What to Do on a Day at Sea

Being the Ship at Breakfast
January 26, 2015

Yesterday was a fantastic day at sea. The sun was hot, the breeze stiff, and the sea changed from blue to gray and back to blue as the day wore on.

Wine, Whiskey and Chocolate tasting

Most of the day was spent on the deck in the sun thinking that this is how a cruise should be. It was a lazy day and yet, fun. I saw many ships passing in the distance wondering of their destinations and cargos.
One highlight of the day was the chocolate pairing with wine, port, and whiskey. Who knew that chocolate can pair well with whiskey? And we are not talking the inexpensive whiskey. This pairing was a true high point. I am not a whiskey fan and I liked the whiskey. I didn’t think the chocolate improved its taste at all. The chocolate did pair well with a 10 year old tawny port, a pink champagne—yes, it was real champagne; and a great California Bordeaux-style wine. The wine was a Lasseter 2010 Amoureaux. The champagne was a Taittinger. Interestingly, there was also a piece of parmesan cheese to enjoy with the offerings as well.

Chris and Nicole on Deck in the Sun

We also enjoyed a special dinner in the evening where the wine steward of the ship matched some great wines for us with our dinners. It was in a word--fabulous. 

When I checked the news, I found that the northeast was suffering through a ferocious blizzard--I feel bad for the people living there, but I am very happy to be enjoying light and cool breezes and warm sun of the Caribbean and Atlantic regions. There is a reason a cruise in January sounded so good.

Today promises to be fun as we explore Disney’s Bahamas Island—Castaway Cay. Who knows what trouble I will get into before the end of the day.

-- Bob Doan, writing from the Atlantic Ocean off Castaway Cay

Sunrise over Cuba

Mountains of Cuba at Sunrise
January 26, 2015

The cruise is plying the waters to the west of Cuba and this morning, the sunrise is fabulous over the mountains.

It is a beautiful start to another day at sea. Today is a sea day as we travel to Castaway Cay. Yesterday's stop in Grand Cayman was disappointing in that our snorkeling adventure was canceled due to high surf, and then our rescheduled adventure was similarly canceled. We did make our way to the famous, or infamous Seven Mile Beach for some fun in the surf until a ferocious storm appeared and we were smart enough to get back onto the ship just before it hit with its full fury.

The good news was that we also didn't do much shopping--read none. That is also bad news because Georgetown looks like a really interesting place to explore and we only scratched the surface.

I am writing this as the sun rises over the mountains of Cuba. I am fascinated with Cuba. Given the warming of international relations, I hope someday to be able to travel to Cuba. I have read the stories of how it was "the" place to be during the 1950's. I also guess a little of the I Love Lucy, Ricky Ricardo Cuban humor is still engrained in me, too.

The cruise has been fun. Chris and I keep reminding ourselves that it is about the journey and not the destination. Cruises are certainly all about the journey. I think everyone was looking forward to today's sea day because the cruise line makes it very special.

Jax enjoying the cruise

What have I learned so far? Food--cruises are all about food, shows and activities. There is a lot of food. I had intended to have two small pieces of pizza for lunch yesterday and wound up in a buffet overeating. Ugh!

I love the sea! Watching the waves never gets tiring. Looking our into the ocean appeals to my sense of adventure and I continue to be fascinated by the vastness of the Earth and God's creation. Sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming for the boys, but we work through it.

I am taking a break from Monday Musings since I am on the cruise and am I enjoying sitting on the veranda, overlooking the Caribbean Sea, seeing the mountains of Cuba in the distance, and not shoveling snow.

-- Bob Doan, writing from somewhere in the Caribbean Sea

Day at Sea

Sailing, sailing--and we all know sailing is not so much about the destination as it is the journey. And we are having a lot of fun on our journey. 

We hater been very busy on this Disney Cruise. The weather is a bit rough but it is fun to watch the other passengers weave their ways down the passageways like drunken sailors even though it was early in the day. Our stateroom is small but comfortable. 

The parties are fun and we have had a lot of fun.  

The internet connection is expensive and so I probably won't be publishing many blogs during the trip.

The good news is that there is wine here. We already accomplished a wine tasting with some really nice wines and are set for another one on our next sailing day. I am finding that the trip is measured in  sailing days and shore days.

One interesting tidbit--we saw the mountains of Cuba today. I thought we might see Cuba and it turned out that we did before the storms descended upon on us. 

It is pirate day and so tonight we will be doing our best imitations of Captain Hook or some other equally as nefarious pirate. They call it Pirates IN the Caribbean. 

The weather is warm and as I write this the ship seems to be sailing more smoothly. 

Ahoy!

-- Bob Doan, writing from somewhere near 2133.00N 08442.55W in the Caribbean. 

From Snow to Palm Trees--Out the Hotel Window, Miami

Out the Hotel Window

It is amazing how a simple change of scenery can  change my attitude. 

Me with Jax and Ethan

It happened yesterday as I flew to Miami to enjoy the sun and warmth. I was amazed that the breeze could feel cool even when the temperature was 79 degrees. But there were palm trees. And blue skies and warmth.

Miami is but a stop on the journey as boarding a cruise is the big event of today. But yesterday, the big event was swimming in the hotel pool in the afternoon light--outside. And no snow in sight.

Why? Because that is not happening in the Northeast. There is no outside swimming in a unless it is a polar bear plunge. But it was fun in the pool yesterday. Yes, the breeze was amazingly cool--but the water was warm and the mood was light.

Did I mention the palm trees? It felt good to switch from shoes and socks to sandals. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Miami, Florida

Beauty in the Cold

Snow on the Trees

The snow that fell yesterday afternoon resulted in an hour of shoveling the driveway so that I could watch it turn back into ice as temperatures fell once the sun set. The good news is that I got my 10,000 steps in for the day, as tracked by my Fitbit, by walking back and forth moving the accumulated snow.

The salt worked to provide some traction and prevent the car from sliding into the garage instead of stopping it should.

I am not a fan of snow and cold.

Despite this, however, I can find beauty in the post storm scenes which present themselves--such as yesterday afternoon on my way home. The snow had finished covering the region with 1-3 inches. Here we call 1-3 inches a weather event, however, I was reminded that further north that is just another winter day and no big deal. I admired how the snow covered the bare tree branches giving them an arctic beauty and transforming the drab gray scene into a white and fresh snow scene.

The beauty of the snow carried over into the early evening as I attempted to capture the scene of the snow covered juniper trees surrounding the pool reflecting the glow from the rope lights in the frigid evening air.

So, now the enjoyment is over and I hope it melts soon and the temperatures rebound. What a contrast because Monday I played golf and on Wednesday I shoveled snow. 

I think I need a palm tree fix, some warm sand, and maybe the sound of summer waves crashing on a beach somewhere.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Another Weather Event

Image from the Previous Weather Event

Another winter weather event is crawling into the region to make me colder and to remind me that the calendar is still dominated by the dark days. 

I am remain amazed that the weather forecasters cannot seem to be accurate. Last evening the storm was either going to happen overnight, in the morning or during the evening rush. And the answer is? Evening rush hour! Ding, ding, ding! One to three inches of snow is expected do fall and cause incredible traffic problems.

Really? Can't they do better. This is not an afternoon thunderstorm that just pops up, it is a storm that has been building for over a week.

Makayla Loves the Snow

In the Baltimore area we call them weather events. In our family the only one who truly loves weather events is Makayla. She loves playing in the snow--for a few minutes until she gets cold.

I just need to be somewhere warm. Like Miami!  Or Key West. Somewhere the forecast is always for rain or sun--no snow or cold an d the temperature is 80 degrees on a cold day and 85 degrees on a hot day.

Out in my yard, even the squirrel was preparing for the weather event by crawling into the window box to gather the sunflower seeds that Chris placed there for the cardinals and other assorted birds that visit the feeders. 

What is it with squirrels? They seem to show up everywhere. I am not sure if they really appreciate weather events. 

I certainly do not appreciate the snow.

Perhaps I need a change of wintery scenery.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Frozen Golf

Looking form the Clubhouse toward the
Starters Hut

Yesterday the weather appeared to be marginally suitable for golf and so I hit the links with great expectations for my second outing of the year at my local course, Timbers at Troy. I enjoy playing at Timbers because it is close, challenging, and a nice setting.

The temperatures were above freezing and were supposed to get above 40 degrees pretty quickly and so I was expecting that dressed properly I would have a fun round and I would enjoy the holiday by being outside.

I should have known something was amiss when I arrived at the course and there were snowflakes in the air. And then there was the obligatory frost delay--which was only 12 minutes from the Tee time and seemed somewhat gratuitous once the true course conditions were known. So I need to give a shout out to Mike for suffering through the conditions with me to complete the round of golf.

Arriving at the first tee box, it became clear that the day was going to be anything but ordinary. The ground was frozen and it was impossible to place the tee into the ground any deeper than just enough to hold the ball--which is OK for me since I am still playing the ball that high anyway. It did pose a problem on the Par 3's, however, and for a couple of those holes I was driving right off the ground. 

The greatest thing about the conditions--the frozen tundra being played on, was the roll out. I hit my longest drive ever--actually it was an average drive that rolled another 80 yards. It was fun to watch. I should have taken a few pictures, but I didn't think about it. It was also fun to be alone on the course. One other golfer was paying at a faster rate and he played through on the 10th and was never seen again.

The most frustrating thing about the conditions were the greens. Most were frozen and the balls would hit them and bounce like it was hitting concrete. That created some funny situations as well as one where I hit a perfect shot and the ball bounced high over the flag and off into the forest never to be seen again. Later in the day as the greens thawed, the water slowed the balls as they rolled causing at least one four putt. It was pretty frustrating to be on the green with a putt for par and four putt the hole for a seven--ugh!

I learned a lot about winter conditions.  But I also made some really good shots--including actually hitting 12 of the fairways driving from the tees. That may never happen again.  Of course there were some really ugly shots after those great drives that still need to be dealt with.  Especially Hole 9, which is a Par 5 and I was on the green in 7 and then 3 putted for a 10! Definitely the ugliest hole of the day. The course notes indicate the the 9th Hole is the toughest on the course--I can attest to that. 

Even though the temperature never achieved the high that was expected and the wind was cold at times, I had a great time on the golf course. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - January 19, 2015

1. Well, the teams are all set for Super Bowl XLIX (49), yawn.

2. Rainy Sundays are OK only if Monday is a day off--and it is, today.

3. I received a new twist on supporting a candidate for president the other day. It was a booklet in the mail that I could sign my name in and send back, with money, and the booklet would be distributed in Iowa before the caucasus. I threw it away because there was no discussion of defense or foreign policy in the candidate's platform.

4. I am amazed at how our dysfunctional government if becoming even more dysfunctional as the lame duck years begin. It truly puts the "fun" into the word.

Danielle Meitiv, right, walks home with her daughter,
 Dvora Meitiv, 6, left, Rosie Resnick, 9,
and her son Rafi Meitiv, 10,
after school in Silver Spring, Md., Friday.
(Sammy Dallal/For the Washington Post)

5. I have recently become aware of the idea of Free Range Kids. I like some of the ideas which are to help foster independent and self-reliant children. I have also been watching the plight of the Meitiv family in the news whose 4 amendment rights have been wantonly violated by the police with respect to their parenting practices. Just because I think one way does not mean that everyone has to think the same way!


6. I think it is going to be warm and dry enough to attempt some golf today. I am glad that I do not live farther north.

7. January is half over. Seems like New Years Day was just yesterday.

8. I found gas at $2.019 the other day! I took a picture of the pump for proof.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Birthdays, Kids, and Snakes

Lucas Turns 5

Normally when I attend a birthday party for a five year old, i get excited about the event because of the event itself. Turning five is a major event in the life of a child--lot's of things are tied to turning five, like going to school and playing sports.

But yesterday--I attended a birthday party that was a lot of fun because the invited guests included alligators, crocodiles, snakes, tarantulas, and assorted lizards and snakes. The birthday party held at Eco Adventures. I enjoyed the party because the usual birthday noise was replaced by a solid hour, or more of education about the animals. 

The highlight was the snake handling session where even the most squeamish in the family had a personal experience with a python.

Nicole meets the snake of her nightmares

The educational portion of the program was very interactive and the kids, and many adults got to get up close and personal with the animals. 

Ethan and I take a turn

Even Nicole took a turn with the snake--and I can attest--she hates snakes.

Chris and the Snake

 It was a lot of fun.

I highly recommend Eco Adventures as a place for a party. it was educational and most of all--fun.







-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cats and Tails

Riordin, my tabby cat, was reclining in my lap the other day. After a while I noticed that while he was very still--his tail, or rather the tip of his tail, was moving and apparently removing the stress from his life.

I grabbed my GoPro and filmed the tail as it lazily waved back and forth. I admit, it is not the most scintillating video ever made, but I was amazed as how Riordin just remained chilled even while I  filmed his antics.

I read an article about how to discern a cat's mood my looking at its tail titles, The tales the cat tail tells.  While it is good to "read" your cat, maybe we we try to place too much emphasis on understanding the meaning of the tail.

From my perspective, there is something just relaxing about having Riordin sleep on my lap. It makes me want to just stay in my chair and not move.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD