History's Demise

Reading in the NY Times about the widespread destruction of antiquities by the ISIL hordes in Iraq struck a chord with me. 

If people do not have to be confronted with their history, then they are free to believe anything they want. People seem to be afraid of history when it clashes with their belief system.

I have read and heard it before. For example:

In 2001, the Taliban destroyed Budda statues that was the country's most famous tourist attraction. 

There are those who deny the holocaust ever happened.

Those who want to believe that theirs is the only civilization that ever existed.

Those who rewrite history to make their more prominent or more important.

Those who strike words from speeches and books which are contrary to their beliefs.

Those who ban books, like Tom Sawyer and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz from school libraries because they contain values contrary to their narrow beliefs. 

Some people operate on the principle of: Don't confuse me with the facts.

I must strive not to impose my narrow beliefs upon the world and eradicate things that do not conform to how I believe. The world is too big and my mind is too small appreciate the diversity that is set before me and as I grapple with making sense of everything, it is too easy to eradicate those things that disagree with my beliefs--so that I don't have to deal with them.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bird Watching on a Snowy Winter Day

I am not the only person in the house that likes to watch the birds outside the window on cold and snowy days.

Chris was busy with her camera during the storm the other day and took some nice shots of birds visiting the feeders. 

We both like cardinals and so the images captured are tend to be mostly of them; however, not just the males but the females as well. I think one of her best shots was of a female cardinal. 

When the snow is falling so quickly, what else is there to do except plan to shovel and be thankful that we are in a warm house with nature to provide entertainment. 

Stay warm!

-- Bob and Christina Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spring Update

The Lawn
March 6, 2015

It is time for an update on Spring!

Despite the frozen world that I am awakening to this morning, with its surreal beauty, there is actually springtime occurring in the south.

I am watching the sky form behind the snowy trees, it is clear and cold but traces of orange are building with the impending dawn. 

During the night, I was awake for a few minutes and looked out upon the snow covered landscape where the leafless trees cast stark shadows across the lawn in the moonlight. It looked cold and I did not find any signs of Spring in the scene.

But Spring is coming. The Orioles are now 2-2 in Spring Training baseball games--they won two games yesterday to even the season. It is only Spring Training, but the starters were definitely playing well in the 5-0 evening win at Ed Smith Stadium punctuated by a Chris Davis three-run home run. I hope to be watching a game from there in about two short weeks!

The temperatures are warming! I see 50's in the forecast and by this time next week all of the snow in the image that I took should be a memory.

Most importantly, Daylight Savings Time returns this weekend to steal an hour of precious sleep from all of us! The morning light that I have been enjoying goes away and the evenings will be lighter, longer! A sure sign that good things are coming in terms of weather. 

And in even more convincing news--Spring officially begins in two weeks, March 20th at 6:45PM EDT!  I have it prominently marked on my calendar. The celebrating will begin!

I am done with winter and am ready to bid it good-bye. By focusing upon the signs of Spring, I can do that, at least in my mind!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Birds in the Snow

It has been a snow day. Chris measured 8 inches of new snow! Ugh!

I have to go back out in a few minutes when the snow stops and get it off the driveway.

But, it has been fascinating to watch the birds at the feeders even on this miserable and getting colder day.

I was so fascinated, I took a few photos of them and made a movie.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Talking about the Weather, Again!

10 Day Forecast for Elkridge, MD
March 5, 2015

It is the weather after all. There isn't much we can do about it. It happens despite our plans.

I'm sitting here this morning writing and waiting for a storm that will drop 5-8 inches of snow on the region and paralyze the activities of the day. I have already changed my plans. 

Celebrations and good-byes that were planned have been rescheduled, additional groceries (including a healthy amount of wild bird seed) have been purchased and stored, and the vehicles are fully gassed and ready for any exigency. 

But there is frustration.

The weather forecasters say the storm is coming--but as I write this not a flake has fallen from the sky.

Has the storm disappeared? Changed course? Magically decided to miss this small region of the planet?

Probably not! They say the evil forces of nature are still taking direct aim at all of us who live here and we have had enough warning and should be prepared for the worst.

I remember that when I was a kid, weather just seemed to happen. We would wake in the morning and figure out the weather for the day. There wasn't a lot of preparation. During the winters in Central New York, I would wake up and see that 10 additional inches of snow had fallen and realize that I needed to shovel the driveway before the bus came to take me to school.

I detest shoveling snow probably because of those cold, dark winter's mornings of my youth.

I am encouraged, however, the 10-day forecast is now showing temperatures approaching 60 degrees!!! Yay. Maybe this terrible spate of weather is finally going to break and we will return to something more normal.

I think I will focus upon the forecast to get me through the snow that is still coming all too soon.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Iran and the Bomb

The weather is again dominating the local news, however on the international scene the Iranian nuclear desires are the big ticket item along side the continuing war against the oppression and medieval forces of ISIL. There is a deal in the works that is explained in basic terms in the NY Times article, The Nuclear Talks. 

The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke before a joint session of Congress yesterday describing, from his vantage point, the problems with the negotiations and ending the sanctions against Iran in exchange for assurances that they will not pursue nuclear weapons.

I was able to watch parts of the address as it was carried live on FoxNews. 

What amazes me this morning is the uneven, partisan coverage of the address and the impending agreement with Iran. The substance of the speech is not being addressed on a factual basis, but rather from an emotional point of view. This is a recipe for failure.

I am reminded of the late 1930's and the Prime Minister of the UK, Neville Chamberlain who attempted to appease Hitler. That policy had tragic results resulting in Chamberlain's resignation in 1940 and the occupation of much of continental Europe by the Nazi forces before the combined militaries of many nations were able to liberate conquered peoples.

As I read the responses to the speech this morning in the press, I am appalled at the lack of historical context the writers possess and I am concerned that they do not see what is happening in the world today.

For instance, Iran is conducting operations in Iraq against ISIL and these operations were not well coordinated with the United States led coalition as reported on FoxNews and by others. While it may appear they are integrated and assisting, perhaps they are working to achieve their own objectives apart from the combined efforts of the coalition.

In an effort, I presume, to show balanced coverage, the New York Times published an OpEd piece written by Gholamali Khoshroo Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations. In that piece, Mr. Khoshroo writes,  "alarmist rhetoric on the theme has been a staple of Mr. Netanyahu’s career. In an interview with the BBC in 1997, he accused Iran of secretly “building a formidable arsenal of ballistic missiles,” predicting that eventually Manhattan would be within range." I found this statement to be particularly revealing since The Unites States Institute for Peace characterizes Iran's ballistic missile program as follows: Iran has the largest and most diverse ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East. (Israel has more capable ballistic missiles, but fewer in number and type.) Most were acquired from foreign sources, notably North Korea. The Islamic Republic is the only country to develop a 2,000-km missile without first having a nuclear weapons capability.

This issue will continue to play out on the international stage and within the partisan halls of the U.S. government and bears watching by concerned citizens.

There is a lot more going on that the snow expected to fall outside my windows beginning tonight. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Aftermath of the Storm

Squirrel with "Snowbrella"

Sunday's storm was difficult because of the combination of snow, sleet, and freezing rain. 

During the storm, some interesting things were discovered--for instance, I saw a squirrel using its tail as  snowbrella. It was sitting in one of the planters that we put bird food in and eating away as the flakes fell from the sky with ever increasing speed.

It was an interesting use for a tail.  I found it incredibly creative. And it made me smile. Of course, I was in the warm house and the squirrel was outside in the weather.

Yesterday morning, as I was chopping my truck out of a the block of ice that had formed around it, I saw another photo-worthy sight--heavenly bamboo with berries encased in ice with the sun, yes the sun, shining through it. 

The day was was cold, but the sun melted the ice by the end of the day. The sun is getting stronger every day--it is as strong as early-October right now and getting more and more like September. 

The weather forecast suggests that March will be colder and snowier than normal. I find that to be very distressing. My forecast is that they are wrong!

I'm still waiting for global warming!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - March 2, 2015

General/President Eisenhower Played Baseball

1. President Eisenhower played professional baseball? Who knew? Oh the scandal. The Sporting News reports the story.

2. There is something just wrong with TV weather reporters who smile a lot when they give a miserable weather forecast.

3. Although snow covers my yard--I know the grass is underneath preparing to burst to life. 

4. I saw the movie and thought it would be better titled, 50 Shades of Boring, but this sign made me smile on a cold, snowy day. I think my safe word is "pour another one please!"

5. I have to comment on the passing of Leonard Nimoy. I will never say "Live Long and Prosper," without remembering him.

6. So let me ask--who cares about the color of the dress?

7. Ice. Why did it have to be ice?

8. I'm Sarasota dreaming this morning where the forecast for the day is sunny and 79 degrees.

9. I've been trying to plan a summer vacation--there are too many options.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Start the Celebration

Well, February is over.

Behind us, although probably not to be forgotten and we will be cleaning up the mess for a long time.

The snowiest, coldest, most miserable February in a long time. I know for the region I live in it was not the snowiest--that would be the Snowpocalypse of 2010, but it sure has been cold and miserable. Other parts of the country have seen record snowfalls raising the miserable factor to new levels. 

Someone remarked that the historic average high temperature for this time of year in the Baltimore region is 50 degrees. I would love to see temperatures even in the 40 degree range. Yesterday topped out at 31 degrees.

The Yard
March 1, 2015

But the month is behind us now and March has arrived with the promise of melting snow and warmer temperatures. It is going to be a messy start--but it can only get better from here. Later this month, the sun crosses the Equator and heads into the northern hemisphere and so things should really begin to heat up--finally. I'm looking forward to seeing green instead of brown and gray.

Despite the fact that snow completely covers my yard and more snow, sleet, and freezing rain are forecast for today and much of this week, I am still holding out hope of mowing my lawn at least once before the end of the month. 

It could happen!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Snow in my Truck

Snow in the Truck

The snow continues to cover everything in the region like a bad dream that won't end.

I want the snow to leave! It has been here too long and overstayed its welcome.

The ground here has been covered now for almost two weeks. The snow is still in the bed of my truck! Usually it goes away pretty quickly, but not this year. 

Plymouth & Brockton busses are running between
Provincetown & Boston. Picture taken on Rt 6 Cape Cod

The situation is not a bad as the Boston area. The image of the bus on a road with two stories of snow around it is stunning and sobering. Fortunately, it is not so bad here. 

Deer in the Yard
February 27, 2015

The deer are getting confused by the snow. Last evening four deer thought they were birds and checked out the bird feeders. At one point they were lined up eating from the ground under the feeder, but I was having a hard time getting a good shot and I was left with them realizing that they had been discovered and departing the area. 

This is the last day of February. It has been a month to remember, or rather a month to forget. I'm hoping that the arrival of March will turn the weather around. Temperatures are forecast to touch 60 on Wednesday and along with the expected rain, it is possible that the snow will depart and not return until long after summer come and then gone.

I know springtime will arrive when the snow melts from my truck.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Congress on the wrong path--Again

I have been watching drama play out in Washington, DC, because the city is on the verge of decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana according to an article titled, Republicans Warn Washington to Think Twice About Legalizing Marijuana published in the New York Times. 

It is immaterial whether I agree or disagree with the decriminalization of marijuana--but that the Congress, which has legislative authority over Washington, DC, can override and threaten the elected officials of the District is wrong! Since when did congressmen elected from districts across the country presume to represent the citizens of DC? It is one of the interesting paradox's of our representative form of government. Washington, DC, truly is without representation.

Voters in Colorado, Washington State, and Alaska can vote to change their marijuana laws--but voters in DC cannot. Congress has the ultimate oversight and therefore the people living in DC do not have representation as the lawmakers in charge of governing them are not elected by the people.

The District of Columbia is a lot more than federal land and landmarks. The people living there deserve responsive representation. Congress should recuse itself from meddling in this and most other issues affecting the District.

The incredible tale of this issue is reported as follows in the article: A few weeks after the marijuana ballot initiative passed, House Republicans placed a provision into a large federal spending bill prohibiting the city, which is overwhelmingly Democratic, from spending tax dollars to enact the initiative. But district officials argue that the marijuana law had already been enacted and certified by the Board of Elections before Congress passed the spending bill, so there was no “enacting” for the House to prevent.

I think the Mayor said it best and succinctly, Ms. Bowser [the Mayor] said Wednesday that the city would carry out its own law and that Congress should “not be so concerned about overturning what seven out of 10 voters said should be the law.”

Congress needs to stick to the bigger issues of running the country and let the people of DC govern themselves--perhaps they need to gain statehood in order to truly achieve representation. But that is an issue for another day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hardest Places to Live in the US

I ran across an article titled, Where are the Hardest Places to Live in the U.S. in the New York Times.  It ranks the counties in the United States by quality of life and focuses upon the hardest counties to live in. That was a new twist on the way I look at the United States. The interactive map is very interesting.

I usually look at the best places to live and never even consider the counties at the bottom of the list.

I was amazed a what the interactive map in the article revealed about some of the places live or visit:

Howard County, MD is 9th best county in the US out of 3135 counties.
Albemarle County, VA is 16th.
Tompkins County, NY is 170th.
Palm Beach County, FL is 344th.
Sarasota County, FL is 391st.

But at the other end of the list--Clay county, KY is 3135th.

The article is very interesting. I never really thought about how great the difference is between the top and bottom of the lists. When I look at the interactive map, I was amazed at the poverty and difficult living conditions along the Appalachians and especially in Eastern Kentucky.

Other observations. Wyoming, Connecticut,  and Hawaii do not have any counties in the doing worse category. 

From the article: The 10 lowest counties in the country, by this ranking, include a cluster of six in the Appalachian Mountains of eastern Kentucky (Breathitt, Clay, Jackson, Lee, Leslie and Magoffin), along with four others in various parts of the rural South: Humphreys County, Miss.; East Carroll Parish, La.; Jefferson County, Ga.; and Lee County, Ark.

Personally, I found it amazing at the disparity between counties in some states. Maryland has Montgomery (6) and Howard (9) counties (9) while a short distance away is Baltimore City (2419) and Somerset County (2518). The biggest disparities seem to be in New Mexico between Los Alamos (1) and McKinley (2793) counties or South Dakota between Lincoln (8) and Shannon (3080) counties.  There are a couple of counties in Alaska for which there is no data--which I found interesting. 

The U.S. is a land of great diversity and I know that I rarely consider the quality of life of the people outside the region in which I live or visit. There is a great disparity in quality of life and despite taxes and social programs, I'm not convinced the needs of those living in the counties near the bottom are being adequately addressed. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Beating the Snow and Cold

I have been exploring ways to cope with the snow and cold. 

The view out my window is white, bare trees, and no signs of Spring. In a word--monochromatic! Or, boring.

How to cope with the snow and cold?

Colorful flowers and grilled food
to imagine being warm

1. Plan a trip, in my mind, to someplace warm, like Key West or the Caribbean.

2. Watch the Golf Channel showing a a tournament from a warm and green location.

3. Sit in the sauna at the gym and dream that it is summer in Florida.

4. Watch replays of old baseball games.

5. Get excited about Spring Training in Florida.

6. Go on a cruise to someplace tropical!

7. Get a reservation for a beach house somewhere.

8. Buy some colorful flowers.

9. Grill a steak, even if it is snowing.

10. Drive to work with the heat so high that I want to open the windows to cool off.

11. Sign up for golf lessons.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday Comes Round Again

Tuesday is a tough day of the week for me. 

Tuesday is too far from the weekend to get excited about and it is so close to Monday that the bulk of the week remains yet to be completed.

Think about it. Monday is the first day of the week and many of my friends and coworkers mourn the loss of the weekend and bravely face the challenges of the week ahead. I have a friend who made Monday his favorite day of the week just to help with the transition from the weekend to the work week.

Wednesday is hump day and we have the camels to add some levity into the middle day of the week. The concept of cruising over the hump of the week makes me smile.

Thursday is the day before Friday and the promise of the weekend charges everyone up. 

Friday is, well Friday with many people looking to leave work early even though I usually wind up working longer on Fridays than many other days.

Tuesday is a day of mixed meanings. From Wikipedia I discovered the following about Tuesday: In the Greek world, Tuesday (the day of the week of the Fall of Constantinople) is considered an unlucky day. The same is true in the Spanish-speaking world. For both Greeks and Spanish-speakers, the 13th of the month is considered unlucky if it falls on Tuesday, instead of Friday. In Judaism, on the other hand, Tuesday is considered a particularly lucky day, because in the first chapter of Genesis the paragraph about this day contains the phrase "it was good" twice.

I do admit, one Tuesday per year is special--that would be Fat Tuesday, the day before Lent when the celebrations get crazy in New Orleans. I've never been there, but the TV coverage makes them seem like a lot of fun. 

Tuesday needs something to get charged up about. Even the mail deliveries are smaller on Tuesdays than other days. The Huffington Post reported in 2009 that if the Post Office went to five day per week mail delivery it was possible that Tuesday might be the day cut rather than Saturday due to the light volume on that day. 

Tuesday needs to work on its image. 

I guess I need to work on my attitude. After all, it is not Tuesday's fault that is follows Monday and precedes Wednesday. It is just another day full of promise and challenges.

Happy Tuesday.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings: February 23, 2015

1. In the movie The Imitation Game, I was taken with the following statement--made twice: Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of who do the things that no one can imagine.

Ready to Shovel

2. How cold was it last week? Here is an image of me as I headed out to shovel on Tuesday morning with temperatures in the low single digits and wind chills of 20 below. I survived without frostbite!

3. Heard during the TV weather forecast yesterday: It's hard to remain optimistic, but Spring really is coming!

4. I spent the weekend watching a couple of the Oscar nominated movies. I was especially moved by Boyhood--what an interesting concept and movie. 

5. I was excited to see the temperature the 40's yesterday. Maybe the grip of winter is loosening?

6. I guess I kind of skipped over hockey on my way to MLB Spring Training. Oops.

Louis in my Lap

7. I am reveling in the knowledge that MLB Spring Training is underway. 

8. Overheard in Macy's while shopping for wine glasses: The wine glasses are too big, they hold 17 ounces!  I was thinking, 5 ounces is still a full serving the rest of the space is to allow the aromas to gather. Please don't fill the glass to the rim.

9. When the white cat jumps into your lap, be afraid. Be very afraid!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Something to Warm-up My Thoughts: Orioles Update

Ed Smith Stadium
Sarasota, FL

Stuck in a frozen snowbank that is generally called the mid-Atlantic Region of the United States, it has been hard to remember that Spring Training has started in Florida and Arizona for the upcoming Major League Baseball season. 

It is a pleasant respite to the frigid weather, snow, and ice that I face right outside my door. 

But just about 985 driving miles away in Sarasota, Florida, where the temperature yesterday topped out at 75 degrees with 78 the expected high today, the Orioles are gathering and preparing for the season.

Here are some of the highlights.

First, the baseball glove that was used to give Derek Jeter a homer in 1996 and defeat the Orioles in the playoffs on an incredibly controversial and poorly umpired play that shall live in infamy forever has been sold at auction for $22,705. 

Second and beyond, the Orioles are still getting the team together. About five players are finalizing contracts or lost arbitration hearings and preparing to arrive at the facility. 

According to Roch Kubatko, The Orioles have 14 pitchers throwing in the bullpen today, six more than yesterday.

Also as reported by Roch:

Manager Buck Showalter shared some observations from today's bullpen sessions, including how new left-hander Wesley Wright is effective because of the way he hides the ball behind his back during his delivery.

Reliever Darren O'Day will be brought along slower than other pitchers in camp because, as Showalter quipped, "He's going to make the team."

Left-hander Brian Matusz will be stretched out again in camp so he can work on his changeup.

Ubaldo Jimenez has been "very engaged" in camp, according to Showalter. "He's got a little burn."

And of course, it goes without saying that every Orioles fan is watching the progress of all-star catcher Matt Wieters and his return from surgery. 

Baseball is back and at least the thought of it makes me feel warmer. and maybe the snow will melt faster.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

What to do on a Snowy Day

It is snowing--it has been snowing. Five inches of snow already and more falling from the sky every minute.

About the only thing I have been doing is watching movies and golf on TV. Well, I have been watching the birds at the feeders, too.

At one point there were six female cardinals on my back deck chowing down. Feeding birds can be a lot like taking a $20 bill out of the wallet and lighting it on fire every time more seed is required. 

But, on a snow day they provide some comic relief.

I need some comic relief. 

I need to head off on a Caribbean vacation  and it has only been one month since my last vacation.

The snow has been falling steady now for six hours.

The driveway has been cleared once but the street is impassible by the vehicles I currently have in my stable.

The roads are bad and supposed to get worse as the snow turns to freezing rain and sleet and who knows what else?

The storm continues--no end in sight at this point.

The birds are feeding, there is a fire in the fireplace keeping the room toasty warm.

A great down day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Sun Rises

Minutes before Dawn
February 21, 2015

The sun is rising--I can just begin to see the shapes of the naked trees silhouetted against the clear, frigid sky.

Another "it's gonna be too cold" day begins. It is forecast to be (and I quote) "much warmer" today than yesterday. There is something fundamentally wrong when much warmer equates to a high temperature of 29 degrees!

Sunrise is set for 6:51 AM and I am not sure that I really want the day to begin given the forecast for an afternoon and evening full of snow to the tune of possibly 8 inches. It will be another day spent with a shovel in my hand and the promise of Spring slipping further and further away from reality.

I am not just complaining about the weather in my region--but all across the nation it is cold and snowy. Denver, Colorado, is forecasting up to 20 inches of snow in some areas. I was reading that Syracuse, New York, has received almost 49 inches of snow in February alone! The low in Miami, Florida, was 42 degrees yesterday missing the record by a scant 1 degree. I want to live somewhere where the record low is in the 40's. 

In Baltimore we set a new record low of 1 degree besting the record of 7 degrees set in 1885! The high was 18 degrees and when added together they still don't get to the 42 degree low of Miami! The high temperature in Anchorage, Alaska, yesterday was 32 degrees! Go figure.

Optimistically--maybe this is the last big storm of the season?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cold and Disappointment

The weather is the topic that most everyone seems to be talking about these days. And with good reason because the weather is harsh! 

There is talk in the region of setting record low and of hitting temperatures not seen since 1996. It is that cold!

I worry about the grapevines in the region. I wonder if they can handle the sustained cold? According to some of the models that I have been looking at, bud and vine damage could begin to occur. 

The disappointment that I refer to is the 10 day forecast for Elkridge on the first day of March. Presently, and the forecast changes wildly between now and ten days from now, March 1st is forecast for a high of 34 degrees and 5-8 inches of snow! Ugh! That of course ignores the forecast for tomorrow of 5-8 inches of snow and temperatures achieving a balmy 31 degrees.

I think tonight I will curl up next to a roaring fire and enjoy a bottle of wine while watching a sappy movie. Tomorrow, well, I will face tomorrow after surviving -20 degree wind chills of today.

I am really writing this to document that yes, I am looking forward to the first 80 degree day of the year and it will not be too hot for me. I got so excited the other day when the temperature achieved 23 degrees that I wanted to put on shorts and sandals and run outside to celebrate.

Warmer weather is coming. Take care of yourself. Stay warm and be happy.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

In Search of March

The temperature this morning is 10 degrees and there is about three inches of snow on the ground! Next month has got to be better. February has become a snowy, cold month that deserves to be forgotten as soon as warmer temperatures can be found.

Wherever they are! The grip of cold is pretty tight!

As the deep freeze continues, I almost hate going outside. I've dodged frostbite--narrowly, and kept my fingers warm enough to shovel snow and put air into the tires of my truck.

I looked at the extended forecast and there are only two days between now and the end of the month where the temperature is expected to exceed 32 degrees! We are in a deep freeze of epic proportions!

The ornamental grasses around the pool are cut and ready for warm sunshine to signal rebirth and begin growing. I long to remove the cover from my pool and see the water again. And don't even talk to me about leaves on the trees--the naked gray trunks swaying in the gale force winds are not a vision I care to remember. 

Blue skies, 80's, leaves, grass, and the feel of a lawn tractor underneath me--these are the things I long for. 

On the good side--Orioles pitchers and catchers report today. I wish I were in Sarasota where the expected 52 degree high today seems cold unless compared with our expected high temperature of 18 degrees. That is an important 34 degrees of difference. I long to live in a place where 52 degrees is called: cold!

I have never wanted a month to end as much as this one--but February 2015 has earned it all across the nation!

Did someone say that baseball season is getting under way? I think I will focus on that and stay warm.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Dog in the Snow

Makayla in the Snow

I am not a fan of snow and there was three inches of the white stuff waiting for me when I woke up yesterday. Someday, I want to live someplace where I only have to read about snow and not experience it first hand.

I had already coordinated with the neighbor to start up the snowblower about 8:30 AM and as a result, clearing the driveway was a fairly short event aided by the fact that the snow was very fluffy. It almost took longer to clear the frozen newspaper from the blades of the snowblower than it did to clear the entire driveway. I really wish people would pick-up their newspapers.

Makayla loves the snow. She especially likes the freshly fallen snow and she likes to roll around and run through the snow. She is very cute about everything associated with snow. I'm so cold that I don't even remember to take pictures of her antics. But, I snapped a few yesterday as I was clearing the snow from the driveway and sidewalk.

She has been weird the past couple of days with the cold. She runs outside and seems amazed at the weather. She accomplishes her task and quickly returns to come inside. Then, in a few short minutes, she wants to go outside again hoping the weather will be different. Sadly, it isn't. I should have made a movie of her with my GoPro, but I haven't.

Keeshonden (yup, that is the plural form of the name) seem to really like the snow and cold. It invigorates them--but at the same time I think they get cold, too. They are house dogs, after all.

Makayla is really a kid in disguise the only big difference is that I do not have bundle he up on coats, mittens, hats, and boots to have her sojourn outside for only a few brief minutes.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Holy War Expands

The Christian Crusades

Like most civilized people around the world, I was appalled at the ruthless murder of 21 Christians by the adherents of the Islamic State (a/k/a IS, ISIS, ISIL) in Libya. The murderers attempt to legitimize the act by calling it an execution, but what crime was committed? They were innocents and this was persecution! What I noticed in these medieval acts, however, was the direct attack upon Christianity and the globalization of the jihad.

In one Fox News article, an analyst calls it a "a major, tectonic shift."

Another interpretation of the beheadings reported that after beheading Coptic Christians, Islamists say they will ‘conquer Rome’ next. Is it any coincidence that the seat of Catholicism, Vatican City, is located in Rome? I think not.

I have been reading a number of articles about the threat posed by the IS, but one trend I see is that the group is being successful in areas that are susceptible to chaos because of a weak political structure. The Egyptians were taken in Libya which has been in the middle of a civil war for the better part of a year--but the western powers are steering clear of that area providing a ripe region for the infiltration of IS adherents. The US evacuated its Embassy and personnel on July 26, 2014. 

For historical perspective, I read an article published in the New York Times titled, The First Victims of the First Crusade, which provides some background on crimes visited upon the Jews by the Christians during the First Crusade almost 1000 years ago. 

Note to self: Turning our back on the problem and running away is not going to make the situation disappear or resolve itself.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 16, 2015

1. Happy Presidents Day! It is a good time to celebrate the Presidency and the greatness of the United States. Of course George Washington did it first and best!

2. Grover Cleveland is supposedly the most honest President ever according to an Opinion piece in the Boston Globe. 

3. How cold is it? Pretty cold! Officially a new record was set in the area today.

4. I thought it was too cold to snow but the news media is threatening that we will receive 4-8 inches of snow beginning tonight and into tomorrow! Anyone have a snow blower?

5. If the situation in the Middle East and North Africa with the Islamic State (a/k/a ISIS, ISIL) wasn't personal before now, the heinous execution of 21 Egyptian Christians should change that view.

6. 163-158 the final score of the NBA All Star game highlights everything wrong with professional basketball. I attended a Jackson's game yesterday. The final score was something close to 12-8 and it was a lot more exciting than seeing a bunch of guys just running up and down the court and scoring.

7. Pitchers and catchers report to Orioles Spring Training in Sarasota, Florida, in three days.

8. It seems that I am not the only northerner trying to get further south. A record setting six cruise ships with about 30,000 passengers were docked in Port Canaveral this weekend. I wonder if any of them were from Baltimore?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

How Cold is it, Really?

I watched the temperature drop this morning from 7 degrees at 2AM, yes I was up, to just over 5 degrees when I woke up and then even further down to just 4.5 degrees in just 45 minutes.

Yes, we keep the house cool in the 63 degree range during the night.

So in a shout out to my family living in the frozen wastelands of the Northeast, my smug attitude of missing the biggest and coldest storms is finally catching up with me.  We are getting cold. 

It is really cold.

February 15, 2015
7 degrees cold

The wind chills are below ZERO! As I write this it is being reported at -13 degrees.

I may not even shovel the snow it is so cold. The forecasters are  saying that it will be below freezing all week!

I do note, it is warmer in Key West, Florida.  I even checked airfares to Florida this morning to see if I could escape--I could, but I won't.

Well, maybe. The high will be at least 70 there!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD