Monday Musings - May 19, 2025

 

Osprey with Catch
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge
Jupiter Island, FL
July 13, 2012

1. The month of May continues. This is the third Monday of the month. There are 32 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. I have been going Bach through old images and using a newly acquired application to sharpen and upscale them. I am very happy with the results and we will be printing some of the images for display. 

3. Miserable. That is my current assessment of the train wreck which is the Baltimore Orioles. The team is currently mired in a six game losing streak and is hosing signs of already packing in the season. It is incredibly sad for a team which some pundits predicted would represent the American League in the World Series this year. 

4. After a busy weekend, we are looking at a quiet beach day today. It should be a lot of fun lounging on a nearly deserted beach. 

5. Today in History. At 8:32 a.m. PDT on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcanic peak in southwestern Washington, suffers a massive eruption, killing 57 people and devastating some 210 square miles of wilderness.

Called Louwala-Clough, or “the Smoking Mountain,” by Native Americans, Mount St. Helens is located in the Cascade Range and stood 9,680 feet before its eruption. The volcano has erupted periodically during the last 4,500 years, and the last active period was between 1831 and 1857. On March 20, 1980, noticeable volcanic activity began with a series of earth tremors centered on the ground just beneath the north flank of the mountain. These earthquakes escalated, and on March 27 a minor eruption occurred, and Mount St. Helens began emitting steam and ash through its crater and vents.

Trump to speak to Putin on end to war in Ukraine as Europeans demand ceasefire - Reuters

Brazil can no longer export poultry and meat to EU due to bird flu - Reuters

Russia launches war's largest drone attack ahead of Putin-Trump call - Reuters

I knew the pain of apartheid. How dare Trump embrace Afrikaners as refugees. - MSNBC

Senate Republicans plan to hand Trump’s favorite new industry a big victory - MSNBC

Trump's 'big, beautiful' tax and spending bill clears major hurdle in House - FoxNews

New Jersey rail strike ends with pay raise for workers, union says - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Busch Wildlife Sanctuary

 

Bald Eagle
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary
Jupiter, FL
May 17, 2025

The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary beckoned us yesterday. Chris and I had not visited the sanctuary since it moved to its new location. 

The entire layout and set up is first rate. The animals were active and we enjoyed watching the panthers prowl and the turkeys trot. Seriously--most all of the animals were out in their yards doing something--in the case of the bobcats it was mostly sleeping, however, one of them did walk about. 

Tom Turkey with Fencing
Busch Wildlife Sanctuary
Jupiter, FL
May 17, 2025

While the enclosures first-rate and provide protection for the animals from humans, my only negative of the day was that the enclosures make it hard to get good images of the animals. The best image I was able to obtain was of the eagle, because the enclosure was close enough that I could lean in and take the image between the links of chain fencing. On all others, except in the reptile house, I had to fight the enclosure for an image.

I was very impressed overall with the new facility and the availability of volunteers and staff to answer questions and provide insights. I was also impressed with the availability of restrooms!

My only other critique is that I would have preferred more information about the animals on the enclosures--to include some history and in the case of enclosures with multiple species an identification guide. 

A great day and well worth the visit. Allow about 2-3 hours for a visit. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Mid-May Boat Day with Friends

Heading Out
Manatee Pocket, Port Salerno, FL
May 16, 2025

 It had been since the end of January that we last ventured out in a boat. I had four reservations canceled during February, March, and April primarily due to weather. As a result, I was excited yesterday as Chris and I were joined by four friends for a day on the water. 

Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge 
Jupiter Island, FL
May 16, 2025

I reserved a pontoon boat for the day, since there were six of us. It is more comfortable for everyone because there is plenty of space. The boat is rated for 15 people, so there was lots of room to move around. Another good feature is that, being a pontoon boat, we could board or deboard from multiple locations including the bow. Boarding/deboarding from the bow was great for our first stop at my favorite beach on Jupiter Island. Everyone could stay dry. We enjoyed being the only ones on this stretch of beach until it got near noon, when others began to arrive. 

I have never been a big fan of pontoon boats because they are big and slow, but I realized big is good as it handled the wakes of the passing boats very well. As for slow, well I was able to sustain about 16 mph which is OK for motoring around the ICW. 

Sea Nettle
Stuart City Docks, Stuart, FL
May 16, 2025

After the beach we headed off to Stuart for lunch. I enjoy boating on the St Lucie River because there is usually not too much traffic and it is mostly open water once we get past the sandbars where the river joins with the Indian River. 

Arriving in Stuart we were greeted by thousands of sea nettles. They were everywhere around the docks and we enjoyed looking at them for a bit.

While we dined, the winds increased making the ride back to Manatee Pocket and the marina a bit more blustery and rough than the outbound trip. I was pleased that the pontoon boat handled very well in the rougher waters. 

We had a great day together and I look forward to getting back out on the water soon. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Checking out Bathtub Beach

Happy Beach Goers
Bathtub Beach, Hutchinson Island, FL
May 15, 2025

 We decided to checkout a new beach yesterday. Well, of course it is not new it is just that we have never visited the beach before. 

We sojourned to Bathtub Beach on Hutchinson Island yesterday. It is a long-ish drive, 45 minutes, but it is a beautiful beach. My failing was that I did not remember my snorkeling gear as there is a reef a few hundred yards offshore which is supposed to be very full of marine life. I don't feel too bad about it though because the water temperature was only 74 degrees yesterday. I will make a return trip when the water gets closer to 80 degrees. 

I don't fully grasp why the beach is balled Bathtub. It is neither small not enclosed, but rather it is a wide stretch of beach. It may be because of the offshore reef which keeps the waves at bay. 

In other thoughts, I noted this truck, a Denali, during our drive yesterday and with the push to Americanize names, I wondered if the company would be changing the name to McKinley? 

Today is a boat day! I love South Florida when the weather is good!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Cheering the Wildcats

Jax and Nicole
Berlin, MD
MAy 10, 2025

 I have not written a lot about the Arundel High School Varsity Baseball Team this season. But, their win over Saverna Park made them a regional champion and propelled them into the Maryland State Class 3A Baseball Finals, it is time to start mentioning the Wildcats. 

It was a tough season, with the Wildcats going 10-10 until the regional playoffs. They won their play-in game and then defeated two more teams, including one team that was a favorite to with the state championship, to get into the finals, where they are now .

Their win yesterday, 7-2 over Saverna Park, was a signature win which propelled them into the States. 

The official final seedings for the State tournament are pending as of this morning but there is excitement in the air as the season continues. One unofficial source has Arundel facing Chopticon. The stats and comparison between the two teams is on the web.

I love baseball!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Tiki Tuesday Again

Blowing Rocks Marina
Tequesta, FL
May 13, 2025

 Tuesday is, of course, Tiki Tuesday. And yesterday definitely fit the description. 

I completed an almost 18-mile ride in the morning and enjoyed sitting at Tiki52 alongside the marina for an enjoyable evening. 

The flags were especially impressive last evening against the ultra blue sky and I felt compelled to snap an image of them. It was a nicely warm evening at Tiki52 and the wind off the water was more refreshing than it was uncomfortably cold. 

My biking adventure earlier in the day was largely unremarkable except for one stretch where the service trucks completely blocked the road and I had to dismount and squeeze my bike between them. I don't understand how the drivers did not see anything wrong with completely blocking the road to unload goods. I should have taken an image of the situation for posterity, but I was too upset that I had to dismount and walk between the trucks to think about anything other than safety. 

Well, we have friends arriving today for a week and I am looking forward to some boating and beach activities. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Summer Effectively Arrives in South Florida

And the Rain Fell
Tequesta, Fl
May 12, 2025

 The overcast gray and rain was perfect for a Monday. That describes our weather yesterday. It definitely was an indoor day. Last evening it rained so hard and for so long that we had a river in the street moving for the storm drains. Fortunately the drains were able to handle the water. Sometimes the can't.

Today, however, is shaping up to be a better day. The much needed rain of yesterday has cleared out and blue skies portend a hot and sunny day. 

The forecast for the rest of the week is sunny with highs in the upper-80s and low-90s. The "feels-like" temperature will be in the high-90s and even low-100s due to the humidity. I'm feeling some bike, beach and boat activities coming on! 

Feels like summer has arrived!

--Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - May 12, 2025

 

1. Well here we are, it is the 2nd Monday of May 2025. Amazingly there are 33 Mondays remaining in this year. 

2. How 'bout them O's? Sitting on the bottom of the division, but they managed to win their second series of the year after getting swept in Minnesota. They are currently tied for the 26th (of 30) best team in MLB. If this were the Premier League in the UK, they would be facing relegation--maybe not a bad idea. I think Norfolk could do better than they are playing right now. 

3. We enjoyed a great Mother's Day. The day was capped at a local Italian Restaurant, Vulcano's.  for a great meal with friends. The wine flowed freely as did the food. This small restaurant in a local strip plaza was a great find. The evening was great and was a fitting end for the celebration of Mothers. 

4. Trump's trade war with the world is becoming something of a joke and it is fraught with possibilities for corruption. Take, for instance, this morning's announcement of a trade deal with China. The markets surged, but was this information available to everyone or only a select few? There is money to be made, but, I suspect, the system is being games and the small investors are left holing the bag. 

5. Today in History. The body of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh’s baby is found on May 12, 1932, more than two months after he was kidnapped from his family’s Hopewell, New Jersey, mansion.

Lindbergh, who became the first worldwide celebrity five years earlier when he flew The Spirit of St. Louis across the Atlantic, and his wife Anne Morrow Lindbergh discovered a ransom note in their 20-month-old child’s empty room on March 1. The kidnapper had used a ladder to climb up to the open second-floor window and had left muddy footprints in the room. In barely legible English, the ransom note demanded $50,000.

On May 12, a renewed search of the area near the Lindbergh mansion turned up the baby’s body. He had been killed the night of the kidnapping and was found less than a mile from the home. The heartbroken Lindberghs ended up donating the home to charity and moved away.

Latest updates: US and China agree to lower tariff levels for 90 days - Reuters

Kurdish PKK disbands and ends 40-year Turkey insurgency - Reuters

Trump plans to accept luxury 747 from Qatar to use as Air Force One - Reuters

Republicans to reveal whether they will advance tax hike on the wealthy - Reuters

Zelenskiy tells Putin to come to Turkey if he wants talks, after Trump intervention - Reuters

Trump is finally getting his parade — and it's only going to cost taxpayers tens of millions - MSNBC

South Carolina botched this man’s execution. But that’s not the main problem. - MSNBC

Trump travels abroad after talks fail with those who shout 'death to America' - FoxNews

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#mondaymusings

Mother's Day 2025

 Mother's Day 2025

Sidney J. (Fairbanks) Doan 
Columbia, MD
August 16, 2013

It is a blessing that we can take a day to celebrate mothers. In the human experience, having a mother is something we all share. Sometimes the mother we celebrate may not be our biological mother, but to whom we choose to ascribe the title "mother" is, perhaps, the most honorable and important title in all of humanity.  

Today I honor all moms: my mom, my wife, my daughter, my daughters-in-law, and every woman who is a mom. 

Thanks for the love, toil, work, and dedication being a mom requires. You are the keepers of society and future generations.

Today, however, I especially remember, my mom. She passed during December 2021, but she is still very present with both Chris and me. One of the ways she is present is her maiden name. We often bike through a golf community and some of the streets are simply named Fairway with a direction (N, NE, E, SE, etc.). Her maiden name was Fairbanks and the similarity is enough to remind us of her every time we bike the Fairway streets. But more than that, both Chris and I refer to her often and the blessing that she was watching us progress from a couple of love-struck high school kids into who we are today. 

And even today my mom remains a blessing to my entire family for her strength, grace, and wisdom. 

Thanks for being my mom and the embodiment of love.

1 Cor 13:4-8a. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Friday on the Course

Chris Putting
Jupiter Dunes, Jupiter, FL
May 9, 2025

 Chris and I actually got out yesterday and played a round of golf at our favorite local course. We had not played together since January and it was good to be back out on the links. That written, this course is tough. Small greens and some really tough shots. I did not do as well as I would have liked. 

Green Heron
Jupiter Dunes, Jupiter, FL
May 9, 2025

We rode for a change as we normally walk the course. With the hot humid weather moving in, I thought we might enjoy the back 9 more if we were not exhausted from the front 9. And it worked out. It was nice to have the shade of the golf cart to shield us from the burning sun.

Of course, as always we were treated to a variety of animals to enjoy. Fortunately there are no alligators on this course, but I got a very nice image of a green heron. 

We enjoyed our time on the course and were able to get out of the sun just before lunch time to enjoy the remainder of the day out of the heat and humidity. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL