The Fire Pit

Fire Pit
October 5, 2018

I am working on finishing the wood burning fire pit that was started last year. It has been in the yard now and used during the Spring and Autumn to create toasty warmth while still enjoying the outdoors. 

Fire in the Pit
October 5, 2018

Last evening, Chris and I sat around a roaring fire enjoying the heat while beginning to reduce the size of the piles of wood from the Ash trees that were recently felled.

It was a great fire on a great evening. 

Although one is barely visible on the right side of the image, there are now four posts outlining the boundaries of the area that will comprise the new and improved permanent setting for the fire pit. In the darker image, the lights wrapping the post are visible as small points of light.

Today, I hope to get the lights installed. We have purchased outdoor lights to suspend from the posts to further illuminate the area. 

Chris has a vision and I am working to bring that vision to reality. 

I hope the fire pit will become a regular gathering place during the seasons when the pool is closed.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Seven-Day Weekend

What do you get when you combine a four day get-away with a three-day holiday weekend? 

Dawn Arrives
October 5, 2018

A seven-day weekend of course.

It seems strange to think about it, but getting seven days off for the price of four vacation days is not a bad deal, especially when my annual summer vacation was only one and not the usual two weeks long.

Looking at the seven days in discrete sections makes the time off even more appealing. I have loosely broken it into four days away leaving three days for projects and golf.

Grape Press in Operation
October 4, 2018

Yes, I have a tee time for tomorrow. I am playing a lot less golf this year than last through no fault of my own. The weather has been horrid, but I expect to be playing golf into December this year if the snow holds off.

I can't even believe I just wrote that word in an October blog post.

I am sitting here watching the sunrise again. IT is far different this morning. The sky is clear and there are fewer clouds to make it a interesting as yesterday, but the whole horizon is involved in celebrating the dawning of another day. 

A Tilted Shack on a Beach
From Radio Flyer
October 4, 2018

Yesterday was fun as we checked out some wineries and enjoyed watching tons of grapes being poured into a press to extract the juice which is then musk and will eventually become wine. It is easy to forget that wine production is agriculture until seeing the process up close and personal.

We leave later this morning to return to the crushing pace of life at home. The week ahead, after the Columbus Holiday, weekend holds some new beginnings. Having had my birthday just a week and a half ago, I am hoping that my 64th year is a lot better than my 63rd. Remember, we celebrate birthdays at the end of the year and so we are always working on the next one-up year until we have our birthday and then we start all over again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Watching the Sunrise

Chris and I are on a early-October, last fling of the summer, get-away.

Sunrise over the Lake
October 4, 2018

I did something this morning that I have not been able to do in a long time. I was able to sit on the end of a dock and watch the sunrise over the lake.

It was a bit chilly, but watching the world transition from dark to light is one of the things that I enjoy the most. And sitting in the very edge of a dock over the water with a 180degree view of the sky, and the clouds as the sun begins to light the sky from below the horizon is stunning, especially when there are some clouds to reflect the first rays downward.

The Sun Rises for Another Day
October 4, 2018

The deepest colors are earlier in the dawn, but as time progresses, the sky becomes alive as more of the clouds begin to reflect the light onto the still dark surface.

I love the way that the colors reflect on the waves sending the light directly to my eyes.

It is amazing how quickly the sun pops up over the horizon once it begins, but the anticipation of waiting almost an hour for it to rise is well worth the effort.

I got a bit chilly. I saw the birds wake and begin flying over the lake and squawking at each other to find the perfect place to land.

Another day is at hand.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Fostering Puppies

Hazel the Foster Puppy on Nicole's Lap
September 30, 2018

Nicole and her family are engaged in a new endeavor--forstering puppies.

They have received two puppies of mixed breed to watch until they can be adopted. The puppies are cute, very cute. I was able to spend some time with the puppies on Sunday and I can confirm, they are well mannered and very adorable.

While they are sisters and they have the same faces, they are very different. One has long legs, like a normal dog and the other has short legs more like a long-haired dachshund. 

The problem is that everyone will get attached to them and then they will be adopted, which is the ultimate plan.

But, in the meantime, they are cute and everyone is enjoying the joys of having a puppy without the idea that they are going to become lazy dogs.

If you are interested in adopting a puppy, contact the Canine Humane Network in Highland, Maryland. Ask to adopt Heart or Hazel.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

October

October mornings are different.

The sun is climbing into the sky later and setting earlier. It is really noticeable.

Last evening I had to race the sun to get the lawn mowed. I know some places already have completed their last mowing of the season, but I expect to mow into November. It is reassuring that the last vestige of summertime lingers on.

With the pool closed, I have been able to apply time to other house projects. Four posts have been installed around the fire pit. They will soon become light posts as we hang string lights from them to illuminate the fire pit and begin to turn it into an outdoor party area. We actually have electricity near the fire pit, a leftover from the days when there were lights for the horseshoe pits. 

With the leaves beginning to fall, I am already imagining cool Autumn evenings sitting around the warm fire with a glass of wine. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge ,MD

Monday Musings - October 1, 2018

1. October has arrived. September is just a memory. Where did September go? Is it really October? Happy New Year to my friends who work for the Federal Government!

Hibiscus at Night
September 29, 2018

2. I did not get to play golf this weekend, but Chris and I completed a few more projects around the house. 

3. There is something beautiful about an early-Autumn hibiscus bloom imaged at night with a flash! It is a reminder of summer and the bright sun.

4. I was so busy with projects this weekend that I did not get to fly Radio Flyer and record the beautiful weather.

5. Sadly, my prediction that the Orioles would lose 115 games came true. The final record for the 2018 lost season was 47-115, .290. The team secures the 15th spot on the worst MLB records of all time during the modern era. Thank goodness the losing is over and the rebuilding can commence.

6. Family NFL weekend results:

Redskins (2-1) had a bye and did not play
Cowboys (2-2) defeated Lions 26-24
Ravens (3-1) defeated Steelers 26-14
Steelers (1-2-1) lost to Ravens 14-26

7. Who can really believe what we, as a nation, endured on Thursday and Friday with the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings. Cronyism and partisanship were definitely on display for the world to see.

8. Today in History. On this day in 1890, an act of Congress creates Yosemite National Park, home of such natural wonders as Half Dome and the giant sequoia trees. Environmental trailblazer John Muir (1838-1914) and his colleagues campaigned for the congressional action, which was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison and paved the way for generations of hikers, campers and nature lovers, along with countless “Don’t Feed the Bears” signs.

Headlines

FBI interviews Kavanaugh accuser Deborah Ramirez as part of its narrow scope - CNN
In Trump win, Canada, U.S. deal saves NAFTA as trilateral pact - Reuters

China cancels security talks with United States - Reuters

Migrant Children Moved Under Cover of Darkness to a Texas Tent City - The New York Times

Don’t be fooled: Working Americans are worse off under Trump - The Washington Post

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

When our children turn the pages of our lives, I hope they'll see that we had a vision to pass forward a nation nearly perfect as we could, where there's decency, tolerance, generosity, honesty, courage, common sense, fairness, and piety. This is my vision and I'm grateful to God for blessing me with a good life and a long one. But when I pack up my bag in Washington, don't expect me to be happy to hear all this talk about the twilight of my life.
    -- Republican National Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana, August 15, 1988


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Finnegan versus the Shark

It happened yesterday, our small dog, Finnegan took on the Shark. It was a battle to be seen.

It was a sight to see and, in the interest of truth in reporting, the shark was in reality our new Shark Ion robot cleaner.

Chris and I purchased the cleaning robot yesterday to help with basic surface vacuuming.  We had a vacuuming robot many years ago when they were just beginning to be developed and it was marginally valuable. We have not had a robot vacuum in well over 10 years and it seems that the technology has matured. So we are test driving the Shark Ion to help keep the pet hair at bay. And after its first sortie, the Shark seemed to do an admirable job finding and corralling pet hair.

Finnegan, however, saw it as a threat to the household. 

It was a couple minutes of excitement until Finnegan realized that the robot was unfazed by his demonstrative barking.

More excitement around the house, or comic relief.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Life Achievements - Jax

Program for the Induction
September 26, 2018

I was honored, Wednesday evening, to attend a ceremony inducting Jax into the National Elementary Honor Society. 

Jax making his Entrance
September 26, 2018

While I often write about Jax's exploits on the sports field, mostly baseball, but he is also a very good student. 

It was a short but significant ceremony to mark the occasion and I am happy that every so often, scholarly pursuits receive the attention that they deserve. I am guilty of focusing on athletic more than academic achievement. Perhaps it is because as a society we do not appreciate academic achievements in the same way that athletics are worshipped.

Jax with Jack
Academic and Athletic
September 26, 2018

That needs to change.

But, in the case of Jax, he is good at both athletics and academics, and that is rare. Not surprisingly, one of his best friends, Jack, was also at the induction and like Jax, he is also a solid athlete!

Good friends in sports and school!

It was a great evening followed by a good dinner celebration.

Life celebrations. They deserve to be remembered!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Theater of the Congress

Theater of the Congress, Absurd. 

Yesterday will be remembered as the lowest point ever achieved in American political life as the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled two Americans about something that happened 36 years ago while they were in High School.

Many lives were destroyed. There were no winners, only losers. There were no high points. There was no resolution. 

Millions of Americans watched the proceedings hoping for enlightenment.

There was none.

An article in the New York Times titled, She Said. Then He Said. Now What Will Senators Say? suggests that in the Trump era, politics in America has become tribal. 

An excerpt from the article points out:

It has become something of a cliché to say that the United States has become increasingly tribal in the era of President Trump, with each side in its own corner, believing what it chooses to believe and looking for reinforcement in the media and politics. But the battle over Judge Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court nomination has reinforced those divisions at the intersection of sex, politics, power and the law.

It was all on display yesterday, televised live and at the expense of the families and friends of the two people at center stage. 

Now, in my estimation, the man who would be a member of The Supreme Court stands accused of multiple sexual assault felonies and his principle accuser is a heroine to some and while being vilified by others.

Sadly, the toll is much higher than just those involved in the proceedings. There is a loss of faith in our leadership that may never be repaired. The partisanship that cripples our government and our economy was on display for the world to see. 

One commentator opined, perhaps they are both telling the truth as they remember it! 

Frankly, I could not remember almost anything from 36 years ago with the clarity that both of them seem to have.

I was left feeling that he lack of due process, the innuendo becoming fact, and the witch-hunt over allegations that happened while the principals were in high school over three decades ago is hammering another nail in to the coffin that was the America dreamed of and fought for by our founding fathers.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

After the Birthday Reflections

Instead of my almost usual Thursday rant about the Orioles, I am going to focus my thoughts elsewhere.

My Favorite Birthday Cake
September 26, 2018

Yes, my birthday was yesterday. It was all over Facebook. Thank-you to every one who send a note of cheer and I also want to send special thank-you for those who gave  me a birthday gift by donating to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

I am very blessed with things and don't really need any "gifts" for my birthday. I was awed by the response of my friends and family to my decision to ask for donations for a charity. Men's health issues and especially prostate and testicular cancer have really become very important to me. I find it interesting that many of the people I talk to know someone, a father or grandfather, who had prostate cancer.

We need to talk about these things more so that guys can get tested and treated earlier. While we, guys, think we are invincible, we are not and we need to do some basic things to ensure that we can continue to live healthy and fruitful lives.

So for my Happy Birthday, I want to celebrate by helping find a cure for prostate cancer and helping those who need assistance as they work through treatment.

Thanks to everyone who feels similarly.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD