Arriving--Bahamas (three long blasts on the ship's horn)

The View from our Ship's Cabin

Via the magic of an overnight cruise out of the port of West Palm Beach, well it should have only been a three-hour tour cruise but they wanted more money, Chris and I arrived in the Bahamas. I could not believe that there were five cruise ships in port this morning! Two of them were Carnival cruise ships.

Yay! I love Spring Break!!!!

It is our (and my) first trip to the Bahamas! It likely will not be our last. Although the day was cool, it has been awesome!

Wandering Around the Shopping District

The overnight cruise was fun, but very basic. I am glad that I have been on other cruises and know what a real cruise is all about. Arriving in the Bahamas this morning during a thunderstorm at the Grand Lucayan Breakers Cay really put a damper on our day until noon, but, the view from our room is fantastic.

Bird of Paradise

We spent the day on the beach, although I had a light jacket on the entire time due to the coolness of the breeze. We walked the beach and did what we like to do--decompress from the frantic pace of life.

I have to admit, the Bahamas are a lot of fun. The scenery is pretty--it is ocean. Vacation--which is what this is all about, it fantastic. I did find my all-time favorite flower--yes, the Bird of Paradise!

I wrote last week about retirement being  a constant Spring Break, and this is the Spring Break of my dreams. I could live here, really. The people I have met are very impressive. 

Although overcast the weather has not dampened our spirits! We are having fun and there is a Bahamian band playing outside my room right now!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Freeport, Bahamas

Out the Hotel Window - Fort Lauderdale

Out My Hotel Window

Tiki Bar in the Daylight

Looking out the hotel window is not one of the prettiest scenes I have ever viewed. The tennis courts seem unused in a long time. There are no palm trees in the view but there is a great deal of green.

I guess having a room on the backside of the hotel means that I don't have the best view. 

But, in defense of the hotel, there is a very pretty and comfortable pool area that has a tiki bar and a hot tub. The area is very popular and last evening when Chris and I went to enjoy the evening there, it was very crowded and loud. There were many kids in the nearby pool which made the Tiki bar a less than enjoyable experience.

I did enjoy the sign near the entrance of the pool area advertising directions to many places. Why was Syracuse included? Who knows, but, hey, they are in the Final Four! Note--the hammock is big and always busy!

Today promises to be another great day!

-- Bob Doan, Writing from Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Monday Musings - March 28, 2013

1. Go 'Cuse! The team many thought should not be in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament (a/k/a March Madness) is in the Final Four! 

2. Easter Egg Hunts are the best fun--especially when the kids hide the eggs and make the adults find them!

3. The theme of our Easter message was: "Easter Changes Everything." Thankfully, we have hope because of Easter.

4. It is no fun flying when the pilot never turns off the seat belt advisory. People need to go to the restroom and they feel bad not following the rules.

5. What is the difference between a high of 58 degrees and a high temperature of 81 degrees? Two and a half hours and palm trees.

6. I'm reading a book by a person that I know and have worked with! It is great and I highly recommend it. Matt Bentley has written a great book called Overwatch. 

7. So who keeps saying we are not engaged in a religious war? When a group attacks Christians celebrating Easter in a park, I think the nature of the conflict has materially changed. 

8. What is the first thing people do in the morning? I wonder. Check the temperature outside? Turn on the news? Grab coffee? I have to put the dog out, she wakes me every morning.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Golf with the Geese

Happy Easter! Today is the celebration of the most important event in all of Christendom. 

Mike just after Striking the Ball

Yesterday, however, the guys and I were able to play some gold at Eisenhower Golf Course. It was out first outing in Maryland for the season. Yes, at 37 degrees when we arrived at the course it was cold!

Goose Guard

The Spring day was beautiful. The budding leaves are growing in mass and size creating a haze of green in the branches. It was fun to be on the golf course again knowing that a whole spring, summer, and autumn of golf ahead. I got a really nice image of Mike just after he hit the ball, the ball is still in the picture, although it seems a bit deformed from the power of his swing!

We did have an issue on one hole, however. Geese! One enterprising pair was building a nest along the lake aside one of the teeing ground. It was kind of rough to have to hit towards the goose but relying upon the lift of the club to ensure that the ball was not a danger to him (I presume it was a him since he was standing guard of the nest builder). 

Jeremy with Geese in His Sight

Jeremy had the toughest time because when it was his turn to tee off, both geese had waddled up to the side of the teeing ground. It was pretty funny. I can confirm that no geese were harmed in the playing of the hole because all three of us controlled our shots.

It was a beautiful day and a fairly brisk round of golf. We played the course in about 3 hours and 20 minutes. It would have been quicker but there was a foursome in front of us.

A beautiful Spring day, golf, and now ready for the celebration of today.

In a word--awesome!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Springtime Revival

Weeping Cherry Beginning to Blossom

It is happening everywhere around. 

The land is reviving after the dark season and the evidence is even in my own yard.

The forsythia are blooming and the white blooming trees along the roadways here in Maryland are in full flower. As an aside, so is the pollen.

Daffodils in a Friend's Yard

But it is a sight, a very welcome sight after the too cold and too long winter.


My weeping cherry is even beginning to blossom. The daffodils have been in bloom for what already seems like weeks and they as that much needed splash of color to the landscape. 

My lawn will need mowing within a week or so!

I am happy to see the green return! The trees are beginning to be more than just bare branches!

It is an awesome time of year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spring Break

It is that time if year--Spring Break for those of us still in the work force and therefore calendar constrained.

I wish businesses celebrated Spring Break with time off, but at least remaining connected with the school system through Chris,  I get the opportunity to enjoy the break from studies just like I used to in the good old days.

Some systems are effectively ending their Spring Break this weekend; however, Howard County, Maryland, begins Spring Break today. Is it any coincidence that it begins on Good Friday? I'm not sure. Often it ends on Easter Monday. 

Regardless, it is the time of year for planning a vacation or usually in our case a work week around the homestead to clean up the winter debris. 

I do enjoy the week when the weather is supposed to be good--as it is next week. At least 60's every day and lots of sun!

I am glad that I have not lost touch with Spring Break and since I wrote of retirement yesterday, I guess I envision that aspect of my like as a permanent Spring Break. I know my friends who have already achieved that milestone do not seem as calendar constrained as I am now.

Is there a beach calling my name from somewhere?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Retirement Calling

Louis, our ragdoll cat, did something very uncharacteristic last evening. He crawled up onto my chest, while I was dozing during a TV show, and made himself at home. 

Louis Enjoying Me Time

Chris was laughing and as I woke she asks for my camera to capture the moment. Louis is not a lap cat and only rarely consents to being touched. This was a major step forward in his development as a cat! I think he is a bit slow and now, after seven or so years, he is only beginning to enjoy close human contact. 

Well, he only stayed for a few moments after I started stroking his soft fur. 

Perhaps my retirement calling should be as a cat whisperer!

I think not, they make me sneeze. 

I need something that is more suitable to my temperament--like being a wine taster! Now that would be a great job! Even a laborer at a vineyard might be educational, learning about the business side of wine making without the stress of having to turn a profit!

I guess I need to keep thinking about it.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

What time is it?

I'm still adjusting to the time change from 10 days ago.

Dawn Breaking over BWI as I Left for Florida
March 10, 2016

I cannot get used to eating dinner while it is still light. We have been eating dinner in the dark for so many months that it is hard to change to eating in daylight. 

Last evening, after hitting a few golf balls into the net in my yard, I came inside while it was still light at 7:02 PM and it dawned upon me that this was our normal dinner time and I wasn't even hungry yet. So much for Jeopardy!

I am enjoying the additional light in the evening, however, driving to work in the dark again is a bit demoralizing. But, I do get to see the dawn gathering on the horizon and I enjoy seeing the day begin. 

Getting up in the morning is still tough, although Makayla seems to have adjusted to the time change and is acting like a very adequate back-up alarm clock. 

But, time marches on and another day is at hand. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Why is there Garbage Everywhere?

Winter has been tough on this region. I can tell because everywhere I look there is garbage along the highways and streets. Even in the wooded area next to our house where the street runoff drains, the garbage has accumulated.

I have wondered where all the garbage comes from.

I have wanted to take a picture of the garbage everywhere, but I am usually driving and the image will require some composition.

Yesterday, however, on my way home from work I discovered one source of the garbage.

Unbelievably, the trash truck in front of me was spewing garbage everywhere as the wind whipped across the top vehicle. Massive pieces of plastic were released into the environment.

I did not get a picture of the garbage rising from it, but I took a quick shot of the truck. I find it incredible that trash trucks are allowed on the highways without being required to cover their loads. 

While the Maryland legislature is arguing about partisan control of the government, perhaps they should do something worthwhile and require trash and recycling trucks to cover their loads. It will cost less money for highway cleanup.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - March 21, 2016

1. Maybe it really is springtime? Despite an ominous forecast, this weekend's storms did not bring sub-freezing temperatures or snow (other than a few flakes mixed with rain).

2. While is Sarasota last weekend, I saw the ultimate vanity plate on a car. An image of the car itself! States with only rear license plates can be a lot of fun.

3. March Madness, as the NSAA Men's Basketball Tournament is called, is truly underway. My bracket is totally busted, but my alma mater (Syracuse) and my hometown favorite (Maryland) are still in the dance having made the Sweet 16. 

4. Chris and I watched the movie Room over the weekend. We recommend it. Brie Larson won the Best Actress Oscar and she turns in a great performance.


5. I noticed that the trees are beginning to green. Yesterday I saw definitely hints of green on the formerly bare branches. 

6. Maryland's first tournament game was a classic tale of the turtle and the hare. It pit the Maryland Terrapins against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits. The turtle won again!

7. The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament and a well timed TV broadcast Orioles Spring Training Game provided some much needed relief from the political primary season over the weekend.

8. The President is in Cuba! I think that it is fantastic that we are finally recognizing that Cuba is not an enemy but that they can be a partner.

9. On this day in 1871, Stanley began his search through Africa for Dr. Livingstone which ended about 8 months later with the Stanley uttering the now immortal words "Dr Livingstone, I presume?"

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD