Independence Day Thoughts

Fireworks over the Magic Kingdom during July 2013

Happy Independence Day! 

Here are some random thoughts this morning as I sit here thinking about getting outside and cleaning up after last evenings storms.

1. Independence Day is one of my favorite holidays.  The summer heat and swimming and of course the fireworks make this a real bang. 

Louis Zamperini

2. I was saddened to learn of the passing of Louis Zamperini on Wednesday. He was a true hero and and example of the power of forgiveness. I read the biography written about him by Laura Hillenbrand titled Unbroken, and found his journey to be an example for all of us. My recommendation is for everyone to read the book about his life.

3. Why do we play patriotic music only on the 4th of July? Patriotic music needs to be played on other occasions as well because it helps me remember why this country is still the greatest on the planet.

4. Do the kids attending school today learn the words to patriotic songs like My Country Tis of Thee?

5. The erosion of personal privacy is one of the great issues that needs to be addressed. The recent ruling by the Supreme Court about searched of cellphones requiring a warrant  should not have been necessary. It should have been evident!

Enjoy the holiday.

Be safe!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Holiday Weekend Driving

I do not enjoy driving on holiday weekends. Let me just get that out right up front.

Traffic in my area is awful--meaning lots of traffic and slow progress. Too many drivers on the road and too many impatient people behind the wheel. Bad things happen. 

Add to that the threats from the police departments. Yea, they are threats.

Click it or ticket.

No cell phone use.

Speed Limits Photo Enforced.

Speed limit enforced by aircraft. (I've always loved this one as I can imagine some really cool scenarios) 

Big brother is truly watching us far closer than we truly imagine. Why is it that the true offenders that we all see screaming past us on the highway never seem to be stopped?

Now add to the mixture a potential east coast hurricane and this weekend should really be a pleasant drive.

Oh, did I mention the price gouging at the gas pump. Gas went up 4 cents a gallon last week and I expect them to go up another nickel today.

All of this makes the holiday driving experience one to be forgotten. Sadly. Because except for the mess on the highways, holidays are really fun times--usually.

For this holiday weekend, I am home! A small family get together around the pool dodging the rain from Hurricane Arthur, and some relaxation as the summer vacation season gets into full swing!

Enjoy the weekend! Enjoy the holiday.

Be safe and be smart! Drive defensively. 

Avoid the DC area because the traffic snarl should be in full swing by about 10 AM.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Pool, Heat, and Humidity

For those following--the pool project is complete just as the 90 degree days have arrived. Yay.

It was so hot and sticky yesterday that when I finally got to fall into it and enjoy the cool water, it was like going to my perfect place. My happy place.

The pool was completed while we were away last weekend and it is great to have it back and fully functional.

This week the 90 degree days have arrived to take possession of the summer. Winter's grip has finally been broken and we can get on with the summertime fun. 

Bring on the sunscreen and the mosquito repellent. Let the hot, dog days of summer arrive. I am prepared--life on the floatie is where it all begins.

With the Independence Day weekend at hand--having the pool up and running is critical. We are going to have so much fun, providing that the weather does not turn into a tropical storm mess. But no matter--the pool is done.

Let the splashing begin and the fun ensue. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Arrival of July

It has arrived. Perhaps my favorite month of the year. July.

Happy July.

Happy Canada Day. Today, July 1st is Canada Day. And by the end of the week, Happy Independence Day. In two weeks it will be Bastille Day, my second favorite foreign holiday. 


Three major national celebrations in the span of two weeks. What is not to like about July?

I can already hear the fireworks warming up around the country as people begin to celebrate.

Add to that, July is my traditional vacation month. At least for now. I hope that in the future September will become my favorite vacation month--but for now, I usually plan to take "seven weeks of vacation during July." Well that is how some people view it. 

So let's get this month moving. Actually, I wish it would slow down so i have a chance to enjoy it.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - June 30, 2014

1. It is the last day of June--how fast did that arrive. We are half-way through 2014.

2. As I was driving through upstate NY this weekend, I realized that you know you know you are in the middle of nowhere when even the satellite radio goes out.

3. There are two things we try to give our children: roots and wings.

4. A lion does not concern itself with the views of sheep. 

Fly Fishing on a Saturday Morning

5. World Cup fever has gripped the nation. The bog match of the week is when the USA plays Belgium at 4PM EDT tomorrow to see who continues on. 

6. The chant for the USA team is really a fascinating and complex chant. Check it out!

7. Driving through Central NY on Saturday afternoon, i saw a man fly fishing in the river. I snapped a quick picture because that is something you just don't see every day. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Day at the Lake

View from the Cottage

The drive from Schenectady to Ithaca yesterday was uneventful, but at the end of the trip was a fantastic day at a lake house on the shores of Cayuga Lake. 

Fortunately we got started early and were able to enjoy a full day on the lake. 

Chris and her first fish

The day included fishing, relaxing, some more fishing, a lot more relaxing, and even a brief swim in the sub-70 degree waters of Cayuga lake. I mean, how could I come visit the lake and not go swimming just to say I did. I actually wished I had brought my snorkeling gear so that I could have checked out the lake shore a bit better. The area where we were drops off to 130 feet in depth pretty quickly. It would have been fun to check out the drop off. Even better, if I had had my scuba gear--maybe next time, if there is one.

Looking North along the Shoreline

I guess I consider the day a mini-vacation surrounded in some of the beauty of Central New York. Truthfully, I love the summertime in the area, but winters are just too cold and snowy. And long. I am convinced that winter runs from October until May.

I have always been fascinated with the lake and actually have spent some time on and in the lake. I remember fondly going to Camp Barton on Frontenac Point for a week nearly every summer and then working at the camp for two fantastic summers. I have one staff picture showing with me holding my bugle hanging off the welcome sign. I was the bugler and the dining hall steward--what an interesting mix.

Looking south from the west shore of Cayuga Lake

Yesterday at and in the lake brought back a lot of fun memories and it was a relaxing day in preparation for returning to the complexities of everyday life.



-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

Street Names

Wandering around Schenectady yesterday, I became aware of street names which are often used but probably not well understood by our history deprived society.

For instance, we dined in an establishment on Jay Street. Walked by an alley named Bradley, and walked along a street named Clinton; while also traversing more well known names such as State Street, Franklin Street, Broadway, and even Liberty Street. 

Why do so many upstate NY cities have a State Street instead of or in addition to a Main Street?

Jay street was very interesting. John Jay was a great revolutionary leader, who, admittedly made a bad decision to retire from Congress rather than sign the Declaration of Independence, but he became governor of New York, worked with Hamilton on the Federalist Papers, and helped establish the government of the State of New York. 

I do not see many Jay Streets in my travels and it was this street which began to get my mind turning about how many people even have a small understanding of the people whose names are remembered on our streets. 

DeWitt Clinton

Some are easy--Franklin for instance. Although there is confusion by at least one candidate for Congress about his contributions to the United States.

Others can be confusing. Clinton would be an example. No, this street was not named for President William Jefferson Clinton, but rather another famous Clinton named DeWitt Clinton. He was instrumental in the development of the New York and the nation. He was a US Senator, a governor of NY, and was instrumental in the development of the Erie Canal.

Bradley Alley was interesting. Surely, it must have been named for the great General of the Army, Omar Bradley--but it seemed a bit out of place given the other names surrounding the area. I like the Omar Bradley thought though.

What is my take away? We need to look at the street names we cross every day and, unless living in Columbia, Maryland, where they don't make any sense anyway, try to remember the history and the people associated with the names on the signs. We need to remember more than just the Kennedy's and Martin Luther King Jr. names, but people like Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence from Maryland, and the industrialist of early Maryland, Richard Snowden. 

I will remember Richard now every day when I drive Snowden River Parkway. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Schenectady, NY

Out the Hotel Window - Schenectady, NY

Schenectady, NY from my Hotel Window

Where? Yes, Schenectady, NY. A city in upstate New York in the vicinity of Albany. It is our first trip to Schenectady, although Chris and I have known of the city for a long time. 

We are here this to celebrate a wedding and completed the thankfully uneventful trip yesterday. Although it looked like rain for most of the day, it was thankfully dry with the exception of a small stretch running through the Catskill Mountains as we were passing an exit marked for something to do with Rip Van Winkle. Aside form that, the weather has been outstanding and beautiful--which is especially important since the wedding is an outdoor ceremony this evening. 

State Street, Schenectady, NY

Our hotel is located in the heart of the business district. Schenectady is an old looking city which is desperately trying to reinvent itself to compete with the Shopping Mall society. 

Overall I have found the city to be clean and efforts to maintain it are evident, but there are many vacant business locations. But, there is an abundance to restaurants and bistros which offer an amazing variety of foods. While we were out walking last evening, we happened upon a small ceremony for one business and the mayor was reading a proclamation of service to the business owner--that was something I have not run across before in my travels.

We are looking forward to exploring the region today and learning more about the history and sampling some of the shopping possibilities. We have already noted that the unique Upstate NY practice of celebrating the Fourth of July on any date other than the date itself is alive and strong here. The small town of Scotia, NY, is having their fireworks display this evening. Scotia, lies between our hotel and the wedding location meaning that an alternate route must be found. Fortunately, I have discovered one.

I love a good adventure.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Schenectady, NY 

Olive Safari Explained

In reference to my posting from last week about trying to find olives in a grocery store, the error of my shopping expectations was pointed out to me.

While shopping for olives, I found three widely separated places in the store where olives were displayed--and of course it was in the third place that the specific type of olive for which I was searching was available. 

It turns out, as was postulated to me, that 3 persons in 100 probably are searching for olives on any given day. And these 3 people have different expectations for where the olives will be found. By placing olives in each of the 3 probable locations, these 3 shoppers will be happy and continue to shop at that store. The other 97 don't care and will buy olives wherever they are.

My problem, it turns out, was that I am a novice shopper and did not have the proper expectation with respect to the marketing scheme. Also, I was searching for a specific olive without fully understanding the marketing behind olives. No one actually goes shopping for olives! I, therefore, had two strikes against me. My third strike, as everyone knows, is that I am a guy and grocery stores are definitely not organized for guys. By placing olives in three unique and separate locations, they are more likely to satisfy the impulse shopper who sees them and thinks--I need olives, but really can't remember for what. 

To summarize,  I needed olives, a specific olive, and well, I'm a guy which is why my results were less than satisfactory.

Note to self--stay out of grocery stores unless accompanied by a competent woman.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Flowers and Bees

It is fun to always have a camera in my phone.

 Sometimes I find the coolest things while walking around and I can image them for use later.

Like the bumblebee on the flower. Not such a strange sight, but I was walking through the outdoor department at Lowe's when I snapped this image. The bee was just there, enjoying the flower on a beautiful pre-summer day. It was a perfect image in my mind--of course it did delay the shopping trip a bit.

And then, there is the Calla Lily in my yard. We have had this plant for  a few years, but this year the weather seems to be good for it because it has grown into a majestic plant with beautiful flowers.

On a normal day, I might notice it and then walk away and tell Chris about it. But the other day, I have my cell phone on me with its camera and I have now captured it for later enjoyment.

Enjoy the day and capture memories. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD