Along the Lake

Sunrise Seneca Lake
October 18, 2015

Spending four too short days in a cabin on a lakeshore provided me with the opportunity to watch the changes as the world wakes and how it affects the beauty of the world that I am watching.

This morning, for instance, I am watching the sunrise behind the hills as the world wakes. The colors are building as the dawn creeps closer and I can see autos driving along the roads across the lake from me.

Sunrise Seneca Lake
October 16, 2015

It is quiet, more quiet than I am used to back home. And it is cold this morning, 31 degrees here, but I am sure it is much colder up the hills away from the stabilizing microclimate that the lake provides. There is a frost! The leaves are turning to greet the rushing end of autumn.

Soon the trees will be naked and stark in preparation for the harvest celebrations and the winter ahead.

Geese over Seneca Lake
October 17, 2015

But just yesterday, I stood on the dock and watched a flock of geese fly overhead. Their squeaking and honking filled my heart with excitement as they gathered together in flight and headed off to find food in preparation for their trek south for the winter.

The lake was calm and the sky clear blue as I stood there. I wished, as I always do, that I could experience flight the way that they do. Together in a flock working together against the elements not even aware of the laws of flight working to keep them in the air. They are just free and flying.

I admit, I have seen the lake slate gray and cold as well, although I did not take an image of it. It was a foreboding sight.

I have appreciated this long weekend because I have reconnected with the scenic beauty of upstate New York and enjoyed one last visit before the harshness of the dark season begins. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Dundee, NY

A Pause to See the Beauty

Watkins Glen

I can joke about the gorges of Ithaca and Watkins Glen principally because I grew up here and only recently realized how special they are. I remember the saying "Ithaca is gorges." It is of course a play on words--but true nonetheless.

Last year, I was amazed at the waterfalls along the Columbia River in Oregon. I remember their magnificence and beauty. But right here, in my old backyard are also some of those same wonders of the world.

Watkins Glen up the Trail

Yesterday, I was privileged to visit two of those spectacular creations of nature: Watkins Glen and Taughannock Falls. 

Have I been there before? You bet. Did I remember the magnificence of the water rushing over the falls? No.

I admit, I am pretty focused on wine tasting and gathering material for my wine blog, but it is good to take some time to appreciate the natural beauty around me. Especially during the autumn when the colorful leaves about and provide a once-per-year view of the world.

Hiking just a short way into the Glen (as in Watkins Glen) took me into a place that I rarely visit anymore in the deep woods of a rushing New York stream and the life around it.

Taughannock Falls form the Overlook
October 16, 2015

Similarly, as the group I am traveling with visited Taughannock Falls, I remembered not only standing in the very spot on other occasions in my life, but also hiking the trail in the gorge below to the falls. 

Taughannock Falls framed in Autumn

Framed in the autumnal foliage  I am sure that I had forgotten the beauty and the power of the place. 

A stunning reminder of the beauty that resides just around the corner, if only I take a moment to pause and consider it.

Something to consider. 

Pausing on the path of life to enjoy the scenery.

-- Bob Doan, writing form Dundee, NY

Waking up on Seneca Lake

Route 15 in Pennsylvania
October 15, 2015

I am enjoying the second day of a weekend get away to upstate New York with friends to enjoy wine and the scenery as the autumn slips away into the dark period.

Yesterday was mostly a travel day, but we did manage to visit three Finger Lakes wineries to sample some of the wares and found some very nice wines. The weather was idyllic--a crisp and clear autumn day, for the trip. It was a beautiful day for travel.

View of Seneca Lake from Route 14
October 15, 2015

Of course part of the trip encompasses research for my wine blog, the time with friends and enjoying the scenic beauty of the region is  an equally good reason for a few days away. I admit, left to my own devices I would probably visit as many wineries as possible and miss the gorges and beauty of the region. I am told that balance is what is important.

Chris on the Dock of the Beach House

As day two dawns along the shores of Seneca Lake, the clouds are a bit thick and the high temperature is expected to be in the low 50s for the day. We will be heading off to Cayuga Lake to visit a few wineries there as well as visit some of the natural wonders.

For now, I am enjoying the scene of the lake outside the windows of the beach house as the dawn breaks. There is a fox checking out the the beach hoping for a duck for breakfast. 

I hope he finds something other than duck.

And the day is upon me.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Dundee, NY

Autumn Color

Autumn Arriving in
Ellicott City, MD

I noticed it for the first time last evening. A storm was brewing behind the trees and I noticed that they were beginning to show golden color rather than the cool green of summer.

The growing storm behind the trees was especially dark and helped to highlight the autumn colors.

Today is going to a classic autumn day with temperatures in the low 60's and sunshine to help highlight the changing leaves across the countryside. 

I would be happy to have them stay green, but I see the color beginning to arrive in the trees surrounding my yard. I know that the dark season is rapidly approaching and with it the cold, rain, snow, and generally foul weather.

But first, at least, I will enjoy the changing leaves as I bid good-bye to the last vestiges of the summer past.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 5, 2015

 

1. I watched the last Orioles baseball game of the 2015 campaign yesterday. I was saddened that season had ended and the Orioles were not going to be participating in post-season baseball. At least they managed to salvage a non losing record of 81-81 and swept the Yankees to close out a season of unmet high expectations.

Eisenhower Golf Course
October 4, 2015

2. Even though the weather was cool (low 50's) and overcast yesterday, I managed a round of golf at Eisenhower Golf course in Crownsville, MD. Even thought at one point it was raining, because so many other golfers had canceled it was a pleasant round and a great start to the week.

3. Watching some of the NFL games yesterday, I was amazed at how inconsistent the officiating can be especially when penalties are called during critical situations. Even the video review does not get the call right many times.

4. I am already beginning to plan my Sarasota, Florida, Spring Training get away. Sunshine, warmth, baseball and golf what could be better?

Deer in the Driveway
October 4, 2015

5. The deer are getting ready for winter. Yesterday there was one in my driveway nibbling on the acorns which had fallen from the oak trees. 

6. Interesting read: participation in children's organized sports is falling. 

7. Does anyone else think that the infatuation with pumpkin pie spice has gone a bit too far? Interesting piece, Enough with the Pumpkin Pie Spice Americas. It's Getting Embarrassing. I agree.

Arc de'Triomphe
Paris with no cars

8. On Sunday, September 27th, Paris, France, banned all automobile traffic within the city. The resulting almost 40 percent drop in pollution and noise was so astounding that more auto-less days are considered.

9. Does anyone else feel that big business is really out to get us? And it isn't just American companies as we saw with the Volkswagen diesel car scandal! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Seasonal Dysfunction

Despite the rains yesterday, we had a coffee crisis that had to be alleviated before this morning and that meant heading out to Costco for supplies.

The trip was wet, but uneventful. As an aside, I am continually amazed by the ignorance of some drivers who do not understand how to efficiently traverse a "Four Way Stop" and who also cannot park their cars. We waited in the row at Costco for a few minutes while four drivers attempted their rendition of a water ballet with vehicles while trying to exit and then drive into parking spaces. Ugh! Chris and I just parked and walked in the rain.

Christmas at Costco
in October

Costco is a warehouse store and what greeted me as I cleared the check-in line was truly a sight that I had not expected during early-October. Christmas!

Yup, Christmas is alive and well at Costco. I did not hear any Christmas music. I had expected Halloween decorations, but found Christmas--already and completely deployed! Interestingly, I did not find any Halloween decorations or costumes in the store, although they may have been strategically displayed somewhere.

I was truly amazed, and saddened. The commercialism and the loss of the Christmas's identity is complete and the season has been reduced to a retailing frenzy. 

I must confess that we even purchased two Christmas gifts because of the "if you don't get them now, they won't be there later" mentality. I'm sure that they will be lost and forgotten before the season finally arrives.

Here we are, still at the doorstep of Autumn and the leaves have not even fallen from the trees and Christmas is already displayed in the stores. What is wrong with this picture? Even worse? I have added to the problem by purchasing gifts!

I am so conflicted!

I have entered the seasonal dysfunction zone where I no longer look to the weather or the calendar to tell me what season it is, but rather to the retailers who are working to separate me from my earnings.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hidden in Plain Sight

Eastern Box Turtle

I was in the yard the other evening, hitting golf balls into the net with my 3 wood, when I missed the net and I went into the wooded area near my house to retrieve the ball.

I was a bit startled when I went to pick-up the ball and I noticed something that I was not expecting. There among the leaves and the gathering autumn was a turtle. I believe that it is an Eastern Box turtle. 

I don't see many turtles wandering through our yard. I see frogs and toads, occasionally snakes and worms; but this is the first turtle.

When I was younger, I would have picked the turtle up and carried him to the house to chow off to Chris, but now, with the salmonella scare and trying to be respectful of other creatures, I called Chris down to see the turtle as it was trying to blend into the background.

It just pays to keep my eyes open and notice the wildlife lurking about because somethines, they are hidden in plain sight.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Creative Spaces

Seasonal Entryway

Our home has a lot of space for conversation and contemplation. One of the trickiest things do is to create spaces where people can relax and enjoy themselves.

While I was in Denver, Chris took it upon herself to recreate the entryway with a seasonal brush stroke. I was greeted by the entryway as I returned home late Friday night. I enjoyed the sight and yesterday she added two pumpkins, not pictured because I took this image on Friday night. I was happy that she included my recently trimmed angel wing begonia as part of the festive sight.

But not content to stop there, we continued the theme yesterday by creating an outdoor space to relax and enjoy the earlier evenings. Combining our beach themed tiki torches with the propane fire table on the lawn created a new space. And it worked out really well. Total cost? Zero because we repurposed things already around the house, even the wooden stumps were laying in the woods waiting for something creative to happen to them.

It turned out really well, and added to my birthday celebration.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Hotel Window Returns: Denver, September 2015

Denver Afternoon
September 20, 2015

I realized that it has been a while since I was in a hotel and therefore, have not added to my series about looking out the hotel window.

I did enjoy a nice cruise this past summer, but, even thought the scene outside the cabin window does change continuously and I loved being on the balcony watching the ocean, it is not a hotel.

Sunrise in Denver
September 21, 2015

I am once again in Denver, Colorado. Yes, I come here a lot. This time, however, I am in a downtown hotel with a very different view out the window. 

I have already been treated to three stunningly different views: afternoon, dawn, and sunset.  And they are all outside my window. 

I find it amazing how the scene changes as the sun moves across the land. Unfortunately, the windows in this hotel are dirty and so the view is not crystal clear. But still is awesome.

Sunset over Denver
September 21, 2015

The clouds in the sky make all of the difference reflecting the light of the sun which has set.

Today is the last day of summer, as an aside.

I hope to fully enjoy the day as the autumnal equinox is tomorrow. 

Autumn will arrive as I sleep.

I will look out my hotel window tomorrow morning and the scene will be different, as will the season.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, Colorado

Summer's Last Weekend

It kind of snuck up on me, this, the last weekend of summer.

View of the Covered Pool with the
Vestiges of Summer

I have been so busy enjoying the pleasant evening temperatures and humidity that I had forgotten that summer officially ends with the vernal equinox on Wednesday morning. Summer slips out quietly while we are sleeping--an almost fitting end for a memorable summer, leaving during the night not wanting to linger or get caught up in a long good-bye. 

Summer's demise comes with the completion of numerous projects, not the least of which was closing the pool. Except for a few peripheral tasks, the pool was successfully closed Thursday evening. 

But even tough it is covered, the scene around the pool reveals the lingering effects of the summer--the blooming geranium, the still green ornamental grasses, and the golf target standing tall in the yard. These will soon be gone and with the gathering autumn, my near weekly golf outings will become less frequent. The desire to get home after a day of work and get to the course will eventually evaporate as sunset continues to creep forward and then daylight savings time ends.

What a Picnic Table Looks Like After
it is Decomposed

As summer slips into autumn, there will be trips to the landfill to remove the broken and no longer functioning furniture and equipment that have collected during the busy and often frenetic summer. The first trip is today to remove, among many other items, the abandoned picnic table which has been sitting just off the yard for more years than I can count. It was heavy and needed some work to allow it to fit into the truck. 

Even as autumn arrives, I will still be dealing with the remnants of summer. Raking leaves and dreaming of golfing or being on a beach somewhere. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Get them done before winter

Freshly Painted Column

We are in the end-of-summer push to get as many outdoors projects completed as possible before the onset of frigid temperatures.

Last evening, we finished painting the porch.

Yes, it doesn't seem like monumental accomplishment, however, we have been trying to get the porch painted for four years. It was one of those noxious projects that neither Chris nor I desired to tackle. 

Well, A Small Project Left to complete

And now it is done, mostly. There are a few things left to clean up to make it perfect, like repainting the doorbell plate.

I wrote about lists in a blog titled "To do" or "Not to Do?" They don't work well for me.

I am glad this project was finally removed from our To-Do list. 

Next up? 

Pool closing, beginning Thursday evening. 

Isn't autumn great? And it is still really summer, it just feels like autumn with 50 degree morning temperatures.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tales of Horror: New Appliance Installation

The phrase, "No good deed goes unpunished" has been playing over in my head a lot during the past few days.

It seems as if for every positive action there is an equal and negative reaction. 

Yesterday, for instance, our new dishwasher was being delivered and installed. The installation was planned for a day when Chris would be off from work due to a holiday and everything looked good. . . 

Until 2:15 PM, when I received a panicked call at work that the new dishwasher was too big and we were going to have to take the floor up to get it into the space. Ugh!

I raced home and the installer had started the task of removing the flooring, except that he was using a saw!!!!! Nooooooooo. The floor needed to be taken up one board at a time so that it could be reinstalled. 

The situation was a bit tense and I forgot to take a picture of the magnitude of the mess with the ripped up flooring and the new and improved dishwasher barely sliding into place. But it did.

Fully Installed Dishwasher
 with Restored Flooring

Once the dishwasher we installed and the mess cleaned, my task was to reinstall the flooring. Important safety tip--keep extra pieces of flooring around from the installation! I knew I had some extra pieces from the installation many years ago and so I was not too concerned that some of the existing pieces had been trashed. 

After about two hours of work, the final product looks good as new! Thank goodness a good friend taught me how to install wood floors a few years ago and so I knew some of the tricks to get it tight.

Good deed? New dishwasher for Chris
Punishment? Salvaging the flooring
End result? All good!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

Saturday Football in the Rain

It hadn't rained significantly in our area since August 28th--until yesterday when Jackson's GORC Wildcats Football Team was scheduled to play its third game of the young season. Jax is on the 80lb Central Team.

Halftime Sideline for the GORC Wildcats

And then the rains came down, as they did for most of the day.

The image is from halftime, but the score on the scoreboard was the same at the end of the game with the Wildcats prevailing against both the other team and the weather 12-0. The team is now 2-1 on the young season and both wins were by shutout.

At least the temperatures were in the high 60's and low 70's during the game. But it was still cool and damp and even I took refuge under an umbrella for some of the game. 

Jax in the Rain

Youth sports is where learning about team work and contributing to the overall effort begins. Jax had a couple of great blocks and on the second, and final touchdown of the day, it was his block against two would-be tacklers that allowed the running back to score. 

Standing in the rain watching football on a September Saturday, I guess that is what it is all about.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Do you hear the crickets?

I have been here three days now, and this morning was the first that I noticed the crickets. Perhaps it is because the ocean is calmer and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach are much quieter.

More likely? It is because I am calmer and after three mornings of spectacular sunrises and I was finally in a ace to notice the crickets.

There is so much that I tune out to keep control of what I can process. Sitting outside enjoying the ocean and the dawn allows me to get in touch with those things. It is similar to the springtime when I first hear the peepers. I enjoy heir song, but soon it blends into the background noise.

This is a defense mechanism. I live near Interstate 95 and I tune out the noise from the traffic except during the middle of the night when there are no other sounds.

I guess it means than I am in a good place within myself because I can hear the crickets and they are melodious.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD

Ocean Sunrise

Up before dawn to watch the colors of the new day as it arrives. This is something I love to do, watching the dawn drive out the darkness.

It is good to get away for a bit and have a few quiet moments before the day begins to appreciate the colors and the spectacle that is before me.

A single seagull flies across the sky, lending movement to the otherwise still scene.

Another day is at hand.

Dawn seems to be coming faster now. Just like life, it seems to pick up speed.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD

Morning in Ocean City

Waking up with the sound of the surf crashing onto the beach is an awesome way to start the day.

The morning is warmer than was originally anticipated and the sun is slowly climbing into the sky.

There are even some Palm trees next door to make me believe that I am farther south than I truly am.

Maryland is a nice place to live in that I can be at work in the morning and on the beach by evening.

Happy Labor Day to you wherever you are.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD

Construction and More Construction

Potholes in the Driveway

The sewer line repair continue, well actually the environmental clean-up continues in the woods behind the house.

On tap yesterday was major repairs for the three families us who share the driveway. 24 years of hard use had taken its toll and it was time for some repairs before sealing the drive in advance of the winter season.

Men at Work Removing the Old Asphalt

There were big trucks and stone, and rollers, and hot asphalt.  The old parts of the drive were removed and new supporting gravel was emplaced and packed down. It was a process.

It was fun to watch, although it would have been more exciting if the repairs were not being paid for out of my piggy bank.

New Gravel for Stabilization Arrives

It was a well orchestrated plan that successfully saw the completion  in near record time. In a move that almost never happens, the crews arrived almost an hour earlier than they indicated they would. Perhaps it was to beat the heat of the day. 

Spreading the Asphalt

They worked along in three separate areas of the driveway. Fully synchronized. Not working fast, but working steady.

Progress was seen with every passing minute. 

At the end of the process, the rough areas of the driveway were fully restored. In a couple of weeks, the entire driveway, including the new areas will be sealed for added protection!

At the End--It looks Great!

What a day. And all I had to do was watch.

Oh yea, and pay!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Update: Sewer Line Break

Looking Out my Driveway at the Trucks working the
Sewer Line Break

I was gratified to see the response from Howard County to the sewer line break. They worked to repair and stabilize the line for almost 30 hours--straight. At one point last evening there were ten trucks and assorted pieces of heavy equipment  in the neighborhood.

My neighbors who live right next to the break were not too amused at the sound of heavy machinery during the night, but it was a serious bio hazard. the work is going on right outside their fenced yard. Theirs is the house in the picture below.

Looking Down the Street at the Howard County Response

I am told that the EPA will be out to inspect the work. 

Last evening, the odor in the air was the worst it has been. I guess they were digging up the muck. I would not have wanted to be the workers. We provided them with a couple 12-packs of soda last evening to help mitigate the hot and humid conditions. I'm glad the sewer line is repaired. 

Work Just Beyond my Neighbor's Fence

Today, hopefully, will be devoted to clean up. I have not observed any clean-up of the stream. I worry about the impact on the wild life and the potential for disease. I guess I will have to look into that in the coming days. The workers did say that they would be putting lime into the water as a mitigation strategy. 

I was also told that the worst is yet to come. Apparently, the county will be letting a contract to relocate the sewer line, as I reported yesterday. That will likely cause the loss of many of the trees that I enjoy that border our property and shield us from the warehouses and light industry on Troy Hill.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bio Hazard Discovered and Reported

A foul odor has been wafting across the yard around my house for the past few days. I had thought it might be decaying plant matter from the recent rains because I could not determine an exact location. The odor seemed to move around from place to place. As I tried to locate it, it would disappear.

Sewage Making the Creek White

Last evening, the persistent stench smelled like raw sewage and I took the situation more seriously. I suspected that the light industry up the hill behind my house may have been illegally dumping down the hill causing the odor, and so I went to find the source.

It, sadly, did not take long to discover the true problem and I could not imagine the severity of the situation. As soon as I reached the normally pristine creek behind the house from which the frogs which love to swim in my pool probably come, it was immediately evident that there was a major raw sewage leak. 

Sewage in the creek

The stream was white with the raw sewage and the smell was strong, but not overpowering. I went back to the house, although I did not yet know the source of the sewage in the stream. I called the emergency number for Howard County utilities. I alerted my neighbors to the situation and searched for the source of the contamination.

Broken Sewage Pipe

The cause, it turned out, was a  broken pipe in the stream spewing sewage unabated. The pipe had probable broken during the last storms as the ground under it appeared washed away. I called the county and updated them with the location of the sewage and waited for their imminent arrival.

Why a sewer line was run through the middle of a creek, I will never understand, it just seems like bad planning. The county took immediate action to abate the discharge and I expect that over the next few days that they will be making more permanent repairs. Interestingly, I was told that the sewage line that broke was scheduled to be moved from the creek. 

I guess they didn't get to it soon enough.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Snorkeling in the Caribbean

I never published the two other snorkeling videos that I made from our vacation this summer. 

One was of our first adventure on Grand Turk and the other was off a beach in Aruba.

Of the three snorkeling adventures we did this summer, I would say that the Aruba snorkeling off the beach was the best. It was also the least expensive since we just took a taxi to the beach, rather than participating in an organized tour.

I'm still playing with the color balance on my GoPro, but it seems to be getting better. There were huge differences in filming tactics between the Grand Turk and Aruba. For Grand Turk I had the GoPro on a head strap the entire time and it was mostly on. I couldn't aim it well and I got a lot of useless video.

For Aruba, I carried the GoPro on a strap and only filmed cool and interesting stuff. I made editing the collected images much easier. It took hours to reduce the Grand Turk adventure down to three minutes, and I'm sure it could be further slimmed. Editing Aruba was much faster, as was Curacao which I published earlier.

Starfish in Aruba

I like a few scenes in the Grand Turk video because the GoPro catches the the water entries off the boat and we did see a shark. The problem with the shark is that since the camera was on my head, I didn't capture the perfect images of it, at least in my mind. Additionally, every time I use my handheld camera, it shows up in the video, which is a bit annoying.

The Aruba video has a really neat scene of an eel trying to get at something in a hole at the bottom of the bay in which we were snorkeling.

And so, as summer comes to an end, I present the answer to every kid's first day of school question: What did you do this summer?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD