Breakfast in the Wild

Walking outside yesterday morning, I spied a spider enjoying a breakfast feast of some unlucky bug.

The spider was fairly large--and in an accessible location.

It was feeding outside near where I was celebrating the last morning of summer by closing the pool. It was fascinating to watch the spider, who seemed not to notice me as I took some images for posterity.

I like spiders and am fascinated by their hunting skills.

And they do hunt. Their lives depend upon it.

Sometimes, it is really interesting to just enjoy their skills and watch them reduce the unwanted bug population--on dead bug at a time!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Today's Finale Just in Time for the Next Beginning

That's all folks!

After today, actually in just a few hours, it will be gone forever never to return.

Butterfly at Monticello

Hopefully, its passing leaves fond memories and crammed picture albums (or thumb drives) of places visited.

Yes, autumn arrives today marking the finale of the Summer of 2012.

Just as surely as the butterfly in the image will never again visit that flower--so 2012's summer is passing away into the autumn.

It was a great summer. I wish I was standing on a beach somewhere to mark its passing into fond memories of places visited and fun with family and friends.

But, I guess, I am figuratively on some beach, somewhere in my mind enjoying just one more happy hour and listening to the lapping of the waves and making imaginary shapes out of the clouds.

I am hesitant to welcome autumn. I know where it ends.

But, autumn is full of fun, too. Leaves and celebrations, and birthdays (mine included). This year, hopefully, there will be an added autumn treat--playoff baseball in Baltimore for the first time in 15 years!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Garage Success--Rear Bearing Hub Installed

Sometimes a successful auto repair actually happens within the confines of my garage. Last evening was an example.

I completed a five hour marathon rear bearing hub assembly replacement on Chris's car. The same repair that I had started on Sunday morning and then been thwarted due to lack of the proper axle nut socket.

The socket arrived Wednesday evening, as promised form Amazon, but I wasn't up for the challenge and so the remove and replace repair waited until last evening. Although I had a good plan, auto repair is fraught with unexpected delays.

Last evening was no different. Everything went fine right up until the time to remove the bearing hub from the backing plate.

New Rear Bearing Hub in Place

No joy! The rust from the weather and almost 150,000 miles of use had effectively welded them together. For two hours, really, I worked with the assembly working to separate the pieces by brute force, creativity, frustration, and even prayer.

They finally parted and I was able to begin the process of reassembly. Thankfully. The shiny new bearing hub was fit up and ready for installation. I was a bit miffed at the manufacturing process. I had read that some of the cheaper, non-OEM parts did not have large enough holes in them for a socket to get through to tighten the back bolts. So I bought a better quality OEM hub. Unfortunately, the access holes in this one were too small as well. This delayed the installation a bit as I had to creatively access the bolts to turn them down until the socket was able to be placed on top of the bolt due to tight clearances.

But in the end, the job was completed and an extensive test drive confirmed the success of the repair. The droning sound heard while driving the car is gone. The new tires, which we thought were the source of the noise, are fine.

I am not sure the $300 I saved doing the repair was worth the seven hours I put into it (considering the time driving around looking for the axel nut socket on Sunday and the two hours of pleading with the hub to separate from the backing plate last evening), but it is done!

Chalk up an auto repair success and now for the next project--whatever it is.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Two Roads and a Field

A cool September's morning mist
hovered above sun scorched grasses
in a small field sandwiched between
two rush hour crammed highways

The motionless scene, frozen in place
framed by a stunning blue sky and the golden dawn
provided a visual respite from the traffic clogged highway
creating a paradox of traffic and nature

I longed to stop my truck and walk into the field
feeling the coolness of the place
savoring the fragrances captured in the mist
expecting damp softness to caress my face

Pausing, if only for a moment
enjoying the thick wet dew on my shoes,
or better yet, kicking them off
walking barefoot among the late summer foliage.

Springtime's greens had long been bleached brown
by the relentless summer sun
dried Queen Anne's lace haloed in the mist
sparkled in the morning light recapturing its beauty

Trapped behind the wheel of my steel steed
I could only imagine the small plot's peace
isolated between the hazards of the highways
yet captured in my mind, as a place of escape.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rain, Storm and September

Some ferocious storms blew through the area last evening. We had been suffering from a mini-drought and the lawn was beginning to show signs of stress from the dry heat and sun., so at least the rains, if not the wind, was welcomed.

I didn't have to mow this week. I guess that is a plus. The dry conditions hopefully will change as September fades into October.

After the storm, the pool was a mess again--the sycamore trees are beginning to give up their leaves early because of the dry conditions. Many of their leaves now adorn the surface of my pool. I definitely need to close it up this weekend and bring an official end to the summer fun. I think I am procrastinating.

I enjoyed walking barefoot in the yard during the storm, being dispatched to the garden for some oregano, and feeling the soft earth giving way beneath my feet. It was rock hard just yesterday.

As I departed out of work last evening a large number of people were waiting under the awning for the rains to subside. I smiled. I love rain and walked past them right out into the fury of the storm. I made a point of walking, not running, to my car so that I could enjoy the raindrops slapping my face and careening into my clothes.

Smiling, because the raindrops do not care where they land. Even if I run, others are waiting. They bring me joy.

The rain was warm.

And wet.

It was a September storm with warm rains--unlike November's storms which are cold and numbing. Something else to enjoy as the season winds down.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

From the Beach--A Reflection of Clouds

I saw an image of Lucas riding in the surf Myrtle Beach surf the other morning. It made me laugh.

Lucas at Myrtle Beach

I remembered my own visit to the ocean during July and the fun and frolic that being on the beach provides me to escape the realities of work and life.

The clouds in the skies over the ocean often create characters that stimulate my imagination--there is a duck, or a dragon, or Texas,

How strange that I feel the need to create order from the chaos of the wind whipped vapors that are the clouds.

Clouds off Jupiter Island Beach

The color of the water changes as the clouds pass overhead make the ocean either inviting or foreboding. I think this cloud looks like a dog--a pointer focused on its target with its tail straight out.

To imagine. To lay on the beach and enjoy the lapping of the waves, the warm breeze, and the bright sun.

And the clouds to stimulate my imagination.

Beach days!

They are the best times!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - September 17, 2012

1. Believe it or not, September is more than half gone. Where has it gone is the question in my mind.

2. Heard in a movie-- Yes we are going to die. You are going to die. I am going to die. The crew of this ship is going to die. Just not today!

3. Football is a tough sport--one play and a short second make the difference between winning and losing.

4. I have been fascinated by the fury surrounding the pictures of Kate Middleton. It is sad that people need to go to such extremes to secure privacy. I think most of us take privacy for granted.

5. The weather the past few days has been fabulous. These final days of summer have been inspiring with the crystal blue skies and moderate temperatures combined with low humidity. I wish I could bottle them up and save them for days which are not so nice.

6. Car repairs should not be attempted when in a hurry.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Backyard Auto Repair

Frustration. Whenever I need to be frustrated beyond belief, all I need do is attempt auto repair.

At least the garage was clean, so I had a nice environment to work in and have my tools near me. That is something that hasn't happened in a while. Usually I'm on the asphalt in the driveway, in the sun or rain.

That was where the happy notes for this project ended.

Chris' car needs the wheel bearing replaced on the right rear. Not a seemingly big deal and I found step-by-step instructions.

But when I started the project what was the first thing I found?  The lug nuts were so tight that I couldn't budge them. Really! Mr. Tire must be using Mr Universe to tighten lug nuts. I even called Patrick over to give them a twist. No joy.

Off to Lowe's for something to motivate the lug nuts. An air hammer and a piece of pipe to use as a breaker bar came home with me.

Even with the reinforcements, the lug nuts were not easily persuaded to allow themselves to be removed from the car. I wound up using the pipe and almost standing on it to get them moving.

That entire process took almost two hours of an expected four hour repair.

Next was the removal of the caliper and the brake pad holding mechanism and the rotor. Yay, that went extremely well.

Now for the axle nut. All I needed was a 12 point 32mm socket. I knew that in advance and I had that. Oops! It needed to be a deep socket. I have a 32mm 6 point deep socket. No good.

Off to the auto store--surely they will have one. Nope. Off to Home Depot. Nope.

Off to Sears. No joy. I called Pep Boy--none there either.

Stand still. Total stop.

Total frustration.

My 32 mm, 12 point deep well socket will be here Tuesday, I ordered it from Amazon.

The car has been reassembled and can be driven for the next couple days, and then I get to do it all over again.

Did I mention that the garage is clean?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Baseball vs Football vs Soccer vs Wine Tasting

For the first time in years, we are having a hard time deconflicting sporting events across different sports instead of just teams.

It is a good problem to have.

Today we are faced with soccer vs wine tasting. OK--so wine tasting may not be a sport, but it does take up time when planned. Two of the grandsons, Ethan and Jax, have soccer games this morning followed by a trip to Annapolis for a planned event tasting Southern Italian wines.

At least there isn't time to close the pool!

Tomorrow, Sunday, about 4pm is a catastrophe. The Cowboys play, the Redskins play, and more importantly, the Orioles are facing a huge challenge in Oakland. They fumbled the baseball a bit last evening and lost only their eighth one-run game of the season.

I am almost wishing for Monday to escape the completing schedules insanity.

I may just have enough TV's and inputs to cover all of the events.

At least the Ravens play in an open time slot in my life.

Somewhere in there the lawn needs to get mowed, groceries purchased, and some relaxation and book reading need to be accomplished.

I love weekends!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

End of Years of Frustration

I attended the Orioles baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday at Orioles Park at Camden Yards.

Middle of the 14th Inning,
September 13, 2012

The game lasted 5 hours and 14 minutes, officially, going into the 14 inning before ending in a victory for the home team--the Orioles. I don't normally get to enjoy 14 inning baseball games from start to finish, they usually end too late for me to stay awake, but this game began at 12:35pm with me in attendance at the park on a beautiful day with the Orioles playing meaningful September baseball for the first time since 1997. The day began with the O's tied with the New York Yankees, the thugs of baseball--and ended with the pressure cooker that is the end of the season squarely on the Yankees who were playing the Red Sox and eked out a win of their own to remain tied.

My Front Door After the Orioles Win

The game had the feeling of a play-off game--which although it wasn't, the implications were huge. The Orioles were trying to sweep the Rays in a three-game series and keep the heat on the Yankees who seem to be cracking under the pressure of season ending baseball.

At the end of the day, the win assured the Orioles of their first non-losing season since 1997. The Orioles ended the day at 81-62, 19 games over .500 with 19 games left to play. A huge triumph for a team picked by the pre-season pundits to finish with possible 110 losses.

I sat through the game yesterday almost unbelieving. The score was tied at the end of nine innings 2-2, every batter and every out was critical. I watched the Orioles blow a 2-1 lead at the end of seven innings. I saw the team battle in a manner I have not seen in years.

The losing is over.

The winning attitude is here.

When I arrived home after the game, my house was decorated appropriately by Patrick and Tina--complete with brooms by the front door for the sweep of the Rays!

I thought the Orioles on the garage door was an especially nice touch.

Although it would be easy to call the season a success--this team and its fans want more. There is even talk of winning not only the division form the hated Yankees--but the World Series. I love to dream--but sometimes, dreams come true.

But for now--yesterday was a win during a long 162 game season which signaled the end of over a decade of impotence and frustration. I celebrate with the city and the region the return of a proud baseball franchise to relevance. And, I am just happy to be along for the ride.

Go O's.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD