Snorkeling in the Caribbean

I never published the two other snorkeling videos that I made from our vacation this summer. 

One was of our first adventure on Grand Turk and the other was off a beach in Aruba.

Of the three snorkeling adventures we did this summer, I would say that the Aruba snorkeling off the beach was the best. It was also the least expensive since we just took a taxi to the beach, rather than participating in an organized tour.

I'm still playing with the color balance on my GoPro, but it seems to be getting better. There were huge differences in filming tactics between the Grand Turk and Aruba. For Grand Turk I had the GoPro on a head strap the entire time and it was mostly on. I couldn't aim it well and I got a lot of useless video.

For Aruba, I carried the GoPro on a strap and only filmed cool and interesting stuff. I made editing the collected images much easier. It took hours to reduce the Grand Turk adventure down to three minutes, and I'm sure it could be further slimmed. Editing Aruba was much faster, as was Curacao which I published earlier.

Starfish in Aruba

I like a few scenes in the Grand Turk video because the GoPro catches the the water entries off the boat and we did see a shark. The problem with the shark is that since the camera was on my head, I didn't capture the perfect images of it, at least in my mind. Additionally, every time I use my handheld camera, it shows up in the video, which is a bit annoying.

The Aruba video has a really neat scene of an eel trying to get at something in a hole at the bottom of the bay in which we were snorkeling.

And so, as summer comes to an end, I present the answer to every kid's first day of school question: What did you do this summer?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Mid-Summer Pool Woes

It happened almost overnight, it seemed.

I have a nasty algae growth in my pool. It is worse because I misidentified it early on and theater it wrong. 

Now, it is everywhere and the pool is closed undergoing algae eradication.

Ugh. I've never had a problem this bad, but I have read this particular algae, mustard algae, loves rough surfaces and since my pool surface is old it can be especially favorable for the growth of this somewhat chlorine resistant type. 

My Pool Being Treated

Fortunately, I caught before it really took over and I should be able to get the pool reopened before the weekend. At least the pool color is not born or green. The image is of the pool after I brushed it down and applied the treatments. As for more pool activities, with morning temperatures in the 50's and afternoons in the low 80's, I'm not sure how much more swimming season actually remains.

I miss laying on a floatie in the pool--which, frankly, I have not done much of this year at all.

I expect a few more sunny afternoons are all that are left of the season.

I'm hoping for at least one more pool party.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Signs of a Disintegrating Society

I know, the title is a bit ominous this morning. The news lately has really been in a downward spiral and it has caused me to pause and wonder, "How did we get here?"

Yesterday's senseless shootings in Virginia of the news team not only while they were on air, but also covered by the shooter on social media and then, I am told, he used social media to document his suicide is perhaps the most senseless act of violence I have been made aware of, and in a letter to explain or vindicate his actions he wrote, "Jehovah had told him to act."

ISIL's Plan to Take over the World

The killings yesterday in Virginia were even more senseless than the almost daily executions conducted by ISIL in the name of religious purity. Our news media is doing a great job shielding us from the reality of what millions of people face on a daily basis. We need to be more aware of what is happening across the globe rather than being so myopically focused upon a presidential election that is still over 14 months away. There are more immediate needs.

And then there is the loss of trillions of dollars of value around the world as the Chinese economy's bubble bursts and reality sets in that insular economics can no longer be sustained. The problem? Our economy is linked to theirs and we didn't even realize it.

Perhaps the fabric of society is unraveling.  People no longer are getting the moral guidance about how to act in trying situations. The "anything goes" approach has taken over and situational ethics has progressed to the point that if I can rationalize my actions in my head, then they must be justified.

The compass of life is spinning wildly.

Yes, I did just connect murder/suicide, ISIL, and China in one article.

People are searching, in the wrong places, to answer the timeless question about the meaning of life. Not finding a suitable answer, they are acting as if they are the center of the universe and no one else matters.

One of the lead articles in the Washington Post this morning asks: Will America Finally do Something to Stop the Gun-fueled Carnage? It proposes increased gun control laws, but I maintain that is not the answer.

People need to be taught to think about others and the impact of their actions upon those around them. Think before acting.

In Howard County, Maryland,  where I live, we have a program called Choose Civility. I have not been a big fan, especially when I get cut-off on the road by a car with the bumper sticker on it, but I am seeing the value in a program to begin to help people discover how to interact with others around them.

We need more civility to stem the disintegration of our society.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Orioles Grasping for Help

Mired in a six game losing streak which has seen them fall below .500 and move farther from the lead to 8 games out of first place, the Orioles' season is slipping away.

During this most recent stretch, the Orioles have lost 4, one-run games and have not had either the offense, defense, or pitching necessary to make a serious run in the division.

And it is not just the current losing streak that is rapidly drawing the season to a close. The Orioles have been terrible on the road this year, winning just 25 of 63 road games for a .397 winning percentage. That is not going to work, despite having a .597 winning percentage at home even after dropping their last four in a row coming off the last home stand.

There are just 37 games remaining in the season. The division is all but out of reach because they would need to win 27 (.730 winning percentage) of those games to have a reasonable chance at the division.  There is an outside chance at a wild card entry into the post season, as the Orioles are only 2.5 games out of the wild card. But in reality, none of that matters until they begin to start playing baseball as a complete team. MLB.com gives them a 12.9 percent chance of making the post season.

To say that I am disappointed in the performance of the team is an understatement. This team has demonstrated a knack for late game heroics in the ninth inning which come up short, I am afraid that same thing may happen with the season--a late charge that sees them wind up just outside the playoffs.

But hey, it's baseball. I love baseball but get frustrated when good teams don't play up to their potential.

Let's Go O's! Make a run and make us proud, again!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

School Begins

The kids are back in school here in much of Maryland.

Lucas giving gifts to us as he
got off the afternoon bus

Yesterday was day one of a journey that will not end until June 2016. 

Jax and Ethan Ready for Day 1

It was also the beginning of a 13 year journey for my youngest grandson Lucas as he began kindergarten. One of those important milestones on the road of life. 

Ethan and Jackson continue their journey's in fifth and second grades. 

They are all getting so big. 

I was able to visit with each of them yesterday afternoon after day one and found them all excited about the beginning of the new school year.

Luke made some nice gifts for everyone. He rides a bus, although the school is close, it crosses a main highway and there are no sidewalks. 

Luke Fresh of the Bus with Gifts

Ethan is on the safety patrol this year. He remarked that he gets to open doors for people--he felt like a doorman.

Jax was just excited to be home and was recovering from having a wart removed from his foot. He had named the wart "Bob." I wasn't too amused and am happy not to be associated with a wart on his foot anymore.

The funniest thing that happened was when Lucas thought that he had forgotten his lunchbox. He turned around and was in a total state of concern. He put his hands to his face, similar to the scene form "Home Alone" and stated he forgot his lunchbox. It was safely in his backpack, however, and he was greatly relieved. 

Day One is over and now it is into the routine. 

Way to go guys!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 24, 2015

1. The weekend is gone. Sometimes I think I work harder on weekends than I do during the week.

Makayla on the Couch

2. Makayla was on the couch the other day, relaxing. She gave me a look which seemed to say, do you really have to take a picture of this?

Patuxent Greens at Dawn
August 23, 2015

3. There is something mystical about greeting the new day on the golf course. Yesterday out Tee Time was before dawn and we arrived in time to warm up. It is hard to hit balls on the driving range and have no idea where they are going.

4. The Orioles certainly did not help their quest to repeat as American League East Champions by losing four straight games to the Minnesota Twins at home over the weekend. They are now 6.5 games out of first and headed to Kansas City to face a team which traditionally gives them trouble because they match up well. I am feeling the post-season slipping away.

Orioles Park at Camden Yards
August 19, 2015

5. Continuing the baseball theme, I snapped a realign interesting image of a rainbow over Camden Yards last week. I had hoped it was a sign of rebirth and renewal, alas, it was not to be. 

6. It looks as if it is going to be another rough day for the stock market. I wish that China would get their act together. My retirement funds are taking a nosedive!

7. Here is an interesting read from August 18, 1939, the review of The Wizard of Oz. Hmmm.

8. On this day, August 24, 79 (yup that is 79 as in 79 AD), Vesuvius erupted. 

9. OK, I just have to mention the birth of the twin pandas at the National Zoo. Really exciting for panda watchers of all ages. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Replacing a Window

Completed and Installed Window

It is amazing how the plans for some days get changed.

Yesterday, I was going to fix the frames around some windows that had deteriorated with age, only to find that one was in such a bad state of rot, that I wound up replacing the entire window because too much of the window was constructed using untreated lumber which had come into contact with the ground and dampness.

Ugh.

I had never replaced a window before. It was a bit daunting, the idea of tearing out a window and making a hole in the house that either would need to be filled by the window that I was installing, or an emergency call to a professional installer.

One of the Old Window Trim Pieces

Did I mention that it was a basement window behind a bush? A lot of fun to deal with. 

But, after only two trips to Lowe's and Home Depot, the project was complete.

Yay!

My first window!

Sadly, the reward for good work is more work and I have been informed that the other two basement windows must now be replaced in order to match the one that I installed.

Nice work Bob!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Americans Save the Day

I read a encouraging story in the Washington Post about three Americans who averted a huge disaster by tackling and tieing up a gunman on a French high speed train.

Really!

According to the story, "A gunman opened fire on a packed high-speed train running from Amsterdam to Paris on Friday before being tackled and tied up by three Americans, according to family members and French officials, who said their quick work had foiled a major tragedy."

I like reading stories about Americans doing great things while they are traveling around the world. Too often, I hear about the "ugly" Americans who do not represent the best reflection of our country or society. 

Americans — Anthony Sadler (left) of Pittsburg, Calif., and Alek Skarlatos from Roseburg, Ore., helped to overpower the gunman along with Spencer Stone, who is hospitalized. British national Chris Norman of France help to tie him up. (AFP/Getty Images)

"French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve praised the quick work of the Americans, whom he said had helped avert a far bloodier situation." He later used a word that I have never heard to describe their actions: sangfroid, which means coolness under extremely trying situations.

That two of the men are in the military, one is a National Guardsman and the other in the Air Force, just makes the story that much better because the other hero is a student and they are three friends from middle school.

We should always be prepared to lend a hand and avert disaster when we can and these three proved that they we more than ready to meet the task they faced.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take--The Constitution Cannot be Unconstitutional

It was widely reported that presidential candidate Donald Trump has declared that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution is unconstitutional.

Really?

That makes no sense to me on so many levels.

He is reported to have said that it wouldn't hold up in court. This is one of those concepts that amazes me. The amendment is part of the Constitution. It cannot, by definition, be unconstitutional. And, because it is an amendment to the Constitution it is the basis for court decisions.

Get a grip.

Do we really need someone with that much ignorance and lack of history to be President? If the amendment is deemed flawed, it should be repealed. A similar situation existed with the 18th Amendment which was subsequently repeated by the 21st Amendment. 

If the people of the United States feel strongly that the 14th Amendment, which confers citizenship uno everyone born in the United States, an amendment should submitted  to repeal it, but going around and saying that is it unconstitutional is just, in a word, ignorant.

If we repeal the 14th Amendment, then we have truly lost our way in the world and we should consider sending the Statue of Liberty back to France.

Did you see the latest poll that the U.S. is only the 21st most free country in the world? We thought we were higher. We keep falling down the list, and people are shocked!

Pop quiz--which amendment to the Constitution took over 202 years to ratify?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Loss of August

It is happening.

Bills are arriving with due dates in September. I am feeling the loss of summer more with each new September due date. 

The days are growing shorter and many of the evening have been cooler.

The precession of the seasons and the months continues unabated despite my best efforts to remain in perpetual summertime.

Too soon the trees will drop their leaves, my pool will be closed, and my private yard will again become more public as nothing but bare branches separate my neighbors from me.

I feel the loss already, yet it is still summer. I am beginning to mourn something that I still have in anticipation of its loss.

How weird is that?

I need to enjoy each of summer's remaining day to their fullest and then stand tall as autumn arrives and find a way to enjoy each if its cooler days as well.

Well, it's a plan.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD