Chatting with the Grandson

Beckett at Play
Glen Burnie, MD
October 23, 2026

 He is not yet two-years old, but he is fun to chat with and watch his antics.

Beckett seems to really enjoy FaceTime calls. He is a character on the phone and he is precise in identifying the callers. Pop-pop and Granma are clear when each of us is in the picture. 

But, he also continues to play mostly undisturbed. 

Beck is one of the oldest members of Generation Beta! Generation Beta have birthdays between January 2025 and December 2039. Being born during early-January 2025, Beckett is an early member of this newest generation.

I generally take a few screenshots of him while we are talking. They become true candid shots and are fun to enjoy later. 

It is almost like getting a nature shot of, for instance a bird, in its natural environment, undisturbed. 

Beckett truly is a character and Chris and I are happy we can continue to interact with him from a long-distance away. 

We expect to see him and the entire family, soon. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Troubleshooting the Light

 

Wall Switch - No Power
Tequesta, FL
October 22, 2026

The light on the veranda has not worked in a couple of months. I checked the bulb and that was not the problem. Too easy, right? So I suspected there was a wiring issue somewhere. 

The other evening, I was cooking on the grill and trying to read the temperature of the meat. I had difficulty reading the thermometer because it was dark--sunset is coming earlier and we will soon be jumping back to standard time which means darkness will envelop us earlier.

Behind the Light
Tequesta, FL
October 22, 2026

Yesterday, I decided to attack the problem. I started with the switch. I wanted to determine whether it had power or whether there was a loose connection. It had no power! Well that's a problem. Then I had a choice to make. Do I open the light fixture and see if the hot wire runs through it, or do I find the nearest wall receptacle? I chose poorly. I opened the light. Only one wire coming from the wall switch. No other problems noted.

OK, so on to the nearest wall receptacle. Eureka!

Wall Receptacle with Unattached Wire
Tequesta, FL
October 22, 2026

I confirmed the receptacle had power and then turned the circuit off. Upon opening the receptacle, the problem became apparent. As I pulled the switch out, one of the wires that was supposed to be inserted into the receptacle was almost out and as I pulled the switch out to examine it more closely, it separated from the switch.

I carefully reinserted the wire, ensuring it clipped into place. I turned the circuit back on and checked the connections with my multimeter. All was good. I then turned the circuit back off and reinstalled everything. 

We have light on the veranda again!

The project was a success!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Vote!

 

I love early voting! I have, in the past, enjoyed standing in the lines to vote. I especially remember the 2020 election during COVID and standing in the lines and being 6 feet from the person in front and wearing a mask. It was, fortunately, a nice day. 

Since then, however, I believe we have voted early in every election. It allows us to vote on our schedule. If the U.S. was dedicated to encouraging everyone to vote on one day, then it would be a national holiday with very few businesses or schools open.

I prefer early voting to mail-in voting. I mailed in my ballot for the entire time I was in the military. I missed the act of going to the polls to cast my ballot in person, hence, I like early voting because I can vote in person!

The important thing is to VOTE! (I picked purple because it is a mix of red and blue)

Election day is Tuesday, November 3rd. 

Early voting is open in some states and there is also mail-in voting.  Get out there and make your voice heard. "We the People" must make our voices heard. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

A New Watering Hole

 

Cold weather arrived this morning in Tequesta. It was the first morning since the early months of the year that I felt a cold breeze when I took Finnegan out for his morning duty. 

Tuesday at Locals
Tequesta, FL
October 20, 2026

It was 66 degrees and low humidity. Really cold. Ha Ha! I am looking forward to biking this morning.

We haven't seen temperatures this low since late-April. 

Although last evening was what we usually call Tiki Tuesday, we ventured to a different watering hole last night, Locals Pub in Tequesta. Tuesday is Smashburger night at Locals. Our friend Cody is working there and the the vibe, while very much a pub, is relaxed and believe it or not relatively quiet--even when packed with patrons as it was last night.

Locals is a different watering hole giving us an alternate place to visit when the weather is bad. And the Smashburger is excellent!

We had a really enjoyable evening and it was our third or fourth visit, so we are comfortable in the pub atmosphere. I was surprised to see a very famous golfer and his family were also in attendance last evening. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Growing Older

 

The Crew, Jeremy, Nicole, Patrick
Elkridge, MD
October 18, 2026

I realized something yesterday as Chris and I were celebrating the birthday of our oldest--who turned 50.

Ugh! 50 years ago, Chris and I became parents! That, friends, is a half century. 

We must be getting older. I suppose we should have realized it since we are both retired and living our best life. But now, we have a half-century old adult child! And I thought I was getting old when I became 50!

It was good to see our three adult children together for Jeremy's birthday, even though we were in Florida. It warms our hearts that they are finding their way together. 

So Happy Birthday Jeremy! We will see you all soon for a huge holiday.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - October 19, 2026

 1. Happy Monday again. This is now the third Monday of October. Wow! Where is the month speeding off to? There are 10 Mondays remaining in the year. We are down to single digits next week as we close out  October!

2. Family NFL Results. It was another mixed week for the family teams. The teams went 2-2 for the weekend with the Commanders playing tonight and the Dolphins on a BYE. The teams now post a 16-16-1 record for the season. 

Ravens (4-2) against Browns (4-2), 10-13

Steelers (4-2) overcame Buccaneers  (1-5), 26-19

Commanders (1-3-1) face off against 49ers (5-0), tonight on MNF 

Cowboys (2-4)  were destroyed by Packers (4-2), 13-23

Dolphins (0-5) BYE 

Chiefs (5-0) scalped Chargers (0-5), 22-6

New DieHard
Tequesta, FL
October 18, 2026

3. It was a rough day with the truck. Chris and I have not been driving our truck much, of late. Gas prices are the primary reason, since we have a really nice EV. I try to remember to start the truck and drive it--but driving just to keep the battery charged and the fluids moving does not often make it onto my list of critical things to do. It should have! I went out yesterday to start the truck and drive it. Bad news! Dead battery. And so began multiple trips to the auto parts store. The battery tested good, but never achieved a full charge after two free charging sessions. The voltage topped out at 12.2V and the cold cranking amps made it to 513 of a rated 800. I bought a new battery and installed it. I believe the five year old battery, after consultation with ChatGPT, was telling me it was about to expire when I needed it most. I want to thank the current administration for the misguided tariffs which contributed to the exorbitant battery price of over $260.

4. Abandoning Friend and Ally. Donald Trump did something even more horrific when he signed an executive order waiving nearly all of the new sanctions on Russia under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. This was a law he had signed into effect barely a month ago to honor his deceased friend, the senator from South Carolina. On the cusp of the October 18th deadline to put those measures into effect, Trump paused the sanctions, citing “national interest.” (Hope for America)  Apparently, Ukraine is no longer either a friend or an ally as abandoning sanctions gives Russia more resources to apply against them. And now an unwarned Russian offensive is underway.

5. Today in History. Hopelessly trapped at Yorktown, Virginia, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a larger Franco-American force on October 19, 1781, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.

Lord Cornwallis was one of the most capable British generals of the American Revolution. In 1776, he drove General George Washington’s Patriots forces out of New Jersey, and in 1780 he won a stunning victory over General Horatio Gates’ Patriot army at Camden, South Carolina. Cornwallis’ subsequent invasion of North Carolina was less successful, however, and in April 1781 he led his weary and battered troops toward the Virginia coast, where he could maintain seaborne lines of communication with the large British army of General Henry Clinton in New York City. After conducting a series of raids against towns and plantations in Virginia, Cornwallis settled in the tidewater town of Yorktown in August. The British immediately began fortifying the town and the adjacent promontory of Gloucester Point across the York River.

France reels from weekend violence as mayors rebuke government for security failings - Reuters

Zelenskiy says Ukraine got no warning as Russia launches major attack - Reuters

Rubio denies US paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine - Reuters

World faces nature reality check at UN biodiversity conference - Reuters

Order to limit Starshield for Ukraine came from inside White House - Reuters

Why Latino voters are swinging away from Republicans - CNN

Expedition to a remote Pacific island fails to find fresh clues in hunt for Amelia Earhart’s plane - CNN

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Wash-out

 

Downpour
Tequesta, FL
October 17, 2026

The forecast was mostly correct yesterday. The morning was nice and I was able to complete an 18-mile ride, but the afternoon was stormy. 

The afternoon storms were much more violent. 

The rain came down in volumes which the drainage systems could not handle. Many of the streets soon became rushing rivers of water headed for the inlet. 

Chris and I enjoy storms and this one was memorable for its intensity and duration. Often, here is South Florida, the storm rolls in and is gone in minutes. Not so yesterday! The storms continued all afternoon in varying intensity. 

It was an angry wind that whipped through the palms driving the rain mercilessly into the earth and buildings. While the storms were unusually strong, they were not nearly as severe as those we have experienced from the bands of hurricanes that passed through the area a couple years ago. 

I took a longer video that shows the driving rain and wind whipped palms. 

This morning, the skies are gray and filled with clouds. It is windy but a cooler 75 degrees with lower humidity. A good day to stay in and watch football. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friends and Family make Celebrations more Fun

Birthday Dinner
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
October 15, 2026

 

Birthday Flowers and Balloons
Tequesta, FL
October 16, 2026

Thursday evening, Chris and I were joined at dinner by friends to celebrate her birthday. 

We had a great time celebrating, beginning at the house for some Happy Hour drinks before heading to the restaurant. 

Celebrating events with friends and family makes it all more enjoyable. The additional people break the routine and highlight the special nature of the event. Our family could not join us for the celebration, but they were present through the flowers and balloons they sent and their encouraging and fun telephone calls. 

Throughout the day, Chris was celebrated as she received phone calls and texts.

Friends and family really do make celebrations for fun.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Kraken Lives!

 

The Kraken Lives
Tequesta, FL
October, 15, 2026

I am amused at the creativity shown in Halloween decorations around the community. Again this year, creative decorations abound. I believe the beautiful South Florida weather contributes to the variety of decorations that I see during my bike rides around the community.

The yard decorations run the gamut from skeletons of all kinds and in many poses, to pumpkins and witches crashing into trees. One that most intrigues me this year is of the tentacles rising from the yard. Two things come to mine, the most obvious might be a kraken rising from the yard to devour the house and those who approach it. I think it can be really creepy. The other possibility that comes to mind is "Day of the Tentacle," a computer game from the distant past. 

I think the image came out really well considering that I took it on my Meta glasses while coming around a corner on my bike. I rode a solid 18.5 miles yesterday and the weather was beautiful. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunlight on the Palms

Tequesta Palms
Tequesta, FL
October 14, 2026

 Sitting at dinner last evening, Chris had a good view of some palms across the street as the sun was setting. She convinced me to completely turn around in my chair to capture the scene. Although the image I took was not what she wanted, it shows how the forward palm was already in shadows while the palms to the rear remained in bright sunshine. 

We were out for dinner to enjoy another evening of good weather. South Florida has finally broken out of the cycle where the "feels like" temperature is consistently over 100 degrees. The 85 degrees with a nice breeze we were experiencing last evening was very pleasant and we enjoyed dinner al fresco. OK, it was on a veranda, but still was technically open air!

There is something special about enjoying Italian cuisine al fresco, even with the noise from the street. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL