8th Annual

Chris at the Hole we Sponsor
Elm Tree Golf Course, Cortland, NY
August 19, 2023

 Yesterday, Chris and I played in the 8th Annual Troy Whittemore Classic golf tournament. The tournament is conducted in memory of my nephew, Troy Whittemore, who was taken from us at age 23 by cancer and the proceeds are used to fund a scholarship awarded to high school seniors usually from Ithaca High School.

The Sponsor Sign
8th Annual Troy Whittemore Classic

Chris and I had a good time at the tournament and it was a solid way to end a very emotional week in Ithaca remembering Chris's sister Jodie, with a memorial service on Friday and the tournament on Saturday.

We sponsor a hole at the tournament. This was the first year that Chris actually played. The family had two teams in the tournament with 5 first time players between the two teams of 4. Needless to say, but we did not win or even come close. I was lucky enough to land a drive on a par 3 green on one of the contests. Only 5 players of the 92 in the tournament actually landed their ball on that green--so I was pretty excited to be in the 50-50 par 3 raffle--but did not win the over $300 prize.

We are safely back home in Florida enjoying the warmth. It was cool to cold in Central New York!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Ski Slope

Greek Peak
Cortland, NY
August 17, 2023

 The Maryland part of our family arrived yesterday and we gathered at a house near the major ski area in the region: Greek Peak. I must say, I prefer ski slopes in the summer because there is no snow and less crowds. Of course, I don't ski and therefore I really do not appreciate ski slopes and mountains. But they are beautiful in the summer. 

The location is a bit remote. It is a 15 minute drive to the nearest significant village with services, like gas and groceries. The scenery is great to look at and it is quiet, although it rained last evening and everything is very wet this morning so I am not sitting outside enjoying the dawn. But at least it is not raining. We will be golfing tomorrow in the annual tournament for our nephew, Troy. Today is a memorial service for Chris's sister, Jodie. I wish were were gathering for more celebratory reasons.

-- Bob Doan, Cortland, NY

Enjoying the Natural Beauty

Taughannock Falls
Ulysses, NY
August 16, 2023

 Ithaca has a slogan:

Ithaca is Gorges!

And it is! There are numerous gorges with waterfalls in the immediate area and they are fun to explore. 

Yesterday we managed to visit one of the the tallest waterfalls east of the Mississippi: Taughannock Falls. The water makes an impressive 215 foot drop to the pool below nestled deep within a gorge. It is one of the signature waterfalls of the region. It may not be as spectacular as some of the waterfalls along the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon, but Taughannock is definitely in the league of awe-inspiring waterfalls. 

Sailboat on Cayuga Lake
Ithaca, NY
August 16, 2023

And of course there are the lakes, the Finger Lakes, to enjoy in the area. We are closest to Cayuga Lake, the second largest of the Finger Lakes. Ithaca sits at the southern end of the lake and the beautiful summer days have been making me dream of boating. Last evening we were are dinner and had a view of the lake and the boats. I enjoyed watching the lake activity while I was also reveling in the pleasant weather which allowed us to dine outside. 

The day was the last relaxed day as activity ramps to a fever pitch today and through Sunday when Chris and I make our return to Florida. I am glad that we were able to enjoy the scenery and local natural beauty. 

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

Escape to the Wineries

 

Wine Tasting
Sheldrake Point Winery, Ovid, NY
August 15, 2023

We did it!

Yesterday, Chris, Nicole, and I managed to escape for a few hours and visit the three closest wineries. It was a grand afternoon.

One of the wineries, the closest, we had never visited and we had a very good time. It was fun to talk with the owner, founder, and winemaker all in the form of the same person. She has established a well designed small farm winery. The winery, Bet the Farm Winery, is a fun and enjoyable place to visit. The wines are solid offerings and the 2021 Lemburger stood out as a solid New York red wine. 

As it turned out, the other two wineries we visited are both for sale. They are also repeat favorites and we have been members of both at some point in the past. 

Sheldrake Point Winery and Americana Winery are both for sale, but their wines were tasting very well. I had the Riesling flight at Sheldrake Point and they were all very nice. The tasting was fun and enjoyable. It is always better to visit mid-week.

Americana was tasting well also. Their wines continue to run the gamut including a number of blueberry wines, but the redesigned tasting allows for sampling the wines paired with munchies and fudge. 

The wine tasting success of the day, however, goes to Bet the Farm. It was a traditional wine tasting at the bar and I thoroughly enjoyed talking to the owner/winemaker about the wines and her interpretation of the grapes. I had fun.

I still do not appreciate tasting wines in flights alone at a small table with no interaction with the staff.

OK, do not fret. I am not considering buying a winery. A wise person once noted, How do you make a small fortune? Start with a large one and open a winery.

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

August Summer Day

Summertime Flowers
Ithaca, NY
August 14, 2023

 I am enjoying a cool mid-Summer in Ithaca. And when I say cool, I mean cool. Having escaped from the low-90s of Florida. I am enjoying the high-70s of Upstate New York. Twenty degrees makes a huge difference. 

The skies were as overcast yesterday as I remember. Today will being rain most of the day. Yup, it is summertime in Ithaca, NY.

I have to admit, it is a radical change from Florida where the daytime temperatures are hitting 95 degrees and the heat index is reaching up to 110 degrees. It makes being outside almost unbearable. But, mid-70s is cold.

Well, if I think this is bad, in about two weeks Chris and I will be in Alaska where the daytime highs are in the 60's. 

I guess I can consider this a respite from a hot summer!

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

Monday Musings - August 14, 2023

 

1. Welcome to the second Monday of August! There are but two remaining Mondays in the month and just 19  Mondays remaining in the year!

2. What a travel day it was. Our flight from Palm Beach International to Baltimore was short and efficient. Although the place was packed, we departed early and arrived very early. We did not have to wait on the tarmac for a gate and the entire boarding and deplaning process was very smooth. The only problem? Retrieving checked baggage in Baltimore continues to be a very negative experience. The drive from Baltimore to Ithaca was smooth and enjoyable.  

AL East Standing
As of games through August 13, 2023

3. Orioles Baseball! Listening to the game yesterday during the drive, it was a game where each run and every play was important. The Orioles prevailed during the 10th inning after the relief corps almost let another one get away with a blown save in the 9th inning. But two runs, compliments of a Cedric Mullins homer, in the 10th sealed the win. Not to mention a spectacular home run robbing play by the same Cedric Mullins in the 9th inning.

4. Driving through the area from Baltimore to the Southern Tier of New York, I was reminded of how pretty and inviting the hills are when they are robed in the green of the trees. It was a great ride and seeing the Finger Lakes again brought me back to my childhood home.

5. Today in History. A major outage knocked out power across the eastern United States and parts of Canada on August 14, 2003. Beginning at 4:10 p.m. ET, 21 power plants shut down in just three minutes. Fifty million people were affected, including residents of New York, Cleveland and Detroit, as well as Toronto and Ottawa, Canada. Although power companies were able to resume some service in as little as two hours, power remained off in other places for more than a day. The outage stopped trains and elevators, and disrupted everything from cellular telephone service to operations at hospitals to traffic at airports. In New York City, it took more than two hours for passengers to be evacuated from stalled subway trains. Small business owners were affected when they lost expensive refrigerated stock. The loss of use of electric water pumps interrupted water service in many areas. There were even some reports of people being stranded mid-ride on amusement park roller coasters. At the New York Stock Exchange and bond market, though, trading was able to continue thanks to backup generators.

Dozens of news organizations condemn police raid on Kansas newspaper - CNN

Lawsuit alleges electric power lines blown over during high winds led to wildfire spread - CNN

Another criminal indictment would further divert an unparalleled election season from the campaign trail into multiple courtrooms - CNN

Russian rouble tumbles, Kremlin blames loose monetary policy - Reuters

Russia's Far East suffers flooding in Khanun's wake, over 2,500 people evacuated - Reuters

Taiwan will not back down to threats, Taiwan VP says on US trip - Reuters

China’s Worsening Economy Is Hurting Corporate America - The Wall Street Journal

Made a Nice Profit Selling Your House? Beware What Happens Next - The Wall Street Journal

-- Bob Doan, Ithaca, NY

Travel Day Again

Christmas Morning Travel
Elkridge, MD
December 25, 2022

 It is a travel day, again. 

Fortunately this morning we will not be on the highway to start the day, but rather end the day. 

We have a late morning flight followed by a five-hour drive should get us back to Ithaca. 

It is going to be a very tough week which will culminate in the 8th Annual Troy Whittemore Golf Tournament in Cortland, NY, before we begin our journey home.

We travel a lot, but it seems to be less and less on vacations. We do have an upcoming cruise--but this coming week stands squarely in front of the cruise. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

The Stool

Teak Shower Stool Refinished
Tequesta, FL
August 12, 2023

 Chris and I have a stool in our shower. 

It came with the house, but it has been a nice addition to the shower, not that we use it it as stool, but rather more as a gathering place for all of the shower-related items we use on a regular basis. 

The problem was that the finish on the chair was deteriorating. Badly. It was making the floor tile discolored.

Chris wanted to dispose of the chair, but after looking at the problem I determined that with a light sanding and the application of a new finish it could be salvaged. And, frankly, I didn't know where we were going to be able to store all of the stuff we use in the shower. So I had a project and over the past two days, I refinished the stool and it is happily reinstalled in our shower. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday - Riordin Update

Riordin Relaxing
Tequesta, FL
August 11, 2023

 And so the weekend is almost here. 

Wow. 

The week has passed so quickly.

Chris and I spent a good part of yesterday afternoon at the vet's office trying to get Riordin's asthma under control. We have been giving him daily albuterol treatments, but he didn't seem to be getting the asthma under control. The vet reassured us that the treatments are working and that his lungs are clear, but asthma is going to be the new way of life for Riordin. The vet gave him a steroid shot and a B-12 shot, which really seemed to have helped. 

We had noticed that Riordin was beginning, again, to become a solitary cat. He normally likes to be around. The shots seem to have helped, as he was more normal last evening. Fortunately, he continues to eat well. We have a lot of travel coming in the next weeks. We will be gone three of the next four weeks. I am hopeful that the people we have watching him will be able to keep the treatments going. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Around the Island

St Lucie Nuclear Power Plant
From Atlantic Ocean
August 9, 2023

 One way to escape the oppressive heat is to be on the water where there is a breeze and, if underway, the breeze can be very strong.

Yesterday's adventure on the water included motoring around Hutchinson Island. We motored out to the ocean and headed north. It was my first time one the ocean since receiving my offshore certification. Fortunately, the day was calm, calmer than the forecast. I had hoped that we might see dolphins or turtles in the water--but sadly it was not to be. 

The trip from St Lucie Inlet to the Ft Pearce Inlet on the ocean was uneventful. We stopped to enjoy the view of the nuclear power plant. It is along a lonely stretch of road, but it can be seen from both the Atlantic and Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) sides of the island. 

Entering the ICW through the Ft Pearce Inlet, the water got a bit rough as there were storm clouds in sight. Chris was concerned about the possibility of getting caught in a storm, but we had little we could do about it. In the end we did not blunder into a storm and as we motored south towards our home marina, the weather cleared and we stopped at a small uninhabited island for lunch and some relaxing downtime. 

Osprey
Small Island, Indian River, FL
August 9, 2023

Anchoring just offshore we decided to enjoy lunch and rehydrate. We heard a low screech and saw an osprey sitting on a dead tree surveying its domain. I decided to get an image of the bird as it remained there for most of the time we were anchored.

We managed to be in the area as the tide changed and I learned a valuable lesson about ensuring the anchors are set well. The stern anchor, which was keeping us off the beach, gave way and I wound up pushing the boat off the sand into deep enough water to start the engine and allow the propeller to get enough water to get us away form the island. It was a good learning experience. 

All during the day, we enjoyed being outdoors because of the breeze and shade on the boat. The heat index hit 115 degrees yesterday, it was reported, but we were still able to enjoy being outside and not cooped up in air conditioned comfort. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL