Back from the Beach

Monday's trek home from Ocean City was, in a word, long. Traffic was snarled for over 30 miles from Easton to the Bay Bridge and it was so hot in the sun that we actually put the top up on the car because we were baking like muffins in an oven.

What a downer on a perfect weekend. And it happens every year, although usually I am not in the traffic.

For all of the money Ocean City generates and for all of the now increased taxes were are being gouged by, it would seem that the State would do something to ameliorate the problem.

But no--running a "Click it or ticket" seat belt campaign seems more important. That is almost as futile as the drug war. Pouring good money after bad. If people are not wearing seat belts by now, I am not convinced that there is a way to change their behavior.

And the road to and from Maryland's premier vacation area continues to shrink in the face of increasing demand. The taxes generated by the tourists and visitors to Ocean City alone should be enough to fix the roads.

Or so it would seem.

Five hours to complete a normal two-and-a-half hour trip seems a bit excessive. It leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth and a sore spot on my bottom.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Patty Reese House Concert - Review

Saturday night, Cellar Music sponsored a house concert featuring Patty Reese accompanied by Dave Chappell on guitar.



The venue continues to be a great place to experience artists up close and personal. This concert was very well attended and so there was a lot of conversation and food and drink before the concert actually began. That perhaps is one of the great aspects of house concerts--the intimacy and the relaxed atmosphere. There was no annoying bag check to get into the house!

Dave Chappell was awesome performing as the second guitar to Patty. His riffs and fills added significantly to the experience and it was clear he was experienced in working next to Patty. It was also evident that he is an experienced and excellent guitarist. I enjoyed listening to his music almost as much as the headliner for the evening.

Patty put on a solid performance. She worked the crowd well and was personable and approachable. I felt her vocals were reminiscent of Janice Joplin with a raspy and folksy quality. Her songs were well written and told excellent stories. The lyrics made sense and worked well with the music. I could tell that her songs are designed to highlight the best qualities of her voice. They were compelling to listen to, and I'm sure with a bit more familiarity I would be humming some of the tunes.

Bottom line--Cellar Music did it gain. Way to go Gary and Pam.


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 28, 2012

1. Happy Memorial Day. The summer begins.

2. There is something soothing about waking up and seeing the ocean waves crash onto the shore.

3. Holiday weekends seem to pass too quickly.

4. Traffic is terrible, but isn't it cool that so many other people are doing the same thing.

5. I bought a new tractor the other evening. It is like Christmas in May waiting for it to be delivered. I already have one key and the nagger for it.

6. Seriously, what do you do with a broken tractor? Craigslist!

7. I am sitting here looking at the ocean waiting until it is time to hit the beach.

8. Has any candidate really touched on the true issues we need addressed this Fall?

-- Bob Doan, Ocean City, MD

Memorial Weekend

Guess where? I woke up in my own bed this morning and by 8:30 I was in Ocean City looking at the beach and ocean. Bring on summer and let the good times roll.

Calm at the Start of the Weekend

I fell into the white adirondack chair on the deck with my coffee to enjoy the morning. The holiday weekend is at hand and it is going to be at the same time busy and fun.


By the end of weekend I hope to be walking on a beach. But to start the weekend I'll be walking through the dump and recycling area. I will likely be borrowing my neighbor's tractor again to mow--since the refurbished one that I bought will not be delivered until Wednesday.

And somewhere in there is shopping, and tonight a house concert to enjoy.

For now though, I am on the deck in my chair--did I mention that it was wet with morning dew when I fell into it and so now I am damp?

And the birds are singing. Or screeching. The morning is alive and I can actually pause and be part of it.

I am not good with bird calls, but I hear a cat bird, a mocking bird, the racket caused by a woodpecker finding breakfast, a couple of cardinals, and many other birds filling the morning air with the sounds of life.

It is going to be a good day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

After the Storms

The warm, humid air with a hint of honeysuckle mixed in assaulted my nostrils as I walked through the doorway following the thunderstorm. Although I had expected the air to be cool, crisp and clean; washed by the storm, it was not. Instead it was full of musky odors. It was damp and alive with the smells of life. I enjoyed the smells of the freshly mulched flowerbeds as I stood there on the porch.

The dark clouds that had brought the storm were clearing and I could see stars beginning to fill the space between them encouraged by the fast approaching darkness.

The honeysuckle in the breeze was light, wafting and enticing me to pause and enjoy the moment. It was a magical moment, caught between the ending of the day and the clearing of the storm. A timeout on the playing field of life for a reset.

And then, Makayla, my dog, reminded me why I had opened the door to venture out in the first place and the spell was broken.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Fundamentalism gone awry

I read a funny item from 2002 yesterday which shows the extremism to which some people can take things. It is titled Why Can't I Own a Canadian.

Taken out of context we can run afoul of the most well meaning things.

One of the items it contains reads as follows:

When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?

Why don't we sacrifice bulls anymore?

Or any of the other things referenced?

I guess if you have to think about this too long, we need to have a talk. Maybe it has something to do with Romans 10:4.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Big Moon - Blue Sky

Remember a few weeks ago the media attention that focused our attention on the moon that was supposed to appear 10 percent larger because the full moon was going to occur perigee?

I looked at the moon that night. It was bright, but how does one measure an additional 10 percent of moon brightness and size? It didn't seem bigger-and in truth, it wasn't. It was the same old moon--I just took time to notice it.

Like the blue sky on Sunday.

So clear and blue that it seemed like I would get lost in it. And for a while, I did get lost in it as it enveloped me and I drifted off to sleep under its vast covering.



Did it seem bigger then? No clouds; just blue sky adding depth to the scene behind the trees and buildings.

The same sky that has always been there. I just took time to notice it.

Sometimes I just need to slow down and notice the world around me and then the things I have always accepted and seen will look new and different.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

And the grass keeps growing

I looked at my lawn last evening after nearly a day of rain. Although freshly mowed on Saturday, it was already beginning to get long and scraggly. A sure sign that I was going to need to mow again soon.

Oh yeah, I still do not have a mower. Even my broken lawn tractor remains at the repair shop. I could believe the grass is growing wild knowing that I have no way to tame it. No "sheriff" to keep it in check.

I look back two months ago when I was excited about getting the tractor out and mowing. Has the excitement of that first Spring mowing already become the drudgery of yet another chore? No, I don't believe it has become drudgery, but the excitement certainly has passed.

And I continue to search for a replacement tractor.

My new trimmer is awesome, but it is a too small to attempt to use on the entire lawn.

Another day of rain and prime grass growing conditions are ahead.
I wonder if the lawn will make it until Saturday for its next mowing?
I think not.

It is green, mostly. I enjoyed looking at the clear, deep blue sky behind the fully leafed and green trees on Saturday. The green grass of the lawn completed the image and I find it far more pleasant to regard than the brown lawns of the winter.

So I encourage the grass to continue growing with the application of fertilizer, because I prefer the green and the mowing it requires to the alternative.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 21, 2012

1. Impromptu parties are awesome. We had the first pool party of the year last evening. Best of all, we couldn't plan for it all day.

2. I was able to sleep during the middle of the day on my floatie in the pool. What could be better?

3. Summer is getting so close. The daylight is lasting longer and longer and we are getting so much done around the house.

4. Lilacs and hoses. What do they have in common? They occupy nearly the same space in my garden.

5. Shoping for a replacement garden tractor is not easy. And who really wants to spend money on a garden tractor?

6. How about the Orioles? When they used the cartoon bird as the symbol of the team, they were one of the best teams in baseball. Now that the cartoon bird has returned they are number one again. Coincidence?

7. Have you noticed the stock markets? Can you believe that Greece is behind the current problems?

8. Dogs know best.

9. The rain is coming again. Ugh!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD