Season's End

Pool Drained fir Winter
Elkridge, MD
September 13, 2021

 The process of closing the pool began yesterday. 

The winterizing chemicals are in, the pipes are blown out with compressed air and the final preparations for the cover are being made.

The cover--yes the new cover. Well, I did made a small mistake. There were some holes in the seal around the coping that I filled. I thought the urethane-based sealant would set in an hour--but it takes overnight and so we had to delay installing the cover. 

But we did everything necessary to install the pool cover and that should take less than an hour today. Then it is done and the leaves of autumn will not vex us as they fall increasingly into the pool. 

Of course, pool closing day is one of the saddest days of the year, but given that I had a fairly difficult Monday it was good to be distracted with the activity as I came hope from work. I still need to disconnect the motor on the pump and fill the lines with two gallons of anti-freeze, but that will come as time allows. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - September 13, 2021

1. Welcome to mid-September, It is the second Monday of the month. There are 15 Mondays remaining in 2021. Wow, the year is drawing to a close too quickly.

2. By this time next week, I expect my pool to be closed for the winter. Sadly, the closure of the pool along with the passing weeks on the calendar make clear the Summer is fading.

3. The NFL Season has returned. Family football scores:

   Dallas lost to Tampa, 29-31.

   Pittsburgh defeated Buffalo, 23-16.

   Washington lost to Los Angeles C, 20-16

   Ravens face Las Vegas tonight.

8 Chains North Vineyard
Waterford, VA
September 12, 2021

4. Chris and I spent an enjoyable day visiting our favorite Maryland vineyard and stopping of at a new favorite Virginia vineyard. It was a great day to be out and enjoying the beauty of the late-Summer. It was a great day to be out and about.

5. 44 runs allowed in three games! That is the what the Orioles have allowed during their past three games against the Blue Jays. That is two days worth of baseball. They allowed 11 runs in each game of a doubleheader on Saturday--and were leading late in both games before losing. They followed that by allowing 22 runs on Sunday. Can we put a fork in the Orioles season yet? There are 19 more opportunities for defeat remaining in the season.

6. Mandatory vaccinations are not unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled on that matter in 1905 in Jacobson v Massachusetts. So lets get vaccinated and defeat COVID.

7. With the recent 9/11 remembrance, I was reminded that after the attack after that September day Americans joined together to wage war on the attackers. I am saddened that now, when we are under attack from a virus, we cannot join together to win that war. 

8. Today in History. September 13, 1993. After decades of bloody animosity, representatives of Israel and Palestinemeet on the South Lawn of the White House and sign a framework for peace. The “Declaration of Principles” was the first agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians towards ending their conflict and sharing the holy land between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea that they both claim as their homeland.

Restaurants Close Dining Rooms Again as Delta-Driven Infections Spread - The Wall Street Journal

Covid-19 Could Become Like Flu if More People Get Vaccinated - The Wall Street Journal

G.O.P. Seethes at Biden Mandate, Even in States Requiring Other Vaccines - The New York Times

False Election Claims in California Reveal a New Normal for G.O.P. - The New York Times

West Virginia spike shows challenges facing states with low vaccination rates - The Washington Post

Unvaccinated people 11 times more likely to die of covid-19, CDC finds - The Washington Post

N.Korea tests first 'strategic' cruise missile with possible nuclear capability - Reuters

Russia planning to send humanitarian aid to Afghanistan -RIA cites foreign ministry - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Successful Opening Day

Jax and I on the Field Game 1
Severn, MD
September 11, 2021

Photo by Nicole Haslup

Baseball opening days are full of hope and promise.

Yesterday was opening day for the Severn Seminoles 14U in Chesapeake Baseball Association (CBA) play. It was an opening doubleheader for Fall Ball, which is the developmental part of the season leading to the real season in the Spring--but it is still baseball and the games matter to the coaches and players. Scores and records are kept.

Opening Day was a perfect baseball day with temperatures in the 80s and a partly cloudy sky. The field was a bit of a mess, but we worked hard to get it ready for the games. Yes, games. The team had a doubleheader against Southern Maryland Sliders 14U. 

This opening day doubleheader was the tale of two games.

The first game of the doubleheader was full seven inning affair that the Seminoles won with a walk-off run in the bottom of the 7th, 4-3. It was an exciting game which saw the Seminoles overcome a 3 run deficit to win the game in a somewhat dramatic fashion. 

The second game was completely different with the Seminoles winning via the Mercy Rule in the 5th inning, 17-2. The bats showed up for the second game and the Seminole pitchers were able to control the other team. As well, there were some dazzling defensive plays that prevented the Sliders from getting anything going on the base paths. 

It was a great start to the Fall season. I hope the boys and coaches can keep it going.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Chlorinator's Revenge

 

Parts to Fix my Chlorinator

You may remember that last week I wrote about nearly assassinating the pool chlorinator when I could not get it to open and then close properly after filling it with chlorine tablets. Chris saved it from certain destruction.

The chlorinator got its revenge this week as the input fitting decided to break off while I was conducting routine maintenance and replacing the O-ring to make it all work better. Ugh!

An emergency troubleshooting event was required to allow the filter to continue working while replacement parts were procured. Of course the breakage occurred at 6:45 PM and the pool store, some 20 minutes away, closed at 7 PM. 

So Chris went off to the pool store yesterday and purchased the replacement parts and I installed them, successfully, last evening and all is good. The chlorinator seems to be working as designed.

To think, all of this and I will be closing the pool this coming week for the season. The summer fun in and around the pool has run its course.

But, the chlorinator just needed to get its revenge for its near demise last week.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Facelift modernization

The New Look
Elkridge, MD 
September 10, 2021

A project which has been in progress for almost three long months was finally completed in our kitchen. 

We had the cabinets updated and I am amazed at how it changes the entire look of the kitchen--making it both brighter and more modern. I know I was amazed at how much brighter everything seems, and it is more modern--which is funny because I remember when I was a kid and my parents remodeled their kitchen to put in white oak cabinets--they were beautiful as are these remastered cabinets. 

Christmas Eve 2020
Elkridge, MD

The old brown look is definitely dated. I have included an image from Christmas Eve 2020 for comparison.

Chris is busy preparing Christmas Eve brunch ini this image and the dark cabinets can be seen. 

We are much brighter and that is important in a room which is very dark to begin with. 

Change is good, sometimes. It was just the nearly three months without doors and drawers that was a problem.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Not in Last?

In an amazing feat of baseball, the hapless Orioles have been victorious in 4 of their past 5 games!

That includes taking a series from the Yankees in New York for the first time since early 2019 and now winning 2 of 3 from the Royals at home in OPACY. Tonight they go for the four game series win, but can do no worse than a split if they lose. 

Maybe September will new kind to the Orioles. They are 4-3 so far during the month. A 50 win season is definitely almost possible as they stand 45-93 and are no longer the worst team in Baseball. That honor has shifted back to Arizona who are 45-95. 

The baseball season is rapidly drawing to an end and the big question for Orioles fans is: when will rebuilding be complete? 

Soon, I hope. 

I am looking forward to driving to Sarasota for some Spring Training games in February and March and hoping to see a team ready for major league competition rather than trying out for a spot in the College World Series. 

Finishing 42 games out of first has become nauseating and does not encourage me to go to the park--although I did enjoy my visit to the Nationals last Friday. I miss competitive baseball. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Note - OPACY: Orioles Park at Camden Yards

9/11 - 20 years Later

It is of course Saturday: the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attack. 

We are hearing stories of the survivors from ground zero and from the school children that were with President Bush as he received the news. But, I know that each of us have a memory, a story about that day when the world actually did stand still as we pored over the rubble and nationally collected ourselves. 

It is the stories of every American, no matter where they were nor what they did that day which are now part of our national fabric. The fear, the disorientation, the anger--those memories unite us because everyone over the age of about 25 definitely have memories of that day. 

I sat alone in a far away land watching NBC News in total disbelief worried about my family in Maryland. I felt helpless and small, safe in the truest sense of the middle of no where. My memories are very different that those of people who were living in the Beltway area and the rest of America on that day. I am told there was an eerie sense of quiet as all the air traffic quickly was grounded. My story included taking of of the first United Airlines flights from LA to Baltimore after that day and the security that was present everywhere. 

Chris and I had planned to journey to New York City this weekend, but we had not realized that it was the 20th annual remembrance of the day and have decided to avoid the crowds and the city and rescheduled our trip for another time. 

WE should each write our stories of that day down especially now with the end of Afghanistan so they are not forgotten. 

Remember! Do not let history be rewritten.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

At Summer's Passing

The sounds of the summer are passing. 

Yesterday I enjoyed them for, likely, the last time this year. We gathered the entire family for the first time since Easter to celebrate the summer-ending Labor Day holiday. 

I made a mental note of the sound of my grandsons playing in the pool.

The sound of bean bags thumping on the Cornhole Game in the yard.

The sound of dogs playing/fighting in the afternoon.

The sounds of a family gathered talking, laughing, relaxing on a warm still-summer's afternoon. 

And those were the sounds of a holiday being enjoyed by my family in our yard. I wish I could have recorded the scene. And we forgot to take a family picture--I even charged up my drone to record the scene--but forgot to get it out because I was enjoying myself too much. 

Maybe next time.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - Labor Day 2021

 

1. Welcome the first Monday in September. The 9th month of the year has arrived with more moderate temperatures. There are 16 Mondays and 116 days remaining in 2021!

2. Happy Labor Day! We celebrate the people who made ur country and the end of the Summer season. 

3. I will be closing my pool this week or next officially ending my summer around the house and transitioning into the Autumn season.

4. Summer is definitely ending. I spied the constellation Orion in the morning sky--a sure sign that the days are getting shorter and that the dark season is not far away.

5. Holiday Mondays are enjoyable. I am sure soon that I will not be able to distinguish a holiday from a normal day.

6. I am looking longingly at my pool knowing that moon the new cover will be installed and it will be seven months until it is open for swimming and fun again.

7. The Orioles amazed me by winning their first series in New York since 2019 yesterday. They took 2 of 3 from the Yankees, possibly dashing the Yankees hopes for winning the division. The Orioles now have 43 wins and need just 4 more to tie the worst ever Orioles team for fewest number of wins in a season.

8. Today in History. On September 6, 1915, a prototype tank nicknamed Little Willie rolls off the assembly line in England. Little Willie was far from an overnight success. It weighed 14 tons, got stuck in trenches and crawled over rough terrain at only two miles per hour. However, improvements were made to the original prototype and tanks eventually transformed military battlefields.

Social Security Costs Expected to Exceed Total Income in 2021 as Covid-19 Takes Financial Toll - The Wall Street Journal

Business Travel Rebound Stifled by Covid Resurgence - The Wall Street Journal

Americans Stretch Across Political Divides to Welcome Afghan RefugeesAmericans Stretch Across Political Divides to Welcome Afghan Refugees - The New York Times

They Put Everything Into Their Homes. Not One Was Spared in the Flood.They Put Everything Into Their Homes. Not One Was Spared in the Flood. - The New York Times

The New Orleans power failure has disproportionally affected older residents, who are trapped in their homes. - The New York Times

Taliban claims victory over last pocket of resistance in Afghanistan - The Washington Post

Millions in U.S. lose jobless benefits as federal aid expires - The Washington Post

9/11 was a test. The books of the last two decades show how America failed. - The Washington Post

Sydney COVID cases seen topping 2,000 a day; Australia ramps up vaccinations - Reuters

Saudi Arabia slashes crude prices to Asia; US, Europe prices steady - Reuters

Presidential Labor Day Proclamation

After more than a year in which essential workers made extraordinary sacrifices and carried our Nation on their backs, this Labor Day we see more clearly than ever that we must build an economy that responds to the needs and aspirations of working people — an economy that deals everyone in and brings everyone along.  The pandemic has also exacerbated and revealed for all to see the places where our Nation has fallen short of its promise to deliver equal opportunity to workers of color and their communities.  To help address that long-standing challenge, my Administration is pursuing a comprehensive approach to advancing equity, as illustrated in the Executive Order I signed on my first day in office entitled Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities.

A Proclamation on Labor Day, 2021 - SEPTEMBER 03, 2021•

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Seminoles on the Warpath

 Playing in the heat of a late-Summer afternoon, the Severn Seminoles 14U baseball team displayed grit and enthusiasm while coming from behind to overcome a determined Severna Park Hornets 14U team. 

It was the last pre-Fall Ball Season scrimmage, but the boys demonstrated solid fundamental baseball. The pitching staff did an admirable job getting out of jams as there were multiple times the Hornets had bases loaded and one or less outs. As the two teams combined for 22 walks and 2 hit batsmen, the game was slow and plodding. 

That the team scored in each inning was a great achievement. It showed that they are unselfish and willing to work together to score runs. And in the field, as well--the boys followed-up plays and looked for the continuation to get additional outs defensively. 

The season starts next week and the hope is that the team will continue to build off the success seen so far. 

I am very happy to be back on the dusty diamond.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Baseball--In the Park!

National's Stadium
Mets vs Nationals
Washington, D.C.
September 3, 2021

 I went to a Major League Baseball (MLB) game in person last night. 

It was my first in-person professional baseball game since Spring Training in Florida during February 2020. And it was my first regular season MLB game since some time during 2019. 

It was great to be out at the ball park with the crowd. We had great, no we had awesome seats four rows from the field behind home plate. I took the image in this article from my seat while sitting. We heard the crack of the bat, the whump of the ball bouncing off the plate, the sound of a 101 mph fastball smacking into the catcher's mitt, and we saw an incredible play at the plate which resulted in the Mets catcher leaving the game.

We were part of the action. I noticed how loud it is with all the other fans above and around us. 

The game went into the 10th inning, which was incredibly exciting as the Nationals scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th inning to tie the game. Sadly, however, the home team gave up four unanswered runs in the top of the 10th and the Mets ended the evening with a 6-2 victory. 

The only downside was that we did not make it back home until after midnight. Even though the Nationals, like the Orioles, are cellar dwellers, it was fun to watch competitive baseball. Did I mention that Jeremy, our son, scored premium seats that included food, drink, and parking? That also added to the great experience. 

Baseball in person! Wow!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

When Simple Things Get Messed Up

The Chlorinator of my Nightmares
Elkridge, MD
September 2, 2021

Doing the weekly chemical check on the pool which includes filling the chlorinator and adding the appropriate cocktail of chemicals for the weekly shock to keep the algae at bay is not a particularly difficult task. I have been doing it for decades and have it down to about a 20 minute process which keeps my pool crystal clear and ready for use.

Until yesterday! Ugh.

The chlorinator would not open. I had to disassemble it and pry the top off to get chlorine into the chamber. And then it would not close. By the time it was done, I had managed to develop leaks around both the incoming and outgoing hoses. 

My 20 minute maintenance turned into an hour of pure frustration. Chris had to intervene to prevent me from assassinating the chlorinator. And of course it did not help that I had a longer than normal day at work.

I even changed the O ring--but all of mine are previously used and did not seem to work. I need to get this thing working smoothly again because fighting with a balky chlorinator every week is not my idea of fun! Of course, I can ignore the problem and close the pool and push the problem into next May--but that only kicks the can down the road and will provide additional frustration when opening the pool. 

Thank goodness a three-day holiday weekend is on the horizon. 

I fixed the leaky lines and did, in the end, get chlorine tablets loaded. I ended with it fully functional, at least for another week.

I get frustrated when simple things become problems.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

Return to School

 Here in Maryland there is a very staggered start to the annual return to the classroom.

Howard County, for example, has been in class since Monday yet neighboring Anne Arundel County does not return until Wednesday after Labor Day.

I have noticed a significant increase in traffic and I have had to adjust my morning departure to miss the school bus that pays my street at about the same time that I leave. I did not adjust on Monday and lost 8 minutes behind the bus. I am amazed at how slow the kids are.

I guess I would be slow as well. 

The return to the classroom is a big event every year and this year is no exception with the discussions about whether to mask, or not. 

We need to protect our kids and each other as much as possibly and so I still do not understand the opposition to wearing facial coverings--it is the right thing to do to protect others. 

Well, happy school days!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Pummeling the Earth with Rain

 

Hurricane Ida Cell Dumping
Elkridge, MD
September, 1 ,2021

As the new month dawned, I was awakened to the sound of thunder and flashes of lightening along with the rain banging against my window this morning.

The fury of the remnants of Hurricane Ida were upon us and the house was standing up to ferocity. 

Makayla had to go out and so I was forced to open the door and experience the cool, damp air and peer into the pounding rain. There was a small river running down the drive, as it always does when it rains here. 

We have another day of this weather. We did need the rain, but it is too bad the storm could not be sent to California to quench the fires there. 

Thoughts and prayers continue to go out to everyone in the path of this storm and especially those without power suffering in the heat of Louisiana.

-- Bob Doan, ELkridge, MD

In the Path of Ida

 

It seems the region is going to get a drenching from Hurricane Ida. 

We will have less damaging wind that New Orleans, but the 4-6 inches of possible rain will present huge problems for the area. 

It looks as if the rains will begin overnight tonight and continue into Thursday. 

And it will not be just a little rain, but significant rain. Oh yes, and tornadoes and thunderstorms. 

My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Louisiana who are dealing with the aftermath of the hurricane that has interrupted their lives and livelihood while causing extensive damage, destruction, and death.

The storm is coming, it is best to get prepared. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

 

Monday Musings - August 30, 2021

 

1. August is passing. This is the final Monday of the month and there are 17 Mondays remaining in the year.

Wooly Worm
Elkridge, MD
 August 28, 2021

2. I happened upon two more woolly worms Saturday. They, like the previous one I found, were totally black which is a prediction of an unusually hard Winter. 

3. The Orioles have managed to start another winless streak. After finally winning two games, they have gone 0-3. The prospects for a dismal ending to an unremarkable season are growing.

4. The summer is lingering. The heat and humidity are keeping the area hot and steamy. I have enjoyed being outside in the pool.

5. The lawn has begin to go into its Autumn look. There are leaves falling form the trees which make the season seem much later than it really is. 

6. I have suspended quoting Ronald Reagan every Monday.

7. Darkness is descending upon the land. The length of the days have grown unreasonably short already and we are only just two months into the descent into the dark season. It is total darkness outside at 6:05 AM. Just four short weeks ago I had a Tee time and was playing golf at this hour. And a month ago I was able to start playing racquetball at 5:35 AM on an outdoor court.

8. Today in History. On August 30, 1967, Thurgood Marshall becomes the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice. He would remain on the Supreme Court for 24 years before retiring for health reasons, leaving a legacy of upholding the rights of the individual as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.

 

United Jets With Engines in Denver Incident May Not Fly Until Next Year - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Targets Suspected Suicide Bombers in Kabul Drone Strike - The Wall Street Journal

North Korea Appears to Have Restarted Yongbyon Nuclear Reactor - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Again Records a Daily Average of 100,000 Covid Hospitalizations - The New York Times

Charles M. Blow: Ron DeSantis, How Many Covid Deaths Are Enough? - The New York Times

New Zealand's Auckland stays in lockdown, officials report Pfizer-linked death - Reuters

China August factory activity seen growing at slightly slower pace - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rise and Shine Golf

Clifton Park Golf Course 18th Tee
Baltimore, MD
August 29, 2021

 I was told by Jeremy, my oldest son, that as his alarm went off this morning he wondered, why he set an alarm for Sunday? 

Then he realized: Golf!

I picked him up at 6:30 am and we headed off to the golf course for a round. We had a single golfer, Dave, added to our twosome and the three of us spent the next three and a half hours enjoying the successes and perils of Clifton Park Golf Course. 

The day started out cloudy and drab but by the 17th hole the sky had cleared and the sun began shining brightly, with is great because the view from the 18th Tee is stunning.

To be honest, Jeremy and I both started out poorly. It almost looked as if we had never played the game before. But, we were hitting much better by the time we reached the back nine. I was four strokes better on the back nine than the front nine. I still wasted too many strokes all over the course. At times I felt as if I were in a pitched battle against my clubs and they were resisting my attempt to get solid contact on the little white ball. 

Dave made the comment that golf spelled backwards is flog and that is what golfers do to themselves after poor shots. I flogged myself quite a bit today, but in the midst of it all I managed to sink two long putts--over 30 feet each. In fact, I had a great putting day averaging 1.67 putts per hole! It was the entire rest of my game that was a shambles. 

And that is why I love golf. To borrow a quote from Forrest Gump, changed slightly, Golf is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

1st Outing, 1st Win

 

I stepped back onto a baseball field as a coach for the first time since Covid-19 this morning in Severn. I am helping with the Severn Seminoles 14U team. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the thrill of coaching in a game helping to mould young ball players. 

As can be seen from the partial box score to the left, the Seminoles were successful in their first outing. It was a great first outing and the boys actually had fun and enjoyed the game even in the oppressive heat of the morning. 

It was a bit weird playing a baseball game when there were football games happening on a nearby field--but that is what Fall Ball is all about. Keeping the baseball skills sharp while developing into well rounded baseball players. 

The box score is really very good. Everyone contributed and since it is Fall Ball we used 5 pitchers to give the most opportunities to everyone to get back onto the mound and deliver a pitch for the team. 

The game ended due to the time constraint--but the two teams were fairly evenly matched. 

Most importantly, we all had fun coaching or playing a game that we love.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Two in a Row

 

AL East Standings as of Games Through August 26, 2021

For 19 straight games the Orioles found creative ways to lose baseball games, and now they actually have a two game winning streak.

The Orioles wine for the second time in as many tries yesterday. It was the longest winning streak of the month! During August, the Orioles have managed to amass the worst record in baseball. They are the 30th best team in the league--there is no number 31. 

But the team enters a stretch of 10 games against divisional opponents starting tonight. They could start another 10 game or longer losing streak--but, time will tell. 

A disappointing season continues. But, the Orioles need to get to 47 wins to avoid taking over the 15th position on the all time worst teams in the modern baseball era. With 36 games remaining, I wonder if that is possible?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Damaged Butterfly

Juvenal's Duskywing
Elkridge, MD
August 24, 2021

I found a sad butterfly in the yard the other day. 

It was damaged and struggling in the grass. I really didn't realize how damaged this creature was until I looked up in the guides to identify it. 

I believe it to be a Juvenal's Duskywing--but there are important parts missing along the bottom of the wings. Look at how ragged it is. I am open to a better identification if someone has one. 

I helped the butterfly out of the tall grass and into the air. It managed to fly away before I could place it on a nearby bush. 

This butterfly reminded me of a lot of people that I know--damaged. We all have scars and damage that we contend with daily. The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting how damaged we are as a society right now. The "Me First" movement has gone a bit too far and people are forgetting that through our own personal sacrifice and giving we make everyone stronger.

I hope the damaged butterfly survives, just as I hope we as a society can survive.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Standing on 38

The Orioles streak continues--19 in a row!

Amazingly, that is how many consecutive games the Orioles have found a way to lose. 

And it has not been pretty. 

In fact, I has been downright disappointing.

The Orioles have had 38 wins since I can remember. All hopes for a 60 win season are gone--there are only 38 games remaining in this disappointing season. Given the current stretch even making it to 50 wins would be an accomplishment.

In fact, it is possible that the 2021 Orioles could finish with less wins than the 2018 Orioles who managed 47. They might take over 15th on the all time list of worst MLB teams in the modern era.

For a rebuilding year, I had much higher hopes. 

I am sure the Orioles also had hoped for a better outcome.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bees in the Trees

Wasp Hive in a Crab Apple Tree
Elkridge, MD
August 22, 2021

Bees and wasps are in the late stages of gathering and preparing for the upcoming winter season. Chris and I noticed a large hive the other day while on our walk. The wasps were very busy streaming in and out at an incredible pace. 

We were walking along Ducketts Lane, a very busy area near the Elementary School when we saw the busy hive. Fortunately, even though the hive was directly above the street the wasps were so busy that they did not bother us as we stood directly under it and admitted its size and the steady stream of insects that were flying in an out. 

I wonder how many, or if any, children have been stung?

It is truly interesting what we can find if we keep our eyes open during walks.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 23, 2021

 

1. OK, at some point I thought today was the 24th. It isn't. It is the fourth of five Mondays in August, the 23rd. There are 18 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. 18 is an interesting number. It is the number of consecutive losses recorded by the Orioles during their current losing streak. The Orioles are not the worst team in the Major Leagues. If this were Premier League Soccer, they would be relegated to the Minor Leagues next year. The Orioles have almost no hope of winning even 50 games this season. It this is the definition of rebuilding, I worry about the definition of deconstruction.

Chris looking at Sunflowers
Fulton, MD
August 22, 2021

3. Yesterday, Chris and I drove out to Fulton, MD, to look at a field of sunflowers. That may seem crazy to some, but since we both grew up in relatively rural Central New York getting back to a farm and seeing fields grounds us both.

4. Chris and I contracted with a company to upgrade our kitchen cabinets. They took the doors off the cabinets and took them away for processing. That was well over a month ago. The project is moving forward at tectonic-pace. I am not sure when we will have a complete kitchen again.

5. It has been a rainy and warm summer. At least the grass has not gotten brown. Wait, that means that I still have to mow every week, Ugh!

6. The journey into the future is fraught with missteps, the successful will find a way to continue moving forward despite the forces that would keep us looking backwards.

7. Today in History. August 23, 1927. Despite worldwide demonstrations in support of their innocence, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are executed for murder.

On April 15, 1920, a paymaster for a shoe company in South Braintree, Massachusetts, was shot and killed along with his guard. The murderers, who were described as two Italian men, escaped with more than $15,000. After going to a garage to claim a car that police said was connected with the crime, Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested and charged with the crime. Although both men carried guns and made false statements upon their arrest, neither had a previous criminal record. On July 14, 1921, they were convicted and sentenced to die.

Pentagon Orders Airlines to Help Fly Afghan Evacuees From Foreign Bases - The Wall Street Journal

Taliban Seek Allies as Clashes Erupt in Northern Afghanistan - The Wall Street Journal

Henri, Now a Tropical Depression, Batters Northeast With Record Rain - The New York Times

The U.S. Is Getting a Crash Course in Scientific Uncertainty - The New York Times

Third Pfizer dose significantly lowers risk of infection in seniors, Israeli data shows - The Washington Post

Monoclonal antibodies are free and effective against covid-19, but few people are getting them - The Washington Post

Firefight involving Western forces at Kabul airport, Afghan guard killed - Reuters

UK's Johnson to push Biden for Afghan deadline extension - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

On October 19, 1781, the British forces under Lord Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, to General Washington and our French allies. That surrender signified the practical end of the struggle by our forefathers for liberty and independence. The impossible dream of those patriots was about to be transformed into the reality of a bright new Nation.

As the King's troops came slowly down the road to the surrender field, legend has it that they struck up the tune, ``The World Turned Upside Down.'' And, indeed, the old order was to be turned upside down, for the creative powers of democracy were about to be released on an unsuspecting world.

This year marks the two hundredth anniversary of the surrender. October 19, 1781, was a major date in the development of America and her freedoms; and today, two centuries later, it remains an important reminder of our identity as a nation. The anniversary is also an appropriate time to recall the assistance France gave to America's revolutionary struggle. We, as Americans, are the product of many victories, many sacrifices, and many hopes. The campaign at Yorktown is a historic example.

Proclamation 4857 -- Yorktown Bicentennial - September 14, 1981

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Golf and Baseball

 

Plugged Drive 4th Hole
Timbers at Troy
Elkridge, MD
August 21, 2021

It was a sports-themed Saturday. I started the day on a soggy golf course and ended it around my pool hosting a baseball team party. 

The golf course was very wet. I was unlucky enough to hit a drive off one tee that plugged upon ground impact. That really hurts because there are no additional yards from the roll out and I need every yard that I can get. It was however funny to watch the ball hit the course and not move almost like someone grabbed it. 

The afternoon and early evening were filled with the Severn Seminoles 14U Baseball Team doing a team building event in the pool and one the yard in preparation for the upcoming Autumn season. The boys were full of energy and did some great bonding which we hope will carry onto the field as the team faces some of the best teams in the region.  The first scrimmage is Saturday and the team will compete in at least four tournaments. 

What a great and full day.

— Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

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And Back to Saturday

Otium Cellars
Purcellville, VA
August 14, 2021

The week passed fairly quickly. I am amazed at how quickly it did pass. 

It is Saturday, again. Yay.

I am heading out for an a more reasonably Tee time this morning and to start the day on a likely soggy golf course.

Hey, a bad day on the golf course is better than a good day in the office? Right? Well, except on a Saturday when I would be at home anyway. 

Last Saturday began in a hotel room in Leesburg followed by a great day of wine tasting. 

Today promises to be even better with golf and a huge pool party for the Severn Seminoles 14U baseball team.

I hope the rain holds off.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Worst Sound

 

There are some sounds that mean bad things are happening. Other sounds are just hard to listen to. But sounds like the following are associated with messes or problems.

Glass breaking comes to mind. 

The sound of an engine turning over that will not start or the sound of the clicking that means the battery is too dead to turn over. 

A child's scream in pain.

But, I think I have determined the sound that evokes the most visceral response in me. It is the sound of a cat puking--repeatedly. 

I have a cat sitting in the kitchen right now puking. I want to do something violent to make the puking stop, but I am restraining myself from grabbing the cat and ushering it outside into the torrential rainstorm. 

The sound woke Chris up and she came downstairs to investigate. 

But it was just the cat. And I cleaned the messes up and sterilized the spots on the floor.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Rain, rain, tornados

 The remains of Tropical Storm Fred passed through the region yesterday and provided more rain than we really needed. I wish there were some way to move these storms across the nation to areas suffering drought.

There are three storms active in the hemisphere right now. Grace being the only one to have achieved hurricane status. 

The remnants of Tropical Storm Fred are making a mess out of the Northeast, Henri is going to turn north and has caused us to reschedule our weekend trip to NYC as it will be making the weather there bad all weekend, and then there is Grace which looks to be a very mean storm headed for Central Mexico. It is not a good time to be on a cruise ship off the Yucatán. 

So our celebratory trip to NYC will now occur on Patriots Day--a good day to visit the city.

With all of the weather here, I wish I was in Florida!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD