Traveler Beware

The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution is supposed to protect Americans from unreasonable search and seizure. It is under attack again!

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

Apparently, the Fourth Amendment does not apply at the borders of the United States--or so Customs and Border Patrol officials would have us believe. 

As reported on NBC News, American citizens are having their personal cellphones searched against their will. 

This is an important situation. The willful dilution of the 4th Amendment is an unacceptable risk for all Americans. 

It is not an issue of, "why do I care if I don't have anything to hide?" It is an issue of we each have the right to privacy in the absence of probable cause. The  government has proven on multiple occasions that it cannot adequately protect the most sensitive secrets of the nation, what makes us think that they will protect an individuals personal information to include banking information and credit cards information any better?

Although case law from 150 years ago is cited to support the searches, somehow I do not believe that the wealth of data stored on cell phone were considered during that ruling.

The New York Times this morning has an article about safeguarding your data when crossing the border that makes for very interesting reading. 

This is an important issue. While the law may give them the right to go through the devices, it may not allow them to actually access the data. This will be playing out in the courts soon. It is one thing to examine and quite another to electronically copy all of the information contained on the device. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Excitement of the WBC Finals

Adam Jones Driving in the Winning Run
From the NY Times

The U.S. World Baseball Classic Team is in new territory. The country that invented the game of basebal ahs never been in the finals--until now. 

Last night the U.S. defeated Japan 2-1 to reach the finals against Puerto Rico. The game will be played tomorrow night.

It is exciting, especially because the MLB teams are still in Spring Training and the Orioles center fielder, Adam Jones, has been a major contributor to the success of the American team in the tournament. Last night he drove in the winning run in the 8th inning. In other games he has also had critical hits and home runs to keep the American team alive. 

Having the U.S. team reach the finals is almost like having a World Series in March! And there have been Orioles on most of the better teams.

U.S.A.

Baseball!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Baseball Returns

Last evening I made it to my first baseball practice for the GORC Dodgers U10 baseball team.

There had only been one practice prior to last evening due to the snow storm which blew in last week. I have to admit, I was very impressed with the team. There is something invigorating about watching boys chase baseballs and make hard throws wearing big smiles on their faces. 

Baseball should be fun! 

And it was!

Yes, the infield was too wet to actually run bases and I forgot to take any pictures, but it was a great practice. It was also a much needed respite after a couple weeks of inside the house projects and "too cold to go outside" weather. 

It was also a great way to celebrate the first day of Spring!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - March 20, 2017

1. Happy day. It is the first day of Spring. The winter is over and happy days are ahead.

2. I think my friend Mark said it best--we are a lot better at drinking wine than making it.

3. March Madness has been maddening.

4. The region has surpassed 12 hours of sunlight per day! Yay!

5. Week one of Daylight Saving Time is over. I think I have restored my schedule and made up for lost sleep.

Quote of the Day

6. "Two centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson is supposed to have said, 'Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.' He didn't just mean vigilance against foreign attack. The greatest threat to freedom, even in today's perilous times, comes from no foreign foe. It comes from a dangerous habit many of our leaders fell into over several generations -- letting the power and the resources that are the basis of freedom slip from the grassroots America into the hands of a remote central authority." - Ronald Reagan

Remarks at the Los Angeles, California, County Board of Supervisors' Town Meeting, March 3, 1982

Headlines

7. What to worry about when you worry about North Korea - The Washington Post

8. Using Special Forces Against Terrorism Trump Seeks to Avoid Big Ground Wars - The New York Times

9. Orly airport attacker "had been drinking, taking drugs" autopsy reveals - France Medias Monde 

10. Child prostitution charges brought against Oklahoma senator caught with teen boy in motel room - The Houston Chronicle

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Consensus Blending 2016

The 2016 Consensus Team
Chris, Peggy, Mark, Me, George, Sue

The team was formed for another run at winemaking glory. The annual event at Keswick Vineyards has been convening during weekends this March with the intent of blending the best wine from components.

This year the vintage was 2016 wines composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Touriga, Chambourcin, and Merlot. 

We had a lot of fun and made a very drinkable wine. We did not win the competition, sadly, but like all sports there can be only one winner and everyone else become also rans.

But, what is important? We had fun, we made a good wine, and we learned more about how hard it is to make a wine that appeals to everyone.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

How I Know that Spring is Close

Orioles Partial Plan Season Tickets

Despite the unseasonably cold weather, I know that Spring is close.

I can feel it.

I see evidence that Spring is close in the blooming flowers under the frozen snow and the frost-blasted blossoms on the trees.

But the real reason that I know Spring is almost here is because my Orioles season tickets came via Fedex the other day. And I bought my Opening Day tickets online.

Orioles Opening Day is close, less than three weeks away. The date has not crept into the 10-day forecast quite yet, but it is getting close.

Spring officially arrives on Monday in the morning, but in my heart it is already here despite the frigid temperatures that I am suffering through.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Completing the Project

The Completed Room

It began on Sunday with the demolition of the carpet and it ended on Tuesday evening as the small guest room was completed. A new wood floor and new paint. A project complete.

Chris Painting Baseboards

Well, now there is the issue of replacing the ceiling fan.

It is a good feeling to be at the end of a moderately complex two room project which saw the last of the 16 year old carpet removed from the sleeping areas of the house. 

The new floor just glistens in the light of the day. 

We still have not reinstalled pictures on the walls as we are deciding how the room will be decorated. We have so many options yet. It was a busy week and a half of removing carpets and installing flooring and then painting.

Sadly, it seems that the completion of one home improvement project brings another to the top of the list. 

I remember the TV shoe, Home Improvement from a few years ago. Some days, I feel like Tim the Tool Man!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

A Sad Image from the Storm

Tete-a-Tete Daffodils in the Snow

The nor'easter that blew into the region during the early part of the week was relatively kind to the Baltimore region as compared to Central New York where over two feet of snow fell. 

There were, however, casualties from the cold, icy, snowy mix that wound-up covering my lawn. The tete-a-tete daffodils struggled to keep their bloom in the light but became overwhelmed by the onslaught of the precipitation.

I was careful as I shoveled the walkway, which was covered by about three inches of slush by the time I got around to it, not to cover the struggling sign of springtime. Just a short few days ago these same flowers were gaily proclaiming the arrival of Spring.

Monday is the official beginning of Spring. I hope the snow will be gone by then, at least from my yard!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Snow Day

Snow Falling on Makayla
March 13, 2014

Happy Pi Day!

The storm of the season, for this region, blew in overnight. 

It is snowy, wet, and cold outside. The freezing rain is making life a mess.

Schools are closed.

First Snow of the Storm

it is a storm of contrasts. The temperature this morning in Ocean City is 50 degrees and in the far west of Maryland near Grantsville it is 23 degrees. In the Baltimore area it is holding right at freezing.

The news reports that the paltry amount of snow that this storm has provided changed the characterization of the winter form the least snowiest on record moving into a tie for the fourth least snowiest on record. Total snowfall for the season is less than 3 inches. Just north, however, near the Pennsylvania border this storm is delivering 12 inches of snow!

The snow, rain, and freezing rain is making things very messy.

The storm is not over and up to three more inches is expected as the storm moves along up the coast. It should be a very interesting day.

Happy Snow Day!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - March 13, 2017

The Room This Evening 

The Room This Morning

1. The flooring project is complete. Chris and I, with a lot of help from Patrick and Tina, took the remaining bedroom from carpet to wood floors in one day. Now it will get a fresh coat of paint! It is funny how we didn't paint the room, yet, but the color looks so different in the photos.

2. March Madness is underway. Sadly, Syracuse did not make the big dance. Maryland is the 6th seed in the West.

3. The world baseball classic is underway. Go USA!

4. Daylight Saving Time has arrived. I am already feeling the loss of sleep.

5. Springtime is taking a break this week. A major snowstorm is headed up the east coast. Hopefully it is Winter's last gasp!

6.  “Daylight saving time: Only the government would believe that you could cut a foot off the top of a blanket, sew it to the bottom, and have a longer blanket.” -- Anonymous

Headlines

7. As Far as Debt Performance Goes, Barbados is Now on the Same Level as Greece - Caribbean 360

8. Toddler dies in first U.S. fatality linked to a hoverboard fire - Los Angeles Times

9. Ethiopia rubbish landslide kills 48 in Addis Ababa - BBC News

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Room One Done

Chris Tightening in the Last Boards

Working inside on a Saturday when the temperature barely crept above freezing, the first room of the flooring project was completed. 

Not being distracted by weather outside calling me to a golf course or to perform needed Springtime yard work meant that I was able to be totally focused upon finishing the room. Chris was equally focused. 

The room looks great. I need to give a big shout out to Patrick, Corey, and Jeremy for their help! It takes a team to be successful!

Part two of the project will begin today. The flooring boxes are residing in the dining room and they need to get out of the way. Fortunately it is a much smaller room and I hope we can knock it out in a couple of days.

Home improvement projects, always something to do.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Daylight Saving Time Arrives

That time of the year when everyone gets to experience sleep depravation arrives tonight when the clocks skip over an hour to adjust for Daylight Saving Time (DST). 

Sunlight in the Tree Tops

I appreciate the extra hour of daylight in the evening when I can best use it, but I will miss seeing the sunlight kiss the tops of the trees as I leave the house and head to work. It will be dark on Monday when I drive out onto the highway, sadly.

I have enjoyed watching the sunrise for the past month or so, but DST's arrival means that I will have more fun outdoor activities in the evenings. Except of course for the next week due to a major winter storm which is in the forecast and temperatures which will not see 50 degrees for the next 10 days!

Maybe the actual arrival of Spring will bring a welcome change in the weather--for the warmer. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Projects Continue, Spring Teases

Patrick and Corey at Work
(errr Play)

Patrick and Corey Consulting with
The Project Director -- Chris

The Springtime project is the primary activity around the house with the flooring project being the centerpiece of evening activities for three nights now.  The first of two rooms, also the largest, is about 3/4 complete thanks to the continued help of Patrick and Corey. 

Last evening we laid 14 rows of flooring and added to the 7 rows that Chris and I laid the night before, there are now 31 of an estimated 40 rows of flooring installed in the room. It is a large room, 11' X 18' and therefore takes a lot of time. Jeremy even provided some assistance last evening helping to get some of the rows installed. 

The weekend is coming and I am hopeful completing  the project, including moving onto the last room which is significantly smaller coming in at 10' X 13'. And it is smaller than that since the closet, which I included in the total width, does not run the length of the room.

Springtime Flowers in the Garden

Springtime toys with my affections while I labor on the flooring. Yesterday the afternoon sun and warmth called to me, but I was dedicated to the project and did not even hit a golf ball to continue getting my swing ready for my first sojourn to the golf course. I am a bit depressed because the forecast for the arrival of Spring looks more like a mid-Winter festival. The temperature will not crawl back to 50 degrees until next Saturday! Who came up with that plan? 

Well, I guess it gives me a chance to finish the indoor projects before beginning on the outdoor living projects. Any thought I had of opening the pool early have clearly vanished into the forecast for cold, rain, and some snow and ice!

Winter's last gasp, hopefully.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wishing for February

Thus far into the month, March has been a bust. I am wishing for February's return and its 70 degree days.

10 Day Weather Forecast for Elkridge, MD

March has been sporting weather too much like the season and my hopes for an early Spring have turned into thoughts of just getting to Spring.

Program Note: Spring begins on Monday, March 20th at 6:29 AM EDT when the sun crosses the equator arriving back over the Northern Hemisphere.

I have a sense that there are more below freezing mornings forecast for the next 10 days than we experienced during all of February. And then there is the major snow weather event on the forecast for Tuesday! Who dreams this stuff up? Should it materialize with 1-3" on snow, it would be the biggest storm of the season and arrive the week before Spring officially graces the calendar.

Today's expected high temperature of 66 degrees will not be repeated or exceeded during the next 10 days if the forecast is correct! That is a depressing thought.

Weather!

Well at least the following quote made me smile.

Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation.

Kin Hubbard

It gives me something to blog about.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

New Floors

Flooring in the Ready

For some reason, Chris and I have inaugurated a major flooring project at the house. The upstairs is in complete disarray as the remaining two carpeted rooms transition to hardwood flooring. 

This is a DIY project and I am feeling the impact of the first night's effort this morning. The first room to be transitioned was stripped of its carpet over the weekend and the flooring was retrieved from Lowe's on Monday evening.

Patrick and Corey Laying the Floor

Thankfully, Patrick and Corey were available to help get the flooring started. It took a long time to get the first line right--but the first lime is the most important. Because the flooring transitions in from the hallway, that added a great deal of complexity to getting everything set up correctly. Patrick also bought over a really nice compressor with two outlet ports, which meant that the flooring nailer and the finish nailer could stay attached and at the ready all of the time. 

End of Evening One - 10 Rows

I just realized that at the end of this project, I will have no need for my flooring nailer because there are no other floors which need transitioning from carpet to wood flooring.

The garage has a table saw and a finish saw both set up and ready. There were a lot of cuts to get the first row laid since it was not a complete board width in length. That was because it had to integrate across the threshold from the hallway.

By the end of the evening, and after a great meal fixed by Chris, 10 rows of flooring had been laid and everything was beginning to get into a good rhythm. According to my calculations, the room will be 40 rows wide and therefore, the room is 25 percent complete. It doesn't look it.

It will be awesome when the project is completed. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Travel Ban Redux

The New York Times labels it Travel Ban 2.0. 

Old Ban vs New Ban
Countries

Whatever it is called, the travel ban is back via Executive Order! It has been changed and may even, mostly, comply with the law.

The measure limits the numbers of immigrants and will be phased in over the next couple of weeks. 

While I am not a huge fan of the order, at least this one is being done in a way that allows the enforcement to commence in a rational manner.

The Washington Post in its article titled What Trump Changed in the New Travel Ban, provides a nice side-by-side comparison. 

I wonder what will the be the next Executive Order of the day?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - March 6, 2017

1. March has dawned and it has been really cold. I am looking forward to a warm-up this week.

2. The Orioles are 5-5-1 in Spring Training games through Sunday. Yes, there are ties during Spring Training.

3. I tried to start my tractor and do some Spring lawn work. It wouldn't start. Ugh. It is going to need some more work.

4. When is reality fake news and when are false claims reality? Is real even real anymore? I'm so confused.

5. Why did the mammoth's die out? Lack of genetic diversity may be one reason according to a New York Times article the Woolly Mammoth's Last Stand. 

6. One bedroom is fully demo-ed waiting for the wood floor installation that promises to be my existence for the next two weeks.

Headlines

A woman in Seoul walks past a television broadcasting
 a news report on North Korea firing ballistic missiles.
Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters

7. Factions fight for two Libyan oil terminals - Aljazeera

8. North Korea fires four ballistic missiles into sea near Japan: Abe - Reuters

9. Trump Expected to Issue New Travel Ban Excluding Iraq on Monday - New York Times

10. Trump’s ‘evidence’ for Obama wiretap claims relies on sketchy, anonymously sourced reports - The Washington Post

Quote of the Week

Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid - Ronald Reagan

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

False Claims - Fake News

I have a hard time determining the difference between fake news and false claims.

Fake News

I guess, if stated emphatically and often enough false claims become true, or believable. 

Both fake news and false claims contribute to the circus which is becoming the legacy of the 45th President--the blurring of reality with fiction.


The latest false claim about the previous President wire-tapping telephones. It is a mess. 

I found an interesting website that tracks the falsehoods. It is sponsored by the Washington Post and is titled 100 Days of Trump Falsehoods. Of course, the website is probably fake news.

We have always had fake news and some of it makes for humorous reading. 

False claims are more disconcerting because they are presented under the guise of being true to intentionally distort the truth.

Both fake news and false claims are concerning, but when the leader of the free world persists on distorting reality, I become concerned.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Out the Windshield - Snowy Morning

Snow Kissed Trees
March 3, 2017

The Baltimore region has been spared the worst ravages of Winter this season. Even Friday morning when snow actually fell, it was a light dusting. 

There was only a trace of snow at my house when I departed, but as I drove south towards work the trace turned into about a half-inch which presented a view along the road that I just had to capture. 

The snow kissed trees against the blue sky of dawn created an image of Winter's passing. Hopefully, this will be the last snowfall of Winter and I can turn my attention to Springtime and outdoor activities.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Breaking the Deadlock

I like the words and the thought behind "Get America Moving Again!" They apparently date back to the Kennedy-Nixon era, and were coined in a speech given by then Senator Kennedy just before the election of 1960. The words are in the last line of the speech. I believe the words are true today. The phrase was later used during the Carter election campaign. 

Washington seems to be deadlocked in right now. 


I saw it yesterday as the minority leader of the House and the Speaker squared off with differing visions to the present and the future.

The minority party appears bent on obstructionism--not allowing anything to happen without dragging it out as long a possible.

The majority party cannot seem to get out of its own way and get programs and budgets moving to get programs implemented. With every new turn, another call for an investigation slows the process of getting America moving down to a glacial crawl. 

Sadly, the election of 2018 begins in just a few short months! We will have to go through the dysfunctional process yet again and precious little will get accomplished by our representatives.

Contributing to the deadlock may be that the administration has not filled nearly 2,000 jobs! This was reported last week by CNN in Trump still has to fill nearly 2,000 vacancies. It could be a major jobs program!

I found a link to apply for a position in the administration. Apply here. 

I'm not keen of commuting into D.C., and I enjoy my current employment--so I am not planning to apply, but there seem to be many jobs available!

My Take: Maybe if the jobs get filled, with competent people, America will get moving again and then, maybe, America will be great again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunset before the Storms

Sunset from the Columbia, MD Lowe's Parking Lot
March 1, 2017

After topping out at 75 degrees yesterday, the temperature is forecast to bottom out over the next four days with the high on Saturday reaching a balmy 38 degrees! Brrrr!

Ugh! Winter had to return, but I wish it wouldn't. I probably upset the winter by wearing an Aloha Shirt to work last Friday.

My Pussy Willow Bush

Last evening while the temperature was still near 70, I walked out of our local Lowe's after buying the supplies for my next project and the sky was ablaze! It was stunning and I just had to capture the scene.

The dark clouds above me and the red sunset in the distance. Even knowing what was coming, I had to admit it was a beautiful scene.

I am hoping that the buds and flowers survive the lows in the low 20's which are forecast for the next couple of nights.

I probably won't be playing any golf this weekend.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The President Speaks

President Trump flanked by Vice President Pence and
Speaker of the House Ryan
February 28, 2017

The President made his first address to a combined session of Congress and the government last evening. A transcript of the speech can be found on the New York Times site. 

And what a speech it was.

-- Fascinating because he stayed on script. 

-- Fascinating because of the continued use of inaccuracies, as reported in The Washington Post, to describe not only his actions but the situation in the country and business. 

-- Fascinating because he sounded Presidential! 

-- Fascinating because he reached, or attempted to reach across the aisle to the opposition party to assist in getting America moving again. 

-- Fascinating because he modified some of his most "in your face" points.

I was again appalled at the obstructionist response of the opposition party. I was, however, encouraged that some of the members broke with the leadership and stood or applauded at specific items mentioned in the address. Good on them!

Am I on-board with everything that he is doing? No. I continue to disagree with some of the policies and enforcement actions that he had implemented. I see them as ill-advised and reactionary designed to bolster his political based at the expense of real people working and contributing to this country.

But, I want to make the point again: We need our President to be successful! The last thing any of us wants, or needs, is to be led by an unsuccessful President. The impacts of anything less than success are too far reaching. As has already been demonstrated, the design of our government will contain the extreme idealism.

In reviewing the speech, which I did watch live on television, I was encouraged especially towards the end as the President began to lay out his vision for the future. 

He said: Think of the marvels we could achieve if we simply set free the dreams of our people. Cures to the illnesses that have always plagued us are not too much to hope. American footprints on distant worlds are not too big a dream. (New York Times Transcript)

I can envision that broad release of American ingenuity having a positive impact for all of mankind.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Stop Running--Start Working

45th President of the United States
Donald J. Trump

Tonight is the President's first address to Congress. 

I have a sense that the honeymoon is over and the country needs to start moving forward, collectively.

I am disappointed that the opposition party seems to have adopted a platform of obstructionism rather than bipartisanism. Stalling everything for two years is not the correct approach. Sometime soon, the government needs to get out of its own way and start moving the country forward. 

The Capitol

The Washington Post has an interesting political cartoon regarding the speech tonight. 

I have heard people express displeasure about the President--but he is OUR President. Is there anyone who rationally wants the president to fail? Consider, for a moment, the consequences. Failure is not desirable on any level.

A deeper and more thoughtful editorial, titled Does Trump know he's president?, looked deeper at the President's first month plus in office. The editorial covers a number of issues that the President should be addressing, but ends with the following observation: 

You might think the president would be fully engaged in some of these issues, but you’d be wrong. Instead, he has been waging a ridiculous war against the media. His cries of “fake news” may play well with the base, but he’s not running for president at the moment. He’s supposed to be doing the job.

President Reagan, in his January 25, 1988 State of the Union Address made the following observation about the state of the country and the government:

In the spirit of Jefferson, let us affirm that in this Chamber tonight there are no Republicans, no Democrats—just Americans. Yes, we will have our differences, but let us always remember what unites us far outweighs whatever divides us. Those who sent us here to serve them—the millions of Americans watching and listening tonight-expect this of us. Let's prove to them and to ourselves that democracy works . . .  

Good advice. Congress, take note, too!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - February 27, 2017

1. February ends tomorrow, amazingly. The year will be 17 percent complete. March is looking like it will come in like a lion!

2. Heads-up! Daylight Saving Time begins in less than 2 weeks on March 12th at 2:00 AM!

3. The Orioles are 2-1 in Spring Training games!

4. The Oscars were last night. Were there any real surprises, except the drama of announcing the wrong winning picture?

5. Heard in a restaurant:"You shall be punished because I ordered wrong."

6. Is the Bill of Rights under attack by some in Washington? Sadly, time will tell.

Headlines

7. Teen suicide attempts fell as same-sex marriage became legal - The Denver Post

8. This watch company is the perfect example of why Trump's "made in America" initiative is easier said than done - Business Insider

9. Trump to Ask for Sharp Increases in Military Spending, Officials Say - The New York Times

10. Trump’s Cabinet has to work as a cleanup crew - The Washington Post

Quote of the Week

"I have to believe that the future does look bright for our nation and for the world. So, keep your dreams; don't give 'em up." - Ronald Reagan

Remarks and a Question-and-Answer Session With Regional Editors and Broadcasters, February 10, 1986

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Summer-like Weather Ends

Green Hellebore
February 25, 2017

Daffodils in Bloom
February 25, 2017

Walking outside yesterday in my shirt, without a coat, while many parts of the country were besieged with a massive winter storm, I had to remind myself that it was February. The temperature at the time was 73 degrees. It was cooler than the high 70's of the previous three days, but still some 40 degrees above normal. I enjoyed having temperatures in the high 70's for five of the past eight days.

The springtime flowers are in bloom and many of the trees are budding. Everything is poised for the arrival of Spring, except for the calendar.

I knew that it could not last, this morning it was 40 degrees cooler at my house. The national weather map for this morning shows how cold it is across the nation.

But it was a great run and there are only a few days of cold (cooler) weather forecast ahead. I see 75 forecast for the Wednesday high. 

And add to that, Daylight Savings Time is only two weeks away!

Orioles Opening Day is 37 days away on April 3.
Pool opening day is 70 days away on May 6.

Excitement abounds.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD