Beach Day

Puerto Casa Maya Beach
August 31, 2018

Sitting again on a beach in Mexico sipping a cold local beer with our cruise ship safely tied up in the distance.

What could be better?

The ocean is beautiful. The beach serene. And best of all, it was a short taxi ride on our own and not an Uber expensive ship organized tour.

It is the best thing to do in Casa Maya. Getting out of the port complex was, well, complex. They seem to have everything planned to thwart people from just going out and getting an inexpensive taxi ride to the beach. We are at Playa El Fuerte beach. A short $2 taxi ride from the port.

Beach admission was $5 for a chair for the day and there is beverage service to the chair.

What could be better?

The Kenny Chesney song keeps scrolling over and over in my head. "So I'll just sit right here and have another beer in Mexico, and let the warm breeze melt my blues away."

Blues? What blues? My Caribbean vacation's end is closer than it's beginning. Too soon, I'll be back in the grind of daily life and this week will be just another in a string of great memories.

— Bob Doan, writing from Casa Maya, Mexico

Stay right here and have another

Beach in Cozumel
August 29, 2018

As the song says. It is a great day in Mexico. Cozumel to be exact. We are on the beach enjoying g the incredibly warm waters and an idyllic day.

It is good to be off the ship for a bit. I went diving in the Bahamas on Monday and yesterday was a sea day. I love sea days.

The diving was great. It was good to suck some compressed air and I did enjoy seeing a black tipped reef shark. As I procrastinated about checking out my gear, I was unable to take any pictures because the charger for my underwater camera came up missing.

But no matter. I have the image in my head.

All is going well so far.

— Bob Doan, writing from Cozumel, Mexico

Out the Hotel Window - Ft Lauderdale, August 26, 2018

Out My Hotel Window
Ft Lauderdale
August 26, 2018

And the vacation is underway.

Outside my hotel window this morning there are palm trees and bright skies. The start of the day is also my second day of vacation. 

Allure of the Seas in Port Everglades
August 26, 2018

Today's big event is boarding the Allure of the Seas and setting sail for the Caribbean. Yup, you guessed it, Bob is sailing away on another Caribbean vacation! Someday soon I hope to be on permanent vacation.

The second verse of Zac Brown Band's "Knee Deep," one of my current favorite songs, comes to mind:

Wrote a note, said "Be back in a minute"
Bought a boat and I sailed off in it
Don't think anybody's gonna miss me anyway
Mind on a permanent vacation
The ocean is my only medication
Wishin' my condition ain't ever gonna go away

Palm Trees
Just Because they Are
August 25, 2018

And speaking of ships or boats, airship came into port overnight. Allure of the Seas is tied up waiting for our imminent arrival. I was able to get an image of it from our hotel. Not out my window, because I am on the wrong side, but it is that close!

How close is it? 

Close enough that I had trouble getting it all into one image! It is that big!

So the morning will be devoted to getting aboard the ship after saying good-bye to my hotel room and beginning a great vacation.

Important blog note--I did NOT purchase internet connection for this trip and so blog updates will be sparse, if any at all, until I am back in port at the conclusion of the cruise.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ft Lauderdale, FL

Consider the Moon

Moon over the Neighborhood
From Radio Flyer
August 24, 2018

The moon made an impressive appearance last evening.

The moon was evident during our late evening dog walk and then later rising over the trees around the house.

The sight was more impressive because the sky was clear and the temperatures cool, almost autumnal.

Moon Over Elkridge
Duckett's Lane
August 24, 2018

Too autumnal!

August is rapidly giving way to September and with it, the arrival of Autumn. Even though the next season is still almost a month away, the shortening of the days and the cooler temperatures are already heralding the its arrival. 

Moon Over Duckett's Lane Elementary School
August 24, 2018

But last evening it was the moon that was on display. 

I was able to get Radio Flyer up for a quick flight to capture the fading colors of the sunset after we walked the dogs. 

It was a beautiful evening for flying and capturing the scene developing above us. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Orioles Update - August 24, 2018

It is time to review the Orioles week and hope that the season ends soon.

It was not a good week for the O's. They own the worst record in baseball, albeit only by a half-game. Looking at it as if the glass were half-full, the Orioles are the 30th best team in MLB.

They are currently 37-90, .291 and have lost four in a row and are 2-8 for their last 10 games. They have been shut out 12 times this season and the prospect for scoring runs is dim with Mark Turbo moving to the DL and Danny Valencia being released. 

Doing the math, the Orioles are on pace to lose 115 games, but that number has been growing weekly and so losing 120 is not out of the question.

The 2019 schedule was released this week and the Orioles home opener is one of the last in baseball and after they have already played 6 games on the road. To imagine that there may not be a lot of excitement is an understatement, especially considering that they play the Yankees. 

Some observations:

The Orioles were swept in Toronto and have not won a game in Canada all season. They are 0-10 in Canada for 2018.

The battle for last place in baseball gets real starting on August 31st as the O's travel to Kansas City. The likelihood of getting swept is high since the O's are 16-50 on the road this season. 

The O's are 5-15, .250, thus far in August. With 8 games remaining the possibility of going 6-22, .214 for the month is very real.

Baltimore and Kansas City are the only two teams which have been mathematically eliminated from post-season play already. They other 28 teams all still have a mathematic shot at playing in October. 

There are only 35 games left in the season! That mean that the worst they could finish is 37-125, .228. By comparison the 1962 Mets were 40-120, .250.

Looking ahead: The Orioles are home for 7 games against the Yankees (4) and Toronto (3). Statistically the Orioles should win two from the Yankees and eek out one win against Toronto for a 3-4 moderately respectable home stand.

My view of the season is very different now from what I had hoped in April when the season began. I wrote, after the first game, "I love Opening Day. The magic seems to happen. For one day I can say that the Orioles are atop the American League East! Yes it is only one game and they are tied with the Yankees and the Rays--but at least for one day, they are in first."

The magic went out of the balloon pretty quickly after that, but for one game, at least, there was joy in Baltimore.

Wait till next season, we will get them then! Really? I'm thinking, not. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

No Shoes Nation Party

Kenny Chesney
Merriweather Post Pavilion
August 22, 2018

The No Shoes Nation got together last evening for a fantastic performance at Merriweather Post Pavilion as, for the last time, Old Dominion opened for Kenny Chesney.

It was a great concert. When the music finally ended about 10:30 PM the crowd was almost as exhausted as the performers, having been on our feet for the entire Kenny Chesney performance which lasted about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Old Dominion
August 22, 2018

Old Dominion led off the party with a fantastic opening set. It, reportedly, was the last time the band would open for Kenny, as their three year relationship comes to an end one concert shy of the end of the tour. They were a solid opening act and will be headlining soon on their own tour, I am sure. 

The music was exciting, the atmosphere of the pavilion unrestrained, and neither performance disappointed. 

This was my second Kenny Chesney concert. I remember that he was not the huge hit that he is now when I attended my first Chesney show on the lawn at Merriweather. Last night, the entire venue was crammed with fans and everyone was on their best behavior. Fortunately, the weather was excellent and that made the event all the more enjoyable. The show was a sell-out and Chris and I were lucky to have seats in the pavilion. even though we stood for the most of the night, at least we had our space. 

It was a great evening for the No Shoes Nation and I am glad that I was there.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Weather, News, Plans, and Sunsets

The rains returned with a vengeance last evening. The lightening show associated with the rains was somewhat muted, but the sound of the rain hitting the house was noticeable over the television at mored than one point during the movie Chris and I elected to watch. We were lucky to complete our evening dog-walk as the rain began falling.

I guess the rain was good because some of our plants were getting a bit dry from successive days without rain. 

The blue skies are expected to return today, the gray overcast of the past days was draining and made me want to head off on a Caribbean vacation even sooner. Tonight, however, is a special event as we attend the Kenny Chesney concert at Merriweather Pavilion. Here's hoping that expected good weather holds for the outdoor concert.

The news was no help in distracting attention from last evening's storms, either. What a terrible news night. The President was implicated in a felony, there were the usual murders in Baltimore, the story of the murdered family in Colorado took a sick twist, and a missing girl was found dead in Iowa.

We definitely need a change in the news media. I need to find a good news station!

Chris is at the doorstep of retirement becoming a reality. Howard County teachers return to the classroom in force today as the pre-schoolyear activities and training ramp up. It is hard to believe that the summer has already begun to wind down.

Because of the gloom last evening, I went through some of Radio Flyer's recent video and found one of a beautiful evening with a spectacular sunset to remind myself how a day is supposed to end. I love sunsets almost as much as sunrises. 

Making the video made me feel better and look forward to today's improved weather outlook.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Preparation is Key

Palm Tree on the Beach
Jupiter, Florida
April 9, 2018

Vacation looms and proper preparation is the key to success. 

I am becoming very excited about being away for a Caribbean vacation to decompress.  Life has been a bit crazy during the past couple of weeks. 

My beach time low-level light is fully illuminated. I need sand, sun, surf, and palm trees. 

Looking Along my Favorite Sandy Beach
Jupiter, Florida
April 6, 2018

Although we are not departing for a few days, preparation is the key to a successful vacation adventure. This one is timed to allow Chris to be on vacation when she otherwise would be going back to work for another school year. 

The clothes and other essential travel items such as masks and snorkels are being carefully laid out on the guest bed as we begin the extensive packing process. 

The countdown clock is running down and excitement grows with each passing tick. I have not set for on a beach since traveling to Florida during early April. 

This vacation is shorter than many we have planned. We usually head off for two weeks, but for some unexplained reason we are only away for a just over week this time. I feel an autumn get away in the planning process. Now that Chris has retired we are not limited to school vacations and holidays for travel!

Turn out the lights, the party is starting!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 20, 2018

Finn in his Football Jersey
Ready for the Season

1. August is slipping by gain. The days are already shortening perceptibly.

2. Why is going to the ice cream store for a hot fudge sundae after dinner such a treat? It almost seems sinful.

3. Chris and I were sitting around last evening and the subject of our old animal friends came up. I teared up thinking about our old companions: Hans, Meghan, and Zach.

Crepe Myrtle on a Summer Day
August 19, 2018

4. Summer is ending. The teachers are heading back to school. Chris is happily retired and is not suffering from the end-of-the-summer stress.

5. Finn tried on his football jersey the other day, just to be ready for the NFL season kickoff. 

6. House project abound. Yesterday's project: stain the ceiling of the porch!

7. I finally and successfully acquired the correct blade for my chainsaw. That was a lot harder than it had to be.

8. The crepe myrtles are in bloom. Radio Flyer was up yesterday getting a different view of the magnificent crepe myrtle next to my pool.

9. Radio Flyer was busy during its flights yesterday finding things around the neighborhood. 

10. The Orioles had a particularly bad week. They are 2-8 for their last 10 game posting a 37-87, .298 record 50.5 games out of first place and looking at losing 114 games this season. The highlight was a complete game, 100 pitch win by Alex Cobb on Saturday. 

11. Today in History. On this day in 1911, a dispatcher in the New York Times office sends the first telegram around the world via commercial service. Exactly 66 years later, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) sends a different kind of message–a phonograph record containing information about Earth for extraterrestrial beings–shooting into space aboard the unmanned spacecraft Voyager II.

Headlines

Greece’s Bailout Is Ending. The Pain Is Far From Over. - The New York Times

‘Please come help’Eastern Shore crab houses are suffering this summer because they didn’t get the visas needed to hire enough pickers from Mexico. - The Washington Post

‘‘Wasted our lives’: Catholic sex abuse scandals again prompt a crisis of faith - The Washington Post

Trump rewrites history as Russia probe pressure mounts - CNN

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

To sit back hoping that someday, some way, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last - but eat you he will.



-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cicada Squealing

Cicada in the Tree

The sound was deafening. 

I love the sounds and smells of summer. In the afternoon and evenings the cicadas buzz as the temperatures crawl above 80 degrees. It is one of the sounds of summer that I enjoy. They sound like so many buzz-saws in the trees. 

The other evening, Chris and I were walking the dogs and I heard a cicada singing seemingly right above my head. I stopped, saying to myself, "I should be able to see this one." And I found it sitting on a branch, just above the sidewalk. 

Next came the challenge of getting an image of the bug! It was exciting to see one alive, I usually find them dead in the pool skimmers. 

The cicada continued singing all during the imaging opportunity, oblivious to what was happening on the ground below it. 

I successfully snapped the image and then got away from the almost 100 decibel noise that was making my ears hurt.

The bug continued singing as Chris and I continued our walk.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD