The Beach Calls

Carlin Park Beach
Jupiter, FL
March 13, 2024

With relatively blue skies and temperatures touching on 80 degrees, yesterday was a definite beach Happy Hour day!

And we did. 

It was good to reconnect with friends while enjoying the afternoon listening to the waves hit the beach. It is nice now with Daylight Saving Time that we have more time on the beach in the evening. And the ocean was relatively calm yesterday. It was even too calm for the surfers. There was one brave soul trying to catch a wave and he had a few nice short runs, but in the end the ocean kept getting calmer and he stopped trying. 

As it had been a couple weeks since we last enjoyed Happy Hour on the beach, due to weather and travel, yesterday's visit was even better. We chatted with a nice beach walker and even shared some wine with him. We enjoyed our time and departed before sunset. 

I'd like to do it all over again tonight--but, alas we likely will not be able to make it happen.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

And We're Home

 

It has been a wild two weeks with travel on three successive Tuesdays. We arrived home yesterday afternoon happy to be under blue skies and upper 70 degree temperatures. It was a beautiful evening and I changed out of my jeans and into shorts almost as soon as we arrived home. 

Snow Shower
Middletown, MD
March 10, 2024

During our visit north Chris and I were treated to a snow shower while visiting a meadery in Middletown, MD. That checks the "must see snow" box for 2024. So at least that is out of the way. 

The trip home yesterday was pleasantly uneventful and I played with the flight tracker app that Southwest provides. It is kinda cool, but not as interactive as the one that United provides. 

It is good to be home and I'm hoping to get out for a bike ride today and later Happy Hour on the beach. We have some appointments tomorrow and then cruise into Friday with some time on the water in a boat. I have reserved the newest boat in the fleet and am pretty excited about heading out on a warm and sunny day.

Thanks to everyone who made our trips to Houston and then Maryland a great adventure despite the weather. It was good to see you all.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

And the Truth is . . . Out There

We are seeing and hearing much disinformation and outright lies being foisted on the American people. It is hard to separate fact from fiction. What is the worse, however, is when fiction is intentionally presented to foster fear and anger thereby affecting policies and elections. Worse yet is when the disinformation is provided by someone who is selling themselves as an upstanding, mother-next-door woman. Shame on her!

Below is the case in point from Senator Katie Britt's (R-AL) Republican rebuttal to the State of the Union address. 

The Republicans’ rebuttal to the State of the Union on Thursday stayed in the news throughout the weekend. On Friday, independent journalist Jonathan Katz figured out that a key story in it was false. Senator Katie Britt (R-AL) described a twelve-year-old child sex trafficked by Mexican cartel members, implying that the young girl was trafficked because of President Joe Biden’s border policies.

Katz tracked down the facts. Britt was describing the life of Karla Jacinto, who was indeed trafficked as a child, but not in the present and not in the U.S. and not by cartels. She was trafficked from 2004 to 2008—during the George W. Bush administration—in Mexico, at the hands of a pimp who entrapped vulnerable girls. Jacinto has become an advocate for child victims and has told her story before Congress, and she met Britt at an event for government officials and anti-trafficking advocates.  (Letters from an American)

It is hard to separate truth from fiction anymore. Especially what is coming from the mouths of Republicans. Alternatively, the fact check of the President's address was favorable. There were rounding of numbers and small exaggerations, but nothing of the magnitude of creating a totally fictitious story that bears l only a passing resemblance to reality. 

And then I ask myself, why are Republicans afraid that Americans will vote? The party is trying to limit voter access.

Don't look now, the freedoms you may be losing are your own!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Monday Musings - March 11, 2024

 

1.  The second Monday of March has arrived. The Ides of March are lurking for on Friday. I hope you survived the transition to Daylight Saving Time! There are 42 Mondays remaining in the year. 

Chris, Sue, George, and Me
Big Cork Vineyards, Rohersville, MD
March 10, 2024

2. A visit to Big Cork Vineyards is enjoyable event. We attended our Case Club pick-up event yesterday with friends and enjoyed a beautiful, but cold and windy, afternoon of food and wine. We enjoyed great wines and were some of the first to taste a new wine which is based on an Italian grape. It was the initial harvest of this limited production wine. Vermentino is a bright white wine with almost no color.

3. Fact of the Day. The Washington Post Fact Checker found that in the four years of his presidency, Trump offered a total of 30,573 untruths — an average of roughly 21 erroneous claims a day. (The Washington Post)

4. The cold Maryland pre-Spring has not deterred Chris and me from seeing friends and family. We return to the expected 80-degree days of Florida tomorrow. 

5. Spring begins in 8 short days!

6. Why does a former president believe that he can meet with a head-of-state, in the U.S. who does not visit the President? The former president met with Viktor Orban on Friday and laid out a plan to end the Russia-Ukraine war. (Reuters) He will starve Ukraine for weapons allowing Russia to overrun the country.  This would likely create a situation in Ukraine akin to the 1932-1933 starvation by Stalin that killed between 3.5 and 7 million Ukrainians. If the U.S. does not get aid to Ukraine now, we will have the blood of democracy seeking patriots on our hands.

7. Today in History. On March 11, 2011, the largest earthquake ever recorded in Japan causes massive devastation, and the ensuing tsunami decimates the Tōhoku region of northeastern Honshu. On top of the already-horrific destruction and loss of life, the natural disaster also gives rise to a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. The Fukushima disaster is considered the second-worst nuclear disaster in history, forcing the relocation of over 100,000 people.

During the emergency, each of the three operational nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant shut down successfully, but the backup power and cooling systems failed. As a result, residual heat caused fuel rods in all three reactors to partially melt down. As crews searched the rubble for survivors and the nation reeled from the earthquake and ensuing tsunami, the nuclear disaster unfolded over the course of several days. The facilities where Reactors 1 and 3 were located exploded on March 12 and 14, respectively, prompting the government to evacuate everyone within a 20km radius. Another explosion in the building housing Reactor 2 on March 15 released even more radiation, and thousands of people left their homes as workers used helicopters, water cannons and seawater pumps to try to cool the overheating facility.

Russia's war machine is out-producing US and Europe for Ukraine - CNN

Former advisers sound the alarm that Trump praises despots in private and on the campaign trail - CNN

Russian student jailed after naming Wi-Fi router with pro-Ukraine slogan - CNN

Next Autopilot trial to test Tesla's blame-the-driver defense - Reuters

Israel checking reports that Hamas' military No 2 killed in Gaza strike - Reuters

Why Is My Electric Vehicle Dead? Check the 12-Volt Battery - The Wall Street Journal

How Big Pharma is fighting Biden’s program to lower seniors’ drug costs - The Washington Post

Trump’s freewheeling speeches offer a dark vision of a second term - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

The Path

 

Our Walking Path
Odenton, MD
March 6, 2024

Walking the dogs allows me the opportunity to view the changing Maryland seasons, get some exercise and converse with Chris. The dogs become almost a secondary aspect of the entire event. 

When we visit Odenton, we walk an old roadway which is closed to traffic, but has become almost as we were passing through a forest with the exception of the new roadway on one side and townhomes on the other. 

November Path
Odenton, MD
November 18, 2023

I would like to say that it is a relaxing walk, but the dogs provide some continual level of excitement, especially when we pass other dogs. It can get very exciting and sometimes a bit physical. Finnegan is well behaved and just wants to meet and greet the other members of his species, Lily, our daughter's dog, takes a more offensive view and sees the others dogs as a potential threat and gets into defensive mode. She is a very strong dog as well as she also has a mind of her own. I sometimes have to fight for control. We have found it easier to terminate the walk early or to slow our walk so as not limit contact between the dogs.

One of the things I enjoy noticing during the walks is the passing of the seasons. For instance, four days ago the trees along the path were fairly barren and from the winter. But, back in November, the path was filled with late-autumn color and leaves were everywhere. Visiting every few months helps me better identify the changes caused by the seasons. I believe I see the changes better than when I lived here and was exposed to the gradual change every day. 

The walk. And yes, I was reminded of the Robert Frost poem, The Road Not Taken. Although there are not two diverging roads here, there are two very different, yet the same roads.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Connecting

 Yesterday was filled with highlights of meeting people and enjoying a few adult beverages and food. 

Dave and Me
Arbutus, MD
March 8, 2024

The afternoon began by meeting another retired work buddy for lunch at Guinness. Dave and I worked together for 26 years. He recently retired, while I am just over the two-years retired. We had an enjoyable lunch at reconnected. It was fun to talk of old times and catch up on the people we collectively know. But it was great just to see a person who I used to see every day. I would usually start my day sitting in his office talking to him about work, life, and the events of the day. I have to admit--I miss that.

BTW, I take a terrible selfie, I know that. Ugh! 

Not too long after I arrived back at Nicole's, the four of us: Nicole, Mike, Chris, and I; headed off to Crooked Crab for an early Happy Hour. It was Friday after all. We had no sooner obtained our first drinks and got seated when Patrick and Jen arrived. It was a total surprise for all of us. Something great happened with no prior planning. It was just one of those times when good things happen despite our best efforts. We enjoyed conversation and also were able to see the new vehicles, yes plural, that Patrick and Jen have acquired. They are really nice with all of the latest safety features and Chris and I are seriously considering looking into purchasing the Mustang Mach-E to replace her Highlander.

Returning back to Nicole's we decided to watch a dog movie, Togo. I am a sucker for dog movies even though they almost always bring tears to my eyes. The historical significance of this film and its accuracy make it a must watch.

What a great day! And I realized the importance of connection with friends and family.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Dinner and a Splash of Color

Tete-a-tete Daffodils
Odenton, Md
March 7, 2024

 Well, the whirlwind visit to Maryland continued today with a dinner at The Hideaway in Odenton. Chris and I enjoyed the company of Jeremy and Lucas as we ate our way through the great food. Our dinner was highlighted by a highly entertaining and attentive waiter, Christian, who provided top-notch service.

The dinner and conversation was great and we spent time discussing their upcoming Florida trip and beginning to plan events associated with that visit. It is hard to believe that Spring Break is upon us and much travel is about to begin. 

The weather cleared during the afternoon and the oppressive gray skies lifted. I paused by a patch of tete-a-tete daffodils that just screamed Spring to me! Against the still brown grasses of Winter, they provided a much needed splash of color. 

Sadly, although the weather warmed to the low 60s yesterday, today promises to be colder, but brighter before rain returns tomorrow!

New adventures await us daily. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Lunch with Friends

Daffodils in the Brambles
Odenton, MD
March 6, 2024

Continuing our visit to Maryland to reconnect with family and friends, Chris and I had a wonderful lunch with friends, Ralph and Todd, from our former street in Elkridge. 

We went to a small and very nice Italian restaurant in Waugh Chapel for an afternoon of good food, wine, and great conversation. It was so very good to catch up with them. 

Earlier in the day, we took the dogs for a walk with a light mist falling from the sky. The dogs were excited, me? Not so much! But we headed out. Along the path I spied a clump of daffodils blooming amidst thorns and brambles. I could not resist taking an image of the beauty among the desolate colors of the early Spring. The scene brought meaning to the phrase, "A rose among thorns."

We have a lot of catching up to do with family and will be focusing upon them for the next few days. It is amazing how the short distance from Maryland to Florida can create such an abyss in the mind. 

Is it Friday Eve already? 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Dueling 16ths

Excited for the Present Inside
Odenton, MD
March 5, 2024

 During the past week we have attended three birthday celebrations for people turning 16! Weird. Well it was only for two different people and one of them was a 16 year old trapped in a 64 year old body due the calendar complication associated with Leap Year. 

Jax with Cake 
Odenton, MD
March 5, 2024

Last evening we enjoyed a small family celebration for the newest 16 year old, Jackson, a/k/a Jax. We were honored to be able to attend and are currently batting 1.000 for 16-year old family celebrations this year.

It was a small family celebration which happened after baseball practice. There was exciting news on Monday as Jax also made his high school JV baseball team. The image I took of him at the table is interesting because looking into the mirror I am seen taking the picture and his brother, Ethan, is also seen. Kinda cool. Intentional? I think not!

At least there are warm celebrations even if the weather is cold and rainy!

Oh yes, and he blew out all of the candles in one breath!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Happy Tuesday Travel Day

Finn Sitting on Chris's Backpack
Tequesta, FL
March 4, 2024

 I remember before I retired I always had a problem with Tuesdays. They just didn't seem to fit well into the week. 

Monday was, well,  the back to work day after the weekend.

Wednesday was Hump Day

Thursday was Friday Eve

Friday was Fantastic Friday!

But Tuesday just always seemed to be a sore thumb in the week.

Now that I have retired I have figured out what Tuesdays are good for: travel.

Last week I traveled to Houston on Tuesday, but returned home on Sunday. Today I traveled to Baltimore and next Tuesday I return to Tequesta. So I will have traveled on three successive Tuesdays.

We left Finnegan home last week in the care of friends, but he made it clear yesterday that he was not to be forgotten this time. He was a trooper and we had another great flight with him today. I do have to remember that the 7:10 AM flights are hard on the body. I am gonna need a nap!

But, we have arrived in cold, rainy Baltimore. I miss the sun of South Florida already. This is continuing a string of travel where we suffer with cold, rain, and constantly overcast skies. Last time I was here I attended the final Ravens game of the regular season in, you guessed it, a cold rain! 

But here we are for the next week. Missing the expected 80s of Tequesta.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD