Autumn Fading

Sunset occurred before 5 PM last evening here in the Baltimore region. We are within minutes of having less than 10 hours of sunshine per day. We actually cross that threshold on November 16th.

It was totally dark by there time Chris and I gathered our Happy Hour fixings up from around the fire and made our way into the house to cook dinner. 

We had enjoyed a walk before sunset and I noticed that Autumn is coming to an end. The leaves are falling form the trees and the bare branches are now plainly evident in most places. Soon the leaves will have been gathered into piles and disposed of from the yards and we will be ready for the cold part of the dark season. The snow will not be far behind.

I do, however, enjoy seeing the rays of the not-quite-yet-set-sun highlight the tops of the trees. The colors are stunning and make my soul soar. 

I am, however, looking forward to seeing the palm tree which sits just off my drive at my Florida condo. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wine Tasting Disaster

Wine Tasting in Small Plastic Cups

Chris and I decided to visit a few local wineries and vineyards to enjoy the fruit of the vine and see how the wines are progressing. We ended up visiting two wineries that we had last visited a few years ago and one winery that we had never visited. 

I was disappointed in the quality of the tastings. And of course the wines suffered as well from poor presentation.

In my mind, winemakers should ensure that their wines are presented in the best possible manner for people to enjoy and hopefully purchase. 

All three of the wineries visited were doing tastings by the flight. Which, in my mind is the worst way to do a tasting. There is little interaction with the staff and almost no knowledge transfer regarding the estate and the wines. 

At one winery Chris and I tasted 12 wines--but they were served in small plastic glasses--single serving glasses not much larger than communion cups. It is impossible to enjoy the intricacies of wine in small plastic cups which provide no space for the bouquet to develop. At least when I had decided that I wanted to taste a couple of the wines in glass, the tasting room manager accommodated me.

At another winery we were seated outside, under alleged heaters on a cold November day, to taste wines in flights of four. At least they were serves in glass--although not wine glasses. And since the day was cold the wines definitely did not overheat. The reds may have been a bit cool. As the cold November wind blew, we definitely did not enjoy the wines in the same manner that could be done in a warm tasting room with knowledgeable staff to help us understand the vintages and processing. 

The final winery's tasting was probably the most egregious. The wine tasting was $20 for three wines. They were served in wine glasses and were a sufficient pour--but the server poured the wines, placed them in front of us and went back to her computer and continued shopping on Amazon. So much for as personalized tasting experience. We did not even get a written description of the wines. Did I mention that there was only one other two-some in the tasting room? Well, at least we were in the tasting room.

Based upon our experience we likely will never return to any of the three wineries. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 8, 2021

 

1. Wow, it is already the second Monday of November 2021. Time is certainly flying by. There are just 7 Mondays remaining in the year.

2. Veterans Day is this week on Thursday, the 11th. Thank you for your service to all of America's veterans!

3. Family Monday Morning NFL Report.

    Steelers (4-3) play da Bears (3-5) tonight on MNF

    Ravens (6-2) defeated Vikings (3-5), 34-31 OT

    Cowboys (6-2) lost to Broncos (5-4), 16-30

   Washington (2-6) mercifully was on a bye.

4. There are two divisions in the NFL where every team has a winning record: AFC West and AFC North. That seems strange to me.

View from Old Westminster Winery & Vineyard
Westminster, MD
November 7, 2021

5. It was a beautiful Sunday and Chris and I went out to discover some new wineries within an hour of the house. We went to two wineries we had visited a few years ago and stopped at the Old Westminster Winery & Vineyard for lunch. They were serving outside with heaters but the cold wind made the experience less than optimal, although, the wine did not overheat.

6. Chris and I remarked that we have been enjoying some stunning sunsets the past few days. Sadly, however, yesterday's sunset came an hour earlier than the day before signaling the beginning of the dark season.

7. Today in History. On November 8, 1895, physicist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen (1845-1923) becomes the first person to observe X-rays, a significant scientific advancement that would ultimately benefit a variety of fields, most of all medicine, by making the invisible visible. 

Röntgen's discovery occurred accidentally in his Wurzburg, Germany, lab, where he was testing whether cathode rays could pass through glass when he noticed a glow coming from a nearby chemically coated screen. He dubbed the rays that caused this glow X-rays because of their unknown nature.

To Steer China’s Future, Xi Is Rewriting Its PastTo Steer China’s Future, Xi Is Rewriting Its Past - The New York Times

Antarctica Was Once a Land of Fire and Not Ice - The New York Times

SoftBank Reports $3.5 Billion Loss on China Crackdown - The Wall Street Journal

Natural-Gas Exports Lift Prices for American Utilities - The Wall Street Journal

Court Halts Vaccine Mandate for Private Employers - The Wall Street Journal

Rebels Advance Toward Capital As Ethiopia Moves Deeper Into War - The Wall Street Journal

China builds mockups of U.S. Navy ships in area used for missile target practice - Reuters

'Really, really exciting': travellers head to United States as entry ban liftedThe Great Reboot  - Reuters

Indian capital's dangerous air ruins return to school as pandemic curbs eased - Reuters

“Virtually nothing is impossible in this world if you just put your mind to it and maintain a 
positive attitude.”

---

Lou Holtz

Former Football Player

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Enjoying the Turkey

Homage to the Turkey
Elkridge, MD
November 6, 2021

The last vestiges of Halloween were removed yesterday and the Season of the Turkey replaced them. 

I enjoy the Thanksgiving season because it is so short and well defined being crammed in between Halloween and the ever lengthening Christmas season. But, the start and end points for the Thanksgiving season are well defined. The season begins on November 1st after the Halloween and Day of the Dead Celebrations and ends promptly with the arrival of Santa Claus during the Macy's thanksgiving Day Parade. 

OK--maybe it doesn't end until after the NFL football trifecta on Thanksgiving Day, but retailers are already trying to extend Black Friday. How can there be Black Friday sales already when Black Friday is still about three weeks away? 

Enjoy the Turkey and the Thanksgiving season. Christmas will be here soon enough.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

On the Docks

The Docks off 2nd Street
Annapolis, MD
November 5, 2021

Last evening we went to Annapolis for dinner. The city docks area had been ravaged by the storms a few weeks ago and so we were not really sure what we would find as we traveled through the stifling traffic to the city. 

Sunset out the Chart House Window
Annapolis, MD
November 5, 2021

The city had fared well during the storms and subsequent flooding and we did not notice any perceptible impact to the operations. We enjoyed a marvelous dinner celebration at the Chart House which included a spectacular sunset. 

Dinner with friends is always a good time and we enjoyed a solid wine with a variety of foods. 

Despite the traffic which effectively doubled the driving time to get to the city, it was a great evening and we enjoyed the pleasant, unhurried meal in a stunning location along the harbor. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Autumn Sky

 

Final Light of the Day
Severn, MD
November 4, 2021

The Severn Seminoles 14U conducted their final practice of the Fall Ball season last evening. Almost as if to wish the team well, the sky provided a stunning display as sunset happened.

I took a moment and captured the display in the sky across the sandy infield. It was cold and as the sun continued below the horizon the temperature dropped with it. I think the boys were luckier in that they were at least moving the entire evening. Coaching and not moving around much made it colder. My toes even grew cold.

The practice moved along well with the boys fine tuning some of our plays, but with the cold and the recognition that the end of the season is upon us, it was a bit hard to keep them focused. I understood, I had trouble staying focused upon the plays and the practice and not how cold I was even with four layers of clothing.

The season ending doubleheader is Saturday against two 15U teams. Should be an interesting and fun day of baseball. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Turkeys Arise

Last Year's Turkey w/Mask

 The season of the Turkey has arrived.

No--it is not yet the Christmas season! Hold off on the tacky Christmas ornaments for a few more weeks. It is time to give thanks for the bounty and blessings of the year. 

And what a year it was! 

The deployment of the COVID vaccine has helped us struggle to return to pre-COVID normalcy. I expect an unmasked Thanksgiving this year as the entire family is vaccinated! Anyone who remains unvaccinated is not reading the science and somehow believes their medical degree is superior to those in positions to make these decisions. Wait1 You don't have a medical degree? You are getting you are taking your medical advice form Fox News? OK--let's see how that plays out.

We survived an insurrection. Call it what you will, revise history however you want--it was an insurrection.

The longest war in American history ended. It was an ugly end to an ugly war, but it is over. Frankly, I've never seen so many people unhappy about ending a war, especially one with no end in sight and which was draining the treasury.

We survived the 17 year cicadas. The bugs proved once again which species really owns the planet.

The Orioles got the first pick in the draft!

And so much more. It should be a great Thanksgiving. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Autumn Arrives

Autumn Colors Beginning in the Trees
Elkridge, MD
November 2, 2021

I feel like Autumn's arrival was delayed this year. 

I have this sense that on Halloween the trees should be devoid of leaves, dark, and making scary shadows in the moonlight. As can be seen in the image I took last evening, the trees are still mostly full with leaves and color is just beginning to show. There are places in the area where the rest and yellows of the Autumn colors are on full display, but in my backyard they are still in the early stages of transformation. Of course, it was raining when I took the image.

The cold rain and 40 degree temperatures yesterday, coupled with overnight lows in the 30s should encourage the colors to appear in the trees. 

Sadly, all too soon the trees will be bare and the grays of winter will arrive. But, I will enjoy the transformation.

Another season in the cycle of life which continues.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Game 6

Will it end tonight?

The World Series is an exciting slug fest. I wonder if the Astros can stave off defeat in their home park and force a game 7. There really is not much more exciting in sports than a Game 7 of a 7-game series to decide the champion. It brings everything into play. There is no tomorrow and the teams throw everything and everyone into the game. In baseball I have seen starting pitchers come in a relievers to help win the Game 7. 

I will likely stay up late to watch the game, but probably not all the way to the end. I get up too early in the morning to see the ending of evening sporting events. 

I hope the Braves win!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 1, 2021

 

1. Welcome to November! This is the first of five Mondays in the month! The year is sliding quickly to the finish line as there remain only eight Mondays in the year!

Halloween Preparing for the Trick or Treaters 
Elkridge, MD
October 31, 2021

2. I survived another Halloween! The neighbors at the end of the cul de sac gathered in the driveway last evening to hand our candy. The kids were a bit confused, but they received candy from six houses in one stop. I might add, the adult beverages were flowing freely and the trash can fire kept us warm.

Finn Wondering if he is a dog, 
or a plaything
Elkridge, MD
October 31, 2021

3. Sometimes, I don't think that our dog Finnegan appreciates the costumes he has to wear on holidays. Like last evening, for instance. An alligator, really?

4. NFL Family Scores

    Steelers (4-3) defeat Browns (4-4), 15-10

    Cowboys (6-1) defeat Vikings (3-4) 20-16

    Washington (2-4) lose to Broncos (4-4), 10-17

    Ravens (5-2), mercifully on a bye

5. The project for the weekend was the removal of the non-functioning pool heater. It was an interesting project that took most of the day before it was finished. I was most amazed, however, when we went to the scrap yard to sell the metal to learn that copper is being bought for $3.20 per pound and that brass fittings are $.95 per pound. The 300 pounds of sheet metal netted a total of $13.

6. Today in History. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, one of Italian artist Michelangelo’s finest works, is exhibited to the public for the first time on November 1, 1512.

Michelangelo Buonarroti, the greatest of the Italian Renaissance artists, was born in the small village of Caprese in 1475. The son of a government administrator, he grew up in Florence, a center of the early Renaissance movement, and became an artist’s apprentice at age 13. Demonstrating obvious talent, he was taken under the wing of Lorenzo de’ Medici, the ruler of the Florentine republic and a great patron of the arts. After demonstrating his mastery of sculpture in such works as the Pieta (1498) and David (1504), he was called to Rome in 1508 to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel—the chief consecrated space in the Vatican.

American Airlines’ Flight Cancellations Are Latest to Disrupt Travel - The Wall Street Journal

Shanghai Disneyland Suspends Operations as Visitors Queue for Covid-19 Tests - The Wall Street Journal

Former Afghan Spies and Soldiers Turn to ISIS After U.S. Exit - The Wall Street Journal

At Climate Talks, Biden Will Try to Sell American Leadership to Skeptics - The New York Times

What if Everything You Learned About Human History Is Wrong? - The New York Times

Southwest to probe pilot's use of anti-Biden insult during flight - Reuters

U.S. says it is in talks with allies on getting Iran to agree to nuclear deal - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD