Posing in the Flowers

Makayla in the Garden

There she was yesterday morning, patiently waiting for me to finish emptying a yard of mulch from my truck. 

It was stunning.

She was laying there among the flowers trying to be the prettiest object in the garden  And she was!

The garden was in the shade and I was working a few feet away in the hot, or at least warm, sunshine of a beautiful Saturday. There is something nice about having my dog near me when I am working outside. Usually, she is trying my patience by heading off into the wooded area or scoping out the neighbor's garbage cans. She does like to wander a bit--but yesterday she was the faithful dog that is depicted in so many movies.

A boy (or man) and his dog on a sunny afternoon in the yard. What could be better?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

What Does the Fox Say?

Although there is a popular song that purports to know the answer to the question posed in the title of this blog, from personal experience the other night I know what the fox really says. 

I saw the fox walk through my yard the other day--and it looked a lot like the one in the image. Not pretty and fluffy, but ragged and worn. That concerned my, but not alarmingly so until the other night when it returned to my neighborhood and made a terrible racket--at 3AM. 

It woke Makayla--who had to bark to let everyone in the house know that something was afoot in the yard.

Sadly, it was just an insult added to the injury.

The fox had already awakened me.

I laid there--contemplating my next action. Should I

get up and yell at the fox? 

try to sleep, despite the noise? 

ignore it and eventually it will go away?

So many questions in my mind at 3 AM.

What does the fox say?

"I'm gonna bark in your yard and wake your dog who is gonna bark at me and wake you up just so you know I'm here!"

At least that's what the fox in my yard says at 3 AM.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The World Wars - History Channel

Who am I to cast aspersions on the History Channel for one of their mini-series?

OK, I'm a nobody, but I'm gonna make a judgement here.

I watched all three evenings of  The World Wars mini-series and I question the historical accuracy of the effort.

First, I liked it--it was well produced and had the glitz to connect with today's viewing public.

But, I question many of the historical "facts" presented.

Did Patton and McArthur ever really meet on the battlefield during WW1? History says they actually did meet, but Patton was shortly after during the US campaign during WW1 and the war ended while he was recovering rather than he and McArthur being the heroes that overthrew the tyranny of the Germans and single-handedly won WW1. The images of Patton riding a tank into battle like some calvary trooper almost akin to Custer were just a bit too much to be believed.

I felt the series had a distinctly US slant and was not a balanced representation of the efforts of the allies during the two wars.  I saw no mention of Field Marshal Montgomery, precious little about Eisenhower, and no mention of George Marshall.

The series indicated that the Sicily Campaign during WW2 was almost all Patton--when in fact Eisenhower had overall command and Patton was only one force moving through Sicily with British General Montgomery commanding the other.

And the historical inaccuracies go on and on. It seemed every time a four engine bomber was pictured--regardless of which side the bomber was assigned to, it was a B-17. I love the B-17, but it was not active in the European theater during 1940. 

Overall, I thought the series perpetuated the myths that have persisted for so many years. Myths like that the US forces won WW1. Likewise, it was an allied effort that won WW2--not a sole US effort as the series would suggest. They say the victors write history, but in this case the revisionist history is almost too much to bear.

Another writer also agrees with my view of the mini-series and points out more historical inaccuracies in rant against the mini-series. 

I was, therefore, disappointed by the historical interpretations presented by the mini-series.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Dentistry--Now and Then

Yesterday, I was on the wrong side of my dentist's office and had the opportunity to experience modern dentistry. 

My dentist's office is divided: periodic cleanings and care on one side with the other dedicated to surgery and reconstruction. I realized that I prefer to be on the cleaning side and not the repair side. But, alas, yesterday was devoted to some dental surgery. 

I hate having people probing around in my mouth. Let me just get that out right up front. 

I would not go for routine cleanings and care, if I thought I could get away with it--and in fact I think I went three years without going in for cleanings. I was lucky that I didn't develop any huge problems as a result of that hiatus. But, I have been back on the twice a year schedule for a couple of years now. 

As I was sitting in the chair bantering with the dentist and the assistant yesterday, I was reminded of how far dentistry has come during my lifetime. 

I remembered one vivid, traumatic experience when I was in the dentist chair and the dentist was giving me shots to numb my mouth before filling a cavity. It hurt! A lot! I was in high school and was a football player then. I remember grabbing the dentists arm as he came at my mouth for the fifth very painful numbing shot and asking if this was really necessary. He was shocked, but affirmed that it was necessary. In reflecting, it felt like I was living the scene from the movie "Little Shop of Horrors." The dentist was playing the part of the sadist perfectly, but I was not playing the part of the masochist very well at all.

Roll forward to yesterday. No pain. I was numbed to receive the numbing shots. The surgery went without pain or discomfort. Yes, I was rigidly nervous expecting a tinge of pain--but thankfully, none came. Three hours later, the numbness was gone and so far there has not been any pain.

Yay for painless dentistry.

No, I still do not want to visit the surgery side of the dentist's office ever again. 

But, my fears have been eased a bit. I still hate shots--especially in the mouth!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rain, Pool, Air Conditioning

Yesterday was the first official 90 degree day of the year. As the weatherman said, the temperature hit 90 degrees for a few minutes and then the thunderstorms descended and the temperature dropped rapidly.

We even turned the air conditioning on to cool the upper level of the house a bit. Temperatures approaching 90 are just a bit too hot for the upper floor of the house.

Still, I was able to enjoy the pool for a few precious minutes during the afternoon before the storms arrived.

It was awesome to be in the cool-feeling pool water on a hot, summer-like day.

It was a foretaste of the fun which lies ahead.

And I am sure it is going to be a lot of fun. It will be as much fun as I can make it.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Weekend Memories--Memorial Weekend 2014

Chewbacca Filling in an Empty Spot for Dinner

Ugh. It is over. 

As I floated in the pool yesterday, I thought about how sad it was that the weekend had to end. It had been a fantastic weekend.

We did our big celebration party on Sunday to allow the everyone the opportunity to recoup and get ready to resume the workweek grind today. But the party on Sunday was awesome. The pool was fabulous, the food fantastic, and the fun was non-stop.

Dinner before the Smoker

Holding the party a day early allowed us to relax and enjoy the Monday holiday even a bit more. No stress, no fuss, no bother and lots of leftovers.

Sunday was all in. The ribs in the smoker, the salads, the games. Playing with the waterproof video camera in the pool.

Isn't that the way that holidays are supposed to be?

And the day after the celebration is for relaxing and contemplating the very holiday just experienced. The family gathered and it was fun and good.

Memorial Day weekend is the beginning of the summer season. Everywhere, it seems, graduations are in full swing, fortunately we do not have anyone graduating.

And so now, we begin the long slide into summer and my all too short favorite season. The pool is ready an warm--I got it up to 80 degrees. 

Let the good times roll.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 26, 2014 Memorial Day

1. It is Memorial Day, Take a moment and remember the men and women who died while serving our country.

2. Enough wine is a little more than anyone gets.

3. Why does the fun have to end? I guess if the fun didn't end we wouldn't know we were having fun.

4. Why does Makayla, my Keeshond, need to go out three times every morning? To get another cookie, I bet.

5. Sunshine, warm temperatures, pool--just add children for fun!

6. Drive save, stay aware, be happy.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Memorial Weekend

Let the summertime begin!

Armed with idyllic weather, a pool that is ready for fun, and a holiday weekend it is time to celebrate! 

The pool, although empty in this picture, will soon be full of activity and fun. The heater is on bringing the water up to an acceptable adult temperature. Kids, it seems, can have fun in the coldest water. In my view, just add propane (in the form of a heater) and transform the cold water into enjoyable Caribbean temperature water.

We have been working hard to get the house and yard ready for today. Tree stumps have been removed, sod laid because grass seed is just too slow, and pool repairs effected. There is still so much more to accomplish--but this weekend, hopefully, we will be able to overlook the "still need to do" and enjoy the "already been done."

Bring on the weekend, the baseball, the pool time, and most importantly, the fun!

May you have an enjoyable holiday weekend.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Home from the Past

A long, long time ago and in a very different time of our lives we lived in a small house on a street in Aurora, Colorado. We were there for 18 months during the late 1980's in between Air Force assignments to Omaha, Nebraska, and San Angelo, Texas. 

I stopped by that house during my recent sojourn to Denver, yes on the same day as the incredible hailstorm. I wanted to get a picture of the house and recall some of the memories. 

I remember installing the garage door opener. I wonder if that original opener is still functioning. I watched playoff baseball with Jeremy-- including the end of the 16 inning thrilling win by the New York Mets over the Houston Astros on Chris's birthday. That threw a kink into the celebration. The afternoon game went almost 5 hours.

There was also an incident where one of the glass panels by the entry door broke due to a flying object from inside the house. We replaced both panels and it appears that they remain intact to this very day.

And then there was the ill-fated Halloween where shortly after visiting the first house, in the darkness, Chris fell and had to retire from the festivities and I was left guiding two young trick or treaters around the neighborhood while she returned to the house with the youngest goblin.

Looking out of the windows in the living room, the right side of the house as we look at it, there was a spectacular view of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains and were able to watch the ever changing weather patterns. Some of the more spectacular lightening storms are still etched into my memory. We took the mountain view almost for granted and have never lived any where with so stunning a view since.

There were trips to the mountains on the weekends and visits from family. It was a busy, but short time in our lives. And it seems so long ago.

Here's to the memories, may the good times never be forgotten.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Even When the Bull Wins, it Still Loses

I read an interesting article, complete with graphic images, about a bullfight in Madrid, Spain in which three matadors were gored facing the first two bulls in the annual bullfighting festival. The article titles, Bulls take down bullfighters but still lose in Spain, was published by CNN.

I am not a fan of bullfighting, but it is a tradition in some parts of the world.

I was encouraged by the beginning of the story:


Madrid (CNN) -- Chalk one up for the first two bulls at Spain's top annual bullfighting festival.

Between them, they gored or bashed three bullfighters, putting them out of action, and forcing authorities to suspend a bullfight at the San Isidro Festival in Madrid for the first time in 35 years, said a spokesman for Las Ventas bullring, who by custom is not identified.

The bad news was that by tradition the bulls must die--and they did. The good news was that there were not enough matadors to finish the six bull card for the day, "and the four bulls that didn't fight were returned to their ranches, safe and sound."

Some days it is hard to tell the winners from the losers. 

In the end, I guess the bulls won the day--4-3.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD