Are You Embarrassed?

I have been avoiding politically charged blogs for a while now, but can hold it back no longer.

I am embarrassed.

I am an American and I am a patriot. I have devoted my adult life to supporting and defending our country.

I feel that I am experiencing the decline and fall of the Roman Empire all over again. We have an executive branch which daily provides mixed messages tinged with only a hint of the truth, a Congress that is more concerned with partisan politics than seeing the elephant in the room and governing our great nation, and a Supreme Court which is divided and has apparently lost its moral rudder.

This headline caught my eye yesterday: We've never had a president 'incapable of telling the truth,' says former Bill Clinton press secretary - The Week

The United States has gone from being the undisputed leader for other nations to emulate and a force for justice and democracy in the world to the laughing stock of the world as we become so inwardly focused that we cannot or will not see the myriad threat confronting our borders--and they are not immigrants from the south.

Tariffs are for trade war losers.

Walls are for the fearful.

Scapegoats mask failure.

Lies are for the deceitful.

My country right or wrong--I have great hopes for the mid-term elections.The majority of voters in our country need to unite and clearly express their frustration at the way our country has changed during there past one-and-a-half years! Yes, it has only been that long. We are just past the halfway point.

The time to begin change and restore our country is now! Find and support candidates who are devoted to leading our country from a bipartisan perspective.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 6, 2018

View from the 18th Tee Box
Whiskey Creek Golf Course
 Ijamsville, MD

1. The first Monday in August has arrived! At least it came after the first weekend.

The Doors Removed for Replacement

2. Another busy project weekend. Not only did I, with the help of the almost entire family fell a tree, but the broken glass door was replaced, the furnace filters were cleaned, and I got to play a round of golf at a very nice course near Frederick.

3. August started with a lot of rain, a continuation of the end of July, but the weekend was very nice. 

4. Chris and I were lucky to find a perfect replacement door for the one with the broken glass. Fortunately, it took only about an hour to perform the replacement and clean up the glass.

5. Poison ivy is no fun, just ask Chris.

The Sliding Patio Door Installed

6. The Orioles have won a few games of late. They are 5-5 for their last 10 games and are projected to lose 113 games this season, if they continue playing as well as they have been of late. They are 1/2 game from becoming the 29th best team in baseball!

7. On this day in 1945, at 8:16 a.m. Japanese time, an American B-29 bomber, the Enola Gay, drops the world’s first atom bomb, over the city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people are killed as a direct result of the blast, and another 35,000 are injured. At least another 60,000 would be dead by the end of the year from the effects of the fallout.

8. Joke of the Week: A worldwide survey was conducted by the UN. The only question asked was: "Would you please give your honest opinion about solutions to the food shortage in the rest of the world?" The survey was a huge failure. In Africa they didn't know what "food" meant. In Eastern Europe they didn't know what "honest" meant. In Western Europe they didn't know what "shortage" meant. In China they didn't know what "opinion" meant. In the Middle East they didn't know what "solution" meant. In South America they didn't know what "please" meant. And in the USA they didn't know what "the rest of the world" meant.


HEADLINES

Steel Giants With Ties to Trump Officials Block Tariff Relief for Hundreds of Firms - The New York Times

Trump promised to fix veterans’ problems. Now they call his hotline desperate for help. - The Washington Post

U.S. will enforce sanctions against Iran, Pompeo says - The Washington Post

Watch Patrick Stewart on 'Star Trek' return - CNN

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have. – Ronald Reagan

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Down it Came

The Ash Tree Designated for Removal

Beware of the home owner with a chainsaw and the willingness to use it.

Patrick on the Chain Saw

The team assembled yesterday to remove one of the dead ash trees lining the yard. Patrick, Tina, and Jeremy assisted Chris and I in the felling and removal.

With the exception of about 15 feet of the trunk, the entire tree was removed in about an hour through the hard work of the team. There is now plenty of wood for the fire pit!

The entire tree would have been removed had there not been a nail deep inside of the ash tree that dulled the saw blade. I have purchased two new blades and will be buying a sharpening kit soon. The final pieces should be removed today.

There is something fascinating when a tree is felled. That last moment when the tree changes from defying gravity by reaching for the sky to when it becomes so much wood lying on the ground to be cut and removed is a sad one as a long time friend that has provided shade beauty is finally lost.

But it was time, the tree had succumbed to the Emerald Ash Borer. 

Another gift from China.

Soon the tree will be warming cold nights in its final form as firewood.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Will the Rains End Soon?

Northeast Weather Map
August 4, 2018

The rains across the Northeast may finally be ending today.

I know that my lawn is drenched, but I was able to get the tractor out and mow yesterday during a break in the storms. At least I will not be faced with a jungle when the sun finally dries the grass.

Trees have been falling and doing lots of damage during this wet period. The floods are real and the threat of dams breaking are likewise real. It has been a very wet period in the Northeast while the west is suffering from incredible heat. I wish we could even it all out.

I had thought that it would be dryer this morning, but that does not seem to be the case. The lawns were drenched by overnight rains. It remains dark and gloomy.

There is a rumor that the sun may shine soon. I am anxiously waiting for it in a too wet world. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Broken Glass--The Saga Continues

The project of last evening was to determine the best approach to fix the broken glass in the sliding patio door.

Me Taking and image of the Broken Glass Pane

Through an unfortunate accident that occurred two weeks ago and detailed in my blog entry titled Broken Glass, one pane of the double pane sliding glass door leading to the pool was broken. We have been living with the glass pane taped to allow use of the door and to prevent the tempered glass from falling out. 

It is a trashy, unkept look and it needs to be corrected--especially before the hot weather returns or winter arrives.

It is hard to find companies that can replace broken glass. We received one estimate and it was over $600 and would not restore the insulating gas between the glass panels of the door.

We remembered that we bought the sliding door unit at either Lowes or Home Depot and last evening we visited both stores to see if we could find a matching door. We struck out at Lowes, but hit what we believe is the jackpot at Home Depot. We were able to purchase just the moving panel with blinds for the unit that we believe is the same, or nearly the same, as ours. We knew we purchased the new sliding patio door unit during 2014 or 2015 and so it was not all that old. 

Installation will be attempted on Saturday! Hopefully. If it all works, we will have replaced the door for about $330 and it will be just like new. Or better.

Here's hoping!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Where has the Week Gone

Possible Spotted Beet Webworm Moth
July 21, 2018
Danby, NY

I can tell that I am having a busy week at work. I am coming home tired and have not snapped an image on my phone since the one on Monday morning of the bushes to be recycled loaded and ready in my truck.

Some weeks are just like that, busy. It does make the work days fly by, however.

I was reviewing my images from the past month and ran across this moth/butterfly imaged in Upstate NY. I did my best to identify it and believe that it may be a spotted beet webworm moth. I thought the identification would be very easy given the white spot on the underside, however, the identification charts seem only to show the top view of the insects.

I have not flown Radio Flyer in almost two weeks! Although my drone accompanied me on the weekend trip to Antietam and Harper's Ferry, it is not legal to fly in a National Park Service controlled area. I would have flown around the hotel we stayed in, but it just wasn't not that photogenic.

I hope to change that this evening. It is Thursday.

As an aside, the Orioles are 5-5 for their past 10 games and have lowered their expected loss total to 112! How exciting is that? They remain the 30th best team in MLB and are only 1.5 games from being the 29th best team.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

July is Gone

Fireworks at Big Cork Vineyards
July 28, 2018

August has arrived! There is just no way to stop the progression of the months.

Looking Down the Tracks
Harper's Ferry Station
July 29, 2018

Of course, July is my favorite month of the year! And now it is gone. 

I am amazed how quickly July passed. Perhaps it is because I was busy and there were some nice periods of good weather, although it was the second wettest month on record in the Baltimore area. Interestingly, July 1955 holds the record for the wettest July on record with two tropical storms/hurricane remnants passing through the region.

We just had a lot of rain during July.

July 2018 was a busy month. It started with a visit from Mom and Dad to enjoy the fireworks and the 4th of July and it ended with fireworks at Big Cork Vineyards after the concert. I guess the month was full of explosions.

Radio Flyer
July 4, 2018

Radio Flyer also got a few good flights in during the month. It is unfortunate that it cannot fly in National Parks, as there would have been some great shots this weekend.

My drone did have some issues during the month in terms of losing connection, but all-in-all it was a solid month of flying. 


July brought friends and family together for the Independence Day celebration, which was just awesome. Independence Day is fast becoming my favorite holiday as Christmas moves farther down the list. I suppose that if I lived in Australia or somewhere south of the equator that Christmas might be a more enjoyable holiday. But Independence Day in July in the Northern Hemisphere provides the opportunity for swimming, family, baseball, and fireworks. 

In the news, one of the greatest stories on the planet unfolded as 12 boys and their coach were rescued form a cave in Thailand. The drama of that situation played out for weeks before finally ending with the successful rescue.

Sadly, the month ended on a low note as the Orioles dismantled the team by trading Machado, Schoop, Brach, O'Day, and Gausman. The team is rebuilding and the hopes of playoff baseball are now at least four to five years away. 

And that, as Walter Cronkite used to say, is the way it is, July 2018.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

1964 the Tribute

Concert at Big Cork Vineyards
Rohrersville, MD
July 28, 2018

Chris and I had the opportunity to enjoy some authentic Beatle's music Saturday night at our favorite Maryland vineyard, Big Cork Vineyards as we attended a concert by 1964 the Tribute. 

It was a beautiful Maryland evening with moderate temperatures, low humidity, and almost no bugs. The wines were flowing freely and the venue was spectacular--especially the view of the mountains across the valley which made perfect backdrop for the concert.

It was a perfect blending for the evening. Wine, either, and music.

We had seen the band on two other occasions, a few years ago, but this performance on the lawn was definitely memorable. And enjoyable.

The concert was the reason we went "west" and spent the weekend in the area, but it was a lot of fun and was definitely worth the effort. 

The band sang most of the classic Beatles songs from their early years after landing in America. The show was full of humor and the performers aptly reproduced the spirit of a real Beatles show although, bring much younger during 1964, I never actually attended a Beatles concert in person.

We had fun and we would definitely do it again. Thank you Big Cork for staging the event!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 30, 2018

Church in Harper's Ferry from the Railroad Bridge
July 29, 2018

1. The last Monday of my favorite month of the year has arrived. August is waiting in the wings for a grand entrance on Wednesday.

Fence Lining the Sunken Road
Antietam Battlefield
July 28, 2018

2. Chris and I spent a weekend immersed in history. We walked the Antietam Battlefield as well as wandering around Harper's Ferry.

3. I am glad the rains stopped for the weekend. We enjoyed a concert by 1964 the Tribute at Big Cork Vineyard on Saturday night. What a great idea, hold a concert on the grounds of a vineyard with a generous supply of great wine available!

4. The rains are expected to return this week. Sadly. I was enjoying the sunny skies.

5. Our dogs and cats are tired of Chris and I taking off for the weekend. I think they will be happy when remain are home for a while. 

1964 The Tribute
Big Cork Vineyards
July 28, 2018

Truck Loaded with Bushes Ready for Recycling
July 30, 2018

6. Despite the travel, Chris and I managed to remove three unsightly large bushes from the side of the house. Their time had come and it is now time to refresh the appearance.

7. On this day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signs Medicare, a health insurance program for elderly Americans, into law. At the bill-signing ceremony, which took place at the Truman Library in Independence, Missouri, former President Harry Truman was enrolled as Medicare’s first beneficiary and received the first Medicare card.

8. Joke for the Week: Why shouldn’t you write with a broken pencil? Because it’s pointless.

9. The Orioles just won three games in a row all by scoring 10 runs or more and, weirdly, they had 15 hits in each of the three games. That has to be some kind of record. The three successive wins have lowered their projected season losses to 113! They are over .300 in winning percentage for the first time in a long time and are making a push to get out of last place in MLB.


Headlines

G.O.P. Faces Another Midterm Threat as Trump Plays the Shutdown Card - The New York Times

Air marshals have conducted secret in-flight monitoring of U.S. passengers for years - The Washington Post

'Happy with tariffs': Steel industry emerges as trade war winner - CNN


Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"But if we remember that freedom rests, and always will, on the individual -- on individual integrity, on individual effort, on individual courage, and in an individual faith in God -- then we will have met the challenge of our generation and brought our great nation safely through our turning point in history."

Address Before a Joint Session of the Iowa State Legislature in Des Moines, February 9, 1982

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Civil War History

Burnside Bridge
Antietam Battlefield
July 28, 2018

The Antietam battlefield is close to where we live and on Saturday it was the destination of choice.

It is important to immerse in history and honor the past. Burnside Bridge was the scene of fighting and I was amazed to learn that the tree at the end of the bridge was there during the battle. It was a fascinating piece of history.

Returning to the battlefield is sobering. Recounting the struggles that happened during that fateful day during September 1862 remind me of the past from which our nation is forged. The 23,000 casualties are mind numbing.

And now the landscape is bucolic and peaceful. Only hints of the horrors of that day remain.

An important piece of American history that needs to be remembered.

— Bob Doan, writing from Harpers Ferry, WV