Out the Hotel Window - Salt Lake City

Snow Falling in Salt Lake City
April 14, 2015

I have not been to Salt Lake City, Utah, in many years. I do remember that last time it was summer--and that meant warm. I remember wandering around the Temple Square looking for ice cream!

Outside my window yesterday, as I arrived, it was snowing. What a shock to my system. I stood in the window in disbelief that snow could be falling from the mid-April sky. 

Snow outside the Hotel Window

But it was. 

I have heard, and remember that there are mountains around here somewhere--they were not visible due to the snow. 

So I am not sure what is truly the scene outside my window except for a view of some business buildings. 

And snow.

It is time for winter to be over--seriously.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Salt Lake City, Utah

10 Years Already--Happy Birthday Ethan

Ethan with his Golf Clubs

Yesterday Ethan celebrated his 10th birthday. It is a milestone birthday because he went into double digits. Turns out there are a few milestone birthdays--10, 13, 16, 18, and 21. Unfortunately those are followed by the decade years with the magical 65 and 75 tossed in for good measure.

It is hard to believe that he is 10 years old already--the time certainly has flown by. 

Although I know his favorite gift was the trip he revoked for an overnight at Great Wolf Lodge, my personal favorite was his golf clubs--I look forward to spending quality time on the golf course enjoying teaching him the game--not that I actually know how to play it.

Growing up seemed to take so long when I was young and growing, but it happens so fast now that I am watching my children and now grandchildren pass each age milestone.

I enjoyed singing Happy Birthday to him. And I also enjoyed him on his scavenger hunt to secure his final and most wanted gift. 

Happy Birthday E--may you always have joy in your heart.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 13, 2015

Snow in Danby, NY
April 11, 2015

1. Some places within a five hour drive of Baltimore still have snow! I even took a picture of some of it.

2. The Orioles are unsettled as they are now six games into the regular season and carrying a 3-3 record.

3. I am continually amazed at how the trees begin to leaf by showing signs of green--and then the leaves arrive! Come-on Spring. Let's get busy.

4. I'm amazed at how many people are already running for President--and the election is not for another 19 months. 

5. 10 is a great age! Happy Birthday Ethan. It must be really cool to share a birthday with Thomas Jefferson. 

6. I was excited about the Masters Golf Tournament, probably because I have a new appreciation for golf. Congratulations Jordan Spieth!

7. It was good to get back to Maryland after a cold and quick weekend in upstate New York. It is at least warmer here.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Orioles Opening Day Let Down

Orioles home Opening Day
April 10, 2015

The crowds were gathered in anticipation of cheering their team onto victory on Home Opening Day. It was an awesome and orange sight. The faithful, numbering some 45,000, gathered and the teams were introduced. 

I was in the stands as part of the cheering throng. 

Despite the threat of thunderstorms, the game was played and the storms never materialized.

Everything was fantastic--right up until the game actually began, I got some great video of the opening day festivities and the singing of the national anthems. 

After that, it was apparent the the Orioles may not have fully arrived for the start of the game as they rapidly spotted the visiting Blue Jays to a four run lead in the top half of the first inning. 

The game quickly got out of control, and I have to admit some of the Orioles tried very hard to get back into the game--but the damage had been done early and the final score on a disappointing home opening day was 12-5. The Orioles did manage 13 hits and Adam Jones was 4-4, and three other Orioles were 2-4 on the day. The hits just did not come when they could produce runs in the same way that the Blue Jays hitters were able to generate 12 runs from their 16 hits. 

But it was fun to be back in Camden Yards and to enjoy the sights and sounds of baseball.

There are still 158 games to be played. IT is going to be a long and fun season.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Home Opening Day--Go O's

Orioles Opening Day 2014

It is finally here. 

Major League Baseball returns to Baltimore as the Orioles 2015 campaign begins!

With temperatures in the mid-70's and a forecast calling for thunderstorms to begin exactly at game time, the excitement returns as the Orioles take the field and continue the defense of their American League East Division crown. 

I love the excitement of the crowd and the anticipation. The Orioles already possess a winning record and expectations are already high--much higher than last year when they took the field.

The traditions of opening day as fun and as the fans stream into the park, you can sense the joy as baseball has returned. It is another way to cast off the chains of the long winter.

What do I like most about Opening Day? Being there to enjoy the national anthem, to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and along John Denver's Country Boy.

Yes--the food is too expensive, but there are downsides to everything. 

I'm ready to: Play Ball!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

Orioles on the Move

The season is off to a great start. The Orioles have won their first series with some great pitching and timely batting. 

Someone joked after the first two wins that the Orioles were on track to win 162 games this season. 

That of course could not last as last evening's loss was a dose of reality. The season is very young and there is a long was to go--but the Orioles are fanning the flames of high hopes with the way they've begun.

The home opener is on Friday--and even with the foul weather forecast, I will be there with tens of thousands of other Orioles faithful. I'm really excited about the day and the game.

There is something fantastic about attending the first game of the season and participating in the festivities as the team is introduced to the surging home crowd for the first time. The greatest fans in baseball, they call the crowd--and we are!

I remember not too long ago when it was easy to get tickets and even extra tickets for opening day. This year, however, I know that there are season ticket holders who were not able to secure tickets for the game. My how the fortunes of the game have changed. 

Let's go O's.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Evening Falls

The Weeping Cherry in Bud

With the arrival of April, the evenings are getting warmer and more pleasant.

The rebirth of the region after the unreasonably long and cold winter is evident everywhere. I saw the buds on the weeping cherry in my yard yesterday. Some Easter's this tree is in full bloom--but this year because of the snow, the blossoms are behind schedule.

It is going to be beautiful when it does finally bloom.

It is amazing how I look for the new signs of Spring every day. New buds and flowers appear every day  and the trees are beginning to leaf.

It is exciting.

Chris, Dad, and Mom with Lucas in the corner

What is also exciting is the opportunity to move outside for the evening to enjoy the weather, like we did around the fire pit last evening. 

Ending the day with a glass of wine and conversation, without the distraction of electronics, is a way to reconnect and defy the ever increasing pace of life.

Fire, wine, conversation, relaxing and reconnecting--what could be better?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Golf Victory Dance

They begin young learning how to do victory dances.

I was watching Lucas trying to hit a golf ball on Easter Sunday--he was concentrating and focused. He was attempting to hit a golf ball with a club too large for him and he was doing a good job.

Hitting the Cover off a Golf Ball

I have been hitting a few golf balls lately, and I now know how to tell when a golf ball has reached the end of its useful life. The cover comes off. 

I didn't know that until I began hitting golf balls repeatedly into my practice net. I've had two golf balls suffer complete failures like this. 

It is kind of fun to have a golf ball fail like this--it means that I got my money's worth out of the ball--and I bought these as range balls so I didn't pay much for them.

But, back to Lucas--I watched him until he finally got a good hit on a golf ball and almost missed the victory dance. 

Watch the video until the end to see the victory dance.

I need to learn those moves because I know how he feels when I make a good shot.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 6, 2015

1. It is officially Spring--Baseball is back! St Louis defeated Chicago last night 3-0 and the most of the rest of the teams have their first games today!

2. Why is it that I don't enjoy new songs during holiday worship services? Am I stuck with beliefs that are too old to enjoy new music? 

3. Chaos. That is what you get when three grandchildren and their families gather along with a couple friends thrown in to celebrate Easter.

4. What do you believe?

5. March Madness is almost over--the final game is tonight--Duke vs Wisconsin. Go Wisconsin!

6. We are an Easter people who live resurrected lives. 
Springtime has arrived. I notices the trees are casting shadows greater than just bare branches.

7. The hardest question I am dealing with right now is where to go for vacation this summer!

8. I can't believe that Spring Break is over and I have to go back to work today--ugh! I did play four rounds of golf.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Easter Morning

Happy Easter.

Good morning or good day on the most important day in all of Christendom. 

This Easter the murder of  Christians around the world at the hands of terrorists is in the news. They are martyrs in the truest sense of the word, killed only because of their belief in the risen Son of God. 

I know this a downer for the celebration of Easter. But is is happening with ever increasing frequency. I am appalled that the news media continues to refer to the murders as executions--there is a huge difference between an execution as the result of a legal process conducted by a government and the indiscriminate murder of people on a college campus. The use of the word execution almost gives the sense of the result of a legal process rather than the appalling murders that are the reality. 

I draw consolation, however, from knowing that as believers in the Risen Lord of Easter those martyrs are in the presence of God today praying for those of us left behind to deal with the forces of darkness that are rampant in the world. That is not comforting to the families and friends left behind--for their loved ones have been violently ripped away from them, but it is the promise of Easter and belief in the risen Jesus.

During the Good Friday services I attended, I made note of an interesting statement from Mark 15:39, "Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, 'Truly this man was God’s Son!'" (NET Bible) The centurion was present likely throughout the crucifixion of Jesus. But I noted the word, "was." He said "this man WAS God's Son." 

The hope of the world today, the hope that comes because of that first Easter morning two millennium ago, is that is is wrong to say  He WAS God's Son, because He IS God's Son. We know something that at that moment the centurion could not know.

Jesus IS the Son of God--yesterday, today, and tomorrow and because He is risen and alive, we have hope.

Be joyful as you repeat the ancient phrase of victory over death today,

He is Risen
He is Risen indeed!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD