Autumn Arrives

Pool Closing from Radio Flyer
September 22, 2018

Autumn, heralding the arrival of the dark season, arrived last evening and with it the weather has already changed. The cooler air blew in while Chris and I were enjoying dinner with the temperature dropping to 64 degrees as we headed home. This morning the temperature has fallen to 59 degrees. A confirmation of Autumn's arrival.

The Water Level is Lowered
September 22, 2018

With the cooler weather, the rains have returned. We are facing a week of rainy weather.

The big project for the yesterday was closing the pool in advance of the cooler weather, falling leaves, and rains. Frankly, I was tired of hauling leaves out of the pool everyday and I had not swum in the pool during the past few weeks since returning from the cruise. Of course, I would have been swimming on Labor Day, but the pool was green and I was killing the algae bloom that had developed while we were away.

Chris and Finnegan Helping to Close the Pool
September 22, 2018

I flew Radio Flyer to get an image of the pool closing. By about 7:15 AM, I already had the back-up pump running to draw the water down in the pool. I had to use the back-up pump because the primary pump had burned out a few days ago. I also had the pool cleaner, known as the Dolphin, running one last time to rid the pool of leaves and debris. 

Once the water was lowered to the winter season level, I added the chemicals, my witch's brew as I call it, to help the pool make it through the next almost eight months. I used the pump and outlet hose to mix the water and chemicals to be ready for the final act--installing the cover. 

Cover Installed Ready for the Dark Season
September 22, 2018

Finnegan turned out to be very interested in the entire process of closing the pool and was by our sides the entire time. He did give us a scare as he started to run across the not yet fully installed pool cover and Chris was concerned that he would fall into the water and that I would then have to rescue him. You read that correctly, she wouldn't rescue him, I would be responsible for that act of courage and bravery. 

Sunrise, the Last Day of Summer Dawns
September 22, 2018
Radio Flyer

By 11:17 AM, when I took the image of the fully installed cover, the process was nearly complete. All that remained was to fill the lines with anti-freeze and close them off. Then it was clean up time! We were done well before noon. Another successful pool closing.

I still have to get the newly arrived pump motor set-up, but that will not take too much time. I won't actually install it into the pump until Springtime. Pool opening day is about 223 days away, tentatively scheduled for May 4th of 2019!  Of course if the weather seems nice in April, I may open it earlier. 

We may resurface the pool at some point during the off season which will also cause us to take the cover off and effectively open it. Hopefully after the leaves are all off the trees. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Trees Fall

After the Felling
September 21, 2018

Yesterday was a momentous day around the house. 

Looking Through the Backyard
From Radio Flyer
September 22, 2018

Five dead ash trees were felled cleaning up the sight lines from the house. I was smart enough to pay professionals to drop the trees. Some needed to be topped first.

We are no longer looking at dead trees, but rather, at least for a few more weeks, an undulating sea of green.  The way it is supposed to be.

Now comes the hard part--cleaning up the mess. At least I have my trusty chain saw.

We have a lot of ash wood now lying on the ground waiting to become firewood. It was sad to lose the mighty trees, but at least the falling limbs no longer pose a hazard to life and property. 

Just another day at home!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Last Full Day of Summer

The last full day of summer has arrived. Autumn officially begins tomorrow at 9:54 PM EDT. At that time the Sun will cross the equator to preparing to spend the winter season in the southern hemisphere. I never thought about the Sun being a "snowbird" before. I want to be a snowbird when I grow up!

Pool Pump Motor - Non-Functional
September 21, 2018

It is fitting that as summer ends, tomorrow is also pool closing day. To make the closing process more interesting, the motor for the pump burned out two days ago. What a fitting end to the pool season. I admit, I knew the motor was nearing the end of its useful life due to the noise it was making, but I was hoping it would make it to the end of the season. It did not. At least the neighbors are likely happy to have relative silence during the daytime hours now.

Not having a working pump motor makes closing the pool a bit more difficult since I have to lower the water level in preparation for the winter and mix a witch's brew of chemicals into the remaining water. Fortunately, I have a back-up pump which can help me accomplish the task.

Pool closing is a sad day around my house. It marks the official end of the swimming season. It is fitting that it will be accomplished on the last day of Summer as Autumn is preparing to arrive. I am hopeful of documenting the day with Radio Flyer, which has been grounded for almost a month now by weather and my busy schedule.

First, however, I have to make it through another Friday! I don't know why so many people look forward to Friday. I'm a much bigger fan of Saturday!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Orioles Thursday - The Lost Season

List of Worst Major League Baseball Records
Modern Era (Since 1900)

The Orioles set a record the other day. The 2018 version of the team has accumulated the most losses of any Orioles team in history.

An inglorious record.

Futility.

Last night the Orioles, (44-108, .289) amazingly won a game against the Blue Jays. The team is 59 games out of first place and 47 games out of qualifying for a wild card post-season position. With the win last night, the Orioles have assured themselves of not tying the 2003 Detroit Tigers for 119 losses! The Orioles have almost assured themselves of not reaching the 50 wins plateau this season. They are 3-7 for their last 10 games and with 10 games remaining they would have to win 6 to achieve 50 wins. My prediction of 115 losses seems very possible and possibly a bit conservative. 

The Orioles are already listed in the List of worst Major League Baseball season records.

The Orioles are a team which defines futility. I have seen them lose in almost every imaginable way this season. The real losers, however, are the fans of this once proud baseball team. We will still be here long after the players and the coaches who contributed to the debacle that is the 2018 season have moved on. We will remember this season for a long time.

The off season cannot arrive soon enough.

 I have to admit--I did not see this coming.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Autumn is in the Air

Decorated for Autumn
September 18, 2018

The remnants of the former hurricane Florence passed by yesterday dumping inches of rain on the region. Since then,  the temperatures have cooled a bit and I detect that Autumn is in the air.

The season officially begins on Saturday evening, but I already detect the subtle signs of its arrival. 

One way to tell are the decorations outside our front door. The season has definitely changed and the orange and reds of the autumn are visible along with the pervasive pumpkins.

The leaves are beginning to fall from the trees. These first ones have just decided to let go from their branches without changing color, but I know the big change cannot be far off as color will fill the senses after the first frost. 

It should be a busy couple of months as the seasons change from summer to autumn. 

Bring on the pumpkins!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sitting Here Watching the Rain Fall

It rained again last evening.

All evening.

Even during the night I was awakened by a thunderstorm. 

It is raining. A lot. 

Chris knew that I had had a particularly trying day and had happy hour waiting for me when I finally made it home about 6 PM after a long day. It was a great transition into the evening. 


I sat on the porch looking out at the sea of green punctuated with dead ash trees and I realized that autumn is not too far off. Many people get excited about autumn and the bright display of colors that nature provides to ease the transition from summer's warmth and green. I admit, the colors do provide temporary enjoyment.

I began thinking about the trees and how much I appreciate and respect them. I don't know why I used to color tree trunks brown when I was a kid, they are gray. The summer green gives way to winter gray and it remains gray until springtime revives the world. I wonder if Crayola has a crayon named Winter Gray?

We have had a lot of rain. And gray skies. The forecast calls for rain and thunderstorms until about 6PM. According to the local weather station we have received 1.36 inches of rain since midnight!

More rain. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and bright! We will see. I hope so. I have almost forgotten what that bright orb in the sky looks like. I enjoy feeling its warm rays on my face.

Until then, more rain.

Until then, like a tree, I will just enjoy the view.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - September 17, 2018

1. A weekend without rain, mostly. 
it was a different way to start the second half of September.

Moon over Elkridge in the Sunset Sky
September 16, 2018

2. The leaves falling from the trees are making the job of keeping the pool open and clean a daily task. Unless I get a contract to resurface the pool, next weekend I will close the pool.

3. Weekend family sports teams results were dismal:
    Ravens (1-1) lost 23-34 to Bengals (Thursday)
    Steelers (0-1-1) lost 37-42 to Chiefs
    Redskins (1-1) lost 9-21 to Colts
    Cowboys (1-1) defeated the Giants, 20-13

Finnegan Rocking His Colors
September 16, 2018

4. The Orioles (43-106, .289) set a milestone over the weekend. By winning Sunday's game over the White Sox, the Orioles cannot lose 120 games this season and therefore cannot tie the 1962 Mets for the most losses during the modern MLB baseball era.

5. Finnegan got into the spirit of NFL football Sunday and dressed out in his jersey yesterday.


6. For the first time in about a week, I saw the moon last evening while Chris and I were out on our walk. 

7. At the beginning of another week I take a moment to consider the activities laying between me and the weekend. Am I really living through weekdays just to get to the weekend?

Burnside's Bridge
Antietam Battlefield
July 28, 2018

8. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in men, but it is easily treated when caught early - the problem is that too often it is not. That is why the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC), – a national organization committed to men’s health and a leader in prostate cancer screening – is sponsoring its 27th Annual Prostate Cancer Awareness Week (PCAW) from September 17-21, 2018.

9. Today in History. Beginning early on the morning of this day in 1862, Confederate and Union troops in the Civil War clash near Maryland’s Antietam Creek in the bloodiest single day in American military history. I visited Antietam during July and was reminded of the titanic struggle and unfathomable loss of life that occurred there. 

Headlines

Typhoon Mangkhut Hits China and Hong Kong as Philippines Death Toll Rises - The New York Times

Florence has made Wilmington, N.C., an island cut off from the rest of the world - The Washington Post

Washington Post: Kavanaugh accuser comes forward - CNN

Myanmar youth, journalists demonstrate against jailing of Reuters reporters - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.
   -- D-day Commemoration in Normandy, France, June 6, 1984


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Clouds Clear

From the 4th Tee Box
Timbers at Troy
September 15, 2018

Finally, for at least a day, the rains stopped and the world began to dry out.

Plugged Golf Ball
Timbers at Troy 11th Hole
September 15, 2018

The drier conditions were a welcome relief and allowed me to get a few projects accomplished around the house. 

But first, I was able to get in a respectable round of golf at Timbers at Troy with the guys. It was good to stroll out onto the course just before 7 AM with a club in my hand and hit my first drive down the middle of the fairway. 

Although the day was generally gray, the sun broke out of the clouds later in the round. The course was very soft and it was cart path only, which slowed our pace of play. The soft course also meant that there was almost no roll out after the shot and most balls rested near their point of impact. I had more than one shot that plugged into the soft course. The greens were very slow which hampered putting a bit.

Newly Transplanted Crepe Myrtle

After the round of golf and as the day dried out even more, I was able to get more than a few projects accomplished around the house, including removing a dead shrub, installing a new outdoor security light, removing the electricity wires from a dead ash tree which will likely be felled this week, transplanting a crepe myrtle, and mowing the lawn. 

Of course the pool received some needed attention as well. I am hopeful of closing the pool next weekend and being done with the maintenance for the year. Summer is winding down and the falling leaves are becoming a nuisance.

It was a full and busy day. The only thing I wished I had done was get Radio Flyer up for a flight, but there just wasn't time. I though about it as Chris and I were relaxing on the deck at the end of the day with a glass of wine, but it was better just to sit and talk and plan for today.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

When Fiction Becomes Fact

This is an image of an Apple
Are you sure?
How do you know?

Just because I stay something is not true, does not not make it not true. Likewise, just because I say something is true does not make it so.

I am afraid.

As a nation we are struggling to understand the difference between real and imagined. Forces in our society have blurred the lines by decrying that free media are purveyors of falsehoods.

The idea of "Fake News" is not new. It has been around for a while, but in today's context it is threatening to rip the fabric of society apart. 

The free press has done a good job, in the past, of policing itself and pointing out exaggerations and inaccurate reporting given the opportunity to do so. I remember the downfall of Brian Williams, the former NBC News Anchor who lied about some of his experiences during the Iraq war. He was swiftly removed because he no longer represented the highest journalistic standards.

Now we have a split media that reports fake news with a megaphone, by passing on the rants of politicians pitted against the media which struggles to provide balanced reporting. Are those who accurately report the words of senior politicians and leaders reporting fake news or are they accurately reporting what is said and therefore fake news has become fact?

To what end?

The end game is not pretty.


I have been appalled about the recent discussion concerning how many Americans died during the Puerto Rico hurricanes. No matter what the answer truly is, in my view too many Americans died and it was because of an inefficient and poorly planned hurricane response. Focusing on the number and labelling dissenters as providing fake news is a deft way to change the true point of the discussion from why did so many Americans die to how many Americans died and then we forget the real point of the question.

Context and competition is needed. Rather than decrying what is reported as fake news, the correct way is to provide documented facts. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hurricane's Path - Florence Arrives

Finally it is Friday. After a long week.

It has rained every day this week. Chris and I got out for a walk yesterday during a brief break in the clouds and even felt enjoyed the feeling of sun on our faces. It was so nice that I condsidered flying Radio Flyer over the neighborhood.

Hurricane Florence

And then the gray and rain returned.

The week has been pretty much of a wash out. 

I am not complaining, however, because Hurricane Florence is not aiming at the Baltimore area directly. In fact, according to projections, the Baltimore-D.C. region will be spared as the hurricane and its tropical remnants actually spin around the area.

The news for the past few days has been focused on the hurricane and that has been a relief from the nonsense that usually comes from Washington. Even so, I was appalled at the discussion yesterday about how many people were lost when the hurricanes hit Puerto Rico last year. The debate over the death toll cannot hide the inescapable fact the the Federal Government did not prepare effectively to help the island and has not done enough to speed the recovery.

A much different response will be seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, I am sure. This is a significant hurricane and there will be many opportunities to debate the adequacy of the government's response. 

But, to focus on the present, my prayers are for those directly in the path.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD