Monday Musings - July 24, 2023

 

1. Welcome to the 4th Monday of July. It is fairly hot and steamy everywhere. There are 22 Mondays remaining in the year. 

AL East Standings
July 23, 2023

2. The Orioles continue to amaze and win tough games. They are alone atop the American League East Division with a two game lead over the previously seemingly invincible Tampa Bay Rays after taking 3 of 4 games in Tampa, where Orioles dreams used to go and die. There are 63 games remaining in the regular season. Let's hope the O's continue to win their share and can get into the post season. They have not been in the playoffs since 2016 and have not won the division since 2014.

3. Air travel in America needs a major overhaul. Passengers need to be considered as more than self-loading cargo when airlines make decisions that keep passengers strapped into their seats for multiple hours on the ground. My most recent air experience found me strapped into my seat sitting on an active taxiway for more than two hours when both ends of the trip are totaled. 

4. How are you coping with the heat? I still venture outdoors for short walks. I actually completed a 17 mile bike ride yesterday morning. I had to get back into the saddle. We need to get used to the fact that we are going to be hot.

5. Today in History. On July 24, 1911, American archeologist Hiram Bingham gets his first look at the ruins of Machu Picchu, an ancient Inca settlement in Peru that is now one of the world’s top tourist destinations.

Tucked away in the rocky countryside northwest of Cuzco, Machu Picchu is believed to have been a summer retreat for Inca leaders, whose civilization was virtually wiped out by Spanish invaders in the 16th century. For hundreds of years afterwards, its existence was a secret known only to the peasants living in the region. That all changed in the summer of 1911, when Bingham arrived with a small team of explorers to search for the famous “lost” cities of the Incas.

Ukraine claims responsibility for strikes in Moscow and Crimea - CNN

‘Barbie’ breaks records while crushing right-wing outrage - CNN

There is a ‘gravity hole’ in the Indian Ocean, and scientists now think they know why - CNN

Second US submarine arrives in South Korea amid North Korea tensions - Reuters

'Oppenheimer' sparks online outrage in India due to Hindu scripture scene - Reuters

China to step up policy adjustments amid tortuous recovery - Reuters

Why the Fed Isn’t Ready to Declare Victory on Inflation - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. and North Korea Start Talking About U.S. Soldier Who Crossed the Border - The Wall Street Journal

Drone strikes skyscraper in Moscow, Russia says; another night of attacks in Odessa - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Walking in a Quiet Place

Old Strawberry Lake Way
Odenton, MD
July 20, 2023

 Yesterday was a travel day. Chris and I returned home, ending another adventure. It really was not a vacation, as we both had multiple doctor's appointments, but we enjoyed valuable time with the family.

One of the things that Chris and I manage to do while we are there is to walk the dogs. Not only Finnegan, but Lily and Arthur as well. There is a great section of abandoned road which is covered with a canopy of trees that I especially enjoy walking. I love the way the sunlight comes through the green branches. 

The other thing that I enjoy about walking in Odenton is the quiet. Traffic is relatively light on the road next to the forested area and so we can hear the birds sing and the squirrels scurry. We can think and also talk in low tones trying not to disturb the quiet of the moment. 

It is a walking environment that we do not experience here in Florida. I love the palms, but it is hard to have a palm tree canopy. There are hardwood stands around, but not near where we walk Finnegan. The other problem is the traffic. We live between two major roadways and so there is always traffic, both vehicular and train, noise to content with. 

I was reminded of a Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Return to the Chesapeake

Most of the Family
Chesapeake Bay, MD
July 20. 2023

(Image from Popcorn 3, by Patrick)

 Returning to the Chesapeake yesterday in a boat, we enjoyed a family outing. We began the journey at a marina on the South River and motored down the river and into the Chesapeake. Our trusty Sea Ray boat handled the load with ease. It was rated for 12 people or 3300 pounds. We had 7 people aboard and we no where near the maximum load. 

Part of the load included Popcorn 3, Patrick's small drone. We had decided that if the weather was cooperative and the spirit moved us, we would try to fly the drone form the boat. It was risky, because the boat was drifting in the current and had there been a problem, the drone would have landed at the spot from which it went airborne and of course due to the drift the boat would no longer have been at that location. We decided on a spot along the Northside of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge out of the shipping channel, which was fairly busy with barge traffic. 

We had toured Annapolis before heading north to the Bay Bridge. The day was warm and overcast, but the bay was relatively calm with a light chop that became more noticeable north of the bridge. We had music to enjoy over the drone of the engine. 

It was a great afternoon and great fun. After boating we retired to Lures, a local restaurant, for Happy hour and dinner. 

I enjoyed being out on the water in the Chesapeake and on the South River again.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

From the end of the Dock

Bay Nettle Jellyfish at Ram's Head Dockside
Glen Burnie, MD
July 19, 2023

 Last evening, Chris and I joined Patrick and Jen at a local tavern on Marley Creek for happy hour. We arrived a bit late and were only able to enjoy the last half-hour of happy hour, but we more than made up for it by getting our food and drink orders in quickly.

The tavern is on the creek and has a dock for boaters to motor-up and tie-up. Being a Wednesday, it was not very crowded, which was good. Patrick and I walked out onto the dock and were looking into the water marveling at the bounty of fish which were present. And then, off the end of the dock, I spied one of the most interesting jellyfish that I have seen. Its tentacles were very long and it was leisurely making its way through the water. 

It was a warm, but not excessively humid evening and it was enjoyable, just watching the jellyfish swim in the sill waters of the creek. I was very happy that I have never run into a jellyfish with tentacles a long when snorkeling or swimming. 

Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Is there a Plan?

 

Following the news can be both humorous and frustrating.

As I watch one of the two major political parties in our country implode, it has become clear that democracy is on the line.

The allegations that the Department of Justice and law enforcement have become weaponized are the first step in destroying the rule of law in our country. And that the Speaker of the House immediately jumped on the bandwagon to condemn the "target" letter that was issued without reviewing the allegations and evidence show just how low the party of Lincoln is willing to stoop.

I find some of the statements coming out of members of the party humorous, such as the statement (in yellow below) by Marjorie Taylor Green:

“I approve this message.”

Joe Biden’s Twitter account put that line over an ad using the words of Georgia Republican representative Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Turning Points Action Conference speech from last weekend, in which she set out to tear down the president’s policies but ended up making him sound terrific. 

The description she intended to be derogatory—that Biden “had the largest public investment in social infrastructure and environmental programs that is actually finishing what FDR started, that LBJ expanded on”—was such an argument in Biden’s favor that the Biden-Harris campaign used it to advertise what the Democratic administration stands for: “[p]rograms to address education, medical care, urban problems, rural poverty, transportation, Medicare, Medicaid, labor unions.” (Letters from an American)

Apparently, except for chaos and deception, there is no plan. The attacks on Women's Rights, the LGBTQ+ community, voting rights, and military readiness continue unabated by the party's members and apparently are condoned by leadership.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Smoke Fills the Air

Clear Gray Sky
Waugh Chapel, MD
July 17, 2023

 Canadian wildfire smoke is again filling the skies in Maryland. 

The days are hazy with a hint of smoke on the nose. The clear sky is not blue, but gray. It is not pretty to look at and there is a fuzzy band around the sun.

The smoke really puts a damper on an otherwise bright and sunny day. It would be overcast--except not the sky is clear of clouds.

Yesterday was a hot day. Humid. And filled with smoke.

The sky was just eerie in its grayness.I longed for blue and imagined how the sky used to be.

We seem to be confronted with airborne problems whether it is the Canadian wildfire smoke or in Florida the Saharan dust.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Monday Musings - July 17, 2023

 

1. And it is here. The third Monday of July is upon us whether we are ready for it or not. There are 23 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. The Orioles continue to roll! Remember the commanding lead in the Divvies that the Tampa Rays had? Well, it is down to one game! Go O's. They have two series sweeps in their last two series following a split with the Yankees. 

3. Air travel in America has become a game of chance. The weather coupled with airline mismanagement seem to be the primary problems. Yesterday, our flight from West Palm Beach to Baltimore was late getting away from the gate because people cannot seem to understand how to get onboard an aircraft. Despite that, we arrived in Baltimore 10 minutes early only to wait almost 40 minutes for a gate so we could deplane. We have friends who were trying to fly from New Haven to West Palm Beach yesterday. Their flight was canceled and apparently they cannot be rescheduled until Friday. What gives?

4. Anyone else notice hot hot it is? Are we enjoying the Dog Days of Summer?

5. Today in History. Disneyland, Walt Disney’s metropolis of nostalgia, fantasy and futurism, opens on July 17, 1955. The $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres of former orange groves in Anaheim, California, and soon brought in staggering profits. Today, Disneyland hosts more than 18 million visitors a year, who spend close to $3 billion.

Walt Disney, born in Chicago in 1901, worked as a commercial artist before setting up a small studio in Los Angeles to produce animated cartoons. In 1928, his short film Steamboat Willy, starring the character “Mickey Mouse,” was a national sensation. It was the first animated film to use sound, and Disney provided the voice for Mickey. From there on, Disney cartoons were in heavy demand, but the company struggled financially because of Disney’s insistence on ever-improving artistic and technical quality. His first feature-length cartoon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938), took three years to complete and was a great commercial success.

A family was driving to a Pennsylvania barbecue when they got stuck in flash flooding. The mother has been found dead, and 2 of the children vanished - CNN

Moscow halts grain deal after bridge to Crimea struck - Reuters

Global temperatures near record highs as US, China meet on climate - Reuters

Berlin aims to have "best equipped" NATO army division in Europe in 2025 - Reuters

China’s Fading Recovery Tests Its Policy Playbook - The Wall Street Journal

Europeans Are Becoming Poorer. ‘Yes, We’re All Worse Off.’ - The Wall Street Journal

The U.S.-Made Missile System Defending Ukraine’s Skies - The Wall Street Journal

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Travel Day

 If it is Sunday, I must be on the road. Well, or in the air as the case may be. 

We are winging our way north today. We have little expectation of escaping the oppressive heat, however the mornings could be a bit more enjoyable based upon the forecast. 

It is going to be hot everywhere. The temperatures are very close. However, by next week it appears a cooling trend will begin in Maryland that will not be replicated in Florida. 

We all just need to learn how to live in a hot climate, apparently. 

As for a travel day, well with rain on both ends of the trip expected, we are likely going to get wet and have a bumpy ride. 

And that seems to be the best that we can hope for. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Thunderstorm Watching

Chris and Finn on the Porch
Tequesta, FL
July 15, 2023

 I hope everyone celebrated wildly for Bastille Day last evening. 

We really didn't do much--the mood just wasn't there to go out and blow things up to celebrate on of the most famous jailbreaks in the history of the world. 

So we didn't.

Today we are watching the thunderstorms roll through in advance of flying to Maryland tomorrow. Chris and Finnegan enjoyed time in the highest and humidity on the porch. But, they made a nice pose. 

And the thunder rolls--to quote a song.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Stupid Driver Nearly Killed me!

Chairs on the Beach
Manatee Pocket, Port Salerno, FL
July 12, 2023

 I was nearing there end of a 17-mile bike ride yesterday and preparing to turn onto my street when a white van aggressively pulled into the crosswalk forcing me to lay my bike down to avoid being stuck.

It really sucks when that happens.

I have scrapes on my knee and arm, but no other damage. 

The chain fell off the sprockets and cassette of my bike, but I was able to get it put back in place to continue riding the short 2-tenths of a mile home. 

I was legally in a crosswalk, yes bikers can use the crosswalks in Florida and abide by pedestrian rules, when the van just pulled up to the intersection. It really sucked. I have clip-in biking shoes and while I always take may left foot out when stopping is imminent, I needed my right foot and I forgot to twist to release the snaps when trying to balance the bike. 

Down I went.

I guess I need to spend more time in my beach chair and less time trying to stay in good physical condition.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL