Bird Watching

Tufted Titmouse
Odenton, MD
July 15, 2026

 I am lucky that Nicole, back in Maryland, has a Bird Buddy and that I can enjoy watching birds come and go. We are not allowed a bird feeder in our condo community because it attracts the dreaded palm rat! Providing the rats a source of food, like a bird feeder, is the worst thing a South Florida homeowner can do. Eventually, the rats will find a way into an attic and take up residence where they will chew wires and cause a biohazard mess. 

Tufted Titmouse Fluffing
Odenton, MD
July 15, 2026

Watching the birds in someone else's yard is not nearly as satisfying as in my own yard. Back in Elkridge, we had multiple feeders and varied the food for the season. During the winter, we put out a lot of peanuts for the Jays and Cardinals.

We constantly watched and enjoyed the birds. 

Now I have to bird watch vicariously, but no mess to clean up.

Yesterday was a particularly good day. A tufted titmouse put on a show, visiting multiple times and giving me a couple good opportunities to enjoy its antics. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Really Most Sincerely

 Happy Hump Day to all!

Boat Heading Down River
Tequesta, FL
July 14, 2026

I hope you partied hard to celebrate Bastille Day! Chris and I enjoyed some nice French wine last evening as part of our celebration. Really, and most sincerely, we had a very subdued celebration.

Some mornings, it seems that crises abound. Like this morning when one of the chargers failed to charge a watch and phone. I am sure it was operator error--but it still becomes a crisis. 

Yesterday, in addition to Bastille Day, I enjoyed a great ride. It was another nice day. 

I wasted a few minutes trying to capture the sun glinting off a spider's web. The camera would never actually focus on the spider and the images didn't work. 

I stopped to take the image of a solitary boat motoring down the North Fork of the Loxahatchee River. The river was pleasantly flat and I wished I had been in the boat rather than on my bike. But, I rode 19 miles and was able to enjoy the ride and the day. The weather was not nearly as oppressive as it had been which made the ride even nicer. 

As an aside, mangos are ripening and falling from the trees. They make a mess on the roads and sidewalks. Sadly, they usually do not survive the impact with the street or ground and so I have not collected any.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Lazy Days and Mondays

Happy Bastille Day

Vive La France! 

Well a busy week just got easier. 

We canceled our boat and so we have nothing on the agenda for today. That means a relaxing day. Tomorrow is already jam packed with meetings and activities throughout the day. 

Bastille Day is my second favorite foreign holiday. I think I will be looking for something French. A good French wine comes to mind. And I have a few! I just realized that the French are in involved in both of my favorite foreign holidays: Bastille Day and Cinco de Mayo. One is a jail-break to start a revolution and the other is an embarrassing defeat.

Turning to the U.S., however, the news is not so great and there is definitely no reason to celebrate. 

ICE continues out of control and we can thank the Republicans for that. If no one is above the law, then why do ICE killings continue without apparent consequences. 

Monday was definitely not a lazy day. There was an ICE killing in Maine--

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin initially told Senator Angus King that Guerrero was the target of the warrant. Hours later, Mullin called King back to correct himself. The victim was not the target. They killed the wrong person. ICE is a rogue agency. The president’s own military force, and people are dying. (Hope for America)

My thought here is, why are agents shooting the driver and not the car? Kill the car; it will stop and the driver can then be detained, questioned, and/or arrested--alive. 

Inquiring minds want to know!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - July 13, 2026

 1. Welcome to the second Monday of July. The hot month is moving along. There are 24 Mondays remaining in the year. 

View of the Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
July 12, 2026

2. On my bike ride yesterday, I stopped on the Loxahatchee Bridge in Tequesta. Despite the overcast skies, a day on the water would have been perfect. The river was flat and the sandbars seemed inviting. We are enjoying a planned boat day tomorrow, although we need to find a new spot to dock for lunch because the City Dock in Stuart is undergoing renovations. 

3. It is amazing what a good week can do for a baseball team. The Orioles came into the All Star Break riding a four game winning streak that made them 7-3 in their last 10 games and pulled them from the bottom of the division by one-half game. Even more exciting, they are only 2 games out of Wild Card contention. Hopefully they will come out of the break and begin to make a serious run at the post-season.

4. Something to be concerned about: 

The United States is currently in the grip of an outbreak of the Cyclospora parasite, which causes severe diarrhea and has sickened more than 3,000 people across the U.S. Last August, Aria Bendix of NBC News reported that on July 1, 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overseen by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., would no longer track infections caused by cyclospora and five other common causes of foodborne illnesses. (Letters from an American)

5. A very important nomination is to be considered by the Senate this week.

This week, Trump’s pick to be his second Attorney General for this term in office, his former criminal defense lawyer Todd Blanche, faces a confirmation hearing in the Senate. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:00 am on Wednesday and is expected to last for two days, including outside witnesses. Blanche will need a majority of the votes from Senators who are present to get the job.

Blanche has refused Trump virtually nothing. He supports the effort Trump launched on day one of his second term in office to erase the insurrection. It began with the pardons of Rudy Giuliani and the fake slates of electors. As Ed Martin put it, “No MAGA left behind.” It went on to include virtually everyone who was present at or involved with the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, including those charged with insurrection. It has only gone downhill from there. (Civil Discourse with Joyce Vance)

6. Today in History. Outraged and saddened after the acquittal of George Zimmerman, the Florida man who killed a Black teenager in 2012, Oakland, California resident Alicia Garza posts a message on Facebook on July 13, 2013. Her post contains the phrase "Black lives matter," which soon becomes a rallying cry and a movement throughout the United States and around the world.

Garza said she felt "a deep sense of grief" after Zimmerman was acquitted. She was further saddened to note that many people appeared to blame the victim, Trayvon Martin, and not the "disease" of racism. Patrice Cullors, a Los Angeles community organizer and friend of Garza, read her post and replied with the first instance of #BlackLivesMatter.

Trump invested crypto gains in stocks and bonds, filings show - ReutersIran escalates attacks across the Gulf after more US strikes - ReutersWildfire rages near Paris as heatwave scorches Europe - ReutersAllies to muster more air defence aid for Ukraine as battlefield momentum shifts - ReutersFrance set to summon Russian ambassador to Paris over alleged cyberattack campaign - ReutersWhy Americans could feel inflation pain for years despite cooling prices, economists say  - CNNTrump election task force to begin releasing classified intel documents - MS NowFBI analysts fired after refusing to join Georgia 2020 election probe - MS NowAmerica's biggest retirement overhaul since 1935 may be quietly taking shape - FoxNews

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Sunday Morning

 

Sandhill Cranes
Tequesta, FL
July 12, 2026

It was a cloudy morning--and perfect for a bike ride. While the temperature was in the mid-80s, without the sun adding extra heat, the ride was one of the most enjoyable I've had in a while. I added an extra mile to my usual 18-mile ride just to revisit an area I had been ignoring. 

Construction in Progress
Tequesta, FL
July 12, 2026

I rode around Tequesta and stopped on the bridge peering out at the fairly flat river. There were more people out biking or walking than normal. One dog did not like me riding past and nearly pulled its handler into my path and that was a bit exciting, but overall traffic was light.

There are a number of houses in different stages of construction and I was able to see the progress. 

Getting out on the bike was a fantastic way to start a Sunday!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

A Week Ago

I cannot believe it has been a week since we celebrated the 250th Birthday of America.

It seems like it was a long time ago . . . 

In a place far, far away

Yet, it was just a short week ago, or so the calendar says. 

Why do I feel that the holiday was somehow stolen from us? That the celebration was muted. 

But it was a great celebration. 

And we need to remember the celebrations as the Dog Days deepen. It is already a very hot summer. 

According to Duck.ai, here are some of last week's news highlights:

Key News Highlights from Last Week

Political Developments

• Election Assistance Commission Changes: President Trump removed the last members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission, dismissing two Democratic commissioners and allowing a Republican member to resign. This move has raised concerns about the future of election oversight.
• 
  

Environmental Issues

• Wildfires in Spain: Spain is currently facing severe wildfires that have resulted in at least 12 fatalities. The situation remains critical as efforts to contain the fires continue.
• 
  

Scientific Discoveries

• New Dinosaur Species: A new species of dinosaur, named Uragasaurus kalasinensis, was discovered in Thailand. This plant-eating dinosaur is believed to have lived approximately 150 million years ago and had a neck as long as a cricket pitch.
• 
  

Technology and Society

• Meta's AI Image Feature Backlash: Meta faced significant criticism after releasing a new AI feature that allowed users to alter Instagram content. The backlash led to the company retracting the feature shortly after its launch.
• 
  

These stories reflect a mix of political, environmental, scientific, and technological developments that shaped the news last week.

My news note is that apparently the Iran War is not over as hostilities have resumed. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Stopped at the Tracks

 

County Line Crossing
Tequesta, FL
July 9, 2026

As I was beginning my bike ride yesterday, I was stopped by a freight train. It is a bit frustrating when that happens because the freight trains take more than a few minutes to pass. 

My 20 mile Route
Tequesta, FL
July 9, 2026

As I pulled up to the tracks there was a boy there taking a video of the train. He was on an electric bike and had apparently crossed the tracks just before the train. He got bored before the train finished passing and continues on his way.  

While I was watching the train pass, I considered changing my route a bit. I decided to do a tour around Tequesta and down into Jupiter. It wound up being a nearly 20-mile ride, but it was also slow because it bordered some busy streets and I had to use the sidewalks more than usual. I was, however, able to ride the path through Limestone Creek Park again, which made me very happy. 

I enjoyed the ride and it was a great way to start the day. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Return of the Sahara Dust

Saharan Dust Forecast For Thursday
July 7, 2026 

 The summertime scourge of South Florida has returned for a return visit. Saharan dust is filling our skies. The skies are no longer blue--they are hazy and the afternoon showers will no longer plague us. When we look to the sky we see haze. We know the skies are clear, but they are not vibrant blue. 

On the Sandbar
Tequesta, FL
July 2, 2026

Fortunately, forecasters are predicting this plume will not afflict us much past the weekend.

On the unfortunate side the plume, which seems a bit counterintuitive to me, also causes out temperatures to rise. I believe it is because the plume prevents heat from escaping. We are looking at our highest temperatures of the year for the next few days in the mid-90s and the feels like will be in about 105 degrees. 

It will be an excellent time to be out on the water, as there people were, and enjoy one of the area sandbars. I have a boat reserved for next week and am looking forward to getting back afloat. 

In other news, the Orioles have descended the division ladder to the bottom. They continue to limp into the All Star Break and likely will not recover from their dismal season. It is sad when a season that began with so much promise blows apart and crushes the fans hope.

As the summer heat continues--stay cool!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Everything Turns to . . .

 Some people have a natural capacity to take any situation and make it come out badly. 

Apparently, and now very clearly, that is one of President Trump's superpowers. 

Whom else could make a casino go bankrupt?

Since the beginning of his second term this superpower has become all too clear.

Consider this: 

Lost a war that he started

Ruined the reflecting pool

Hijacked the America 250 celebration

Destroyed the East Wing of the White House

Eroded trust in the U.S. as an ally

Allowed inflation to almost double 

Eroded economic confidence

Destroyed our economy

Strangled the world's energy supply

Allowed Iran to take control of the Strait of Hormuz

Implemented tariffs--how's that working out?

Took a solid immigration idea and made it oppressive and inconsistent. I think we all agree that deporting the worst of the worst is a good thing! If only that were actually what is happening.

Eroded health care for millions

Cast doubts on our election process. How did he get elected if the process is so bad?

Failed to support Ukraine

Confirmed that oligarchs do not make good leaders

And this is just in a year and a half!

Most recently, 

Interference with the USMNT in the World Cup resulted in the fifth largest blow-out in tournament history as the team was soundly spanked and fell to Belgium by a score of 4-1.

Yup, he did it and needs all of the blame because if the team had won, he would have taken all of the credit!

His management of personal wealth could be a bright spot for him, but, remember, he says he doesn't make those decisions. Apparently, given the body of evidence, this is true. 

Happy Hump Day!

(It's gonna get better, right?)

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Off-season Life

Busy South Florida Beach
Hobe Sound, FL
July 6, 2026

 It is the off-season here in South Florida. We look forward to this time of year when there are no crowds, fewer cars, and wide open beaches. This is exactly the time of year that Chris and I used to vacation here before we eventually bought our condo, which is now our home. 

Rainstorm over the Atantic
Hobe Sound, FL
July 6, 2026

The snow birds, as they are referred to, are gone. The roads are wide open. Reservations are not required at restaurants. It is almost idyllic. I have even noticed that our condo associations "too-small" parking lot has open spaces.

I needed to get some miles on the truck yesterday to keep the battery charged and the fluids moving. Chris, Finn, and I took a drive to Hobe Sound. We stopped at the very popular beach there. It was sparsely attended. I recall that during the busy season sometimes there are no empty spaces in the parking lot. Not so yesterday. 

I snapped a nice image of the nearly deserted beach along with the rainstorm in the distance. It was too bad we had not planned to remain on the beach with it being such a perfect beach afternoon. The waters of the Atlantic were nearly flat--a perfect day. The lifeguard station had a green flag flying--something we have only rarely seen recently. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL