The Tournament

Jeremy at the Crypto Cup
June 2, 2016

I took a day of leave yesterday to play golf in the 15th Annual Crypto Cup Golf Tournament which raises funds for the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation.

It is a fun day on one of the closer courses to me, Patuxent Greens. The weather was good--a bit cloudy in the morning, but the sun broke through in the afternoon.

Jeremy joined me for the day and we were teamed with another player and attacked the course as a threesome.

Mother and Juvenile Woodchuck

We did very respectfully, finishing solidly in the middle of the pack of 30 or so teams. I think if we had had our original team, two guys couldn't do the rescheduled date, that we would have done much better, possibly competing for prizes. 

Golf courses provide home for an assortment of animals and yesterday there was a woodchuck and its baby on the course. They provided some comedic relief as we waited to take a shot. 


I am finding that playing in tournaments like this one are not so much about the scores as they are about meeting people who, like me, are taking a day away from the routine of life to enjoy a round of golf while raising money for a good cause. 

Do I wish I was a better golfer? Sure. But do I have fun and still make some nice shots and putts? Definitely. 

My next tournament is the 3rd Annual Troy Whittemore Classic in August. It should be a nice day in the sun as well with family and friends.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Unfavorable Candidates

The "presumptive" nominees for President from both the Republican and Democratic Parties are carrying historically high unfavorable ratings CNN reports in an article about the topic. 

I have been reading and hearing about the possibility of a third party candidate. Perhaps the poor ratings of the leading candidates gives viability to a non-mainstream candidate. But then I worry that such a candidate would be unable to get Congress to do anything. I guess that is no different than the current situation.

There have been many potentially viable candidates stepping up to the microphone lately. I am concerned because a conservative third party candidate will likely not win and only makes it probable that the Republican nominee will not win which almost assures the Democratic nominee of the Presidency according to an article titled. Could an Independent conservative Candidate Really Compete in the 2016 Election. 

A poll in Florida Politics suggests that 55 percent of Americans want a Third Party candidate to run this year. The problem, however, is that the deadlines to qualify to be on the ballot in many states is coming already or (as in the case of Texas) has passed. Since the Republican and Democratic conventions are not until next month, why are the dates to qualify to be on the ballot so early?

All of this begs the question--should the the bloated and expensive primary system which nominates candidates with incredibly high unfavorable ratings be changed? 

I think the answer to that question is self-evident.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out of the Nest

Blue Jay on Pool Edge
May 31, 2016

Last evening, after the Jax's GORC Pirates won their final game of the season, I was checking the pool and I noticed a small visitor sitting precariously on the edge. 

It was something I had never seen before--a juvenile, fresh from the nest, Blue Jay.  Chris has been feeding the Jay's and I guess they like it here because one of the newest members of the species was hanging out on the pool deck. It didn't even have a towel.

It seemed ready to spend the night there, but out in the open with the potential of drowning in the pool didn't seem like a good choice for its first, probably, night out on its own.

It was very docile and did not mind having its presence documented for posterity. 

The bigger question was, "so what do we do with it?" 

Blue Jay on Pool Net
May 31, 2016

We determined that using the pool net to relocate it to a more suitable area was the best approach. The young Jay was very accommodating and jumped onto the edge of the net while I carried it, no small distance, around the pool and out to the yard. Determining that it needed cover for the night, we attempted to put it in a tree, but the was the one time the small bird objected. It did not want to be in a tree. 

It hopped off the net onto the ground and seemed comfortable there. Both Chris and I were a bit concerned about the local fox finding it, but the young Jay hopped into the underbrush seeking cover.

The number of juvenile animals around the house continues to increase. We have had a fawn spend the day, we have seen multiple baby rabbits, two juvenile wood chucks, and juvenile snakes of multiple varieties.

I wonder if our gardens can support all of them.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Holiday Weekend in Review

It was a crazy holiday weekend.

It seemed that every time something was turned on or used, it broke. I spent hours fixing things--like the pool heaters, faucets, door knobs, and the like. I can tell that the infrastructure of my house is aging. 

Did I golf? No. Why? Because the weathermen were not accurate with their forecasts. It always seemed like rain was forecast, but in reality the the rain only occurred in ernest on Sunday afternoon. 

I also learned that the local wildlife love my house. In addition to the fawn, I have seen baby bunnies and two juvenile woodchucks in the yard. Add to that the juvenile brown snake I helped out of the pool on Saturday morning and we are blessed with a few too many juvenile animals in the area.

I also worked on Jeremy's Jeep and helped him to add additional lights. That was an enjoyable distraction from cleaning and repairing. 

Somewhere during the weekend there was a truckload of mulch, multiple shopping excursions, trips to Lowe's for parts, and even a little lounging in the pool.

Chris with the Three Dogs

Did I mention dog sitting for two additional canines? Yup, Florence and Arthur were with us for the holiday weekend. The bed got a bit crowded.

I was able to watch the rain pummel my roof and confirmed that my new gutter leaf guards did their jobs--there was no overflow! Yay!

The highlight of the weekend was, of course, the holiday family picnic. I felt Chris' pain as the date for the picnic waffled between Sunday and Monday depending upon the weather report. In the end, we got the better day on Monday and the picnic was a grand success. The pool was a balmy 82 degrees and the day was mercifully dry. 

I'm looking forward to the short week ahead, but it seems that Mondays which fall on Tuesdays are some of the busiest days!

With Memorial Day weekend behind me, I can now focus on the summer ahead. If only the weather will hold.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 30, 2016

1. It is Memorial Day. Take a moment to remember those who gave all for our freedoms. Read the words the President Ronald Reagan spoke at Arlington National Cemetery during 1982.

2. My pool made it to 82 degrees yesterday! It was awesome, until the rains came. Again!

3. I can't believe how bad travel problems are at airports. Yesterday a computer problem snarled travelers at JFK. At one point 1500 people were in lines waiting to be checked in for their flights.

4. The killing of a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo yesterday is  reminder that zoo animals are wild, but the visitors bear responsibility for being safe as well. How did the 4 year old boy wind up in the gorilla enclosure in the first place? What were his parents doing? 

5. The weather has become a stressor. The weathermen can't seem to get a forecast right.

6. What a great way to win the Indianapolis 500--cross the finish line and then run out of gas and have to be towed to the winner's circle. Sometimes it is that way trying to get to a gas station.

7. New York City is making menu reading harder. They are now including salt content. Does anyone try to read the warning labels on everything we receive? The letters are too small to read without a magnifying glass.

8. Landing a space launch booster on a barge is an incredible feat. Elon Musk's SpaceX did it again! How Buck Rogers is that? The video in the linked article is really cool!

OK, I thought it was so cool that I included it here!

9. Did I mention that the Orioles managed to win a close game yesterday!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Visit from Bambi

Fawn in the Garden
May 28, 2016

I was startled yesterday as Chris and I were working around the house. We had been outside about an hour when, as I rounded the corner on the side of the house nearest the wooded area, there nestled under the lilac bush and in the Lily of the Valley patch was a fawn.

Hiding in almost plain sight, but very quiet and still, was Bambi!

We have a small herd of deer that traverse the wooded area behind the house and love to eat our plants. 

After discussing the situation with Chris and phoning a friend for some advice, we decided to clear the area and suspend our outdoor work for a couple of hours to see if its mother would return to retrieve the fawn.

I searched the internet and ran across an extremely informational site that set our minds to rest about the situation.  We learned that the fawn had probably not been abandoned and was not in any distress. I highly recommend reading this document titled, Do You Know How To Tell If That Fawn Really Needs Your Help??? It answered all of our questions and reassured us that the situation would resolve itself. 

The most important thing we learned from our reading was that this would probably be an all day event. The doe would likely not return until dusk. We also learned that the fawn was less than three weeks old.

The fawn stayed in its spot all day. It was quiet, but aware, and only moved when its location came into full sun. It moved three feet to more shaded spot under the lilac bush. 

We checked on it throughout the day and kept the dogs and kids away from it. We did advertise its presence to the neighbors who took some pictures, but did not otherwise disturb the small fawn.

Sometime between about 6:30 and 7:30 PM, the fawn disappeared. The house and the yard had been quiet for a couple of hours and we believe that its mother returned and took it away into the woods. We had hoped to catch a glimpse of mother and fawn together, but alas, it was not to be.

While we enjoyed our wildlife encounter, because it added a different dimension to the weekend, we hope it doesn't return for another day for free babysitting.

I checked the area this morning and as of 5:49 AM, the fawn had not returned. I have no idea whether deer reuse the same spots. I know that they traverse the same paths.

And that is the story of our real world encounter with Bambi.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Changing Laws for the Better

Our society has criminalized some of the most minor things. For instance, having an open container of alcohol in public in New York City was a misdemeanor, a criminal offense! 

Think about it--why would that be a criminal offense? With mandatory jail time and a permanent record? It was the same for littering and urinating in public. The Washington Free Beacon reports this morning that that is all changing. 

As quoted from an Associated Press article in The Washington Free Beacon:

The [New York] City Council on Wednesday passed a series of criminal justice reforms to sharply curtail the punishments for low-level offenses such as littering and peeing in public, an overhaul intended to help unclog the courts and jails of the nation’s largest city.

The Criminal Justice Reform Act alters the penalties for certain offenses, including possessing an open container of alcohol in public. Though the offenses will remain illegal, the legislation steers them to civil court rather than criminal court.

Public urination and most offenses in public parks will be downgraded from misdemeanors to violations and reduces the available jail penalties to just one day for violations. Currently, jail time could stretch up to 90 days for such offenses.

I am glad the courts will have more time to address those larger issues rather than being bogged down by these lesser (nuisance) offenses.

If you want to see some of the strangest criminal laws in existence in the United States, I recommend reviewing the article titled Here Are The Most Ridiculous Laws In Every State, compiled by Business Insider. I thought Ohio and Idaho were especially entertaining. And who says,  "Truth is funnier than fiction?" I can't make this stuff up. (BTW, it was Mark Twain)

Food for thought on the Memorial Day weekend.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Memorial Day Weekend Arrives

The first, albeit unofficial, weekend of the summer season has arrived. 

I am not disappointed with the weather outlook. The first weekend of summer is a stark contrast to last weekend when we were suffering with highs in the 50's and cold rain. This weekend the lows are in the upper 60's with the highs approaching 90! Bring it on!

As I walked out of work last evening, I was hit with a blast of hot, yes it was hot and humid, air that instantly reminded my of how much I love summer. It was far better than the icy cold blast of winter and the bone chilling wet days of even last week. I strode to my convertible, named Cat, and put the top down relishing in knowing that in a few minutes I would be feeling the warm wind in my hair as I drove home in crushing rush hour traffic.

My pool is still at a chilly 66 degrees, but that is nothing that more sunshine and a little propane cannot fix. I am seriously thinking of building a solar heater for the pool. 

I was coaching at the GORC Pirates baseball game last evening, with sweat falling into my eyes and I fully appreciated that I was in shorts and a golf shirt. The sun was shining bright into my eyes and it felt like summer.

I am glad that the weather has finally caught up with the calendar.

If you are traveling this weekend, be safe. Whatever you do--please take a moment to remember those who "gave all" and those who are on the front lines of conflict around the globe protecting and securing the freedoms we enjoy.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

O's Sag

Baseball is a long-haul sport. 

Teams go through good times and bad during the course of a season. In football, a three-game losing streak might end a playoff run. In baseball, it is just the way a series may play out.

The Orioles are amidst a three-game losing streak in Houston after losing their last two the Astros. Both games were one run losses and one was a 13 inning extra inning game. Losing the past two games is frustrating, because earlier in the season the O's were winning extra inning and one-run games. On a good note, last night they made four errors (that's not the good part, wait for it) and still only lost by one run.

Clearly the problem is not pitching (although the starting pitcher had two errors last night). The problem is hitting, or rather the lack of timely hitting. 

Last night, for example, the O's had 11 hits! 
They scored only 3 runs while leaving 12 men on base!  
They committed 4 errors! They had only committed 18 errors (the fewest in all of baseball) in their previous games this season.

The night before, they had 8 hits, scored 2 runs, and left 11 men on base. And had 19 strike outs!

Losing on Tuesday night in 13 innings was the Orioles first walk-off loss of the season!

On Tuesday night, the team batting average was .190, well below their season average of .259 (as a team), Wednesday night it was a more respectable .289 (but they still lost).

Baseball has a lot of statistics--but in reality there is only one statistic that really matters--putting a "1" in the win column.

I don't mind winning ugly, but losing ugly really hurts. 

Another great thing about baseball? They get to play again today.

Let's Go O's!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

First in a String

Looking Back Toward the 17th Tee Box
Timbers at Troy Golf Course

Last evening I headed out after work and enjoyed a round of golf at my local course. It was a momentous event given the incredible cold and rain of the past weeks.

I wore shorts and a short sleeve shirt--and was comfortable. I think there was even some sweat as I enjoyed the first 80 degree day during May. It was such a beautiful day and I didn't mind sharing the course with a family of geese. They watched me closely, but did not seem too perturbed by my presence. The goslings were happy to be finding food protected under the watchful eye of the adults.

Looking at the forecast, it appears that the cycle of cold, gloom, and rain is finally broken. Every day from now until June 3rd is forecast for 80 degree temperatures and no appreciable rain. June 3rd may break the string of great weather, but that is still days away and as I am fully aware, the weather can and will change. Sure, there are thunderstorms in the forecast--I can deal with those. 

Today looks as if it will be the second day in a row of moderate and enjoyable weather. I will be able to do the lawn work that I didn't start last evening because I was out whacking a small white ball with a club. 

I had to get out and enjoy the great weather. 

Memorial Day weekend is looking great!

Bring on the pool and the celebrations.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD