Monday Musings - January 18, 2016

Snow on the Heavenly Bamboo Berries

1. Snow, in small non-accumulating amounts, can be pretty.

2. Football is an unforgiving game. One fumble can change the entire game. 

3. I was able to get in a round golf this weekend--amazing. the conditions were wet, but it was good to get out onto the course.

4. I am happy to see that Iran may be attempting to participate on the international stage responsibly. Releasing the US sailors and yesterday releasing the prisoners. 

5. Winter may have arrived. It snowed yesterday and it is 17 degrees outside this morning.

Makayla on the Floor

6. I wish I could lay on the floor and relax like I used to when I was a kid. At least Makayla has no problems. 

7. It is the day we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. 

8. I read an interesting article about Tesla and their cars having the ability to park themselves in the garage. Someday, they may be able to drive themselves across the country to pick you up! I just wish they weren't so expensive.

9. The first major snow of the season is forecast for this weekend.

10. On this day in 1778, Captain Cook discovered Hawaii! Wish I was there now.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

ClimbZone Birthday

Lucas, our youngest grandson, turned six and we celebrated yesterday by going to the Climb Zone. I admit, I was a bit skeptical about the venue--but that quickly was replaced by awe at the astounding facility that I walked into for the party.

The facility was alive with bright climbing walls and excitement. What a great place for a birthday party--the kids exercise before they eat cake and fattening foods. There was adequate supervision and assistance for all of the attendees. 

Tina and her niece Keeley had some fun on the wall together.

It was an awesome place, and even Chris managed into a harness to do some climbing. It was her inaugural experience and she loved it. I have a few videos to supplement the pictures from yesterday. She was a bit tentative about jumping off--but soon became a pro at the whole experience. 

I highly recommend this place. 

And yes, I forgot to reorient the camera to the normal video style--Oh well, live and learn.

Some exciting early Saturday morning entertainment and fun. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Reflections of the Jackpot

Chatting with friends and coworkers about the recent Powerball jackpot and their plans should lightening strike and they had won, I was struck by the sense of sharing the fortune with others that most everyone displayed. 

Everyone agreed that the windfall was more than enough to provide for their personal needs for the rest of their lives and that others, including family, friends, and charitable organizations like churches would also share in the winnings.

This thinking represents some of the best of what makes us Americans. Despite being flooded with enough money to make all of our dreams come true on a selfish level, we were also looking to share the windfall!

This was true in my case as well. I am not a regular lottery player, but the incredible size of the jackpot caused me to buy a few tickets. I admit that it was fun to dream and I too had determined to share the winnings with family, friends, and my church. I believe it was healthy to dream a bit and assess my core values and then to reassure myself that even living in a society focused on the "me," I could still think in terms of "we" and "they" and "us!"

2 bucks and a dream! If you don't play you can't win (well unless someone in your family or a close friend does)

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Cat's Life

Riordin, one of our cats, is strange. 

Riordin in a Box

It is humorous how strange he is.

He loves boxes. I had a box on the counter last night and while I only turned my back for a few short moments, he crawled inside and claimed it. 

I had only just opened the box and removed the contents moments before.


He was completely inside the box. I had to work to get him out so that I could recycle the container.

Last week during our Friday evening party, he decided that one of the guests needed his hair washed. And he washed his hair.

I'm not sure it was necessary, but it surely was funny.

Riordin has a way of making his presence known. 

I guess that is what makes him such an interesting cat.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: NFL Debacle

I watched some terrible NFL football this weekend. One game was decided in the waning moments by two penalties. And although the team I was cheering for won, it was not a good way for an NFL game to end.

Other games were fraught with poor officiating and mental mistakes that should not occur in a professional game. One other team was penalized twice on the same drive for having too many men on the field.

Football is losing its hold on the American public. The veneer is getting thin.

I was pleased to read yesterday that one player received a three-game suspension for his illegal hits during one of the games. The article detailing the punishment was reported by CBS Sports.

There is too much money involved in football. Look at last year's playoffs were we had Deflategate. What is the reward for cheating, obstructing justice, and destroying evidence? Super Bowl MVP. Why? Money.

What is wrong with this picture.

My Take: The NFL is rewarding the wrong attributes in its players. Sportsmanship had gone the way of the dinosaur. Professional football needs an overhaul to return to its roots and to get the thuggishness out of the game.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Snow Arrives

Snow arrived yesterday in Maryland for the inaugural event of the season.

It didn't accumulate and it was mostly a non-event. It is amazing that the weather media had been forecasting the event for almost the entire day yesterday.

It was a dusting.

It was cold. I had to bring wood in for the fireplace and I can confirm that it was very cold.

Too cold.

I saw some snow falling from the sky. It was cold and not at all pretty.

I guess winter has finally arrived in Maryland! I read that the Syracuse, NY, school district got enough snow to have their first snow day of the season. I'm glad I'm not there. Winter seems to be arriving everywhere.

I wish that it had not. But,  two months from today I expect to be playing golf in Florida!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, Md

Bird Feeding

Squirrel at the Feeder

Chris is very dedicated to our feathery friends and there are no less than three bird feeders strategically positioned around the house to provide needed supplement feeding during the winter months. 

We enjoy the varieties of birds and especially some of the transients that fly though our region in advance of the winter and then preceding the springtime.

The bane of the feeders, however, are the squirrels! They are everywhere. We have deployed squirrel resistant feeders--to no avail. 

The birds are welcome, the squirrels--not so much.

We still have a long winter ahead of us and the temperatures are beginning to fall more into the normal range. 

Maybe I can get some pictures of some birds, soon!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - January 11, 2016

1. Amazingly, for the middle of January, the high temperature yesterday was 63 degrees! It was fabulous!

2. The days are getting longer, although not much yet. They have lengthened from 9:23:59 on December 21 and 22 to 9:37:01 today. But, the days are finally beginning to lengthen by more than a minute per day. On January 26th we will cross over the 10 hour mark!

3. Christmas is completely back into the box. The outside decorations were removed over the weekend and we are officially ready for Springtime! Perhaps Winter is going to pass us by?

4. In an interesting twist, all four of the road teams won their NFL playoff games over the weekend. I guess there was little advantage to hosting playoff games.

5. Will you be playing the Powerball on Wednesday? 

6. On this date in 1813, the first pineapples were planted in Hawaii. Now that is an amazing fact that I really needed to know!

B-52 Flying over south Korea
as reported in the Washington Post

7. As reported in the Washington Post, a powerful US bomber flew low over South Korea the other day in response to the alleged North Korean nuclear test. I'm amazed that a 60 year old bomber can still be considered "powerful." But you gotta love the B-52.

8. Does anyone else think there is something fundamentally wrong when an actor interviews one of the most wanted men in the world?  Actor Sean Penn secretly interviewed Mexico’s ‘El Chapo’ in hideout. If he could get to the hideout, why not the authorities?

9. Well, the vacation conundrum is solved. Plans have been cemented! 

10. Did anyone else notice that Jordan Spieth finished the first PGA tournament of 2016 with a 30 shot under par victory?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Lotto Frenzy

Did you buy a Powerball ticket for last night's astoundingly over $900 million jackpot? 

No one won!

Seriously.

The jackpot for the next drawing is expected to be over $1.3 Billion! Yup, that is a billion. 

2 bucks and a dream!

Yes, I bought a few tickets. It is fun to dream about what I could do with a substantial sum of money. I cannot even begin to fathom having access to those kinds of fiscal resources. Of course, every government and agency will get a piece of the winnings and then there will be fiscal management firms and investment discussions,  but after it is all said and done I could be very happy on a couple hundred million dollars.  Really!

It is fun to dream and see where my heart's desire lies.

I wonder who will win on Wednesday?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Speeding Laws

Traffic laws, in my opinion, are among some of the most arbitrarily enforced laws in our society. They are a clear example of the concept of lack of absolute right or wrong.

Traffic speed cameras in Maryland do not ticket people unless they are traveling 12 MPH over the posted speed limit. We believe that police, on the other hand, grand only 10 MPH before a citation may be given. Now in Washington, DC, they want to significantly increase traffic fines for people going 25 MPH or more above the posted speed limit. The Washington Post article titled $1,000 speeding ticket, other proposed traffic fines in D.C. likely to be cut. 

Maryland Speed Camera

We need a better way of enforcing speeding laws. Some areas have such unreasonably low speeds that they clearly are going to be violated and are perceived as a "speed trap." There is a stretch of road near me that goes down a hill with no houses on either side for about a half mile on which the speed limit is 30 MPH. This area should have a 45 MPH limit. Why? Because everyone does it and 30 MPH should be reserved for residential areas.

Arbitrary speed limits with inconsistent enforcement generates contempt for traffic laws. I have a theoretical traffic situation: It is 2AM, no one else is in sight on the highway in any direction and I am at a stop light waiting for it to turn green to proceed. Why? At that hour and in full recognition of the local condition should I not be able to proceed cautiously through the light?

Speeding is similar. Sometimes going the speed limit is too fast based upon conditions.

I'm not sure there is an answer--but I think Washington, DC, may be onto something but trying to set a truly enforced limit.

My Take: All speed limits should be raised 10-15 MPH, except hospital and school zones, and enforced with no grace factor. A 55 MPH limit would become 70 MPH and speeding tickets with significant fines would be given starting at 71 MPH. It takes the fudge factor out of driving and places the responsibility for determining the correct speed for conditions squarely on the driver.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Evening at Home

Last evening was one of those rare evenings where the craziness of the workday actually ended and I was able to enjoy time in the evening just chilling.  

It was a strange situation, however, because I had a roaring fire in the fireplace to ward off the cold and I was watching the PGA Golf Tournament from Hawaii.

It was warm and sunny in Hawaii--the golfers were wearing short-sleeve shirts and hitting monster golf shots. I wished that I too was in Hawaii wandering the course.

Before the darkness arrived I even went outside where I practiced my golf swing and hit a few balls up and down the yard working with my relatively new attack wedge. But it was cold and my hands soon became numb. Golf is not a lot of fun when it is cold--the club striking the ball can really send shockwaves into the hands which make me wonder, why did I do that?

But I wasn't--and in truth that wasn't so bad. I went back into the house and realized that I was at home with my dog and cats and even Chris, who showed up after a bit. It all helped take my mind off the events of the day, including the continuing crash of the stock market because the Chinese bubble may have finally burst.

And now? Queue the weekend!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Next Up: Vacation Plans

This morning the temperature outside my door was 15 degrees warmer than a the same time yesterday. It was 29 degrees! Cold. I am already dreaming of vacationing on a warm Caribbean island.

Chris on Curacao 2015

Chris and I began the planning for summer vacation in earnest last evening. Destination? Well, as close as we could get was the Caribbean--somewhere. We did determine that we want to experience somewhere that we have not been and so that actually excludes a few places. 

But it is stressful. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable, why is the planning process so stressful?

So many questions. Are we going to do a land vacation, or a cruise? A resort or on the economy? 

Despite the mundane, the dreaming is very nice, especially on the third consecutive below freezing morning. Give me a hot, sandy beach somewhere with a cold drink in my hand and my snorkeling gear at my side.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Decoration Downer

The Tree is Gone

The Christmas decorations are  in their boxes and ready to be stowed.

That has been the activity of the past couple of nights. It is almost fitting that we have nearly completed removing the Christmas decorations just in time to remember Three Kings Day. 

Well, it is also a bit sad. Removing the decorations puts a period at the end of the paragraph that is the Christmas season. All of the preparations that run from before Thanksgiving until the big day. The house was festively decorated and has now returned to its almost normal state. 

A few vestiges of the holiday remain, the poinsettia, for instance. I still need to remove the exterior lights--it has been too cold since our return from upstate NY to get that task completed. 

I guess it is time to begin looking forward to Springtime and Spring Training. Which are good things.

Although the days are supposed to be getting longer, I'm not seeing it yet. Christmas is behind me and I'm waiting for the sunshine!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Thank You is so Hard to Say

Perhaps it was because it was the holiday season and there were so many more opportunities to say the words, "Thank You," but it became apparent to me that they are some of the hardest words in the English language.

Some people just cannot say "thank you" at all. They may say volumes of words trying to express their feeling of gratitude, but they never actually say the words themselves.

The are also those people who say "thank you" but then add a volume of qualifiers which make the giver feel like they really are not grateful for the gift. And I have even had people say so much after trying to say "thank you" that I felt guilty for the gift or the act of kindness. And often the offer to pay me for my time or cost involved with the activity. If I wanted to be paid, it wouldn't be a gift.

There are of course others who do not say "thank you" in any form at all.  The don't even try to say anything resembling "thank you" because apparently it would acknowledge weakness. They are the entitled ones who believe that what was given was owed them. There are more and more of these people every day who do not appreciate the efforts of others. It is say.

My Take? I like to receive and give a simple unqualified "thank you." Nothing more is needed because the receiver recognizes the efforts of the activity. Adding words only minimizes the activity or the effort. 

And when I am the giver, and someone says "thank you" I always like to respond with a simple and unqualified, "you're welcome!"

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - January 4, 2016

1. Happy New Year! And it is already four days old. Many of us are back to school and work today for the first time this year. 

2. I think I have discovered the two most difficult words in English when put together: Thank you.

3. Holidays take so long to arrive, but then pass so quickly.

4. The NFL regular season is thankfully over for the Ravens and 19 other teams in the league. Congratulations to the Redskins, Steelers, and Texans--specifically among the 12 teams that made the playoffs. 

Crossing the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, PA
January 3, 2016

5. The sun was out yesterday and at times the sky was clear and blue! I appreciate it more after a long week of overcast and gloom.

6. I snapped a quick image, while traveling at about 60 MPH of the beautiful day and the reflections on the Susquehanna River yesterday--it made leaving the dark and gloom of Central New York even more pleasing.

7. It is just 45 days until Orioles Pitchers and Catchers report for Spring Training!

8. How much longer can we continue to say "Happy New Year?"

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Window - Ithaca

Dawn on January 2, 2016
Ithaca, NY

It has been a while since I have traveled and my "Out the Hotel Window" blogs have suffered.

Yesterday, while I was admiring the frozen wasteland set before me in Upstate New York, I realized that I was indeed admiring the view outside the window through which I was looking.

It was about 28 degrees and the snow had fallen during the night covering the land.

I wrote about the snow yesterday, but there it was, outside the window and all around. I had to deal with it while hoping to soon return south.

As I write this, I am driving through Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania, returning to Maryland. The snow is a memory. But there it was yesterday, outside the window.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Shamokin Dam, PA

Snow, Why does it have to be snow?

Snow Fall
January 1, 2016

To celebrate New Year's Day, we drove north to return Mom and Dad to Ithaca and complete their all too short visit.

While the weather in Maryland has been warm and rainy, we were just about two hours into the journey north when the percolation changed. It was snowing.

It snowed off and of for most of the last half of the trip. With the exception of some of the high mountain areas there was no appreciable accumulation. It was, however, an ever present nuisance.

I'm definitely over snow.

The song from the movie Frozen keeps reeling in my mind: "do you wanna build a snowman?" My response is simple, no I want to build a sand castle on a hot, sunny beach.

I'm hoping for a mostly snowless winter in Maryland.

Wel now it's on to stowing the Christmas decorations. Hopefully the snow will be light and not too intrusive.

The image below was taken as the snow fell last night. Ugh? I definitely prefer rain.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

New Year's Day

Times Square
New York City

Happy New Year.

Here's hoping that your 2016 is better than 2015.

It was a great, but somewhat subdued ending to the year. Instead of the normal revelry with our friends, Chris and I went to dinner at Victoria Gastro Pub with Mom and Dad and then watched a movie while waiting for the main event--the ball to drop in Times Square.

Dinner at Victoria Gastro Pub
December 31, 2015

It was generally an uneventful day to end the year. the weather was beautiful and mild which added to the enjoyment of the day.

And so, as the new year begins, rom all of us to you--Happy New Year.

--Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

New Year's Eve Surprise

Daffodils
December 31, 2015

Had this been March, I would have been more excited; but since it is late December I am just surprised and worried.

The daffodils are up in the garden.

I wonder what they are going to do when the cold weather really arrives?

Maybe they are betting that it won't arrive.

The great weather is beginning to confuse not just we humans, but the plants and other animals as well.

Happy New Year's Eve!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Attack of the Drones

One of my favorite toys from this Christmas is my drone.

I have been learning how to fly it while also checking out the legalities of flying a drone in my area. Since my drone weighs in at only 4.2 ounces, it is exempt from the new federal registration requirements which apply if it weighed more than 9 ounces (or 255 grams). 

I have been learning how to fly it and I found it works better outside where small gyrations in the flight do not seem to be as evident as in the house cashing into the Christmas Tree or someone.

Look Who is Flying!

I am impressed with its resilience. It has taken a beating and come through the learning to fly process pretty well. 

I have managed to leave it hanging in more than one tree, sadly, but I have some long painting poles and a ladder so it has been rescued each time.

Around the Yard

The drone has an easy but sophisticated flight control system primarily because it also has a camera on it. I finally felt comfortable enough with the drone yesterday that I snapped a few images with it around the yard.

I need to work on stabilizing my flight a bit more when I take images--but it is a lot of fun to think that I am controlling my own reconnaissance platform. It also can take video. I will work on some of that today. I really need a larger SD card for that, however, as it fills up quickly.

I guess I will just continue to drone along.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sliding into the End of the Year

The end of 2015 is upon us. 

Sunset on the Loxahatchee River, Jupiter, Florida
July 22, 2015

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve and the celebrations will begin in earnest. 

From my perspective, 2015 has been a great year. I was able to do a lot of new things and enjoy life to the fullest with family and friends.

I am not going to recount the specifics of the year except to note that I had never gone on a cruise before and during 2015 Chris and I enjoyed two cruises into the heart of the Caribbean. There will be more cruises. What a great way to visit multiple locations without having to pack and unpack multiple times.

Sunrise Ocean City, MD
September 7,  2015

I reviewed my pictures for the year and realized that I remain fascinated and awed by sunsets and sunrises. Two of my favorites are included in the blog.

As the end of the year approaches it is a time for reflection and planning. I like to review the year behind to plan for the year ahead. No, I will probably not take two cruises--but, I already have a cruise planned for Spring Break.

Of course, I do plan for more important events, although what could be more important than a vacation?

I still need to do a lot of planning for 2016, but I believe that it is going to be a big year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Heroes Around Us

Reading the news is often a depressing experience, but yesterday, I read a story about a previously unknown piece of American history and realized that there are heroes living among us.

The news article was about a now 100-year old woman who was an experienced post-WWII spy--and is only now coming out from behind the cloak and dagger.

The article published by The Daily Beast begins, "Capt. Stephanie Czech arrived at the U.S. embassy in Berlin wearing civilian clothes, as always, and delivered the report she’d been carrying to the intelligence section. The war may have ended, but Czech was still working, undercover."

I am pleased that people can keep secrets like this for so long, but secretiveness of the intelligence business often deprives the rest of us from appreciating their tales of intrigue and sacrifice. As I read the story, I noticed that Captain Czech was a child of immigrants and was allowed to perform such important duties for the United States.

The current political discussion about the value of immigrants to our society needs to be placed into context by stories such as this. 

Sadly, probably because she was an agent and a woman, the recommendation to decorate her for her actions has languished for 70 years. Fortunately, she is still alive and can finally be recognized for her service to our nation.

We can finally say thank-you to a true American hero.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - December 28, 2015

1. This is the last Monday in December and therefore the last Monday of 2015. Next week it will be 2016.

2. The NFL continues to amaze me--despite terrible calls by the referees, the Ravens won yesterday.

My New Socks

3. Socks--I used to hate getting socks for Christmas. Now, I like their individuality.

4. Christmas parties are the best.

5. At church on Christmas Eve I learned that I am in a playpen.

6. Back to the constant political drone!

7. Yesterday it was almost 70 degrees again and the doors and windows were open allowing the warm December breeze into the house. That just sounds weird.

8. I am spoiled. No snow and no cold. I wonder if January can be better than December?

9. Hoverboards are the new skateboards--lot's of adults are going to be visiting emergency rooms around the country.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Back into the Fray

2015 The Family

With Christmas now firmly behind me, it seems that it is back into the rhythm of life for me.

I am still enjoying my gifts and also enjoying seeing others with the gifts that I provided, but tomorrow is, after all, Monday and I must head back to work. I am blessed that the entire family was together. 

The Guys in Ugly Team Sweaters

I relish these moments, especially with Mom and Dad, because we can't get everyone together that often any more.

We had some fun. And we ate a lot of food.

We enjoyed some awesome wines like Barboursville Octagon 2005.

I also watched some sports.

But mostly, we were just together and did not have the TV on with the rotten news of the day. The world did not impinge upon our celebration.

And so, tomorrow, it is back into the real world, at least for a couple of days. I will  start listening to the political news and world news and the international news. I am grateful for the respite.

Happy New Year.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Remembering Yesterday

What a fantastic day yesterday was--as it played out.

Ethan and Jax around their tree

We had to run the air conditioner to battle the warm temperatures and mostly the 100 percent humidity. I was seriously thinking of putting on shorts and sandals, why? Just because I could. It was warm and too humid. I was just happy that it was warm!

Even Riordin Likes Christmas

We managed to keep the water from coming in, mostly. There was a small leak around one "almost" closed door as the skies opened up and deluged the land. We probably would have received snow measured in feet had the precipitation not been in the form of rain.

Thank you for the rain.

I wore an aloha shirt for much of the day, except for the family picture because the guys had decided to wear ugly football team sweaters. When we were planning, it seemed like a good idea. 

Mom and Dad Opening Gifts

The day started early, by 7 AM Chris and I and my Mom and Dad were with Ethan and Jackson and Nicole and Mike as they celebrated the day. It is always fun to watch the boys open gifts around their own tree.

Chris with a new Poncho

Then, by 9:30 we were back at the house for our own celebration and then making preparations for the big events of the day: dinner and celebrations. Everyone was present for the family picture--which went well. Jeremy and Nicole and Lucas spent the whole afternoon celebrating with us and thanks to P&T for stopping by, I know how tough it is to make everyone happy on big holidays.

At one point during most of the day there were two drones flying around the house terrorizing unsuspecting people and animals. It was really funny to watch. One drone looked like the Millennium Falcon while the other had a more traditional appearance.

I am happy to report that no injuries were noted.

The highlight of the day? Well, the entire day was a highlight. It is that simple (or complex). The whole family was together and the celebration was a day long affair. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas 2015

In the quiet of the morning, before the day begins, I have been thinking about the blessings that I have.

Cooking in the Kitchen

They are many--fantastic family, great friends, and great prospects.

Yesterday we cooked, laughed, went to church, played games and enjoyed each other. 

Today? More of the same!



I saw some geese flying overhead as I was walking into church yesterday--their wings beating against the dark sky carrying my spirit with them above the ground. 

I will carry that vision with me today as I enjoy watching the family interact with each other and know that we are all soaring through life, with nothing to keep us down except ourselves. 

Merry Christmas. 

It is not over! It is just beginning.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas Eve 2015

It arrived overnight. This most magical day of the year. The day before Christmas when it either gets done, or not.

The house is quiet now, it is still pre-dawn and I am the only one up--but the chaos will soon begin as the plans of the day come to fruition.

I remember as a kid thinking that Christmas Eve was the longest day of the year--now it is, in fact, one of the shortest.

I guess the activity helps me get through the day and prepared for the main events of tomorrow.


The first gift of Christmas was given over 2,000 years ago and arrived in a garage somewhere on the outskirts of the Roman Empire in Israel--and we still celebrate his arrival to the world and into our lives, even now.

May the blessings of the season be with you and your family. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Christmas without Snow

I've been thinking about Christmas. 

As I have been enjoying the non-stop onslaught of sappy Christmas music, I have noticed a definite connection between snow and the songs of the season. Recognizing that the date for Christmas was set by the church, some people have postulated that the date was chosen to coincide with a Roman mid-Winter holiday. 

I found an article which postulates that the date may have been set differently and that the confluence of the dates is a happy coincidence. 

In a National Geographic article about the Winter Solstice, it is postulated, 

For more than 2 billion Christians the solstice has long been overshadowed by Christmas. But to historian David Gwynn of the University of London, the proximity of the two events may not be an accident.

One theory holds that Christmas was set on December 25 to replace a Roman holiday, which had roots in a pagan cult of Sol Invictus (the unconquered sun), says Gwynn. A second theory surmises that early Christians arrived at December 25 by counting forwards nine months from March 25, the traditional date set for the Annunciation to Mary.

"It is also true that these explanations are not necessarily mutually exclusive,” says Gwynn.

Ayers Rock, Australia

Clearly, the December date is associated with winter and darkness--but south of the equator, it is summer! Do they sing summer Christmas songs in Australia and Chile, South Africa, and Argentina?


Perhaps they do--I have found a rendition of Jingle Bells adapted for Australia! Yup--adapted. It made me roll on the floor laughing.

Koala Santa

Check these out, and go to the website to translate some of the uniquely Aussie terms:

Lyrics: Aussie Jingle Bells

Dashing through the bush
In a rusty Holden Ute
Kicking up the dust
Esky in the boot
Kelpie by my side
Singing Christmas songs
It’s summer time and I am in
My singlet, shorts & thongs

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA
ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY
JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT
OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE
IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

Engine’s getting hot
Dodge the kangaroos
Swaggy climbs aboard
He is welcome too
All the family is there
Sitting by the pool
Christmas day, the Aussie way
By the barbecue!

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA
ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY
JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT
OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE
IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

Come the afternoon
Grandpa has a doze
The kids and uncle Bruce
Are swimming in their clothes
The time comes round to go
We take a family snap
Then pack the car and all shoot through
Before the washing up

Santa on the Beach

OH, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
JINGLE ALL THE WAY
CHRISTMAS IN AUSTRALIA
ON A SCORCHING SUMMER’S DAY
JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS
CHRISTMAS TIME IS BEAUT
OH WHAT FUN IT IS TO RIDE
IN A RUSTY HOLDEN UTE

Christmas does not have to be a snow event! And this year, right here in Maryland, it is going to be 74 balmy degrees.

So while some people are lamenting the lack of snow and frigid temperatures, I am relishing the warmth and wishing I was on a sandy beach somewhere.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Last Gifts of Christmas

Poinsettia Tree
Columbia Mall, Columbia, MD

It happened overnight; Autumn surrendered and Winter arrived. 

To celebrate the event, I sojourned to The Mall in Columbia to complete my Christmas shopping. I especially enjoy viewing the poinsettia tree that adorns the mall each year. I only needed a couple of items to finish my shopping.

As cashier handed me the bag containing the gifts that I had purchased, I told the her that I was going to do something crazy--and I did.

Santa announces the First Gift of Christmas
The Polar Express

I held the bag above my head and announced, "The last gifts of Christmas."  In my mind I was replaying a scene from The Polar Express, where Santa awards the first gift of Christmas--but I am sure the reference was lost on all of the startled shoppers except myself. They did give me a polite chuckle.

Unfortunately, my Mom had to witness the entire event. I'm sure she thought I was crazy.

But--as winter has finally arrived, I have completed my shopping and starting tomorrow, the days will begin getting progressively longer as the dark season wanes.

The celebration is underway!

I've already hauled out the holly, which is part of a classic Christmas song that was actually set in July. Maybe that is why I like it--the song is really about summer. More like how it would be to celebrate an Australian Christmas.

Let the holiday get underway--winter has arrived. Springtime cannot be more than about 90 days away!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD