Christmas Comes Early

 

Rocky's ACE Hardware
Tequesta, FL
August 18, 2026

It is mid-August and the ACE Hardware put out their Christmas display the other day. I was a shocked!

I actually found the display funny as I looked at it and noticed the Christmas trees were surrounding the frozen bait cooler. It seemed perfect. Frozen bait and Christmas. I guess they go together. 

It seems that the holiday seasons are blending. As Halloween arrives on the store shelves, so does Christmas. 

And the prices! Chris and I went to Michael's yesterday for some frames and browsed through the Halloween decorations. WOW! Prices are astronomical. I can definitely see the impact of the tariffs. Who is going to pay $49.99 for a decorative pumpkin? It seems that $49.99 is the new $10. I saw even larger pumpkins marked $99.99.

It is going to be an expensive and very long holiday season. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Equipment Failure!

Well Used Biking Shoe
Tequesta, FL
August 19, 2026

 My bike shoes expired yesterday. 

It was not a pretty sight and, worse, it meant that I could not ride. I was not a happy camper. 

After doing some quick research, I was at the local bike store 15 minutes after it opened. I went home with a nice new pair of shoes. And I bought new cleats as well since the old ones were well worn. It took me about 30 minutes to install the cleats and then the new shoes ready for their first ride which was a only quick one around the community just to make sure that the shoes clip-in easily to the pedals and also, more importantly, release when required. 

Looking through the logs, I determined that the old shoes had about 6000 miles on them and one round of golf! Yea, I accidentally grabbed my biking shoes instead of my golf shoes once. That was an interesting round of golf! In retrospect, the golf round may be the reason that the right shoe failed since I'm left-handed and rotate on my right leg when swinging a golf club. 

Now I'm ready for the inaugural ride with my new shoes! But, that will have to wait for a few days since mornings are going to be busy for the rest of the week. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Flat-Water Dust Day

 

Flat-Water Loxahatchee River
Tequesta, FL
August 17, 2026

Yesterday was another flat-water day in Jupiter. As I biked across the North Fork Loxahatchee River, I saw beautiful flat water perfectly ready for boating, yet with the heat index headed over 110 degrees, it is too hot to even think about being on a boat. 

OK, not!

Sahara Dust Map
August 18, 2026

The Sahara Dust continues to keep our area too dry and too hot!

I managed an 18-mile bike ride yesterday by getting out before the heat gets too oppressive. The only problem is the Middle Schoolers gawking at me as I pass them. I'm not sure if they wish they were riding with me of just think that I am crazy for being out on a bike in the heat. 

I wish I was out on a boat. I bet watching the world wake from a small boat on the ocean is just great. I have watched sunrise from a cruise ship and that is great as well. 

And the day begins. It could be a record setting day temperature wise. We missed tying the record by one degree yesterday. 

It is primary election day in Florida today. Chris and I voted during the early voting and so we can relax, try to stay cool and watch the votes get tabulated tonight.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - August 17, 2026

 

1. For those keeping score, today is the third of five August Mondays. We are scampering through August. Kids are either back in school or heading to school in the coming weeks. Summer is almost over. Labor Day is a short three weeks away and there are only 19 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. Protecting ourselves from the intolerable heat, Chris and I enjoyed a relatively quiet weekend. We did enjoy dinner with friends on Saturday evening. We had fun catching up with them after both couples had been traveling. 

Beck
Glen Burnie, MD
August 16, 2026

3. The Orioles are back playing .500 baseball. Sitting at 2 games below .500, they have taken three straight from the American League leading Tampa Rays. Amazing! They are not also in possession of the third Wild Card spot in the AL. I hope this continues. They looked really powerful in their 10-2 thrashing of the Rays yesterday. They are in the defining part of the season as they are playing the Rays 7 times in 10 days. It is play for October time.

4. We had a great Facetime call with Beck yesterday. He is the cutest boy on the planet and he is so relaxed and cute when we are connected by video. 

Woodstock 1969

5. Today in History. On Sunday, August 17, 1969, one of the all-time grooviest events in music history—the Woodstock Music & Art Fair—approaches its end after more than three days of peace, love and rock ‘n’ roll in upstate New York. Rain and other delays push the festival, originally scheduled to finish before midnight, into a marathon night of music that continues past dawn.

Conceived as “Three Days of Peace and Music,” Woodstock was a product of a partnership between John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfield and Michael Lang. Their idea was to make enough money from the event to build a recording studio near the arty New York town of Woodstock. When they couldn’t find an appropriate venue in the town itself, the promoters decided to hold the festival on a 600-acre dairy farm in Bethel, New York—some 50 miles from Woodstock—owned by Max Yasgur.

By the time the weekend of the festival arrived, the group had sold a total of 186,000 tickets and expected no more than 200,000 people to show up. By Friday night, however, thousands of eager early arrivals were pushing against the entrance gates. Fearing they could not control the crowds, the promoters made the decision to open the concert to everyone, free of charge. Close to half a million people attended Woodstock, jamming the roads around Bethel with eight miles of traffic.

Trump crypto firm backs venture offering AI from restricted Chinese companies - Reuters

Trump orders Pentagon to cut back military exercises with South Korea - Reuters

US Attorney General Blanche publicly backs Pirro after Trump criticism over Reflecting Pool - Reuters

Russia hits steel plant in new strikes on Ukraine, Kyiv attacks Moscow region - Reuters

Trump’s vaccine order is counterproductive and ‘wrong on so many levels,’ GOP lawmaker says - CNN

Americans could soon pay a lot more for strawberries - CNN

Trump’s new financial disclosures are rife with conflicts of interest - MSNow

Top Admiral Praises Sailors but Concedes Hardships After Visit to U.S.S. Lincoln - The New York Times

Trump lobs curse-fueled warning against Mideast nation amid Iran war in Fox News interview - Fox News

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Feels Like 109 Degrees

Sahara Dust Coverage
August 16, 2026

 We are suffering through another day with feels like temperatures in excess of 105 degrees. At this moment it is 109 degrees. A true damper in outdoors activity. 

Palm Tree against Sahara Dust Sky
Tequesta, FL
August 16, 2026

We are also experiencing Sahara Dust, which is making a bad problem worse. South Florida is the only part of the country besieged with the Sahara Dust right now. The clear sky is not blue, but white. I took an image of the palm tree outside against the clear sky. It is clearly not the cerulean blue to which we are accustomed.

Fortunately the Orioles game was televised here and they actually defeated the Tampa Rays for the third game in a row! I at least had a viable diversion.

It is hot!

It is humid!

It is not only uncomfortable, but it is unhealthy and dangerous.

I asked Chat GPT how many days in a row the Heat Index has reached 105 degrees or greater and here is the answer:

Tequesta appears to be on a 7-day consecutive streak of heat-index readings/forecasts reaching at least 105°F, running from Monday, August 10 through today, Sunday, August 16, 2026.

The evidence is unusually strong because the National Weather Service has issued Heat Advisories covering Palm Beach County/South Florida on each of those days:

• Aug. 10: Heat Advisory for Palm Beach County; dangerous heat beginning the current streak. 
• Aug. 11: NWS Miami reported a Heat Advisory for all South Florida, with 105–110°F heat indices. 
• Aug. 12: 105–110°F expected. 
• Aug. 13: 105–110°F expected. 
• Aug. 14: Heat Advisory with heat indices potentially reaching 110°F. 
• Aug. 15: 105–110°F expected. 
• Aug. 16 (today): NWS Heat Advisory from 11 a.m.–7 p.m., with 105–110°F expected throughout South Florida. 

So today makes day 7.  (Chat GPT)

And the heat is expected to continue!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Contempt Continues

USS Abraham Lincoln

 It is obvious, once again, that neither the president nor the Secretary of Defense have any real concern for the military people they are sending into harm's way. 

• Speaking to reporters in Washington before departing for an event in Long Island, Trump snapped, “No, they’re not,” when a reporter suggested family members of U.S. servicemembers aboard the vesselgrowing concerned about the crew, which has spent more than eight and a half months at sea.

  Asked whether the deployment had gone on too long, Trump said its deployment had lasted “not nearly long enough.” He acknowledged, however, that the Navy would soon be replaced by “with another very similar ship.” [emphasis added] (Daily Kos)

Trump and Hegseth
USA Today
undated

Likewise, Secretary of Defense Hegseth dismissed reports of difficult living conditions and limited food as false news.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday claimed that conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier have been “completely misrepresented” following reports that sailors, struggling with low morale during a grueling deployment, have attempted to jump overboard. (The Hill)

The family members of sailors aboard the aircraft carrier are making convincing arguments that the two most senior leaders of our nation's military are either woefully under informed or are consciously distorting the truth.

A BBC story lays out the situation fairly well devoid of the bias associated with U.S. media. The story, titled, 

Conditions on US aircraft carrier at sea for more than 250 days raise alarms

Thousands of US military members who have lived aboard an aircraft carrier for more than 250 days are reportedly contending with food shortages, broken plumbing and exhaustion, leading lawmakers to demand answers from the Pentagon and pressure the Trump administration over the Iran war.

Military news outlets reported that some USS Abraham Lincoln sailors had attempted to jump overboard, while families have raised concerns about mental health aboard the ship.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth called reports of conditions "completely misrepresented" on Thursday. (BBC)

This shows that neither man really cares about the people being tasked to carry out their orders. I call that contempt. It should be remembered that the USS Gerald Ford experienced similar problems during its nearly year-long combat deployment. 

‘Psychological Breaking Point’: U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier Gerald R. Ford Has Been Pushed to Its Limits

What would the appropriate response to the reports look like? 

Instead of denying the reporting, taking responsibility and saying that they are concerned about the sailors and all military personnel assigned to the region and that they will look into the matter and that if the reports are true, the problems will be expeditiously resolved. 

Trump and Hegseth are abusing the preeminent combat force in the world and rendering it ineffective through overuse and inadequate support.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

TGIF, again

Jupiter Sound
Tequesta, FL
August 13, 2026

 Friday has rolled up on us, again. I really do not know where the week has gone. Chris and I have been busy and active, but not in a crazy like fashion. 

Last evening we made our way to Tiki52 to enjoy the atmosphere and some adult beverages. We went mostly because I forgot to plan something for dinner, oops! What a punishment, dinner at my favorite watering hole. I wonder if that will happen again?

I spend part of the afternoon making ice cream--well until I ran out of vanilla. After a trip to the store for vanilla and too many other items, I finished up the ice cream making. My newest attempt is blueberry ice cream. We will have to see how it comes out. I also made some sorbet--which is ridiculously easy to make. 

Today starts early as Finn has a grooming appointment at 8:30!

And here we go!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Due Diligence

Flat River Clear Sky
North Fork Loxahatchee River, Tequesta, FL
August 12, 2026

 Sometimes doing due diligence is not enough. 

Chris and I headed out for some afternoon shopping with the intention of doing Happy Hour while we were out. It was another day of dangerous outdoors temperatures and we needed to get out of the house. 

I managed an 18-mile ride during the morning while the feels like temperature was still in the 90s. It was soaked with sweat by the time I made it back home, but I completed the ride. 

For the afternoon, we had received a discount coupon in the mail for one of our favorite shops--they have both men's and women's clothing. The additional items they carry are sandals by my favorite company, OluKai. They are the same price as on line and so I do not have to wait for them to be shipped. My current pair of sandals were in desperate need of retirement. 

My New Sandals
Tequesta, FL
August 13, 2026

I checked the exclusions on the 25 percent off card and did not see anything listed for shoes or OluKai. So, we headed off to the store. Upon arriving, we looked at their merchandise and I found a new pair of sandals. I also picked a new shirt in the popular color for this autumn.

Well, turns out I did not grasp the importance of the fine print on the discount coupon. OluKai were excluded under an innocuous phrase that told me to see the stated website for the complete list of exclusions. Ugh! I had been pretty excited about a 25 percent discount on something that almost never goes on sale. So even with my dreams of a great deal on sandals crushed, I did get 25 percent off on a new shirt. The sales staff were very nice and gave me a consolation gift, a discount card for food from the bar or restaurant. 

So even though I thought I had done due diligence, apparently there are loopholes the require in-depth research.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

To the Mall for Shopping and Walking

Parking Lot at The Gardens Mall
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
August 11, 2026

 Where to go on a day when the stress index temperature reaches 106 degrees? 

Well, to the mall of course! 

With school back in session, I have noticed more traffic. That was surely the situation as Chris and I made our way to The Gardens Mall yesterday. There are a number of places we like to go in the mall, among them are Cooper's Hawk, the Apple Store, and a women's shop for nice dresses, Lilly Pulitzer. We also frequent the Tommy Bahama store, but did not visit yesterday.

I had two appointments at the Apple Store, both for watches. The Model 8 I inherited from my Dad died during the cruise. It gets hot on the charger, but does not turn on. My older Model SE battery was down to 68 percent capacity. The SE was covered under AppleCare and after confirming my diagnosis, they accepted it for repair fully covered by my policy. Notice I did not say free--because it isn't free, I pay monthly for AppleCare.

Apple Watch Box
Tequesta, FL
August 12, 2026

My Dad's watch, however, was a different story. It was declared dead: a total loss and not repairable. Since it was not on my AppleCare, I was offered the opportunity to pay to replace it with a Model 8 with the replacement not eligible for AppleCare, OR buy a new watch which could be fully covered for not a whole lot more. I went with a new Series 11 watch and added it to my AppleCare. Upon opening the watch at home later, I was reminded that I have always been fascinated with the packaging of Apple products.

Following the watch adventure, we spent no small amount of time shopping at Lilly Pulitzer's. Chris found some new clothes which she will use to update her wardrobe. 

From there it was off to Cooper's Hawk for Happy Hour. It wasn't quite Happy Hour when we arrived, but who really cares? We are members of the Wine Club and we had wine to pick-up.  Coming after some shopping, time at the bar was a relaxing way to slide into the end of the day before heading outside into the intolerable heat.

The important thing about the excursion was that we were out of the house, but not out in the heat! 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

It Does no Good to Complain

Flat Water but Ominous Clouds 
Loxahatchee River, Tequesta, FL
August 10, 2026

 It does no good to complain about the weather. Weather just is! 

I have been trying to get out onto the streets for a nice bike ride since we returned from the cruise. There have been passing rainstorms nearly every morning along with occasional thunderstorms. 

Yesterday looked different and I headed out. 

Sand Hill Cranes
Tequesta, FL
August 10, 2026

I enjoyed a nice ride or about an hour, and then the rain swept in and drenched me. There was nowhere to hide and I just had to keep riding and suck it up. It was funny as I passed a flag-person directing traffic through a construction zone and remarked to him, "This was unexpected." He smiled as the rain dripped off his helmet.

I enjoyed the ride, but I should have looked closer at the clouds when I snapped the image of the river in Tequesta, about 3 miles into my almost 18 mile ride. Would I have stopped? Not likely, but at least I wouldn't have been so surprised when I got wet. 

Drier weather is coming!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL