Summer Green

Summer Green
Odenton, MD
August 30, 2024

 Despite the lack of rain in the region, the green of summer seems more vibrant this year than in years past. I haven't noticed many tent worms and while some trees are showing signs of heat stress, most are a vibrant green that almost blends into the background. 

Yesterday was a gray and rainy day--which was needed for the area although I am sure the wineries were not too happy since it is the middle of the harvest. Even so, the green remained vibrant. I took this image of the tree in my daughter's yard and it demonstrates how the green envelops everything. The tree is hard to distinguish against the green of the forest behind. 

This is the kind of summer that I remember as a kid growing up in Upstate New York. The heat, the humidity, and the green forest that surrounded our home. Everything during the summer seemed green, until those last days of August when color began to creep into the backdrop signaling the end of the season and the beginning of autumn. 

Color is beginning to arrive in the leaves. It is very limited at this point, but as the nights begin to cool off the color will eventually spread until only the coniferous trees remain to remind me of the summer green and excitement that the springtime brings as the green returns to fill the landscape. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

On the MD Wine Trail - Catoctin Breeze Vineyard

Catoctin Breeze Vineyard
Thurmont, MD
August 29, 2024

 Chris and I , along with two friends, headed out on the Maryland Wine Trail to visit wineries that we had never visited. There are many more wineries in Maryland than most realize and there is always the opportunity to discover a hidden gem. 

We found one yesterday in Catoctin Breeze Vineyard. The winery is nestled at the foot of a hill in Thurmont, Maryland. The tasting room is a very inviting facility and provides a great vantage point of the vineyards. There is ample outdoor seating for picnicking. 

Catoctin Breeze Merlot
Thurmont, MD
August 29, 2024

The visit was a success. We found great wines, with white, rose, and red. The price point is a bit high, but the wines are definitely well made and come with layers and long finishes.

We were especially impressed with the Merlot ($30) and the Cabernet Franc ($55). Both, while medium body presented with layers and flavors of well blended wines. I bought some of the Merlot, but felt the price point of the Cabernet Franc was a bit high. 

Be aware, the price of a tasting is $24, but comes with 6 wines and if you are really nice, maybe a 7th. In addition to the two wines already mentioned, the Adagio 2022 ($40) was tasting very nicely. It is a blend of 50% Merlot, 25% Cab Franc, and 25% Teroldego. In addition to the red wines mentioned, there are white wines and a rose. The listing from yesterday showed 18 offerings call ranging from $30-$55. 

I recommend a visit to enjoy some great wines and scenery. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Chasing the Moon

Moon over Magnus Ridge
Rock Stream, NY
August 25, 2024

 It seems that lately I have been noticing the moon more during the day. Perhaps it is because the daylight is longer and I do not go out much after dark to avoid the mosquitoes. 

Sunday, Chris and I stopped off a Magnus Ridge Winery, just north of Watkins Glen, to experience some Finger Lakes Wine. Magnus Ridge is one of my favorites because they make a variety of wines with good balance. And some nice medium body reds. I especially like the Cabernet Franc.

As we stepped out of the truck, I spied the moon over the winery. I guess I am not good at moonshots, but if you look real hard you can see it. I was amazed at the crystal blue sky as well. It was a beautiful image, in my head at least. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

It was Picnic Day

 

Deer Jumping Fence
Odenton, MD
August 27, 2024

Annual picnic day! What a great event.

It was a perfect day. Great weather and I was able to gather with friends and coworkers to enjoy catching up on our activities during the past year. I have been fortunate to attend each of the three organizational picnics since I have retired. I guess I am lucky to be in Maryland when they occur. 

There were some great images of the event which have already been published by Lydia and so I won't repeat them here. I had a great time talking to the people in attendance and I wish I had more time, but I had a grandfather task to complete during the early afternoon and had to leave before I was able to chat with everyone. 

My image of the day is from Happy Hour at me daughter's where I was able to capture a deer jumping the fence around the collection pond. I never tire of watching the animals that visit the pond and that I was able to capture this deer in motion was an added benefit. 

To all who attended the picnic, it was good to see and talk to you. I hope to see you next year as well.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Going through the Memories

 

Ester Proefrock
Chris' Paternal Grandmother
Undated circa 1914

Chris received a box of family images and mementos over the weekend while we were in New York. We spent part of yesterday doing a scan through the box and looking at images, many of which she does not remember seeing when she was a child. 

I decided to try out the image scanning function on my phone to see how well it would be able to capture the images and was very pleasantly surprised. It seemed to do a very good job capturing the images. I may need to find a place where I can minimize the external light because I do note some washed out areas on one of the images. 

Shirley and Roland Meyers
Chris' Aunt and Dad
Undated but prob circa 1938

It was good for her to rummage through the box and find old images of family. She also found birth certificates and, more importantly a death certificate for her great great-grandmother which listed place of birth, in Germany, and parents as well as dates. That is very exciting because we have been unable to get a good ancestral trace on her family because no one remembered the old family names.

I guess I will be on the ancestry trail when I get back to Florida. My family was much easier to trace especially there are published book with the genealogies on both my mother's and father's families. I still need to do work on the maternal sides of both families.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Monday Musings - August 26, 2024

 

1. The 4th and last Monday of August has arrived. Next week we celebrate Labor Day. Don't look now, but only 18 Mondays remain in the year. 

Maple Tree with Color
Stonehenge's Golf Course
Groton, NY
August 24, 2024

2. Autumn is coming. Chris and I saw leaves beginning to change on the maple trees in Central New York! Even on the golf course. That went along with the low 50 degree temperatures we experienced during our visit to Cortland and Groton. 

3. We took the less traveled route back from New York yesterday. We chose Route 15 for the ride and were careful to avoid the area in Williamsport where the Little League World Series was being played. 

4. Congratulations to the team from Florida on winning the Little League World Series.

5. Golf is a fun game if not taken too seriously

6. I cannot fathom how any active, retired, or veteran military person could vote for or work for Trump. He does not respect the military. An article in Cardinal & Pine published June 25, 2024, details six separate occasions in which Trump disparaged the military. The six are below but the article contains details. 

2015: Disparaged John McCain’s POW experience
2016: Publicly insulted a Gold Star family
2017: Expressed distaste for wounded veterans
2018: Called WWI casualties “losers” and “suckers”
2018: Dismissed Navy SEAL Commander Adm. William McRaven
2020: Downplayed troops’ injuries following missile attack in Iraq

7. Today in History. On August 26, 1939, the first televised Major League baseball game is broadcast on station W2XBS, the station that was to become WNBC-TV. Announcer Red Barber called the game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York.

At the time, television was still in its infancy. Regular programming did not yet exist, and very few people owned television sets—there were only about 400 in the New York area. Not until 1946 did regular network broadcasting catch on in the United States, and only in the mid-1950s did television sets become more common in the American household.

Trump’s personal attacks aren’t just who he is. They’re his strategy - CNN

Western airlines were excited about returning to China after Covid. But not anymore - CNN

Spacecraft slingshots around Earth and the moon in a historic first on its way to Jupiter - CNN

SpaceX’s Risky Next Mission: The First Private Spacewalk - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Nuclear Missile Silos Need Modernizing, but Fixes Aren’t Coming Soon - The Wall Street Journal

Families flee after new Israeli evacuation orders in Gaza as ceasefire hopes dim - Reuters

Russia launches massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine, Kyiv says - Reuters

North Korea's Kim Jong Un oversees tests of 'suicide drones' - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

#mondaymusings

9th Annual Troy Whittemore Classic

Chris on the Hole we Sponsored
Stonehedges Golf Course, Groton, NY
August 24, 2024

 It was a beautiful day in Central New York, specifically Groton, NY. The sun shone all day and while it was in the 50s as the tournament began, it warmed into the 70s fairly quickly.

Our team tackled the course with enthusiasm and were rewarded with a par on the first hole we played, which was Hole 5 on the course. The format was a four man scramble best ball tournament, but none of the members on my team, including me, are anything above occasional recreational players. We did not see another par until we were on hole 1, 14 holes later. We finished in last place 12 strokes over par. The winners were 10 under par. I would be happy with an 84 any day I play, but it doesn't cut it in a best ball tournament. 

Trevar Teeing Off
Stonehedges Golf Course, Groton, NY
August 24, 2024

We had fun playing the course. Stonehedges Golf Course was a course I had never played. Chris and I were teamed with our nephew, Trevar, and his girlfriend, Cassie, and fortunately he had played the course while he was in high school. 

Stonehedges  is a tough course. The greens are especially tough, but fair. As a team our putting failed us most of the day until the greens dried and we settled into a better approach to the green. I found the greens tough; on multiple shots I landed my ball near where I aimed only to see it roll off the green or roll into a very difficult putting location. Talk about frustrating! The rest of my team had similar experiences. 

It was a day to play golf and reconnecting with friends and family all while remembering our nephew Troy. And it was a great success. The tournament funds the scholarship in Troy's memory. 

I hope the Classic returns to Stonehedges again next year because I want another chance at the course. 

-- Bob Doan, Cortland, NY

Another Travel Day for the Tournament

NY Welcome Area I-81
August 23, 2024

 Chris and I arrived in Central New York without incident. It was a longer than expected drive due to a lot of road work in I-81 in Pennsylvania, the very northern part. I can see the infrastructure bill at work repairing the roads and am thankful for its positive impact on pour country. 

Along the drive we were reminded on the natural beauty of the Northeast. The emerald green tree-covered rolling hills and the valleys are what we both grew up enjoying. The crystal blue sky yesterday highlighted the scene. Around every turn and over every hill the vistas laid out before us became a conversation topic. It is very different from Florida and there are, of course, no palm trees. 

Today is golf day. We are playing in the 9th Annual Troy Whittemore Golf Classic. The tournament remembers Troy who was taken from us at the age of 23 by cancer and funds the scholarship in his memory. A USA Today article tells more of Troy's story. 

We are looking forward to a great day with family and friends and hopefully I can hit them straight and long, but not too long, on the course today. 

-- Bob Doan, Cortland, NY

Golf Tune-up

Timbers at Troy Hole 1 From the Tee
Elkridge, MD
August 22, 2024

 I managed to get out for a tune-up round of golf before tomorrow's tournament. It was important for me to do that in that I had not swung my driver since last August at the tournament. Chris and I have been playing on a par 3 course which allows us to complete a round in about2 hours, which is about all one can stand in the heat of South Florida. 

Jeremy and I hit the course at 5:33 PM and managed 11 holes before darkness. It was a beautiful afternoon. I managed to hit all of the fairways except one, which made me happy, but my distance off the tee has definitely decreased. Perhaps it will get better with more swings, I did seem to be improving as the evening went on. 

It was fun to be out on the course. 

Today is another travel day to Cortland, NY, where we are staying. Sadly, it is just Chris and me this year as the rest of our Maryland contingent was unable to make the trip. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Truth, Honor and Joy

I have been impressed and encouraged by the Democratic National Convention. 

The use of the words Truth, Honor, Joy, and Hope continue to excite me and are far different from the hate words spoken at the Republican National Convention. 

Another word that is used correctly is Freedom! I have been encouraged when speakers say there is not enough room in our houses for our family and the government. People should be free to love whom they choose, and live as they please without undue government interference. 

America is not a failing nation as Donald Trump spews, the facts clearly show that America it is the leader in the world and is not failing, but growing. 

To see an example of a failing nation look at Russia. 

The chants: We're not going back are encouraging and promise that there is something better to offer the American people.

Oprah Winfrey said in her speech last night:

So, we are Americans. We are Americans. Let us choose loyalty to the Constitution over loyalty to any individual, because that’s the best of America. And let us choose optimism over cynicism, because that’s the best of America. And let us choose inclusion over retribution. Let us choose common sense over nonsense, because that’s the best of America.

And let us choose the sweet promise of tomorrow over the bitter return to yesterday. We won’t go back. We won’t be sent back, pushed back, bullied back, kicked back. We’re not going back. 

So, let us choose. Let us choose truth, let us choose honor, and let us choose joy! Because that’s the best of America. But more than anything else, let us choose freedom. Why? Because that’s the best of America.  (Time Transcript)

Let us choose freedom, because that is the best of America! Those words resound with hope and joy. 

Mr. Trump has shown a character unworthy of the responsibilities of the presidency. He has demonstrated an utter lack of respect for the Constitution, the rule of law and the American people. Instead of a cogent vision for the country’s future, Mr. Trump is animated by a thirst for political power: to use the levers of government to advance his interests, satisfy his impulses and exact retribution against those who he thinks have wronged him. (New York Times)

By contrast Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz closed his speech last night by saying:

Look, we’ve got 76 days. That’s nothing. There’ll be time to sleep when you’re dead. We’re going to leave it on the field. That’s how we’ll keep moving forward. That’s how we’ll turn the page on Donald Trump. That’s how we’ll build a country where workers come first, health care and housing are human rights, and the government stays the hell out of your bedroom.

That’s how we make America a place where no child is left hungry. Where no community is left behind. Where nobody gets told they don’t belong. That’s how we’re going to fight. (New York Times Transcript)

I remember four years ago when the pandemic raged because then president Trump denied its existence. Over 1 million Americans died and the shuttering of businesses and the crashing of the economy created problems that we are just now overcoming. I remember the unrest in the country, the separation of Blue vs Red, and us vs them. It took Joe Biden to boldly promise to be a president for all Americans to bring recovery and prosperity.

I'm not going back! 

Am I better off now than 4 years ago? You bet!

When we fight, we win!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD