A Pause to See the Beauty

Watkins Glen

I can joke about the gorges of Ithaca and Watkins Glen principally because I grew up here and only recently realized how special they are. I remember the saying "Ithaca is gorges." It is of course a play on words--but true nonetheless.

Last year, I was amazed at the waterfalls along the Columbia River in Oregon. I remember their magnificence and beauty. But right here, in my old backyard are also some of those same wonders of the world.

Watkins Glen up the Trail

Yesterday, I was privileged to visit two of those spectacular creations of nature: Watkins Glen and Taughannock Falls. 

Have I been there before? You bet. Did I remember the magnificence of the water rushing over the falls? No.

I admit, I am pretty focused on wine tasting and gathering material for my wine blog, but it is good to take some time to appreciate the natural beauty around me. Especially during the autumn when the colorful leaves about and provide a once-per-year view of the world.

Hiking just a short way into the Glen (as in Watkins Glen) took me into a place that I rarely visit anymore in the deep woods of a rushing New York stream and the life around it.

Taughannock Falls form the Overlook
October 16, 2015

Similarly, as the group I am traveling with visited Taughannock Falls, I remembered not only standing in the very spot on other occasions in my life, but also hiking the trail in the gorge below to the falls. 

Taughannock Falls framed in Autumn

Framed in the autumnal foliage  I am sure that I had forgotten the beauty and the power of the place. 

A stunning reminder of the beauty that resides just around the corner, if only I take a moment to pause and consider it.

Something to consider. 

Pausing on the path of life to enjoy the scenery.

-- Bob Doan, writing form Dundee, NY

Waking up on Seneca Lake

Route 15 in Pennsylvania
October 15, 2015

I am enjoying the second day of a weekend get away to upstate New York with friends to enjoy wine and the scenery as the autumn slips away into the dark period.

Yesterday was mostly a travel day, but we did manage to visit three Finger Lakes wineries to sample some of the wares and found some very nice wines. The weather was idyllic--a crisp and clear autumn day, for the trip. It was a beautiful day for travel.

View of Seneca Lake from Route 14
October 15, 2015

Of course part of the trip encompasses research for my wine blog, the time with friends and enjoying the scenic beauty of the region is  an equally good reason for a few days away. I admit, left to my own devices I would probably visit as many wineries as possible and miss the gorges and beauty of the region. I am told that balance is what is important.

Chris on the Dock of the Beach House

As day two dawns along the shores of Seneca Lake, the clouds are a bit thick and the high temperature is expected to be in the low 50s for the day. We will be heading off to Cayuga Lake to visit a few wineries there as well as visit some of the natural wonders.

For now, I am enjoying the scene of the lake outside the windows of the beach house as the dawn breaks. There is a fox checking out the the beach hoping for a duck for breakfast. 

I hope he finds something other than duck.

And the day is upon me.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Dundee, NY

It Could Happen . . .

Although the line, "It could happen" was from a movie titled Angels in the Outfield, it seems that another movie, Back to the Future II is having a greater impact on predicting the outcome the current MLB playoffs. 

In Back to the Future II, the main character travels into the future to the year 2015 where the Chicago Cubs have won the World Series. 

Sounds crazy, except that the Cubs are playing in the National League Championship Series (NLCS) right now and the winner gets a spot in the World Series. The last time the Cubs won the World Series was 1908. The last time they played in a World Series was 1945.

I guess, therefore, I am cheering on the Cubbies! Especially since the Orioles didn't make the grade this year.

It is time for the Cubs to win again. They are the ultimate underdog!

Let's go Cubs!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tuesday Night Lights

I had a rare opportunity to enjoy youth football under the lights last evening as the GORC Wildcats played a make-up night game. 

GORC Wildcats
80 lb Central Team
October 13, 2015

The 80-pound Central team, with Jackson playing both ways, offense, defense, and on the kick-off team made their under the lights debut at 7:45 PM on a beautiful October evening in front of tens of adoring fans, mostly parents hoping to get them home to bed before it got too late. 

That, sadly, was not to be the case as the game which started early went into double overtime before the conclusion. Who even know that there was overtime in youth football? What happened to the days of ending in a tie and having to live with the realization that the other team was just as good, on this night! I remember my high school football days and the only non-win during my entire high school career, was a 6-6 tie (my high school football team went 36-0-1 for my four years). Of all of our high school games, that is the one game I definitely remember.

But, the game did not play out that way. GORC took a 12-6 lead at the half after falling behind 0-6, and then played a sloppy second half where the offense was totally inept and the defense, although giving up a lone score, saved the day by stopping the other team twice inside of the red zone. 

Their red zone defensive prowess would serve the team well as the game went into overtime. Overtime is a college-like possession affair. Each team gets alternating possession of the ball from the 10 yard-line. The defense shone for the Wildcats. They stopped the visitors on the first possession, but they, likewise were stymied on their attempt to get into the end zone. Alternating for the second possession, the Wildcats scored on their second play and turned the game over to the defense to preserve. The visitors came up inches (and I mean inches) short on 4th down and GORC won 18-12.

And the time was 9:15 PM, well after most of the players' bedtime. At least the coach gave them today off from practice to recover.

But it was a badly needed and hard fought win! 

Tuesday night under the lights.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

When the Majority thinks they are the Minority

Last week, I read an article about human networking, people and voting. The article titled, A quick puzzle to tell whether you know what people are thinking, was published in the Washington Post on October 9, 2015.

The puzzle that introduces the article is interesting and innocuously complex. The details behind the analysis are even more complex, but they apparently show how a minority can affect the voting of a majority because the majority thinks they are in the minority. It phenomenon even has a name, the "majority illusion," as it is called by network researcher Kristina Lerman. 

One paragraph from the article I thought summarized the underlying science behind majority illusions. "A person with a large audience spreads his or her opinions much more widely than the average person does. By definition, he or she has many more connections, which means more people are on the receiving end of the opinion. This gives a celebrity’s opinion outsize influence, affecting the local perspectives of many."

A very interesting concept which I believe we have seen occur during elections in this country. I think it also explains why so many organizations intent on changing public opinion use well known celebrities as spokespersons.

The article suggests that understanding the majority illusion has implications understanding important social issues like fighting HIV in Africa, understanding the role of the mass media, and fighting alcohol abuse on college campuses. 

Food for though on a Tuesday morning.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 12, 2015

1. Happy Columbus Day! Really?

Renditions Golf Course
Davidsonville, MD

2. I have played two rounds (36 holes) of golf during the past two days, instead of getting better, I got worse! Golf can be frustrating.

3. Sundays during this time of year are reserved for birthdays! We celebrated two more yesterday.

Jeremy Finishing a Drive in the Morning Light
Renditions Golf Course
Davidsonville, MD

4. Watching the day dawn from a golf course is an incredible experience. 

5. I realized the other day that the idea of a republican party is just that, in reality the republican party if many smaller factions who are trying to think big.

A Near Perfect Cheesecake

6. I made a cheesecake for Chris' birthday celebration! No cracks! Yay!

7. Did you ever wonder--when someone says they will pray for you if they really do?

8. Football season is off to a rather poor start. The Ravens are 1-4.

9. Federal holidays are great because there is no mail delivery.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Football from the Sidelines

Jax Taking a Knee at Halftime

Being a typical October Saturday, I spend part of my day on the sidelines at the GORC Wildcats football game. 

Sadly the homecoming game turned into a 13-6 loss with some critical late penalties and confusion in the lines, but the game was fun not watch and Jax made some great plays and moves. 

What I noticed, however, was that the hardest working people on the team sideline was not the players or the coaches. It was the team Moms. The Moms are responsible for almost everything, except play calling. They soothe hurts and injuries, they ensure the players remain well hydrated. They are the busiest people on the sidelines. 

Nicole Racing to the Sidelines

Nicole is one of the team moms paired with Shannon. I thought the image I took of her racing back to the sidelines after a timeout on the field late during the game says it all. She is running and the players are, well, standing around!

Ethan with a Snow cone Tongue

Way to go team mom!

And very color coordinated, too!

And why is she running? She gets to get back to the sidelines to face Ethan who was busy sampling every kind of snow cone available!

It was a beautiful autumn day for a game and some memories.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Autumn Color

Autumn Arriving in
Ellicott City, MD

I noticed it for the first time last evening. A storm was brewing behind the trees and I noticed that they were beginning to show golden color rather than the cool green of summer.

The growing storm behind the trees was especially dark and helped to highlight the autumn colors.

Today is going to a classic autumn day with temperatures in the low 60's and sunshine to help highlight the changing leaves across the countryside. 

I would be happy to have them stay green, but I see the color beginning to arrive in the trees surrounding my yard. I know that the dark season is rapidly approaching and with it the cold, rain, snow, and generally foul weather.

But first, at least, I will enjoy the changing leaves as I bid good-bye to the last vestiges of the summer past.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Unplanned Day Off

I had an unplanned day off yesterday!

Wow! What a gift! I was able to catch up on a multitude of small projects around the house, including having the driveway people return to examine the situation.

It is really incredible how many small things need to be accomplished.

Decorated Fireplace

It was a beautiful day and I was thankfully able to enjoy that as well instead of being stuck in the closet which is my office--truly a small room without windows.

One of the different things I accomplished was to measure the fireplace so that it can be converted to propane. That was more difficult that i thought and I wound up with quite a drawing and a series of measurements. I only hope I got the right ones!

I was even able to play a round of golf! And I was part of the last group off the course as night fell. I could almost see my ball to make the putt on the 18th hole--but I got it in. That was the exclamation point on a nearly perfect day.

Back to life today, but the memory of yesterday lingers.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Driveway Woes

Good Looking Driveway

The process of rehabilitating my driveway has taken a detour.

You may remember that we had the potholes fixed a few weeks ago, and that process came out great. It is really nice not to have our drive look like a beat-up back road in some rural county.

Rough Area
Still Wet

But then we went one step further--we decided to have the driveway sealed to help stem the deterioration and restore it.

Cue the rains!

Another Rough Area

The sealing was supposed to happen last week, but a week of rains intervened and delayed the process. The rains, it seemed, soaked into the ground and have delayed the sealant from properly drying in some places. This means--no driving on the driveway, going on to four days now.

For the three homes that share the drive, this means that 7 vehicles are displaced! Aside from having to walk the length of the drive, the cul de sac is jam packed with vehicles.

Hopefully the drive will be functioning soon--before the rains tomorrow night. 

I hope we didn't break something that didn't need to be fixed.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD