Day at the Sky Zone

Birthday parties have become a lot more interesting over the years, and especially those for Lucas.

Lucas at the Party

Last year the party was at the climbing zone and this year it was a trampoline area aptly named the Sky Zone Trampoline Park. 

Visiting the Sky Zone was a great way to exhaust the kids and it provided some entertainment for the adults as well. The place is huge! Lots of activities and trampolines with sufficient supervision. 

Check-in at the Sky Zone

It was fun to watch the assembled masses race from activity to activity and demonstrate their ability to bounce and flip on the trampolines. 

Checkin was a bit long and chaotic, but after that, the party went pretty well. Thankfully the forecast snow and ice never materialized! It was rainy and cold, but that did not dampen the spirits of the party goers. 

All-in-all, it was a great party. There was some blood--someone always has to bleed in this family or it isn't a real event, but fortunately it was minor and was self-induced as his knee impacted his nose. And it wasn't the birthday boy, so there was no fear of ruining the images of the event.

I took some slow motion videos of the activities and here is one of the birthday boy in action on the trampoline.

Birthdays can be fun!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Gathering at the Feeder

Deer at the Feeder

Chris likes to feed the birds and enjoys watching their antics as they flock for the feast.

Last evening, in advance of the expected storm, we filled the feeders to provide for our feathered friends during bad weather. 

One of the things we do when filling the feeders is to scatter seed on the ground for the mourning doves. Shortly after scattering the seed, the feeders were full of not feathered friends, but five deer scratching on the ground. Chris snapped a couple images on her phone while trying not to spook the visitors to the feeders. 

Earlier in the week we had remarked that we had not seen out small herd of deer since early December. As it turns out, they found us. Our side yard is an area the deer use to transit between open areas and we see them almost every day during the summer--especially during the evening hours. 

Well, it seems that they are still in the area. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

January Weather Respite

10 Day Forecast

The official temperature in Baltimore yesterday was 70 degrees, tying a record established in the 1800's for the date. 

That was 60 degrees higher than the low on Monday morning.

Even the weather gave us a break! While there is a serious storm headed our way causing through the mid-section of the country, yesterday was idyllic.

I had wanted to play golf and enjoy the special day, but the rains of the previous days and some unplanned activities by my golfing buddies meant that I did not hit the golf course, but rather I finished taking down the outdoors Christmas decorations and putting the exclamation point on the season. 

The weekend is forecast to be cold and icy, it is probably payback for hitting the witch of winter on the nose yesterday. 

I appreciate good weather when it happens, especially during the middle portion of January!

Be careful today--it is, after all, Friday the 13th.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hold Your Breath

A new sheriff walks onto the international stage next Friday as the 45th President of the United States is inaugurated.

There are so many things that will suddenly be up in the air. Treaties, agreements, executive orders, and so much more. 

There is likely to be a lot of confusion and mixed messages as the new administration blows onto the international stage.  That may be a very bad thing. The inconsistency between U.S. administrations confuses our allies and enemies alike. Who really knows what direction the country will be headed?

There will likely be a few days/weeks of unsettled activity. 

I am encouraged that the President and the Congress are of the same party; however, the last time the same party was in control the ensuing infighting almost rendered the opportunity to lead the nation totally ineffective.

Perhaps the thing that we should be most ready to expect is that there is going to be change, we just don't know what that change is going to embody. There are so many questions.

Will a wall be really be constructed along the Mexican border?

Will universal healthcare be scrapped for an as yet undefined replacement?

Will the Iran deal be voided?

How many executive orders will be repealed?

Will the U.S. and Russia become allies?

I wonder how the inaugural address will stack up along side the body of such speeches which are our history and heritage?

Are these really the most important questions we should be asking about the next administration?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Farewell Address

I watched President Obama make his farewell address to the nation last evening and I realized that I may be watching the end of an era in American politics.

The speech was elegant and well spoken. There were no "off the cuff" slanders against any particular group of people. The speech was focused upon inclusion and presenting a positive view of America and the President's term in office. I found it amusing that at one point the assembled crowd broke into a chant of "4 more years."

I was particularly impressed with his words about the Constitution. 

Note: The excerpts from President Obama's speech are from the New York Times.

Our Constitution is a remarkable, beautiful gift. But it’s really just a piece of parchment. It has no power on its own. We, the people, give it power. We, the people, give it meaning — with our participation, and with the choices that we make and the alliances that we forge.

I am a huge supporter of the Constitution. I was pleased with his references to "We, the People." The united States is, after all, a country founded upon the idea of "We, the People . . . "

I also believed that the President's summation was spot on:

And that’s why I leave this stage tonight even more optimistic about this country than when we started. Because I know our work has not only helped so many Americans; it has inspired so many Americans — especially so many young people out there — to believe that you can make a difference; to hitch your wagon to something bigger than yourselves.

Let me tell you, this generation coming up — unselfish, altruistic, creative, patriotic — I’ve seen you in every corner of the country. You believe in a fair, and just, and inclusive America; you know that constant change has been America’s hallmark, that it’s not something to fear but something to embrace, you are willing to carry this hard work of democracy forward. You’ll soon outnumber any of us, and I believe as a result the future is in good hands.

The farewell address was presented in superior fashion, even when hecklers tried to disrupt the speech, Obama's grace and forbearance was evident--he simply continued with his remarks until the hecklers were subdued or got bored.

I found it very interesting and revealing that President Obama ended his speech by reminding everyone of his words from the election of 2008, where the catch phrase was "We Can" his almost final words were:

Yes, we can.

Yes, we did.

Yes, we can.

These words echo the final words of President Reagan's Farewell Address presented on January 11. 1989:

My friends: We did it. We weren't just marking time. We made a difference. We made the city stronger, we made the city freer, and we left her in good hands. All in all, not bad, not bad at all.
  
I wonder, will we be so optimistic in another eight years?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

National Champion

The college football season has finally ended with the crowning of the national champion last night--it was actually very early this morning. Congratulations to the Clemson Tigers for becoming the kings of the college football world with a last second touchdown winning the game 35-31 over the seemingly invincible Alabama Crimson Tide 

As a society, we seem to be fascinated champions especially when they are national or world champions. Team and their fans will relish in the spotlight of being the national champions, whether the sport be football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, or hockey. 

In the professional sports world, we tend to elevate the championship level from national to world, for instance the World Series for baseball and the Super Bowl Champs for football. We love a winner.  

Patton

General George S. Patton summed it up when he said "America loves a winner, and will not tolerate a loser . . ."

Vince Lombardi made the following famous statement about winning: "Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Winning is a habit. Unfortunately, so is losing."

The road to becoming a champion is paved by the losses of the other teams. For every team that wins a game, another team has lost. True champions understand losing, because they have been there. Clemson, for instance, lost earlier in the season and had also lost the College Football National Championship game last year to Alabama by 5 points. Understanding the sting of losing helps champions to be graceful on their victory. 

I always learn more from losing than I do from winning. To quote Patton again, "Success is how high you bounce when you hit bottom."

It is fun to celebrate the champion and the victor in the struggle.

“For over a thousand years Roman conquerors returning from the wars enjoyed the honor of triumph, a tumultuous parade. In the procession came trumpeteers, musicians and strange animals from conquered territories, together with carts laden with treasure and captured armaments. The conquerors rode in a triumphal chariot, the dazed prisoners walking in chains before him. Sometimes his children robed in white stood with him in the chariot or rode the trace horses. A slave stood behind the conqueror holding a golden crown and whispering in his ear a warning: that all glory is fleeting.” - Patton

Enjoy the moment, because when the sun still comes up tomorrow and the new day dawns it will be time do it all over again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - January 9, 2017

1. The second Monday, and the second week of the new year is upon us. I hope there is some warmer weather in sight.

Headlines

2. D.C.-area forecast: Very cold today, but we welcome a January thaw midweek, from the Washington Post.

3. Russia-Turkey Alliance Grows in Syria, as U.S. Relations Strain, from the New York Times

Kin Jong-un

4. North Korea sends message to Trump amid threat to fire missile 'at any time', from CNN

Musings

5. Said about someone, They sleep so lightly that they could hear a flea jumping off a cat an be awakened.

6. Marriage is more than two people living together. Marriage is a team sport where both people are working towards the same goal.

7. The art of driving is becoming lost, there are too many people on the roads who are oblivious about how their actions will affect others. 

8. Spring is just two months away.

9. It is 13 degrees outside this morning. That is too cold to think!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

It looks Cold

Driving across the hills outside Ithaca last evening, I came upon a scene that beautifully portrayed the weather of the day. It was cold and clear. The sunset in the west reflecting off the high clouds provided a perfect frame for the gathering nightfall.

I had just carefully passed a herd of deer. I had to be certain that they had all crossed the road and that none were lurking ready to run into the side of my vehicle.

As I reflected on the sky, it just looked cold. And it was cold. The temperature was already falling into the low teens.

Although it was snowy and cold, I could still enjoy the scene painted out before me.

And then I wished I was on a warm sandy beach somewhere.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

Kitty in a Basket

Cats are amazing animals. They find some creative places to hide and rest. Yesterday, I came across a cat, not mine, relaxing in a basket atop a refrigerator. It was a cute image.

I wrote just the other day about my own cats and the strange places they hide. It makes me feel a bit better to find that they are not unique, but their actions are common across the feline social structure.

They make me smile. That is a good thing.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

First Friday

The first Friday of the new year is here. Just last week we were preparing to celebrate the arrival of the new year and I was enjoying a vacation day.

Today, I am back at work wading through the myriad of actions which populate my life. It is almost as if the holiday weekend never happened. Sadly. 

I am amazed how quickly the pace of life resumes.

Racking my First Batch of Wine

I am looking forward to the Springtime! In a short 74 days springtime will be here. Between now and then I expect at least one blizzard and a couple of major snow events. So far, however, the region has escaped the wrath of snow. Even last night's snow event petered out and because a dusting.

Yesterday, I was able to rack my first batch of wine. I had my first taste and I was pleasantly surprised. The wine had some nice tones and character. I hope it continues to develop as it still has a few weeks to develop. 

So the first Friday of 2017 will soon be in the books. It looks like it is going to be an interesting year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD