal record. On July 14, 1921, they were convicted and sentenced to die.

Pentagon Orders Airlines to Help Fly Afghan Evacuees From Foreign Bases - The Wall Street Journal

Taliban Seek Allies as Clashes Erupt in Northern Afghanistan - The Wall Street Journal

Henri, Now a Tropical Depression, Batters Northeast With Record Rain - The New York Times

The U.S. Is Getting a Crash Course in Scientific Uncertainty - The New York Times

Third Pfizer dose significantly lowers risk of infection in seniors, Israeli data shows - The Washington Post

Monoclonal antibodies are free and effective against covid-19, but few people are getting them - The Washington Post

Firefight involving Western forces at Kabul airport, Afghan guard killed - Reuters

UK's Johnson to push Biden for Afghan deadline extension - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

On October 19, 1781, the British forces under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, to General Washington and our French allies. That surrender signified the practical end of the struggle by our forefathers for liberty and independence. The impossible dream of those patriots was about to be transformed into the reality of a bright new Nation.

As the King's troops came slowly down the road to the surrender field, legend has it that they struck up the tune, ``The World Turned Upside Down.'' And, indeed, the old order was to be turned upside down, for the creative powers of democracy were about to be released on an unsuspecting world.

This year marks the two hundredth anniversary of the surrender. October 19, 1781, was a major date in the development of America and her freedoms; and today, two centuries later, it remains an important reminder of our identity as a nation. The anniversary is also an appropriate time to recall the assistance France gave to America's revolutionary struggle. We, as Americans, are the product of many victories, many sacrifices, and many hopes. The campaign at Yorktown is a historic example.

Proclamation 4857 -- Yorktown Bicentennial - September 14, 1981

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Golf and Baseball

 

Plugged Drive 4th Hole
Timbers at Troy
Elkridge, MD
August 21, 2021

It was a sports-themed Saturday. I started the day on a soggy golf course and ended it around my pool hosting a baseball team party. 

The golf course was very wet. I was unlucky enough to hit a drive off one tee that plugged upon ground impact. That really hurts because there are no additional yards from the roll out and I need every yard that I can get. It was however funny to watch the ball hit the course and not move almost like someone grabbed it. 

The afternoon and early evening were filled with the Severn Seminoles 14U Baseball Team doing a team building event in the pool and one the yard in preparation for the upcoming Autumn season. The boys were full of energy and did some great bonding which we hope will carry onto the field as the team faces some of the best teams in the region.  The first scrimmage is Saturday and the team will compete in at least four tournaments. 

What a great and full day.

— Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

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And Back to Saturday

Otium Cellars
Purcellville, VA
August 14, 2021

The week passed fairly quickly. I am amazed at how quickly it did pass. 

It is Saturday, again. Yay.

I am heading out for an a more reasonably Tee time this morning and to start the day on a likely soggy golf course.

Hey, a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day in the office? Right? Well, except on a Saturday when I would be at home anyway. 

Last Saturday began in a hotel room in Leesburg followed by a great day of wine tasting. 

Today promises to be even better with golf and a huge pool party for the Severn Seminoles 14U baseball team.

I hope the rain holds off.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD