Luke Swims

I don't write much about Lucas. He is the youngest of the grandsons and he is a truly great kid. I actually see a lot of him. He loves being in the pool and has learned to swim pretty well.

Yesterday morning, Chris and I attended one of Lucas's swimming meets. He has gone from learning to swim in our backyard pool to being a member on a local team.

Jeremy reports that he is pretty good. He had won all of his races to date, for his age group, except the one that I filmed yesterday. He came in second in that race but was disqualified for grabbing the lane marker and potentially using it for an advantage. 

He needs to work a bit on his backstroke. He needs to keep it between the lines. But, he does swim very well. 

I am very proud of his accomplishments.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Going out in a Blaze of Glory

Radio Flyer Captures the Beginning of the Sunset
July 6, 2018

As the Sun Sets in Tanyard Cove
Radio Flyer
July 6, 2018

Yesterday was a busy day and it was a great day. It began on a local golf course, with Chris and ended as our friends said good-by after an evening of conversation, food, and of course wine.

I took a lot of images of the day's activities and flew Radio Flyer twice at Tanyard Cove in Glen Burnie around Fran and Mary's new house. 

It was fun flying around an active construction site where houses are in all stages of being built. And I will definitely write about that later.

July 6, 2018 Sunset from Route 100 Near BWI

The highlight of the day, however, was the stunning sunset which I captured from its very beginning until completion. 

July 6 2018 Sunset As the Colors Deepen

It was fortuitous that I was not driving because the most breathtaking views of the sunset were from the the road during the drive home.

The sky was ablaze with color and everyone in the vehicle commented on the beauty of the sunset. It has been stiflingly hot and the sunset carried the promise of more moderate temperatures, like those we are experiencing this morning. 

Sunset from the Road on Route 100 Maryland
July 6, 2018

I admit that I probably took too many images of the sunset. It was just that unique. 

Trees Silhouetted by the Sunset
July 6, 2018 

The beauty caught my eye and I was in a position to just enjoy the artist's work in the sky at the end of the day. And it was a beautiful ending. Most of the day was cloudy and damp with occasional rain showers to ensure the humidity remained at uncomfortably high levels. 

The sunset, however, provided the much needed  exclamation point that ushered the day away with the promise of a new tomorrow. 

Chris and I do not get to enjoy many sunsets like the one last evening. Aside from the infrequent occurrence, our house is located in a low spot surrounded by trees and we do not get to enjoy the expansive vistas that we experienced last evening. 

I am glad that I have the memory and the evidence of a colorful sunset which sent the day out in a blaze of glory.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

5 Day Weekend

A Full Pool from Radio Flyer
July 5, 2018

I am enjoying the middle part of a five-day weekend. With the holiday on Wednesday, it seemed natural to take leave for Thursday and Friday and effectively create a five-day weekend.

Boys Having Fun
July 5, 2018

That of course follows the four-day weekend that I created last week, meaning that I will have worked two days during an eleven day stretch! I call that a great mid-summer holiday. It was needed since our vacation is not until late August.

Yesterday was another hot pool day. 

We had some extra boys around to enjoy the water and it was a wild day. 

I flew Radio Flyer to capture the scene of six boys filling the pool with fun and sounds.

I also put together a short of Ethan taking shots at the basketball hoop in the yard on earlier in the week. I used Radio Flyer to get the video. 

It has been a busy and fun time around the house. 

On tap for the future? Golf! Definitely some golf this morning and again, hopefully, on Sunday. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The End of the Party Week

Champagne from Chris's Retirement Party

Happy July 5th--the day after when we begin to get it all back together after the day and night before. We have enjoyed a two party week. 

The two celebrations, Chris's retirement party and Independence Day, seemed to blend into each other. It was made even more special because Mom and Dad were here visiting.

Boys in the Pool on Independence Day

Sadly, I have to return them home today--but, the visit has been nice with all of the activities.

Yesterday ended with a bang as the neighborhood was filled with the sights and sounds of fireworks. Our neighborhood has some very committed people who truly desire to make the 4th of July memorable. 

John Adams, our second President, wrote about Independence Day:

I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more

Patrick's DJI Mavik Drone

And our neighborhood definitely believes in illuminations!

Patrick caught some images on his drone, and hopefully I will be able to share them in the future.

I am hoping the rest of the month is a bit quieter! We do not have anymore parties planned right now. Two in a week are quite enough. It sure has been hot. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Let Freedom Ring

Happy Independence Day! It is the 4th of July and time to celebrate. 

I know that my family is planning to celebrate the 4th and observe the 242nd anniversary of the founding of our country.

The weather looks to be hot, but a bit cooler than yesterday. 


Quotes for the 4th:

“We will stand by the right, we will stand by the true, we will live, we will die for the red, white, and blue.” - unknown

“We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something—for liberty and freedom and fairness. And these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to.” - Ronald Reagan

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." - Franklin D. Roosevelt

"Where liberty dwells, there is my country." - Benjamin Franklin

"America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand." - Harry S. Truman

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” - Statue of Liberty

About fireworks on the 4th:
From Time Magazine:

After all, John Adams did say he hoped the anniversary of independence would be marked for years to come by “guns” and “bonfires” and “illuminations.” Because the first July 4 fireworks display happened in the middle of the Revolutionary War, some historians believe they were supposed to be a “morale booster.” The celebrations at the time would have also included the firing of cannons and guns, adding to the explosive nature of the festivities. With the war’s end and increasing concern for public safety, those firearms were eventually phased out of the celebrations and replaced almost entirely by the fireworks, which were often given the official stamp of approval in the hope of drawing citizens to public celebrations instead of more dangerous private firework shows.

Have a Happy 4th.

Be safe. Don't drink and drive!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Let the Celebrations Begin

Independence Day is upon us. Tomorrow we will celebrate the 242nd anniversary of the founding of the country. I hope I did the math correctly.

My how the country has changed.

Maytronics Dolphin Sigma
Pool Cleaner at Work

I look forward to the celebrations tomorrow. Last year I experienced Independence Day on a cruise ship sailing the Caribbean. It was different and exciting. The festivities were engaging and the day at sea was truly memorable.

This year, however, both Chris and I are looking forward to being home for the 4th to celebrate with family and friends. 

I hope the day is full of excitement. I will be blessed to celebrate the day, once again, with Mom and Dad. I expect that most all of the family will gather for a picnic around the pool. 

I recently acquired a new automatic cleaner which is doing a fantastic job helping me to maintain the pool. It is easy to use and the new cleaning system will help ensure that this year's celebration takes place in crystal clear water.

The weather is supposed to be fantastic as well.

Bring on the 4th!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 2, 2018

1. Happy July! June is over and we have slid into the second half of the year. 

Late Afternoon Looking up the Drive
Radio Flyer
July 1, 2018

2. I spent over four hours watching a baseball tournament yesterday in the almost intolerable heat. I was amazed that to boys played a well as they did. Sadly, in tournaments only one team can advance and our guys came up one-run short in their semifinal game.


3. I was able to get Radio Flyer up for a few brief flights over the weekend. Nothing spectacular but it was good to be i the air again.

4. With July's arrival, the retirement party season is completed! Now it is onto retirement for Chris.

5. There is nothing better than falling into the pool on a hot July day to cool off.

6. The mid-week break for Independence Day should be interesting and fun. It is rare to have a holiday on a Wednesday.

7. Ice. Who forgot to bring the ice? I was amazed at how much ice gets used at a party.


Headlines

As Bolton Says North Korea Could Disarm in a Year, Reality Lags Promises - The New York Times

A bad week for Democrats gives rise to a big problem: Outrage could become an obstacle in midterms - The Washington Post

Chicken of the trees: Eating Florida's iguanas - The Orlando Sentinel


Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"You know, the story, as I say, will continue. Every time we place our hand over our heart and pledge allegiance to the flag, we'll be reminded that our most precious inheritance is freedom and that history has bestowed on our nation the unique responsibility for its protection." Remarks at a Flag Day Ceremony in Baltimore, Maryland, June 14, 1985

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Retirement Arrives

Tina, Patrick, Chris, Jeremy
Retirement Party
June 30, 2018

As the last rays of the June sun departed in the west, so did Chris's last day of employment. With the arrival of July, she is now retired. 



To celebrate her transition from the active workforce, retirement party #4 was held at the house around the pool yesterday. It was well attended, despite the heat, and we had a lot of fun. 

The pool was definitely essential on a day when the temperature topped out at 95 degrees and the stress index made it feel like 100. Spirits were high as the celebration which started during the early afternoon spanned into the evening.

Frances, George, Mary

Mary, Jennifer, Chris, Sue

It was a retirement send-off spectacular. The food was sumptuous and the liquid refreshments were almost endless. 

All of our friends came to celebrate and I was amazed how quickly the afternoon turned into evening. 

It turned too quickly. 

Now the excitement of the rest of her life begins. Although, she really won't experience it until summer ends in September. This summer is going to be much like many others and it is not until school is back in session that her retirement is likely to become real. For now, it is time to party and celebrate.

Chris, Dad, Mom

The Last Rays of June 2018 Over the House

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Hose and the Corkscrew

There are some frustrations in life that we just have to accept.

I don't fully subscribe to that mantra, just saying! 

I spend money to reduce frustration. Sometimes my desire to reduce frustration is thwarted, but I still try. 

I offer two examples. 

My "No-Kink" Hose

The first is the venerable and absolutely necessary garden hose. I have multiple garden hoses to perform multiple tasks such as water the plants during the heat of summer, wash the car (like I ever do that), supply water to the power washer, and fill the pool.

My biggest source of frustration with the garden hose, aside from being often length challenged, is the kink! Hoses kink when being moved and it is frustrating. I get prepared to preform a task and no water comes from the hose.  A few years ago I purchased a hose supposedly guaranteed not to kink. It was going to reduce my frustration. 

It has not reduced my frustration level. It kinks every bit as much as the old green hoses it replaced. Maybe more now that it has aged some. Ugh!

Maybe "no-kink" hoses do not really exist. (Is that a double negative?)

The second example of trying to reduce frustration is related to being a member of one of the most oppressed minorities in the world. 

Left-Handed Cork Screw

Yes, I am left-handed. Almost everything in the world is designed for right-handed people. I run into the righty bias in everything to include how gasoline pumps are constructed and how the air is ingested into my gasoline powered blower. I often find myself interfering with the airflow by holding the unit in my left hand to use it. Why can't the air be ingested from the top or bottom instead of the side?

I was in a recent discussion about corkscrews. Even corkscrews are built for right-handed use. I noticed the bias when a young left-handed waiter, who clearly did not have a lot of experience, struggled to remove the cork of a wine purchased for dinner. Believe it or not, corkscrews are designed for right-handed people!

I decided to do some research and found a left-handed corkscrew which I purchased. It arrived yesterday and I was ecstatic, until I tried to use it. It is backwards. Rather, I have become so trained to perform the task of removing the cork from a wine bottle using right-handed tools that it felt very weird to use a tool designed specifically for me to do the job. 

And it was fun. I even tried to remove the cork from the corkscrew improperly. Everything is reversed. 

I can't wait to have my friends try the corkscrew and experience life in reverse!

I remember when I was a kid laughing about a left-handed monkey wrench--maybe one does exist after all? 

Maybe there yet is hope for reducing some life's frustrations one item at a time! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

End of the Day Treats

The weather made it feel like summer yesterday.  And it will likewise feel like summer again today.

I love the summer.

During early summer evenings the canopy of the trees are alive with fireflies that light up the evening and chase away the darkness. It is fun to sit and enjoy the light show while also remembering my childhood when I would chase and capture the fireflies in a mayonnaise jar filled with a few strands of grass. I wanted to enjoy the their light for myself. I would release them after a while, usually just before I went to bed.

The fireflies never seemed to be as much fun in a jar as they did flying about illuminating the sky with their cool light.

Last evening, with Mom and Dad, Chris and I went to a local place in Elkridge to enjoy some ice cream at the end of a long day. 

Fireflies are a treat for the eyes, Cindy's Soft Serve provides a treat for the palate. 

Cindy's is one of those emblematic soft serve ice cream stores that I see in so many small towns and cities across the country. It is a place where people gather at the end of a hard day to find some cool sweetness and be around the other residents. It is one of the last places, I think, where communities gather.

What I know is that there is something great about having a sundae in my hand and sitting in the yard watching the fireflies. They are truly end of the day treats.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD