Flowers for the Day

Anniversaries are days for flowers and with the receipt of two bouquets yesterday,  I reflected on how our lives are filled with flowers. 

When we are born, often flowers are sent. On birthdays there are flowers. On our graduation day and our wedding day there are flowers. Special occasions get flowers. Yes, even on the day when we are laid to rest, there are flowers.

Yesterday was an anniversary day and there were flowers. Beautiful flowers. Some were brought in person and some were delivered. 

Regardless of the delivery mode, flowers are appreciated on special days and occasions. 

Getting multiple bouquets of flowers means the day is really special--and yesterday was really special.

Two bouquets to enjoy. As long as they are around, both the sender and the day are remembered. That is really cool.

What a nice way to remember a very special day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Interactive Baseball Map

I grow weary of all of the political maps of the country showing the red, blue, and gray projections for the upcoming election. I wish they would use other colors like green and yellow.

The coolest map that I have run across in a very long time is in this morning's New York Times online. It is an interactive map of the United States divided by baseball teams. The article, Up Close on Baseballs Borders, is an interesting and different look at how regions of the US follow major league baseball teams as determined from Facebook. 

From this map, I was able to determine that 62 percent of baseball fans living in Tompkins County, New York, are Yankees fans. But, I also discovered that 9 percent are Red Sox fans and that 6 percent are Mets fans. Interesting--maybe there is some truth to the Red Sox nation idea. Within just the 14850 zip code in Tompkins County, however, the percentage of Yankees fans drops to 50 percent and the percentage of Red Sox fans increases to 16 percent and the Mets fan base also increases, but only to 8 percent.

In my own Howard County, Maryland, I was distressed to learn that only 50 percent of the fans are Orioles fans, with 10 percent for the Nationals, and, unbelievably, 8 percent for the Red Sox. At least the Yankees got shut out of the top three. For my zip code, however, I am happy to report that 66 percent of the fans are Orioles but the Yankees have 9 and the Red Sox have 5 percent of the fan base. 

It was fun to troll around the country and find where different teams are the strongest. I found a whole swath of the western portion of the country in Idaho and Utah where the Yankees or Red Sox were had the biggest fan base. I was also surprised that most of Virginia are Yankee fans. 

Checking out this map was a lot more fun than looking at political projections. I was intrigued by the breakdowns in Alaska and Hawaii--Yankees and Red Sox often have the highs percentage of the fan base.

It is a well done map and I had a lot of fun wandering around the country.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Congratulations, It's Friday

At the End of the Day
Willamette Valley Vineyards

The first full week of August is coming to a close and it has been a hectic week.

I can hardly wrap my head around everything that has been going on--but, from where Is it hits morning I can see the weekend on the horizon. And that is a good thing.

I had the opportunity to reflect on my recent vacation last evening with the arrival of some my purchases. It is fun to reflect on the good times spent away from the duties of daily living. I am always amazed at how the days seem to fill themselves with seemingly important things, while others things just slip away. 

I have two huge events that I want to put create photo books for--the vacation to Oregon and the 60th Anniversary party. 

Maybe I will get to those during the coming week--I hope. 

The weather has been fantastic and being outside is something I enjoy. Even just sitting around the table on the porch annoying dinner, conversation, and a glass of wine.

That, I guess, is a thread through my life. I remember the adage that we need to take time to smell the flowers along the way. Sometimes I feel I just need to slow down enough to even notice the flowers first. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Highway Accident on the Way Home

Emergency Vehicle Responding to accident

I was not involved--but I saw the aftermath of the accident just as the first responders were arriving. The scene was a bit surreal, it appeared to be a single car accident where the vehicle wound up on its side in the middle of two lanes. Yes, on its side, specifically, the driver's door was against the pavement and the wheels were 90 degrees from the road surface. 

The road was collapsing from three full lanes of rush hour traffic down to one lane just getting by on the shoulder. 

It was refreshing to see how the cars parted on the traffic clogged highway to let the emergency vehicles by to get to the scene. Although, the vehicles had to come through the very middle of the clogged traffic.

Traffic as the Ambulance went by

And even more refreshing was the way everyone  came together so that we could snake by the accident. I maintained my mantra that drivers need to drive while passing the scene and so except for seeing the vehicle, I did not ascertain the extent of injuries to those involved. I needed to keep alert so as not to become involved in a secondary incident, especially since a large fire truck was ensuring that all of the travel lanes were closed and that the only way past the accident was on the shoulder.

Although it delayed my drive home, I was reminded that someone was having a very bad day, and but, by the grace of God, it was not me!

I prayed that they were OK and I proceeded safely on my journey home.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Training Wheels--The Simple Made Hard

Original Poor Design

It appeared to be a simple task, install training wheels on a bicycle for Lucas. Sadly, nothing, it seems, is as easy as it should be especially when the items being installed are poorly manufactured and the instructions were not clearly translated form the original Chinese. 

Amazon let me down, because the training wheels were supposed to be delivered on Monday--but they did not arrive. And then, when they did finally arrived yesterday, they were poorly designed and did not accomplish the task in a safe and consistent manner. They did not properly fit the bike and I had to make modifications to try and adapt the training wheels to the bike. After a few short rides, it was clear that they were not acceptable. 

Attempt 2: The New Ones

I was amazed at the poor quality and design of the wheels. In the end there was no was to properly fit them to the bike to make them safe for Lucas.

So off to the local store to acquire an acceptable set of training wheels. After a few more frustrating installation minutes, they were ready for a test ride.

Then the chain fell off the bike, during the first short ride. Another agonizing few minutes of backyard bicycle repair. Finally, for the third time of the evening, the bike was presented to Lucas--who had not yet lost interest, for a test ride.

Lucas was a bit wary of the bike and not ready to fully commit himself to the ride. Grandma walked beside him and help him gain confidence in the wheels, although after the failure of the previous set of wheels, this was not as easy a task as it should have been. 

And what a test ride it was. Within a short time, Lucas was riding the bike and feeling a bit too comfortable on it. 

At least the evening had a happy ending.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Trail Goes On to Where?

Trail in the Oregon Forest

Life is a journey along a path that sometimes goes on into the forest and often obscures the destination.

I experienced the reality of walking along a trail a few weeks ago while hiking through the forests of Oregon, where there was something new around every bend. One time I saw a huge elk crossing the path about 100 yards in front of me. I tried to get a picture of the elk, but he was too fast for me and all I got was blur and a great memory of the huge magnificent creature that graced my life with its brief presence.

View at the end of the trail

Although I hoped the end of the trail would soon come, I still found every twist and turn interesting. Much like life. Although I could not see the end of the trail, nor hear the end of the trail as it was obscured by heavy forest, I sensed that there was something special up ahead.

The view and the beginning of a new journey

When I finally broke out of the forest into the grasslands, it was worth the hike. The view was magnificent. 

And, reflecting upon the moment, I knew that although the immediate journey had ended, another journey was about to begin.

I guess journeys, like hikes, are both endings and beginnings as I take the things I learned form the experience past and apply them to the journey ahead.

Life is a journey, after all and that is what makes it so much fun.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 4, 2014

1. The first full week of August has arrived, I guess there is not doubt now that the summer is winding down.

2. I noticed the stores are full of "Back to School" supplies yesterday. I remember the days of supply lists and the stress associated with the approaching return to normal day as school resumes.

3. I was successful in my plumbing project of yesterday! A miracle.

4. Charles M. Blow makes the following statement at the beginning of his NY Times OP-ED Column this morning: Congress is a joke. But the joke isn’t funny — unless, of course, you’re into dark humor.

5. The NFL Pre-season is officially underway. The Giants rallied to beat the Bills. I'm glad I decided to cancel NFL Sunday Ticket, I am going to get NHL Center Ice instead.

6. Rain and cool temperatures. Yup, summer is already giving way to autumn.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Weekend Weather Woes

Gray and Overcast Weekend

We have been blessed this summer, so far, with fantastic weather weekends. Rain has fallen during the week and the clouds parted to provide a stunning and enjoyable weather weekend. 

This weekend the weather pattern was broken and, perhaps, that is why I noticed it. It has been a rainy and overcast weekend with some significant breaks in the clouds which still allow for outdoors activity.

So much for the outdoors projects--although I was able to get the lawn mowed during a break in the clouds. 

Cloudy and overcast weekends do allow for indoor projects to finally get completed. For instance, today I will be playing plumber and fixing a leak under the sink. Ugh! There is a reason that I do not like doing plumbing work! But it needs to be fixed. I have already heard that there might be some painting and electrical work that needs to be accomplished.

Even rainy weekends are not total washouts.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Frogs in the Pool

Northern Green Frog
(not in my pool)

Some mornings, especially after damp and rainy nights, I find many frogs who come to my pool for a visit. This morning there was what I believe was a record number of 11 frogs in my pool. Five living and six expired visitors.

Sadly, for many of the frogs who visit, it is their last swim in the warm waters. I dearly wish there was a frog repellent that could keep these small critters for wanting to take a swim in my pool.

Most of the frogs are northern green frogs, I thing, I never rally take that close a loo at them, but I try to rescue as many as possible although I do not know how long in it takes to receive a fatal dose in the chlorinated water of the pool.

It is a daily task--but we do it saving as many frogs as we can. I wonder how many of those saved return for a fatal swim.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Last Enola Gay Crew Member Dies

Enola Gay Landing at Tinian after Dropping Atomic Bomb

According to CBS News, Theodore VanKirk, also known as "Dutch," died Monday, July 28, 2014, of natural causes at the retirement home where he lived in Stone Mountain, Georgia, his son Tom VanKirk said. He was 93.

Why was this man significant? 

Theodore VanKirk was the navigator of the Enola Gay, the B-29 Superfortress aircraft that dropped "Little Boy" - the world's first atomic bomb - over the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The bomb killed 140,000 in Hiroshima. VanKirk was 24 years old at the time of the mission. He was the last surviving crew member of the 12 men who flew the Enola Gay mission over Hiroshima that day.

Enola Gay on Display at the
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Theodore VanKirk was a hero. A man who was in a place in time and did his duty as he was asked to do. The discussions which have ensued in the 69 years since the bomb was dropped do not diminish what was done which saved millions of Japanese and American lives because an invasion of Japan was not required. The impact of the bombs dropped by his crew and the crew of the B-29, Bockscar, which dropped another atomic bomb on Nagasaki three days later, have so far spared the world from the destruction associated the use of these weapons of mass destruction in the decades since their first and only employment.

Thank you for your service and your life Theodore VanKirk.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD