Monday Musings - June 9, 2025

 

1. It is the second Monday of June. There are 29 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. Through an oversight, last week's Monday Musings was not published. Oops! 

Chris and Beck
Glen Burnie, MD
June 8, 2025
(Image by Patrick)

3. Happy Grandma. We spent last evening with our youngest grandson, Beck. Chris was in her glory with the opportunity to spend quality time with Beck. We enjoyed a great dinner and time together with Jen and Patrick. It was especially nice to sit outside around the fire pit and enjoy great conversation and food.  

4. We journeyed to Big Cork in Rohrersville, MD, yesterday. We enjoyed a tasting of a variety of wines and were then treated to a very nice charcuterie box which contained more choices than we could eat along with wines. The 2022 Cabernet Franc continues to be a great wine and my personal favorite. The 2022 Meritage, which is a blend of 50% Cab Franc, 25% Malbec, and 25% Petit Verdot; was also drinking very nicely. 

5. There are a lot of things happening in the country right now, but critically, the most concerning of the moment is the unrest in Los Angeles regarding the ICE arrests. The federal response seems excessive. But, perhaps that is why LA was chosen to have such a display of force. This situation surely is taking our eyes off the bigger issues and problems.

6. Today in History. With a spectacular victory at the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat becomes the first horse since Citation in 1948 to win America’s coveted Triple Crown: the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. In one of the finest performances in racing history, Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, completed the 1.5-mile race in 2 minutes and 24 seconds, a dirt-track record for that distance.

Secretariat was born at Meadow Stables in Doswell, Virginia, on March 30, 1970. He was sired by Bold Ruler, the 1957 Preakness winner, and foaled by Somethingroyal, which came from a Thoroughbred line known for its stamina. An attractive chestnut colt, he grew to over 16 hands high and was at two years the size of a three-year-old.

California governor calls Trump National Guard deployment in LA unlawful - Reuters

Israeli forces seize Gaza aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg - Reuters

Iran to present counter-proposal to US in nuclear talks - Reuters

Exclusive: US expects Russia to launch multi-pronged strike on Ukraine - Reuters

'Tom, arrest me. Let's go.': Gov. Gavin Newsom responds to Trump border czar's threat - MSNBC

LAPD says ‘agitators have splintered’ in downtown area, declares unlawful assembly - FoxNews

The NASA science missions that would be axed in White House’s 2026 budget - The Washington Post

Trump tax bill reveals striking shift in GOP’s focus - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday Activities

 

We have a busy day planned. Once the day begins Chris and I expect to be visiting a our favorite winery for the late-morning and early-afternoon and then we celebrate the evening with our youngest grandson and his parents. It is a distinct change from yesterday which saw me golf in the morning and enjoy a very relaxing afternoon and evening. 

We visited Primanti Brothers to enjoy lunch with Jeremy. That was our first visit to Primanti Brothers. I enjoyed a huge Ruben sandwich and, well, an adult beverage. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the multiple sports games on the TVs for a while. The remainder of the afternoon was devoted to watching baseball and a movie. There may have been a nap involved. 

We are more than recharged for a busy day. 

Today promises to be cool--with a projected high around 74 degrees. In Rohrersville, MD, it will be cooler crawling up to a high of 70 degrees. I am glad that we golfed yesterday.

I guess we will need to take some jackets with us once we begin the day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Being Watched

The Watcher, Deer on Hole 13
Timbers at Troy, Elkridge, MD
June 7, 2025

 Saturday was a golf day. Jeremy and I hit the course for 7:15 tee-time and because of the rain we got moved forward to the first tee-time of the day and led everyone off. Actually the course was pretty open, but it was fun not having anyone in front of us. 

We had a great time. My scorecard was typical for the course--Timbers at Troy in Elkridge. We were treated to a rainstorm for a couple of holes, but we looked at the radar map and saw that once the rain stopped we would be dry the rest of the day. It had been a while since I played in rain, but the day was warm and the rain was not at all uncomfortably cold.

Once the rain stopped and we dried off the day was actually a fantastic one for golf. We were lucky in that it did not rain hard enough to produce standing water on the course. 

We finished our round in 3h39m. The course posts that an acceptable pace of play is 4h20m.  

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

We Made It!

81st Anniversary of D-Day 

Our two-day I-95 fun drive was a success and we arrived in Elkridge yesterday afternoon. I had correctly discerned the weather from the projections and we only had rain for about the first 45 minutes of yesterday's six-hour highway event. It was supposed to be only five hours of road fun, but as usual, traffic delays that began in Richmond and continued through D.C. and into Maryland. 

View of the Roads Ahead
I-95 near Fredericksburg, VA
June 5, 2025

 During the drive, I especially do not enjoy getting a message like the one at the left. A 41-minute traffic delay is no fun at all. This message was from Wednesday as we were trying to make our way to the hotel. The day began with the mapping program estimating a 2:33 PM arrival at the hotel, based upon the need for gas and rest stops I had estimated 3:30 PM, and we finally got to the hotel at 5:02 PM. Having departed home at 5:07 AM that made for a very long day. 

We are looking forward to visiting with friends and family and reconnecting, before reversing our route and returning to Florida.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wait, That's a Torpedo

Torpedo
St Marys, GA
June 4, 2025

 It is not something that is expected to be seen when traveling north on I-95 and entering the state of Georgia--but there it was, a torpedo!

Amazing!

Well, we were in submarine country.

And I had forgotten how large actual torpedos are--but there it was, right in front of the restrooms. 

It was a reminder of naval warfare and the presence of the US Navy in the area. I love the display. Most people walked by and didn't even notice the weapon. Or, sadly, cared.

It was a more advanced version of the weapon that helped win the WW2 Battle of the Atlantic and also helped win the war in the Pacific. Many Japanese and German ships and subs succumbed to the predecessors of this weapon fired by the intrepid crews of U.S. submarines, many of whom never returned from their patrols, but who were instrumental in winning the naval war.

Wow. History in the raw!

-- Bob Doan, Dunn, N C

On The Road

 We are in Georgia having been on the road 5 hours already. It has been rainy at times as it will be all day.  Chris just took the wheel as we race through the state. I am taking a break. 

The program I use to forecast the trip weather was showing thunderstorms and rain all day, but the showers have been spotty so far.

We have just entered another storm area. Chris is doing well, she hates driving in the rain. 

After a stop tonight, we should arrive in Maryland tomorrow early afternoon. 

— Bob Doan, Brunswick, GA

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