Retirement Party #2

Chris at the Retirement Function

Howard County recognized its retirees last evening in a gathering that was both classy and fun.

The Retirement Function

The retirees from across the county gathered in a local hall to hear words of encouragement from the superintendent and celebrate their careers.

Chris Getting a Likeness Drawn

It was a lot of fun. The munchies were heavy and sufficed for dinner and the connections between the retirees were amazing. I was honored to be there to see all of the people that Chris knew from her years working in the county.

I knew many of the other people retiring and that made the evening all that much more enjoyable. The county brought in artists and photographers as well as providing live piano music during the evening. I was impressed by the words of the superintendent to the retirees. 

Congratulations to Chris.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Watching the Polo Match

The Stable and Pitch at King Family Vineyards
from Radio Flyer's Vantage Point
June 10, 2018

I had a new experience this weekend when I attended a polo match. The match was held at King Family Vineyard on Sunday afternoon. It was a sight to see. The ponies and the riders charging along the pitch hitting the ball. There is a whole language associated with polo.

It was fun to watch the ponies run and to see the teams score. I could tell that it takes a lot of skill.

I have to admit, it was breathtaking to see the ponies and riders charging directly at me. It made me wonder if they were really under control. While I do not fully understand the intricacies of the rules, it was a basic game of hit the ball through the goal--complicated by the fact that the players were riding ponies at full gallop!

I did learn that a chukka is a period in polo. Although the rules call for six chukkas in a match, I am pretty sure there were only four in the ones played on Sunday.

It was a fantastic day at the vineyard and we sampled some truly special wines while we were watching the ponies compete. 

Polo Ponies on the Pitch

We were lucky that we left during the second match and were on the road before the torrential rains set in late in the afternoon. Getting out of the vineyard in the narrow road was probably a nightmare.

Departing when we chose was a good call.

And now I have experienced polo firsthand and I understand the attraction, of course, having a vineyard serving wine constantly while watching the match is not a bad thing either! The two go together very well: polo and wine.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friends and Wine

The View from a Knights Gambit Winery
June 9, 2018

Chris and I enjoyed a fantastic weekend in Charlottesville with friends. The views of the mountains reminded me of my boyhood home in the dairy country of upstate New York.

Vines at Pollak
June 9, 2018

Touring a couple different wineries and enjoying a polo match were the icing on the cake of spending time with friends reconnecting. 

Chris and I love to get out in the vineyards and see the grapes growing. There is something almost magical about how the small green grape clusters of June will become wine in a bottle within a few months or years, depending upon the variety and the fermentation process. It is, at its core, farming. The weather and the soil all contribute to place their unique stamp upon each vintage. 

Grape Clusters at Pollak
June 9, 2018

Wine begins in the soil with the vines, but the stars of the show are the clusters of grapes. The winemaker orchestrates the symphony and manages the outside influences to create their personal interpretation of a wine. I have been to vineyards where the winemaker's version of a particular grape and mine do not agree--and that is definitely OK. There are thousands of wines because it is an individual preference. There is a wine for everyone.

Touring wineries and sampling the fruit of the vine is always better with friends. I hope we get to head out again soon and discover many more new and favorite wineries.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - June 11, 2018

Sunset Earlysville, VA
June 10, 2018

1. It is awesome to get a weekend away with friends. It helps to get out of the routine and into something different while reconnecting and enjoying common pursuits.

2. It promises to be an exciting week with the President meeting with the leader of North Korea. Maybe they can see fit to finally end the longest war in American history.

3. I'm writing this week's edition of Monday Musings on my cell phone and so it will not have all of my usual features.

4. The image this morning is from Earlysville, VA, of the sunset over the mountains last evening.

5. I went to my first polo match yesterday. There is something breathtaking about watching 10 horses at full gallop headed straight for you and hoping they stay on the pitch.

6. Radio Flyer was airborne a number of times this weekend, but the image downloading didn't work as well as normal. I was disappointed. I have to go onto the card to pull the images.

7. At 19-45, the Orioles are on track to win 48 games this season. That means they will lose 114. Not a team record that they should be aiming for.

8. I took today off so I could enjoy the a summertime three-day weekend. And now it is raining. The story of the year so far is cool temperatures and rain.

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat. - Ronald Reagan

— Bob Doan, writing from Earlysville, VA

Weekend with friends

Out for a Walk as Viewed by Radio Flyer
June 10, 2018

Chris and I are spending the weekend in the Charlottesville area with friends. The weather has been fantastic, so far, and today we are at King Family Vineyards for a polo match.

What could be better than drinking wine and watching horses play? It has been an exciting past few days with the Stanley Cup being won by the Capitals, the Warriors sweep, and a triple crown winner. Wow.

Even though the weather threatens, we are ready for the horses to run on the pitch.

And drink some wine.

— Bob Doan, writing from Roseland Farm, VA

It is Finished

The GORC Dodgers after a game this season

The season ended last evening for the GORC Dodgers with a crushing playoff loss. The boys played hard, but came up short against the juggernaut Cardinals who get to play for the league championship today. Congrats to them and here's hoping they win the championship. They were definitely the better team last evening.

I was pleased with the gritty play of the Dodgers, even when they got behind early, again. The boys stayed in the game because in baseball, it is not over until the final out. 

Mike and Me with our All Stars

I could tell that the guys were really committed to giving it their all, but we just came up short on a couple of tough plays. Jax came back from taking a nasty pitch off his hip and was able to pitch an impressive inning of baseball. That is real determination.  

On the highlight reel, however, there was a fantastic play which caught the baserunner at third napping for an out which was a definite high point of the game. What made it even better was that it was a play we had practiced and it earned the team ice cream at the end of year party. 

It was a great season and I am still in shock that after three months of "all baseball all the time" that it is over. I have been living and breathing baseball almost to the exclusion of other things in my non-work life. It was fun to coach with Mike again and watch each of the boys develop as baseball players. I thin this year was fun because we began to run and call plays from the bench and not just watch the boys react to the baseball.

I guess I can now focus on yard work and house projects can begin without distraction.

It was a great season. I miss it already.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Playoff Game #2

Jax Finishing a Pitch
June 6, 2018

Tonight is playoff game #2 for the GORC Dodgers. Earlier in the week they earned the right to play another game by pulling off a stunning comeback win over the Orioles, 10-9, to earn a spot in the semifinals. 

Me Coaching 3rd and Sending a Runner Home

I was late getting to the game against the Orioles because I had been attending Chris' retirement party. When I arrived, the team was down 8-0 in the third inning. But that is when the boys began to turn it around. The pitching solidified with Jax taking the mound and the bats began getting runs back one-at-a-time. The defense also woke up and one of the game's highlights was a picture-perfect pickle-drill run down of a runner attempting to come home from third base.

Jax had a great night. He pitched 2 innings, struck out 5 and allowed only 1 run. His batting line was similarly impressive. At the plate he was 3-3 with a double and 3 RBIs.

Discussing Strategy with Jack Schaecher at 3rd Base

Post Game Meeting
We Have At Least One More Game

Baseball is a great game, especially when the pitching and the batting come together and create the magic that propels a team deeper into the playoffs. 

Tonight's game is no small task. The team is playing the Cardinals who are 12-1-1 (yes there can be ties in our league). We lost 14-4 the only time we played them, but that was after an almost two-week layoff due to the rains. 

What is on the line? Tonight's winner advances  to the league championship game tomorrow. 

No matter the outcome of tonight's game, it has been a fun season and I can see the baseball improvement in each player on the team. 

Most of all, it has been fun! And baseball should be fun!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Significant Life Event - Retirement

Chris at
Her Retirement party

Yesterday was a day about one of those significant life events.

Chris Speaking at Her Retirement Party

I attended the first of four retirement parties for Chris who is retiring as a special educator after 22 years. It is amazing that she was able to put together a whole multi-decade career while I was doing the Air Force officer thing moving the family across the world.

I was happy for the nice words that were said about her long and fruitful career, but most importantly, I was impressed by the love that her bosses and co-workers showed for her. Some people came to the party who work at other schools or have already retired, just to celebrate Chris and her career.

It was a very nice party and it is great that she is going out on top. I am very excited for her and a bit jealous. But this is not about me, it is about Chris and the long lasting contributions she has made as an educator.

I'm just waiting for someone to stick a microphone in her face and ask her what she is going to do next. I'm afraid it will be something like, "I'm going to Disney World!" Well, that's not far from the truth, she is going on a cruise later this summer.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cool and Clear

A Beautiful Day for Flying
June 5, 2018

After the rains and gray of the past weeks, the crisp clear skies of the mornings have been enjoyable.

Me and Sara Watching Radio Flyer
June 5, 2018

It was a bit cool this morning as I took the dogs out, but the clear sky after the overnight rains was encouraging.

I was able to get Radio Flyer up yesterday for a short 12 minute flight. IT had been over a week since its last flight mostly due to the bad weather. I was encouraged at the amount of green surrounding our house, despite the loss of many ash trees.

My neighbor, Sara, came over to see Radio Flyer and what I was doing and she seemed very impressed with its ability. I took a picture of us, but for some reason I am almost always looking down at my controls when the image is actually taken. I need to work on that. Yesterday's flight was really intended to check out the wind conditions. I could see the wind blowing the trees and I wanted to get an estimate of whether he winds were above the suggested threshold. Turns out they were not as I never received a high wind warning, good to know.

According to my flight logs, Radio Flyer has 60 flights totaling 8 hours and 44 minutes of flying time. Not too bad! I am looking forward to taking it on my weekend trip to Charlottesville to get some nice images of different territory. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Longer Days of June

As the days draw deeper into the newly minted month of June, I am noticing the longer available daylight. Sadly, just as the temperatures start to get hot, the days begin to shorten after the solstice.

Morning Breaking
June 4, 2018

Last evening, Chris and i were out last 8:45 PM and there remained some available light to brighten the outdoors activities. It is a far cry from the days of winter when darkness descends at 4:30 PM, it seems.

The dawn is breaking clear and true this morning as well. There is not a cloud visible, which is a very rare thing lately. The day should be fantastic, but the forecast provides for afternoon thunderstorms! Too bad have to go to work.

Coach Mike and I with our All Stars
Matthes, Jax, Preston, and Martin

The rains truly have subsided and the ground is beginning to dry. I flushed out the gutter system around our deck last night. It had become clogged. Flushing it is no easy task as I have to lift a couple of boards to remove the collected debris and then get a hose to encourage the remaining lighter collection of leaves and twigs to make their way down the drain to the ground.

Tonight is the GORC Dodgers final practice. The playoffs begin tomorrow and hopefully the team cam make a good run. I hope the thunderstorms do not interfere with practice. The team needs to get ready.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD