Even the Trees Look Cold

Looking at a Late-Autumn Morning
Odenton, MD
November 26, 2024

 The body shock of going from 70 degree days to 36 degree mornings is tough. I can only barely remember opening the door to head outside and being met by a rush of frigid air. I am more used to being slammed by a hot, moist wave and then toasted under the burning sun. 

I prefer the heat. 

Even the Trees Look Cold
Odenton, MD
November 26, 2024

It was cold yesterday, in the 40s, and even colder to start today with 36 (OMG, it's cold) degrees. While the scene is pretty, the reality is not so inviting. Even the trees look cold! I keep forgetting to put shoes on when I go outside for short activities like bringing in groceries or taking out recycling or trash.

I just need to get used to it because this is where I'm going to be for the next roughly two weeks. 

I have been enjoying the live entertainment that my daughter is providing in the form of two eight-week old kittens. They are bundles of energy. Just a moment ago they made me laugh, as during their play, they crashed into something which fell and they scurried for cover. They are cute and at this point very enjoyable. Their names are Merlin and Percy and they are brothers so they have been playing together since shortly after birth. 

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I hope everyone is already where they want to be for the holiday. Thankfully, Chris and I are in place for the festivities.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

At the Road's End

Looking Out the Windshield
North Carolina on I-95
November 25, 2024

 Chris and I arrived in Odenton yesterday afternoon about 2 PM. It was a nice short day of driving. The weather was perfect with bright sin and a blue sky highlighting the late-autumn colors. We marveled at the colors of the trees all day, of course they were bit brighter in North Carolina and southern Virginia, but we could see the colors in the trees even until our destination. 

Oak Tree
Dortches, North Carolina Rest Stop
November 25, 2024

The trip was easy, except for the last couple hours when we experienced the travel time warp where our arrival time suddenly becomes 40 minutes later due to building traffic. That of course happened in Northern Virginia within about 70 miles of our destination. We made a few comfort stops along the way. The one where I imaged the oak tree in Dorches, NC, about an hour after we started out for the day, was a stop for Finnegan which was successful. 

We are happy to be in place for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

And the Ravens rewarded our travels with a win!

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Monday Musings - November 25, 2024 Travel Edition

 

Out the Hotel Window
Dunn, NC
November 25, 2024

1. Welcome to the last Monday of November. The Holiday Season begins officially on Thursday with Thanksgiving and there are only 5 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. I am writing from a hotel in Dunn, NC. We were on the road for just over 10 hours yesterday, but it was a beautiful driving day. 

3. Out the Hotel Window this morning is a bright sunrise and a parking lot. The blue sky is grand with the sun.

4. Family NFL Report. Family teams went 3-2 with the Ravens playing tonight. The Steelers lost a very snowy game on Thursday and the Cowboys escape the Commanders in what was probably the most exciting 4th quarter of football in a long while

Cowboys (4-7) overcame Commanders, (7-5) 34-26

Steelers (8-3) lost to Browns (3-8), 19-24 on Thursday in the Snow Bowl

Ravens (7-4) face Chargers (7-4) tonight

Dolphins (5-6) drowned Patriots (3-9), 34-15

Chiefs (10-1) held off Panthers (3-8), 30-27

5. We hope to be in Odenton, MD by about 1:30 this afternoon.

And this is the travel version of the Monday Musings!

-- Bob Doan, Dunn, NC

Holiday Travel

I

And we are on the road again.  We are two hours into a two-day trip to in Maryland. Chris and I marveled at the starlit sky as we headed out just before 6AM. It was clear, cold, and filled with stars and at least three planets. 

It is hard to write on a phone in a moving car.  But, so far the day is great and traffic light as the Thanksgiving week travel begins in earnest.  We are looking forward to seeing and celebrating with family and friends. 

We still have a couple more hours in Florida and are headed to North Carolina for the night. We prefer longer first days and shorter second days of the trip. 

Finn has settled in and is sleeping in his bed. He was very happy not to be left behind. 

Here’s hoping the weather stays good. 

— Bob Doan, I-95 near New Smyrna Beach, FL

Uninvited Guests

Momentary King of the Pole
Port Salerno, FL
November 22, 2024

 I went to lunch with a friend yesterday. It was a beautiful South Florida day with a crystal blue sky, bright warm sun, and a light breeze. We dined at an outside table on the water so that we could enjoy the day. 

All too often here in Florida it is too hot to sit outside at a table and eat. But not so yesterday. It was a bit cool as the temperature was struggling to reach 70 degrees. 

Little Blue Heron Moving out the Seagulls
Port Salerno, FL
November 22, 2024

Lunch was very good as the service and the food were excellent. We, however, were hounded by some uninvited guests. The seagulls tended to gather and squawk at irritating moments. There seemed to be a game of "King of the Pole" being played by some of them.

The seagulls continued squawking and playing their games until the much larger little blue heron arrived and made it clear who was the real king of the restaurant patio. It became much quieter and the egret patrolled the area keeping the noisy seagulls away. 

I have to admit, despite their noise the seagulls were fun to watch. I guess even uninvited guests can have some entertainment value.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

It was a Short Trip

Heading out into Manatee Pocket
Port Salerno, FL
November 21, 2024

 Yesterday was intended as a boat day. Finnegan had a grooming appointment near where we reserve our trusty motored-watercraft and so we decided to check out a boat and head to Stuart for lunch while Finnegan was in the shop, so to speak. 

It was a great plan--but it turned out there were some problems. 

The day was bright and, although one of the coldest mornings of the season, the temperature quickly warmed into the mid-70s by 11:00AM when we arrived to head out onto the water. We planned properly and dressed for the cool breeze--Chris was wearing two layers and brought a coat along. I had a pullover. 

The wind was strong stronger on the water and the waters surrounding the marina, which is on Manatee Pocket, had a nice chop. Chris was not amused and I promised her that if it was too rough on the more open waters of the St Lucie River that we would head in rather than continue on to Stuart. 

We were motoring north toward Stuart into a cold north wind. OK, I know the wind was not as cold as what we saw driving snow on last night's NFL game in Cleveland, but we have thin Florida blood. That was the first problem. 

The second problem was that the chop of Manatee Pocket became 2-foot waves out on the river which occasionally, because of the direction of the channel, broke over the boat and got us both wet. And then there were the occasional 3 foot waves. Chris is a flat water boater and I knew I was pushing it with the 2 foot waves, but the bigger ones coupled with the fact that we were not even into the more wide open areas of the river where the wind could really kick up the waves meant this trip was likely going to be short. 

The third problem was that Chris was cold and she hates getting wet--especially on a cold day. We made it about halfway to Stuart, which is roughly the highway bridge which connects Sewell's Point to the mainland. When I reduced speed to go under the bridge, we made the decision to return to the marina rather than press on. Chris donned her coat to get warmer and we reversed course.

In all, we were on the water about 45 minutes. I got my boating fix in for the month and we decided to lunch in the Port Salerno area rather than driving to Stuart.

I am not sure how, exactly, we are going to survive the upcoming holiday trips north into the cold. It should be an experience. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

As the Season Arrives

 

2024 Christmas Tree
Tequesta, FL
November 20, 2024

It pained me to do the deed. And the deed was removing the turkeys and our Thanksgiving decorations before the actual holiday. 

But, Thanksgiving is late this year and we are going to be away for two weeks; returning in the middle of the Christmas season and wanted the house decorated. Yesterday because decoration day. We have not completed everything and some decorations will not be unboxed this year--but we are beginning to display the festive mood the holiday season brings. 

Tomorrow is actually the earliest date upon which Thanksgiving can fall and this year the 28th, which is Thanksgiving, is the latest and so I rationalized that we are not really jumping the season and my turkeys had a good run--but it was time.

Happy Thanks-istmas!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Bob the Dog Walker

 I discovered, while Chris was away, that I was unable to both walk Finn and get a meaningful bike ride accomplished. 

Finn walks for about a mile-and-a-half. When he and I walk we do it in just under 30 minutes--and that includes numerous stops for his personal business. 

He enjoys his walk and is a a trooper. One would think that a dog of his size would not enjoy such a long walk at a brisk pace, but he definitely does. And it is good exercise for both of us. But by the time we finished Finn's walk, it was getting too late to get my usual 17 mile bike ride in before noon. 

Chris is back now and I was able to get my ride completed this morning while she walked Finn!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Christmas is Closing in

Poinsettia Plantings
Tequesta, FL
November 18, 2024

 I was able to get bike yesterday, even though the wind was strong and in places made me wonder why I decided to head out. I walked Finnegan a mile-and-a-half before the ride and I had failed to eat breakfast. Don't know how that happened. Well, about 10 miles into my ride I realized that I was low on energy and, as it was about 11:30 AM, I shortened my ride and headed home to get some lunch. Coffee is just not good for powering a body into the middle portion of the day. 

Along the way I did see more poinsettia plantings to bring a splash of color to the upcoming holiday season. Most of the usual flower plantings are past their prime and the poinsettias provide as needed kick-start to the gardens. 

Chris and I are about to start our holiday season travel gymnastics. She returns today from the baby shower trip and we leave Sunday to head back for Thanksgiving. We will be there two weeks and then return to Florida for about two weeks before heading back for Christmas and an undefined stay in Maryland while waiting for the arrival of our fourth grandchild, who is also our fourth grandson. Gonna be a wild ride. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - November 18, 2024

 

1. Well, it has arrived. The last Monday before the beginning of the holiday travel season. There are just six Mondays remaining in the year and starting next week the rocket sled ride towards the new year gets into high gear. 

2. Thanksgiving is as late as possible this year. That means---a short Christmas season and more stress. 

3. Family NFL Report. Family teams went 2-3 with the Cowboys playing tonight. The Ravens lost a nail biter to the Steelers, again!.

Cowboys (3-6) tackle Texans (6-4),tonight

Steelers (8-2) survived Ravens (7-4), 18-16

Commanders (7-4) got whipped by Eagles (8-2) 18-26 on Thursday 

Dolphins (4-6) swam past Raiders (4-4), 34-19

Chiefs (9-1) stampeded by Bills (9-2), 21-30

4. For those of you who maintained that Project 2025 was not Trump's plan, see the article in the Washington Post, linked below, about the FCC pick. Project 2025 envisions sweeping changes to economic and social policies and the federal government and its agencies. The plan proposes taking partisan control of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Department of Commerce (DOC), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Federal Trade Commission (FTC), dismantling the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and abolishing the Department of Education (ED), whose programs would be transferred or terminated.^[26][27]  (Wikipedia) I recommend getting familiar with Project 2025 because it seems to be the basis for what is coming to America.

5. Today in History. On a day like today, the first case of a person infected with Covid-19 was confirmed in the Chinese province of Hubei.

On November 17, 2019, the first case of a person infected with Covid-19 was confirmed: a 55-year-old adult from the city of Hubei, China, although at that time the authorities refused to confirm that it was patient zero.

China was able to reach the first known case of Covid-19 in the world, after an in-depth investigation that finally managed to track the patient and map the early contagion pattern, two months before the local outbreak turned into a pandemic.

On December 27 of that year, the doctor of the Provincial Hospital of Chinese and Western Integrated Medicine, Zhang Jixián, had reported to the authorities about new infectious conditions caused by a new type of coronavirus.

Ukraine's allies in disarray as Trump presidency draws near Show all - CNN

Analysis Trump doubles down on controversial Cabinet picks - CNN

India’s successful test of hypersonic missile puts it among elite group - CNN

Long-range strikes against Russia: too late to save Ukraine? - Reuters

US no-frills pioneer Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy protection - Reuters

Oil prices tick higher as Russia-Ukraine tensions escalate - Reuters

Trump picks Brendan Carr, who laid out agenda in Project 2025, as FCC chairman - The Washington Post

As it enters polar night, this Alaska town won’t see sunrise for 64 days - The Washington Post

No, Trump Cannot Run for Re-election Again in 2028 - The New York Times

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL