More from the eye of the storm

Yes. I took a picture of a hail stone next to a quarter. Unbelievable storm complete with tornado warning and lots of confused and dazed drivers.

- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, Co

Eye of the storm

In the aftermath of the nearly 40 minute hail storm in Denver, the roads were covered and barely passable. It was the most ferocious hail storm I have ever witnessed.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, Co

Out the Hotel Window - Denver, CO May 2014

Denver in the Distance, May 2014

Different month, different window and a vastly different view, that is what I found as I from my hotel near the Denver airport.

I saw the mountains and the skyline of the great metropolis of Denver in the distance. They were calling to me--off in the not so distance.

After the Storm

It was hazy and cloudy. A deluge occurred yesterday afternoon which left the still barren field draining water as quickly as it could and for hours after the storm. The amount of water that fell from the sky was amazing.

Morning Clouds Hide the Mountains

And this very morning, the mountains are completely hidden from view by the clouds.  

The views outside of my window for this trip were certainly different and they changed--almost by the hour.

This morning, I can still see the standing water in the field which is a reminder of yesterday's torrential storm.

I hope the weather today is better.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, Colorado

Let there be Light

Scientists, and most especially physicists, seem to harbor dreams of being God. Many seem to want to figure out how God created the universe.   

That suggestion is even how the article in the Los Angeles Times begins:

God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Then a trio of physicists said, “We have a simple idea for turning that light into matter” – and they may set off a race to demonstrate an idea first proposed 80 years ago.

Actually, the idea was not first proposed 80 years ago, God did it when He created the everything that is. God went one better--He even created the light.

Sure, the idea of creating matter (and anti-matter) from light is exciting, but its been done. Understanding how it is done is very interesting, but I not sure spending millions of dollars to built the unique facility to conduct the experiment is the best use of limited funds for basic scientific research.

The article describes the next step to confirm the idea that matter can be created from light.

The experiment the physicists describe requires the construction of a new type of subatomic particle collider. But they insist this would be much less complicated than, say, building the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, where physicists confirmed the existence of the Higgs boson.

In terms of bang for the buck, I'm not sure. But, it is interesting.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 19, 2014

1. Overheard at an office gathering: Everyone brings joy to this office, some bring it when they come and others when they leave.

2. I find it amazing that the temperatures were in the 80's when I opened my pool, but they have been only in the high 60's to low 70's since.

3. The idea of "pay it forward" did not start with the movie by the same name. 

4. Heard this in church yesterday: Grace received is grace expressed.

5. It takes a lot of work to get the outside of the house ready for the summer season. I wonder if it would take that much time if there were no winter?

6. The lilacs are blooming!

7. I saw this sign, and thought it was so true.

8. Speaking of retirement, I'm thinking, Florida--but everyone knows that.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

"And they're off . . . "

California Chrome Winning the Preakness

I watch two horse races per year--The Kentucky Derby and The Preakness. I usually lose interest after The Preakness because the possibility of a Triple Crown winner has ended.

Not so this year.

California Chrome has my interest and the possibility of finally crowning a Triple Crown winner rests on his broad shoulders.

The story is not just of the horse, but of the owners as well. Their story is recounted in a New York Times article. They are hard working people not part of the usual elitist horse racing owners crowd. The story of one of the owners, Carolyn Coburn, really demonstrates that these are horse lovers, not just horse owners and racers. 

Racing for the finish at the Preakness

In the article, Carolyn gives some insight as to how these owners view their horse:

“We were walking with Chrome at the Derby, bringing him out to the paddock, and Steve [one of the owners] stepped aside,” Carolyn said. “He didn’t say, ‘Make him win.’ He said, ‘Keep him safe.’ ”

I am beginning to believe California Chrome may be the horse to claim the Triple Crown. I remember when Secretariat won, it was an exciting time, he won after 25 years without a Triple Crown winner. It has been 36 years since the last Triple Crown winner (Affirmed)--and perhaps this horse of the people can write a new chapter of history. 

This year, I will be watching The Belmont Stakes--and cheering for California Chrome and his owners to claim the elusive Triple Crown.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Flowers, Summer, and Sun

As the Springtime progresses, I have been enjoying the progression of flowers in my yard. From the crocus and daffodils, to the tulips and azaleas each all-to-short period has brought enjoyment to the continual progression of the season as the distance from winter increases and the expected summertime approaches.

Memorial Day is coming in just over a week and with it the unofficial beginning of the summer season. Graduations, the end of school, and vacations highlight the beginning of the season of enjoyment and sunshine.

I can almost smell the fresh ocean water crashing onto a hot, sunny beach.

I was reminded about all of this as I parked my truck next to me ornamental honeysuckle yesterday and noticed that is was in full bloom. This springtime must be very good for it because it is blooming stronger than it has in many years. 

It is a lot of fun to watch the progression of the springtime with the flowers and the leaves.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Jonathan Livingston Sea Bat?

Sitting on the deck last evening watching the approaching severe storms, I noticed a couple of bats flying high above us enjoying the stiff breeze.

They were dancing on the breeze and reminded me of the sappy 1970's Neil Diamond composed score for the movie Jonathan Livingston Seagull based upon a book by Richard Bach about a renegade seagull who flies for enjoyment and strives to push the boundaries of flight while finding perfection. 

Why do I remember all of this?

The song that reminded be of the bats last evening was Be. 

The lyrics go as follows:

BE

Lost
On a painted sky
Where the clouds are hung
For the poet's eye
You may find him
If you may find him
There
On a distant shore
By the wings of dreams
Through an open door
You may know him
If you may

Be
As a page that aches for a word
Which speaks on a theme that is timeless
While the Sun God will make for your day
Sing
As a song in search of a voice that is silent
And the one God will make for your way

And we dance
To a whispered voice
Overheard by the soul
Undertook by the heart
And you may know it
If you may know it

While the sand
Would become the stone
Which begat the spark
Turned to living bone
Holy, holy
Sanctus, sanctus

Be
As a page that aches for a word
Which speaks on a theme that is timeless
While the Sun God will make for your day
Sing
As a song in search of a voice that is silent
And the one God will make for your way

I don't know why three bats dancing on the winds in the sky reminded me of a sappy seagull and some questionable 70's music, but they did.

I could imagine the seagull dancing on the wind.

Along a warm and sunny beach somewhere, above where I am sitting with a cold drink in my hand.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

First Critter of the Year

My pool has been open for less than a week, and already the first critter visitor has graced its waters. 

Yes, as I got home yesterday afternoon, I was greeted by a small snake in the corner of the pool.

I am not one of those crazy people who believe that the only good snake is a dead snake. I like snakes philosophically, but I also do not like to pick them up with my hands. I just don't trust them.

Rescued Northern Brown Snake

This was a small snake, maybe a foot long, that apparently got excited about the warm concrete around the pool and went a bit too far and becomes trapped in the still too cold water. It was curled up on a step just at the water line. Still in the water, but also very active.

I believe it was a Northern Brown Snake, but I'm no snake expert.

How do you get a small snake out of a pool?

Encourage it to swim and then corral it with the net and evacuate it to solid ground. 

I successfully accomplished this task and hope never to see this snake in my pool again. I always worry about sticking my hand into  one of the skimmers without fully checking for critters and finding one there. 

I am expecting other critters to visit the pool soon--usually frogs. Sometimes frogs of biblical proportions.

I rescue what I can.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Pools, Winter and Repairs

The Scene Last Evening before I Cleaned up

The winter was especially tough on my pool and the supporting infrastructure.

I have broken water pipes in the pool house, which means that the sink had to come out and I am digging around n the wall finding the source of the leaks. As it turned out, the soldering failed on two joints. Of course I didn't find the second one until I had the first one repaired. That is the way it always seems to go.

The second leak is tougher. I may have to do a lot of cutting and soldering to fix it.

And then I have a  bad O ring on the distributor atop my pool filter! So it is leaking liberally, at times. I am getting one on order so that I can rebuild it. It is only 21 years old, so I believe it has more than accomplished it mission. If I can get away with a little backyard rebuild, then I will be lucky.

Look in the pool image and you will notice missing tiles. They are at the bottom of the still too green water. Yup, the winter caused an excessive number of tiles to pop off--it was so cold that moisture behind the tiles expanded and caused them to pop off. End result? Big mess.

The joys of owning an aged pool. Every season is a few more hours of care to ensure a safe and enjoyable swimming season.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD