Monday Musings - April 11, 2022

 1. Greetings again. It is Monday and it is the second Monday of the month. There are just 37 Mondays remaining in the year!

Sailing on a Choppy Ocean
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
April 10, 2022

2. For my final Happy Hour on the beach until likely August--or maybe June in St. Maarten, I saw a sailboat illuminated by the sun in the distance. It was sailing away much like my time remaining in Florida. 

3. The Master's is over. Tiger made his return to competitive golf and that was amazing. Sadly, the weather was not kind to him and his scores were well below what he would have liked, but he made the cut and completed the four-day event. Congrats to the winner. 

4. I was reminded over the weekend that words can cut and hurt. Too often I read emotion into texts, but even so sometimes even the emotionless words typed into a text without further context can drive a knife into the soul of a reader who was not the intended recipient--or then again, maybe I was.

5. Congrats to the Severn Seminoles 14U (wow, I have a Florida connection even in Maryland) who won their first game of the season and should have won both games of the doubleheader they played yesterday. Hats off to Jax who went 2 for 3 at the plate with a stolen base in the second game--which the team won.

6. Today in History. On April 11, 1814, Napoleon Bonaparte, emperor of France and one of the greatest military leaders in history, abdicates the throne, and, in the Treaty of Fontainebleau, is banished to the Mediterranean island of Elba.

Ukraine’s Zelensky Calls for More Military Aid Ahead of Battles in Eastern Regions - The Wall Street Journal

Everything Costs More, and That’s Disrupting Retirement for Many - The Wall Street Journal

Russians Cope With Ukraine War’s Fallout: Bulk Buying, Jobs in Limbo - The Wall Street Journal

Ukraine repulses attacks in east as Russia presses to control Mariupol - Reuters

Chechen chief Kadyrov says Russian forces will take Kyiv - Reuters

Russian oil embargo could be part of next EU sanctions package, ministers say - Reuters

North Korea celebrates 10 years of Kim Jong Un as top party leader - Reuters

What to know about Russia’s new top commander in Ukraine - The Washington Post

In a major reversal, Elon Musk won’t join Twitter’s board of directors - The Washington Post

Russia defaults on debt as Ukraine braces for assault - CNN

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Palms Against the Evening Sky

 

Palms Against the Evening Sky
Tequesta, FL
April 9, 2022

I will miss the palms.

Chris and I are preparing our return to Maryland and I know that I will miss the palms against the sky and the warm temperatures in addition to the beach, the sand, the ocean, and the sun. We were greeted this morning by temperatures in the low-50s. I can sum up the experience in one word: cold. However, I am mindful that the expected high today in Elkridge is one degree higher than the low this morning in Tequesta. The weather will be something we will need to learn about all over again: how to be warm when it is cold. 

The trip begins soon and there are many tasks to complete before we close up the condo for a few months. It is a process and it takes patience and thoroughness to ensure everything is complete and nothing critical is forgotten.

In other news, I failed to reach 100 miles on my bike for the week. I finished at a solid 95 miles--which is a personal record. Chris and I completed our biking for the week with a very enjoyable ride through a local state park near Jensen Beach. I expect my weekly biking mileage to fall off significantly upon returning to Maryland as I will be adding in activities such as golf and racquetball at the expense of bicycling. This week, however, was a week of 100 percent bicycling.

Today I will veggie out watching the Master's. I have been impressed with Tiger's return--which stalled yesterday due to the cold conditions, but still was amazing considering the adversity he overcame. He is currently tied for 41st at +7, and not only did he make the cut, but is certainly not the worst remaining on the course. 

Bottom line though, I still need to get my palm tree fix in before we depart. Maybe Happy Hour on the beach will be a possibility if the temperatures rise as expected. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Osprey in Flight

Osprey
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
April 8, 2022

Osprey with Boat
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
April 8, 2022

I sat on the beach, during Happy Hour, last evening trying to capture an Osprey in flight as it was hunting. It was hard to get the camera to focus in the correct spot as the osprey flew overhead. The focus was slow and the osprey was agile on the light wind. 

I did finally get one image that is passable; the osprey with its wings outstretched in flight--but that is all that can be seen. I had tried to get something else in the field of view to make the scene more exciting, but the sun angle and the flight of the osprey made that difficult. 

But I did manage a couple others that show what I wanted--just not exactly what I was trying to image.

It was fun, and I was actually very lucky because at one time there were three ospreys in flight within my field of view. The evening was perfect.. The lighting was low on the horizon as the sun was beginning to set. And the ocean was nearly flat. A perfect Friday Happy Hour on the beach to celebrate the end of the week.  

Osprey on the Cloud
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
April 8, 2022

It was a very good week and I will miss the ability to enjoy a perfect ending to the day on the beach. The turtles have not started nesting in great numbers yet--but I expect that when I return in August there will be many turtle nests along the stretches of sand that I most enjoy.

Wintering in Florida has been idyllic. I have a lot to do as I prepare to return to Maryland and get into a new rhythm there for my retired life. I have been there only 8 days thus far during this year and have not developed a daily rhythm as I have here in Florida. 

Mundane tasks await me in Maryland such as mowing lawns, opening and maintaining the pool, and preparing the house for sale. Downsizing is going to be difficult--but, necessary. I also want to play golf--more golf than I have played here in Florida, but then,  Have really been enjoying riding my bicycle and I don't want to push my stamina too much by riding a bike AND playing golf on the same day. 

But today, I want to enjoy the beach, the sun, the sand and the ospreys soaring overhead.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

From the Saddle of my Bike

The Half-way Point of a 20 mile Ride
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Preserve, FL
April 6, 2022

Closing out my last full week in Florida for a couple of months, I am also having a record week of riding my bicycle. I am really putting the miles on the tires and seeing many places in the area. When I summed it up, I have ridden over 70 miles since Sunday with rides planned both today and tomorrow. I doubt I will ride over 100 miles--but 90 is a definite possibility.

Earlier in the week I completed a ride that I had been hoping to get in--riding all the way to the Hobe Sound Wildlife Preserve beach. It was a 20 mile ride, I actually shortened it a bit by parking on Jupiter Island at a public beach park and riding from there. I estimate that I shortened the ride by about 4 miles and avoided riding both ways across one of the local drawbridges.

I have already come to realize that biking in Maryland will be quite different from Florida. There are not nearly as many hills in Florida as Maryland. But, I do know the B&A Trail is relatively flat! I have ridden it in the past.

I was happy to get my ride in yesterday because I spent most of the reminder of the day watching Tiger play at The Master's. Today life is even more complicated because it is opening day for the Orioles who are protected to finish in the bottom three of MLB.

What a great Friday!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Beach Day!

 

Coral Cove Park Beach Conditions
Jupiter Island, FL
April 6, 2022

So as we have access continued to the beach, Chris and I are becoming a bit more selective about our beach days--looking for the perfect conditions. 

Yesterday, during the early afternoon our conditions were met. With the temperature soaring to 85 degrees and calm winds our conditions were met. It was just after high tide and the water was relatively calm when we walked onto the beach about 1:30 PM. I was happy to see the info on the be a ch sign that the water temperature has already risen to 77 degrees. Like most other beach days, we had the area almost all to ourselves. 

Chris on the Beach
Jupiter Island, FL
April 6, 2022

It had been a busy morning with the usual dog walk and I completed a 20 mile bike ride along beach road from Coral Cove Park all the way to Hobe Sound Nature Preserve and back. We were also fortunate in that we departed the beach after a couple hours and returned home before the afternoon thunderstorms arrived. 

Funny thing about the afternoon thunderstorms--they arrived rather suddenly and Chris was walking Finnegan at the time. She had not taken her cell phone with her and just as I heard the first peal of thunder and was calling her, I received a call from an unknown number which was her calling from a local shop to ask me to come retrieve her. So I headed out into the thunderstorm to retrieve the duo. 

Today? Did I mention that it is MLB Opening Day AND the first round of the Masters. I doubt that I will be outside this afternoon when the temperatures may exceed 90.

Just another day in Florida!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

War Crimes and Atrocities

The verdict is apparently in--the Russian military is as brutal in dealing with civilians as it is incompetent on the battle field.

Putin the War Criminal 

The images and reports coming from Ukraine showing the atrocities committed against civilians is appalling. Putin has leapt into the annals of history as a war criminal and that will become his legacy.

For those who cling to the idea that the Ukrainians staged the atrocities, as has been reported in both Russian and Chinese media, we need only remember that the same Russian military targeted hospitals, schools, and other non-military installations as their assault stalled and their frustrations grew. I recall that the Russians only a few years ago were quick to highlight to the world every American action in Syria where civilians were injured or killed as part of collateral damage. How times have changed.

A CNN report on the Chinese reaction to the atrocities is especially distressing.

As the world reacts in horror to Bucha, China's state media strikes a different tone - CNN

But, we should expect such things as we live in a world where fake news is as prevalent as factual reporting. Even in the U.S. the the validity of the images and reports is being questioned. 

Hopefully, those within our own government who idolize Putin will take another look at the true face of authoritarianism and determine that democracy is a better path. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Ride

Loop from Tequesta through Jupiter
Tequesta, FL
April 4, 2022

Yesterday I completed my daily bike ride without a companion. Chris took the day off and I decided there was a route I wanted to try which would definitely not be suitable for her.

I have wanted to ride, essentially around Jupiter and Tequesta. I was not sure how long the ride would be, I was hoping for 20 miles, but it turned out to be just over 14 which made me a bit disappointed. 

The ride was fun. The most enjoyable section was along Island Way, which is at the very western portion of the ride. The hardest is along Indiantown Road--which is 8 lanes wide and fortunately is also one of the shortest parts of the route. The biggest problem I discovered was underplanning. I rode backwards, meaning I had a lot of left turns in heavily trafficked areas. Not smart! In these areas I stuck primarily to the sidewalk since it was not worth crossing traffic to ride for a few blocks to cross traffic again. 

I think I actually would have hit 20 miles had I ridden to Indiantown Road, the lower left corner of the route as depicted on the map, and returned, but I wanted to cross the big Loxahatchee River bridge--which I did. It is very high and the sidewalk is narrow with concrete walls on both sides. I was so happy to reach the top that I decided not to stop and take a picture--that was a huge mistake. It is a bit of work to use my phone for a picture because I have to stop, unhook the phone which is running a mapping app, take the picture and then get the mapping app back up and reinstalled in the cradle on the bike. I almost feel as it I need to ride with a separate camera. 

First world problems, wow!

But, I completed the circuit and probable will never do it again because it just wasn't as tough or as long as I wanted it to be.

Looking forward to a sunny and bright day today. Who knows where the day will take me.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - April 4, 2022

 

1. Welcome to the first Monday of April. There are 38 Mondays remaining in the year. Spring is truly arriving and don't forget it is Federal tax season!

Looking South from the Loxahatchee River Bridge
Tequesta, FL
April 3, 2022

2. Yesterday, Chris and I took a 10 mile bike ride before the bad weather was supposed to arrive. The Loxahatchee River was calm but dark as we crossed the bridge in Tequesta. It was a bit cooler in the morning and the ride was enjoyable. It is likely to be very different from the rides we expect when we return to Maryland.

3. In the news this morning are the reports of atrocities committed by the Russian forces against Ukrainian civilians. Perhaps it is time for western countries to get more directly involved to drive the invaders from that country. 

4. Ikea is about a 1 hour 15 minute drive away (each way), or 60 miles. I have driven there twice now to get a small $60 nightstand. I think I have spent more in gas than the nightstand costs. Yesterday, we actually retrieved the nightstand and today, of course, I get to assemble it! Yay. 

5. I might get some golf in this week. My problem is that I have to trade off riding my bike for golfing. We normally golf in the afternoon and that means dodging rainstorms. Hmmm. 

6. Today in History. Just after 6 p.m. on April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. is fatally shot while standing on the balcony outside his second-story room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The civil rights leader was in Memphis to support a sanitation workers’ strike and was on his way to dinner when a bullet struck him in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. King was pronounced dead after his arrival at a Memphis hospital. He was 39 years old.

The bodies of at least 400 civilians were found in the Kyiv region after the departure of Russian forces, Ukraine says - CNN

Images of dead civilians in Ukraine shake the world - CNN

Completely unacceptable': GOP governor criticizes Trump's request to Putin - CNN

The World Is Piling on Debt as It Battles Inflation - The Wall Street Journal

Masks Come Off, Mandates Loosen as Firms Relax Covid Protocols - The Wall Street Journal

Exiled oligarch calls on other Russian tycoons to break with Putin - The Washington Post

How long covid is accelerating a revolution in medical research - The Washington Post

Republican excuses for rejecting Jackson are absurd - The Washington Post

In Ukrainian street, a corpse with hands bound and a bullet wound to the head - Reuters

Deadly bird flu fears prompt U.S. to consider poultry vaccines - Reuters

Indonesian court sentences teacher to death for raping 13 students - Reuters 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Turtle Fest 2022

Turtle Fest 2022
Juno Beach, FL
April 2, 2022

The opportunities to get out and enjoy some sun and good weather as well as fun activities abound during this time in South Florida. 

Yesterday it was Turtle Fest! A great way to begin the month and stay in tune with nature. One of fun facts that I came away with is that there have already been 52 loggerhead turtle nests identified along the local coastline. Leatherbacks lead in nesting as neither the loggerheads or green turtles have nested yet--but they are coming during the next weeks. 

Florida works to provide a good environment for sea turtles to nest. There are announcements about sea turtle nesting season and Florida State Parks provide additional information. In the past, I have been fortunate to watch sea turtles laying eggs and also witnessed nests erupting with small sea turtles racing for the sea. It is truly magnificent to watch, but not interfere with these events.

We need to think about the consequences of the products we use and there impact they may have on marine life. The use of plastic bags and plastic straws must be minimized and replaced with products made out of materials that decompose--such as paper and bamboo.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Biking and Enjoying

 Tequesta Bike Route
Tequesta, FL
April 1, 2022

I am amazed at how I have enjoyed biking since I bought my bike now exactly two months ago. I admit, as I began it was hard to regain my balance and feel fully comfortable riding. Looking back on where I was two months ago, I was wobbly on turns and definitely uncomfortable riding sidewalks on bridges with rails on both sides. I no longer fear tight spots and narrow sidewalks.

Yesterday Chris and I added a new roadway to our basic Tequesta route. It allows us to bike longer along the Loxahatchee River and enjoy the homes there. It only adds about a half mile to our overall trip, but it is a nice change from the usual. I am working on a longer loop since 9 miles is quickly becoming the easy and short ride.

The weather will turn wet this afternoon and it is unclear whether I will get to ride today. 

But it is the weekend and there are a lot of things to do. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL