Short Week Friday

It has arrived again. The day that much of working America longs for, Friday, has arrived. 

And this was a short workweek for Federal employees and most schools because of President's Day. So Friday seemingly arrived quicker.

That of course was only for those of my friends and acquaintances who are not retired and still work a regular job. But still, I must confess that it is a big relief when Friday arrives and only the 8 hours of the workday stand between me and the weekend!

A thought about holidays though. We enjoy 8 of the 10 Federal holidays in a 5.5 month period from September until mid-February. The other two, Memorial Day and Independence Day, are the only holidays from mid-February until the beginning of September. It is a long stretch!

I remember in Europe, when I was younger and in the Air Force that there was what we called a Belgian Weekend which began about noon on Friday and ended about noon on Monday! Wow--I could use weekends like that!

Nonetheless--have a happy Friday whether you have to work or not! The weekend is upon us once again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Critters at the Feeder

Bluejay at Feeder
Ithaca, NY
February 16, 2020

Watching birds and squirrels at bird feeders is an entertaining way to enjoy breakfast and the quiet time that follows.

Bluejay Arriving for a Peanut
Ithaca, NY
February 15, 2020

Sometimes, as the birds come and go, I manage a special shot, like the bluejay arriving to snatch a peanut. 

Birds at a feeder provide some minutes of enjoyment. And then, sometimes, additional critters arrive to enjoy a peanut of two.

Squirrel Thief
Ithaca, NY
February 16, 2020

They were cold winter's days. I believe the temperatures outside were somewhere about 0 at the time the birds were arriving on the 15th. It was just too cold to be outside. It was about 20 degrees warmer on the 16th.

But the animals were out and eating and entertaining.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Geese

During our trip to Upstate New York over the weekend, Chris and I had the opportunity to see thousands of Canada geese. 

The first sighting was on Valentine's Day just north of Harrisburg along the Susquehanna River during a light snow storm. The geese were taking flight, thousands of them, circling until the squadrons were formed and then beginning the journey northward. Another user sign of Spring--the geese are headed north. I wish I had been able to get an image of the multitude skeins working to form wedges and begin the journey. They were stratified with each successive skein circling to gain height and arrive at their desired flying altitude. Through the intermittent snow, it was an awesome sight to see. 

Geese Along the West Bank of Cayuga Lake
Sheldrake Point, Ovid, NY
February 15, 2020

The following day, Chris and I visited Sheldrake Point Winery and saw at least a thousand geese along the West Bank of Cayuga Lake. It was a magnificent sight--all of the geese on shore and in the water. We stopped the car along the road to film the scene. The geese were everywhere, even out into the water. 

On two successive days we experienced thousands of geese. We wondered whether these were the same geese we had seen taking flight from near Harrisburg the day before. But decided probably not. Although, who knows?

It was, on two successive days, an inspiring sight to witness.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spring is Close

How do I know that Spring is close? 

Golf Net in the Yard with Makayla
February 17, 2020

It felt Spring arriving yesterday. The temperature soared to 55 degrees and the sun was shining. I could tell that the yard was beginning to dry and I wanted to get the tractor out and start grooming the yard for the growing season except that the battery was dead. So then I decided to get my Jag, Cat, out for a drive, but the battery was dead. And my battery charger was out of the house as I had loaned it to someone. Ugh. 

Spring is definitely close. I even got my golf net out yesterday and began hitting balls into it to get my swing in shape, not that I have a swing to get into shape, before the upcoming Spring Training trip. I hit over 100 balls to begin the process. 

Perhaps I felt the need to experience Spring after spending the weekend in Upstate New York where the scenery is covered with snow and the temperatures were below 0 for most of the time I was there. Even so, I am going to enjoy the sunshine whenever it arrives as it seems that there is a definite lack of solar energy right now because of the pervasive cloud cover.

The only thing I did not do was get my drone, Radio Flyer, out to survey the winter's devastation. There are a lot of trees down and many more to fall as the ravaged ash trees become homes for insects and dinner plates for woodpeckers.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 17, 2020

1. It is already President's Day and that means that February is more than half complete. The year is slipping by. 

2. I noted that it was 60 degrees warmer when I arrived back in Elkridge yesterday than it had been on Saturday morning in Ithaca. The change was Minus 6 in Ithaca to 54 degrees in Elkridge. 

3. Yesterday was a tough day for the grandsons in the basketball playoffs. Both teams lost. Sadly. Next week are the consolation games.

4. Spring Training is underway in Sarasota, Florida. In less than two weeks I will be seeing the Baby Birds for myself and getting a feel for the upcoming season. 

5. It was great driving to Upstate New York over the weekend. We did not have to contend with crushing traffic either going up or coming back. 

Canada Geese on Cayuga Lake
February 15, 2020

6. Geese. We saw thousands of Canada geese over the weekend. Some were in Central Pennsylvania taking off on their journey north and others were settled on the shores and waters of Cayuga Lake near Sheldrake Point, New York. 

7. Of course, I visited two of my favorite Finger Lakes wineries over the weekend to restock my collection of Rieslings. Sadly, one of the wineries is closing, Americana Vineyards apparently has fallen upon hard times. It is unclear whether the financial difficulties are tax or strictly over extended business practices. 

8. Today in History. On February 17, 1904, Giacomo Puccini’s opera Madame Butterfly premieres at the La Scala theatre in Milan, Italy.

The young Puccini decided to dedicate his life to opera after seeing a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida in 1876. In his later life, he would write some of the best-loved operas of all time: La Boheme (1896), Tosca (1900), Madame Butterfly (1904) and Turandot (left unfinished when he died in 1924). Not one of these, however, was an immediate success when it opened. La Boheme, the now-classic story of a group of poor artists living in a Paris garret, earned mixed reviews, while Tosca was downright panned by critics.

Headlines

S.C. authorities investigating death of 6-year-old missing girl - OAN 

Slowed by the Coronavirus, China Struggles to Reopen for Business - The New York Times

Fourteen Americans evacuated from another cruise ship in Japan have tested positive for the virus.  - The New York Times

Hundreds of Americans flown home from cruise ship - Reuters

No let up in Taliban attacks, fresh orders awaited over deal with U.S. - Reuters

President's Day Quote for the Week

In celebration of President's Day, a quote from George Washington.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Coloring with Mom

Coloring With Mom
Hunt, New York
February, 14, 2020

Coloring Together
Mom, Dad, and Me
February 14, 2020

As I wrote, Valentine’s Day was special. I had the opportunity to spend some time with my mom and dad. We had an enjoyable time together. One of the really cool things that I did with my mom was coloring a picture. We spent some quality time together at the kitchen table selecting colors and filling in the blank areas on the picture. It was something I remember doing when I was a small boy.  She would help me stay between the lines and choose the colors. I always had some wild color combinations in my head, like why can't the sky be green? . 

It was a special time with Mom and Dad was right there watching over the production of the masterpiece. It was a creation and the markers we used worked better than Crayola crayons. I remember that when I was a kid and was coloring that the crayons would break, at least the tips if not the entire crayon, and when they got warm in my hand the wax begin to melt. The markers we used on Friday had none of those problems. 

We made a memory together. The picture we colored was totally secondary.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Valentine's Day to Remember

Hunt, NY
Temperature 3 Degrees
February 14, 2020

I hope Valentine’s Day was a good experience for you. I was able to have both lunch and dinner with my parents and Chris and that made the day perhaps the most special Valentine's Day ever.

The drive to New York was great. There was very little traffic and we made the trip in near record time. Driving is a lot of fun when the roads are open. Last evening, as we drove the last part of the trip and arrived in Ithaca the roads were so empty that they were eeriest devoid traffic. It was as if the Zombie Apocalypse had begun.  

Out the Window
Ithaca, NY minus 6 as dawn breaks
February 15, 2020

Just by way of update. It is minus 6 this morning when I woke in Ithaca. Cold only begins to describe the atmosphere. But it was clear and gorgeous. The sunrise stretched across the entire horizon over Cayuga Lake. 

Despite the cold, it was good to see the sun, finally. I needed sunshine, and I could feel its warmth on my face even in the cold. Next, I need a palm tree fix.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

It is cold

I just took this picture of the dashboard thermometer. We are a few miles south of the NY-PA border headed north. Ugh is got cold. It was 39 when we departed home at 5:20.

Welcome to the cold. We are also north of the snow line which began just south of Mansfield, PA.

— Bob Doan, somewhere in PA on route 15

The Flamingo

The Flamingo
February 13, 2020

Chris and I celebrated Valentine's Day early. We went to dinner last evening and exchanged cards.

In a great stroke of complete surprise Chris got me a flamingo that I had seen in Pier 1. I was very pleased as I love flamingos and we have a room in our Florida Home dedicated to the birds. Yes, they can be a bit overwhelming, but they are just the ultimate warm climate bird!

It was a great Valentine's Day celebration and now we are off on a journey to the cold northlands to bring some Valentine's cheer to a very special couple.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Body of Work

I have noticed a trend in reporting that focuses upon specific acts  or statements which are then used to arrive at a larger conclusion about that persons intentions. Often the acts or statements are out of context and when examined in the light of their "body of work" are clearly intended to portray an facade to a specific group of people, usually for the intention of getting reelected or encouraging support from their base of support. 

I have been amazed at how quickly people grasp at these singular acts to justify a candidate's position which, when examined further, are not supported by actions. 

Here is an example from the State of the Union Address. The New York Times reports: 

“We will always protect your Medicare and your Social Security always.”

This is misleading. 

Not only has President Trump failed to strengthen Medicare and Social Security, but the financial outlook for both trusts has not improved or worsened. That is at least partly the result of Mr. Trump’s tax law, which has left the Treasury Department to collect fewer taxes from Americans and, in turn, invest less money into each program. Last April, the government projected that Medicare funds would be depleted by 2026, three years earlier than estimated in 2017. The report noted that less money will flow into the fund because of low wages and lower taxes. 

And interesting observation--what was said is starkly different from reality. 


And another item from the New York Times analysis of the State of the Union address.

“The U.S.M.C.A. will create nearly 100,000 new high-paying American auto jobs.”

This is false.

The nonpartisan International Trade Commission has estimated that the agreement would create about 28,000 jobs in the auto sector. President Trump’s own United States trade representative has a higher estimate — 76,000 new jobs in the next five years — but still one that falls short of Mr. Trump’s claims today. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement raises barriers to imported cars and car parts in an effort to encourage auto manufacturing in the United States, which results in some job gains. But in so doing, it will also raise the price of American cars and other vehicles, and lower both vehicle consumption and production, economists say.

Everything needs context. Especially in an election year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD