Trip Preps

Readying the Truck
Tequesta, FL
June 2, 2025

 Chris and I are preparing to head north for a couple weeks. We have decided that while it takes longer, it is nice to have our own vehicle and not have to rent or borrow wheels when we arrive and so we are doing the two-day drive. 

We used to drive straight through, but determined that since we were so tired upon arriving that we effectively lost the next day the time investment is almost the same as spending a night on the road. We have also decided that the truck is more comfortable than the car for long trips and so it will be making the trip again.  

We took the truck over for the pre-trip cleaning. The wash center was really empty, I guess not a lot of people get their vehicles cleaned on a rainy day! Chris like to depart with a clean vehicle which is not a bad thing. I just wish I could remember to get it cleaned after we return, but before the next adventure. 

Gas prices are down! I paid $2.83/gallon yesterday. I only needed 5 gallons to top off the tank and I hope we can continue to find inexpensive gas along I-95 during our trek tomorrow. We shouldn't need our first fill-up until Georgia!

I will blog from the road tomorrow morning as the trip progresses. We have made the journey enough times that we have our favorite stopping places. 

See ya on the interstate!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

It Rained

Rain from the Doorway
Tequesta, FL
June 1, 2025

 It rained most all of yesterday. 

While the temperatures were cooler, outdoors activities were suspended and we had a flood watch for the low lying areas. OF course, since my elevation is all of 11 feet, I am not in a low lying area which seems pretty weird when compared to areas like Maryland where the elevation can change 11 feet in a very short distance. 

But June has arrived and with it the longest days of sunlight of the year! The counterpoint to December! I love the early morning sunrises and late evening sunsets. I guess that is why being confined to the house on a rainy afternoon is disturbing. 

I watched the Orioles complete a series sweep for the first time this season. They are sitting on a 3-game winning streak for the second time this year and actually are over .500 (6-4) for the past 10 games! Amazing. They even picked up a game during the series on the first place team and are now only 14 games away from the division lead. If they keep playing .600 baseball maybe they can crawl into the playoff race. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Rummaging through the Archives

The Family
Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, CO
Sometime in 1986

 Chris and I have begun rummaging through the old pictures that we have in boxes and albums. 

There are a lot of them--too many. Printed images take a lot of space and are hard to store. I have also noticed that some of the places we had the prints made must have used bad solutions because the colors are faded--especially the reds. It is not like the images have been exposed to light, but some were in boxes stored in hot attic spaces. 

Thanksgiving 1989
Norfolk, VA
November 23, 1989

I have a couple programs that allow me to copy the picture into a current image format and then do some color correcting. It takes a bit of time, but hey, I'm retired, right?

Remembering where we have visited is fun and we are going to try to document the places, dates, and people as best that we can. The most unique picture, and also one of the worst for being faded, is Thanksgiving 1989. It is, so far, the only picture with all four grandparents and the entire family--even if Patrick is hidden in the chair. The real questions are, who took the picture and why do I look so serious? On the other hand, it is a good picture of my Mom and Dad together and smiling at the end of the table.

Well, there are so many more tidbits of family history to uncover and document. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Evening along the Jupiter Inlet

Looking to the Mouth of the Inlet and the Ocean
Dubois Park, Jupiter, FL
May 30, 2025

 Last evening Chris and I journeyed, along with a friend, to DuBois Park aside the Jupiter inlet to enjoy the ending of the day and sunset. We do not visit the park often as we usually head to the ICW to watch the sunsets and enjoy the evening. That was due to the closure of the US-1 bridge for the past almost two years. But, the bridge is open and getting to DuBois Park is much easier. We traversed the bridge twice yesterday crossing over the Inlet and ICW.

Sunset with the Lighthouse
Dubois Park, Jupiter, FL
May 30, 2025

DuBois Park is comfortably large and provides multiple areas to enjoy. Situated along the inlet, there is a lot of boat traffic to enjoy and last evening the water was fairly flat which made the evening even more enjoyable. 

We were treated to a colorful sunset with the Jupiter Lighthouse as the focal point. I have enjoyed boating the waters of the ICW and the inlet and looking across to the lighthouse last evening reminded me of those great times. 

It was a great ending to the day. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

#jupiterinlet #jupiterlighthouse #duboispark

Follow the Bouncing Ruling

 The battles playing out in the courts right now are as compelling as the Super Bowl. 

Seriously.

I mean really, it's serious. 

Watching the judicial system work to uphold the rule of law when the Executive Branch is intent on usurping authorities form the other branches and exceeding the provisions The Constitution can at times be mind numbing, but it is critical. 

The spin doctors of the Executive Branch are trying to paint the judiciary as left-wing radicals while stealing for themselves authorities they do not have. 

The gambit Trump used successfully during the four years of the Biden administration was to claim he was being targeted. He is using that now by himself targeting the judiciary. Now that he is back in The White House, it is clear which family is the crime family. Nearly every deal with another country has a sub-plot whereby the Trumps get richer and the U.S. pays the freight. And when I say the U.S., I mean US, the taxpayers and working people of America. For instance, I saw that the trade deal with Vietnam also contained  Trump family project.

Poor me (Trump) has become at least $2B richer since becoming president and openly ignores the ethics regulations that public servants are bound to follow. WAIT! Did I write public servants? Well of course I am not speaking of the president, because we all know he is not a public servant, he is in it for himself alone as he continues to make deals that benefit his family and not the U.S.

We are engaged in a struggle to determine whether, as has been true for the previous 46 presidents, presidents  are bound to follow the Constitution and laws of the land or whether they, as 47 would have us believe, have absolute authority.

Support the judges, they are apparently our only hope.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Ahead of the Storm

Storm in the Distance
Loxahatchee River Bridge, Tequesta, FL
May 28, 2025

 I managed a solid bike ride yesterday around Tequesta. I was concerned about the storm clouds that I saw, but as it turned out they remained in the distance and I enjoyed the ride. 

I imaged the clouds from the Loxahatchee River Bridge in Tequesta and at that time I wondered if I was going to get rained on during my ride. I kept a close eye on the storm and was a lucky that it remained in the distance and eventually dissipated. 

May has not been a great biking month, as I am only at about 130 miles total for 8 rides. I have had some short rides and have not logged any 20-milers during the month. I have enjoyed my rides as they allow me to watch the summer creep into the area. During my rides I do my tortoise count and focus on the areas where I know there are tortoise dens. I also watch the houses which are being constructed. Construction is a very slow process and at times the contractors forget to allow enough space for two vehicles to pass on the streets--which is frustrating. I have had to dismount and walk my bike through adjoining yards to pass the areas. 

Hopefully, June will be a better riding month!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

Riding the Hump of the Week

 It is the mid-point of the week.

After two days of rain that precluded riding, I am planning on getting out today to ply the streets on my bike. 

It will be very humid and I need to reacclimatize to the steamy weather.  

At least the storms are not expected until this afternoon. But, it is Florida in the summer. Storms and rain is expected. 

It is another busy week in the country and the news. 

It is disheartening that our president has figured out how to abuse his office to increase his wealth while running roughshod over the ethics laws and rules. Also, he always talked about the Biden crime family, when in reality there is only one crime family in operation in the U.S. right now. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

June Rains Arrive Early

Orchid on the Lanai
Tequesta, FL
May 25, 2025

 The much needed rains have arrived early. June is typically when Florida moves into the season of afternoon rains and thunderstorms, but for the past two days we have been having intermittent showers and an occasional thunderstorm throughout the day. 

The weather has prevented me from riding my bike which makes me a bit restless. 

Finnegan is currently sitting on my feet. He hates the storms and especially the thunder. 

The Rainstorm this Morning
Tequesta, FL
May 27, 2025

He just ran downstairs when he heard thunder and came over to where I am sitting. While I appreciate that Finn views me as the Big Dog, I feel bad that the storms cause him so much angst.

The rains have stopped and Finnegan has departed from the protection of my feet. We will see how long that lasts. 

The humid weather caused by the storms is bringing out the bugs (sadly) and the flowers. I took a solid image of a blooming orchid at a friend's house the other evening. I enjoy taking images where I can play with the depth of field.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Monday Musings - May 26, 2025

 Memorial Day 2025

“If words cannot repay the debt we owe these men, surely with our actions we must strive to keep faith with them and with the vision that led them to battle and to final sacrifice.” —Ronald Reagan

Decorated House
Tequesta, FL
May 25, 2025

1. Welcome to the final Monday of May 2025. There are 31 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. In an amazing finish, the Orioles are on a two game winning streak and split the four-game series against the Red Sox in Fenway. We have to enjoy the victories when they happen. Who knows, they may even get to 20 victories soon!

3. As I rode my bike around Tequesta yesterday, I was pleased to note how many houses were decorated, tastefully, for Memorial Day. There were many and that meant going above and beyond just having the flag on a pole. So many people add small flags around their gardens and the street. 

4. Well, the Big Beautiful Bill has gone onto the Senate. Wow. I am hopeful that the senators will put some fiscal sense into the bill. I am very concerned that the administration wants to cut funds to care for Americans in order to deport immigrants. That seems upside down to me. And then there is the huge tax cut for the wealthy while actually increasing the costs of living for the lower earners. I am hard-pressed to find an upside in the bill with the exception of increasing defense expenditures.

5. Today in History. On May 26, 1924, President Calvin Coolidge signs into law the Immigration Act of 1924, the most stringent U.S. immigration policy up to that time in the nation’s history.

The new law—also known as the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act—reflected the desire of Americans to isolate themselves from the world after fighting World War I in Europe, which exacerbated growing fears of the spread of communist ideas. It also reflected the pervasiveness of racial discrimination in American society at the time. Many Americans saw the enormous influx of largely unskilled, uneducated immigrants during the early 1900s as causing unfair competition for jobs and land.

Trump says Putin has 'gone absolutely CRAZY', considering more sanctions on Russia - Reuters

EU sees 'new impetus' in trade talks from weekend call with Trump - Reuters

European stocks rebound as Trump's tariff deadline extension aids sentiment - Reuters

Trump's tax cut plan will be cripplingly expensive for most Americans - MSNBC

The Trump administration’s literally toxic agenda exposes ‘MAHA’ as a ruse - MSNBC

Rand Paul slams Johnson, says 'big, beautiful' bill will 'explode' debt - FoxNews

Slammed by Russian missiles, Ukraine seeks more U.S. air defense systems - The Washington Post

E. coli outbreak sickened more than 80 people, but details didn’t surface - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Memorial Day Weekend 2025

 

Memorial Day is tomorrow and the unofficial start of Summer has arrived. 

Chris and I are laying low this holiday weekend. We are going to finish the month of May without traveling anywhere. That has allowed us to recharge in preparation for the summer season. We will be heading off to Maryland during early June to visit family. 

This weekend we remember and honor those who "gave the last full measure of devotion" for our country and our way of life.

I quote the final portion of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address as a thought for today:

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

and finally:

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”

-- Ronald Reagan

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL