Friday Night Lights

 It was a very different Friday Happy Hour. We went to the Tequesta Trucks N' Tunes which is held on the first Friday of the month.. 

Tequesta Trucks N' Tunes
Tequesta, FL
February 4, 2022

Live music, food trucks, kids, activity, and outdoors fun on February 4th!

It was a beautiful afternoon. Chris and I spent some time at the beach getting "rays" trying to cast off the pale Northern look. For cruising into the weekend, it could not have been a better start. The music and food continued into the evening, well after sunset as the community gathered to celebrate a new month.

Chris and I enjoyed the evening. It was warm and we were wearing shorts and short-sleeved shirts. I was very nice to be celebrating the arrival of February in a warm and inviting setting. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Birds of the Beach

Seagull
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
February 3, 2022

Chris and I enjoyed another great Happy Hour on the beach the other night. The waves were crashing on the beach, the ocean has been very rough this week.

The warm sun and temperatures have made enjoying the beach a great February pastime. Chris and I are attempting to get there everyday and especially when the temperatures are in the high 70s and low 80s as they have been most of this week. 

The birds have been very active as well. I managed this image of a seagull which was hoping for hand-outs from our evening Happy Hour munchies. Frankly, I don't know how I managed this shot as the seagull was moving so quickly and he was so close. 

Osprey with Catch
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
February 3, 2022

We have also enjoyed watching the osprey hunt. We also saw this osprey after having made a successful catch. I missed seeing the actual catch, but this bird was headed for its nest with dinner. 

Along with being mesmerized by the waves and enjoying the breeze the birds provide something to watch, enjoy, and marvel about. Not to be outdone, the fish sometimes take center stage by jumping from the water. I saw a huge splash which was reportedly a spinner shark, but I did not see the shark in the air as my eyes were focused elsewhere. 

I am beginning to settle into retirement. Walking the dog and biking in the morning. Taking care of projects and business during the mid-part of the day. And then to the beach during the mid- to late-afternoon. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Retirement Gift to Me

Cannondale Quick CX
In the Garage
Tequesta, FL
February 2, 2022

I finally decided to buy a bicycle to ride around the relatively flat lands of South Florida. I have always wanted bike and with the addition of the NordickTrac S22i studio workout cycle to my inventory last year, I have been building up to actual riding. I admit I have enjoyed biking through different countries and terrains, but the past two days of actually riding a bike have been very enjoyable. 

Chris and I have not ventured too far as we adjust to riding in different conditions and learn how to not die in traffic. 

Yes, I have appropriate safety equipment. I even have a helmet, which in my life I had never before used when riding a bike. 

I have not yet put too many miles on the bike as I am working up to longer rides, but the bike is awesome. It rides very nice and I feel very comfortable riding on it. I spent a lot of time deciding between a medium and large frame, but in the end I just felt better on the medium and so that is what I bought. It works better with my short legs.

I wonder where I will go today?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Week Wears On

 Temperatures are returning to more normal in South Florida--the reason that I am wintering here. The average high temperature is around 76 degrees. Yesterday it reached, officially, 72 but it was a bit warmer in reality. 

Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter, FL
February 2, 2022

Chris and I went to the beach during the afternoon when it was warmer. This was after walking and then biking. We enjoyed having there entire beach to ourselves. I took a panorama to document our "alone-ness" on the stretch of beach. And remember er, it is high season here--all of the other "snow birds" are in town. Sadly, the wind coming off the ocean was a bit cool and so we departed after about an hour; retreating to the intracoastal side of Jupiter Island to enjoy the warm afternoon sun and water.

Today the temperature is expected to reach 76 degrees, or higher. I am watching the ice and snow storm sweeping through the country which is reaffirming my decision to winter in South Florida. 

And to think, it is Friday-eve! An absolute bonus. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Groundhog Day 2022

 

Punxsutawney Phil this Morning
Making the Prediction 
 at Gobblers Knob
Punxsutawney, PA

Happy Groundhog Day!

Yup, it is back again for another year.

I have been watching the livestream from Gobbler's Knob awaiting the prediction from Punxsutawney Phil. Part of me wishes that I could be there to see it in person--but the sane part of me knows that it is just too cold. That written, there was a huge crowd on hand to witness the event in person. 

Ground Hog Day is truly a uniquely American event and that makes it even more interesting and exciting. 

This morning they declared the largest mid-week crowd attending in person in the history of Groundhog Day.

And the prediction was-- Six more weeks of Winter. 

I am happy to be in Florida!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

From Cold to Warm

Chris and Finnegan Afternoon Beach Walk
Jupiter Island, FL
January 31, 2022

Despite the cold temperatures during the morning, yesterday turned into a very enjoyable afternoon which included a beach walk to stretch our legs after hunkering down against the cold temperatures of the weekend. I admit, it was not as cold here over the weekend as farther north, but it was in the 30s to start the days and that meant walking the dogs was an unappealing chore. 

One of the big differences between living in Maryland on our very private lot and here in modified condo living is taking care of the dogs. Unlike Maryland where I can let the dogs run the yard when they have needs, here they must be walked on a leash every time they go outside. That means either Chris or I need to be on the other end of the leash. 

Egret on the Beach
Jupiter Island, FL
January 31, 2022

Being on the other end of the leash is not all bad. For instance, yesterday we went for an afternoon beach walk once the temperatures achieved the mid-60s. It was windy, but the sun was warm and the time on the beach was enjoyable. Truth be told, Finnegan actually gets some off the leash time if the beach is devoid of people, which is usually the case. Yesterday he attempted to herd birds. That did not work too well as the birds simply took flight when they got tired of being chased. That frustrated Finnegan because of course he doesn't to have wings--he is a dog.

One of the birds that Finnegan attempted to "herd" got the better of him. This particular bird was wading the water on the rocks and Finnegan does not like to get his feet wet--that is a problem when it rains as well. The bird craftily placed a pool of water between himself and Finnegan which the dog did not notice. After racing full speed into the pool, Finnegan came to a full stop with his back feet going up in the air much like a bicycle back wheel rises up when the only the front brake is applied. It was pretty funny, although Finegan did not think so. The bird looked at the dog, appeared to laugh, and then calmly flew off to another spot in deeper water. 

And that is how we spent part of the last day of January 2022!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - January 31, 2022

 

1. Welcome to the last Monday of January 2022. There are 47 Mondays remaining in the year and today is also the last day of January. February begins tomorrow. The New Year is no longer new. 

2. The Super Bowl competitors are set. The game between the LA Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals will occur on February 13th. The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl, but have appeared in two, the last being 1989. The Rams, as St Louis or Los Angeles, have appeared in four Super Bowls, losing three and winning in 2000 as St Louis with Kurt Warner as quarterback. The current LA version of the Rams lost to Tom Brady and the Patriots in 2018--which was their most recent appearance.

3. Driving in Florida is much like being involved in a road race. Drivers speed and swerve everywhere without regard for speed limits and traffic. I have seen some really crazy things happening at high speeds on the Turnpike and Interstate. Wow! No wonder the insurance rates are so high.

4. War and rumors of war. The situation between Russia and the West over Ukraine is dangerous and I do not understand what Putin's goal is in moving to the brink of war.

5. Even though the temperature here was in the 30's on Saturday, the high for this coming Friday is expected to be 80! 

6. I bought a new TV yesterday to replace a decades old one. I was amazed at how easy set-up has become. I remember the old days when it took hours to get a new TV set-up and ready for action. This happened in minutes. The hardest part was inputting the WiFi password. 

7. Today in History. On January 31, 1950, U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly announces his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan during World War II.

Five months earlier, the United States had lost its nuclear supremacy when the Soviet Union successfully detonated an atomic bomb at their test site in Kazakhstan. Then, several weeks after that, British and U.S. intelligence came to the staggering conclusion that German-born Klaus Fuchs, a top-ranking scientist in the U.S. nuclear program, was a spy for the Soviet Union. These two events, and the fact that the Soviets now knew everything that the Americans did about how to build a hydrogen bomb, led Truman to approve massive funding for the superpower race to complete the world’s first “superbomb,” as he described it in his public announcement on January 31.

Rents are up 40 percent in some cities, forcing millions to move - The Washington Post

Ukraine leader’s message is don’t panic. That’s making the West antsy. - The Washington Post

Fed grapples with how to raise interest rates without hurting the economy - The Washington Post

Hillsong pastor steps down to fight charge of concealing his father’s alleged child sexual abuse - The Washington Post

Stock Futures Waver on Final Day of Tumultuous Month - The Wall Street Journal

Russia to Face U.S. in Rare U.N. Security Council Debate - The Wall Street Journal

Omicron Pushes World Toward Accepting Covid as Fact of Life - The Wall Street Journal

Britain warns Russia of sanctions on oligarchs if Ukraine is invaded - Reuters

Rising geopolitical tension and demand send oil price outlook soaring - Reuters

North Korea fires longest range missile since 2017 - CNN

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Reflection on a Month

Sign at the Flamingo Gardens
Ft Lauderdale, FL

One month ago today I walked out of my former place of employment for the last time and began my journey into the land of retirement. I miss all of my former coworkers and friends and hope they are well.

Since my retirement, it has been a wild month. Flying to Florida on my last work day, time in Houston, and then back to Maryland just long enough to close the house and return to Florida before the Blizzard of 2022. 

I have visited with a lot of my family and said good-byes to friends. Amazingly, Chris and I have enjoyed multiple days around fire pits even during January and in Maryland--before the storms. And I have been to a flamingo center to enjoy my favorite birds. 

It was at the Flamingo Gardens Botanical Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuary that I came across perhaps the most the most important piece of advice for dealing with retirement. I took an image of the sign. What does the sign mean to me? Don't sit around waiting for life to come to me because the only thing that comes without asking is poop, and I really don't want to clean that up.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

A Top 10 Happy Hour

Carlin Park Beach
Jupiter, FL
January 28, 2022

Happy Hour at the beach last night was one of the most unique adventures that I have lately enjoyed.

The evening almost did not happen because the temperature was cool and the winds were blowing. Both Chris and I believed that it would be too windy and cold to enjoy time on the beach watching the waves.

We were wrong. 

At almost the last minute we decided to meet friends at the beach for Happy Hour--an early one about 3:30 PM. Why early? Because I'm retired and I can!

It turned into an incredibly enjoyable event. 

The weather was milder on the beach than anticipated because the bright sun kept us warm despite the constant breeze. But that was not the best part. First off, the waves were magnificent. They were curling and breaking just offshore like waves we have seen in California and Hawaii. And there were surfers enjoying the rough seas despite the red flag warnings posted on the lifeguard stands. 

As a reminder of how rough the water was, one of the surfers was smashed onto the shore by a wave. He shook the collision with the beach off, but his surfboard was not so lucky as it was broken in half.

Friday Evening Beach Wedding
Carlin Park Beach
Jupiter, FL
January 28, 2022

But wait, there's more!

As if the activity of the waves and surfers were not enough, a wedding occurred behind us complete with music, vows, attendants, and witnesses. It was an intimate affair and we were fortunate to be able to enjoy the activity. 

I thought the wedding set-up was well done and thought out. We had met the three-year old ring-bearer in the parking lot as he was throwing a fit because he had to wear a bowtie. He later departed, mid-ceremony, to chase a seagull and had to be shepherded back by his mother.

We enjoyed watching the activity and celebrated with the invited guests when the couple was pronounced married. 

This Happy Hour was high up there on the list of top 10 Happy Hours!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Different Every Day

Walking Along the Beach at Ocean's Edge
Jupiter Island, Florida
January 27, 2022

Yesterday had a perfect beginning and ending to a day. Temperatures were in the high 60's during the morning and high 70's at sunset--and the beach is where the daylight portion of the day began and ended.

The sunset was not spectacular over the intracoastal waterway, but it was fun to watch the developing colors--muted though they were by the clouds. 

The morning beach walk was especially interesting. I was surprised at how the color of the ocean changed during the morning walk. It was gray and uninviting when we began, but resolved into beautiful blue as the clouds cleared and Chris and I walked along Jupiter Island Beach. 

Ending the Morning Beach Walk
Jupiter Island, Florida
January 27, 2022

That is what makes walking along the beach so interesting and exciting--it is different every day. There are new things to find, scenes to enjoy, and even the heights of the waves and their sounds crashing onto the beach are different. Yesterday was classic in that sense. The beginning of the walk saw gray clouds and green and gray water, but the conclusion of the walk was under a bright sky with blue water. All of the transformation happened while we were walking. It made the walk unique--not like walking the same path through the neighborhood day after day.

The day marked my first visit to the beach since returning to Florida on Sunday. The days have been either too cold or rainy to make a beach walk enjoyable--but yesterday's walk was truly special watching the ocean transform before my eyes. 

Today? Who knows, but one thing I do know is that it will be different.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL