Return of the Dark Season

Many people have noticed that I hesitate to call the season that officially begins during December, in the Northern Hemisphere, by its given name. I actually have a reason. By calling it the Dark Season, I can more closely align the actual season when Daylight Saving Time ends with the calendar. 

This year on Sunday, November 1, Daylight Saving Time ends and the Dark Season begins. That is the coming Sunday. By the way, did you notice that Daylight Saving Time is singular and not plural?

During the dark season, all hope of getting out of work on time and getting in a few holes of golf evaporates. One week from today, the sun will set in Elkridge, MD, at 5:04 PM and it will be dark by 5:32 PM--effectively ending outside activities.

Preparations for the dark season are in full gear! There are grasses to cut around the pool area and windows to replace. There are leaves to be raked and lawns to be prepped for the coming season. The loss of the evenings means that I will be spending more time inside--wishing that I was outside.

And with the darkness, the cold arrives! 

With the loss of thermal warming from our good friend Sol, the temperatures drop and the warm rains of summer turn into the frigid blizzards of December!

Face it--the dark season is not my favorite.

Last evening I was outside at 6 PM, in daylight, hitting golf balls into my net. Next week, I won't even be able to see my net at that time.

The dark is coming!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 26, 2015

New Entrance Light

1. I was beginning the process of installing a new light yesterday when Chris noticed it was dark in the room and turned on the light. Unfortunately she turned on the light that I was removing! I wonder if she had more nefarious motives?

2. Here is a question, why do NFL teams needing for a first down on a 4th and 8 yards to go throw a 5 yard pass and think that is somehow going to be successful?


3. The World Series is finally beginning. It is the Royals against the Mets. I am cheering for the Mets since the Royals eliminated the Orioles last year.

4. The weather this past week was mild and enjoyable. The leaves are falling off the trees in droves. I cleared them from my lawn on Wednesday and it looked as if I had done nothing by Thursday evening.

Statement on the Side of a Case of Wine

5. At a friends house for dinner the other evening, I noticed an interesting phrase printed on the side of a case of wine. It read, "Caution: You're about to have a lot more friends." 

6. I was reading an advertisement from the New York Times and was amazed to discover that modern homes burn faster, much faster, than older homes. That just doesn't make sense to me.

7. I have never caught a baseball while sitting in a stadium. Apparently, there is a science to catching baseballs in the stands as detailed in the article How to Catch a Baseball in the Stands. Who knew?

8. I was amazed at how much work I was able to get done around the house by just staying home and working yesterday. What a concept! My biggest projects of the season is still out there: cutting the grasses around the pool and replacing two more basement windows. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Spectacular Saturday

It was a busy and enjoyable Saturday that started early and finished late.

I am amazed how many things we can cram into a day that, while related, require travel and preparation.

GORC 80 Lb. Wildcats
October 24, 2015

First up was the last regular season game for the GORC Wildcats 80lb. football team! Go Cats. Unfortunately Jax's team suffered a crushing defeat at the early morning game. It was cold on the field as the sun was rising over the trees in Crofton, MD, and that did not help the play of the Wildcats.

Look at how long the shadows are in the image. Yes, it was that early, especially considering that the sun went behind the clouds for the rest of the day about 9:30 AM. Did I mention cold? It was pretty cold, too!

Jeremy Walking to the Green
Eisenhower Golf Course
October 24, 2015

From the gridiron to the golf course was the next part of my day! Yes, somehow I tried to squeeze in 18 holes of golf. I wasn't entirely successful because the groups in front of us were playing slow and I had to leave after 4 hours and 10 minutes and 15 holes for my evening dinner engagement.  Jeremy and I were teamed up against the Haslup brothers and although we were tied at the turn, the match got away from us and we were too many holes behind when Jeremy and I had to leave. We will get them, next time!

It was a beautiful autumn day, a bit overcast, as the image shows, but a nice day for a round of golf. I wish we could have played better, but it was good to get out and play. The course was in good shape and made for great competition.

After dinner in Baltimore

The evening included a dinner at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Baltimore. The Syracuse phenomenal restaurant has made it to Baltimore! And it was great barbecue. We were out with Jeremy and Nicole to celebrate a birthday and an anniversary! hat an awesome evening in Baltimore enjoying great company. 

What a busy day. But what great memories. 

I wonder what is in store for today?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cancer Awareness of the Month

October is breast cancer awareness month. Sadly, though, I wonder if other cancers are forgotten about and under researched as a result of the explosion of awareness for this one aggressive form of cancer?

I have been seeing sports teams wearing pink all month and while I appreciate the emphasis, I would prefer to see other cancer colors represented more widely.

My awareness to other forms of cancer was increased when I was talking with a neighbor who just had a radical surgery as part of their battle against this insidious invader.

Orchid for Testicular Cancer Awareness

As it turns out, breast cancer is not unique by having an awareness month. Almost every month is designated for awareness of other specific cancers. 

Who Knew?


April, for instance, is testicular cancer awareness month and orchid is its color. Most people don't know that.

Emerald for Liver Cancer Awareness

October we know is for breast cancer and its color is pink, but did you know that October is also liver cancer awareness month and its color is emerald?

Check out the full list here!

Cancer sucks! I just want to be sure that all forms of cancer are receiving the research necessary to defeat them.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Bad-Boy or the Socialist?

Labels.

Sometimes they tell me what I need to know in a brutally truthful manner. 

I have been watching the Presidential Olympics and am concerned that the final two frontrunners may require a choice between a "bad-boy" businessman who is making it a campaign issue to be politically incorrect or a self-admitted and labeled democratic socialist!

Wow! I'm feeling on the outside of the inner workings of the political system. 

Does Trump ever smile?

Is there no joy?

I am surely hoping that there is a moderate hidden in there somewhere. Someone other than the current front runners.  

I do not think we need bigger government to solve our problems. I think that is what has caused many of our problems, people are looking for the federal government to resolve issue that should be handled at the state or local level. That means bigger government and higher taxes. All of the candidates seem to be trying to impose their personal view of the world upon everyone living in the U.S.

The bad-boy or the socialist? Surely there has to be another option!

Why yes, it appears there is--a former Secretary of State and First Lady who is, in my mind, a flawed choice. She never smiles either.

And then there is the world renown doctor who has some isolationist ideas and has made a few politically incorrect statements of his own while trying, apparently, to be more "Trump-like."

There are a couple of former governors who are rapidly falling off the pace because their messages are fuzzy. 

Fortunately, the is still a year until the election and we will be able to watch the candidates under the microscopic inspection of the news media.

Maybe something good can still happen for the country.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Supersonic Week

I cannot believe how quickly the week is rocketing by. It seems like just yesterday I was driving home from a relaxing and enjoyable weekend of wine tasting in the Finger Lakes region.

Every day and evening the week has been chocked full of activity. And today is Thursday, already.

Where is the week careening off to?

Who is in charge?

I remember a saying from years ago: "stop the world I want to get off." It seems appropriate.

This morning I am charging off to play racquetball, leaving just enough time to get to work and then as soon as I get home Chris and I have another full evening planned.  At least we did get to enjoy a glass of wine around the fire pit last evening.

The daily recipe seems to be constant activity, sleep, repeat.

I see Sunday on the horizon! Maybe a change is coming!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Return of Star Wars

Yes, I stayed up a late Monday night to watch the new Star Wars trailer. The trailer has over 25 million views, as of this morning, on You Tube.

No, I haven't purchased my opening day tickets, yet.

I can see, by the article in the New York Times this morning titled 
'Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Is a Hit at the Presale Box Office that I am one of millions of fans of the Star Wars series and that the upcoming release os on track to become the biggest opening movie of all time and possibly ever, well at least until the next movie in the series is released. 

The movie is slated for a December 18th release and it may well provide a much needed temporary distraction from a governmental shutdown of galactic proportions. 

The inaugural Star Wars film was released on May 25, 1977, and it was an unheralded film in advance of its release. But once audiences grasped the magnitude of the struggle between good and evil as brought to life by the "Force" and the realistic nature of the characters an "empire," so to speak, was created. In an unusual twist, at its release the original Star Wars film was simply titled, Star Wars. Subsequently, as the juggernaut grew, it was renamed Star Wars Episode IV, A New Hope!

Yes, I am excited. It has been 38 years since I walked into a movie theater in Denver, Colorado, yes I remember where I first saw the movie, to view Star Wars. I remember I missed the opening sequence because the popcorn line was incredibly long. I had no idea that evening that my entire family, including children and grandchildren, would be caught up in the Force and the magical story that is Star Wars.

May the Force be with you!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

William Seward House, Auburn, NY

Statue in the Garden of Seward House
Auburn, NY

During a lull from sampling Finger Lakes region wines, we headed to Auburn, NY, to visit the Seward House. 

Seward, as in William H. Seward, is a name most often associated with the purchase of Alaska from the Russians, but as an able and apt Secretary of State for President's Lincoln and Johnson, he represents so much more.

The house appears frozen in time. The furnishings are nearly complete and the staff of the house were knowledgeable. The one-hour tour went more than an hour and a half, mostly due to my questions and push for more depth and detail in the stories and anecdotes. 

It is one of the few museums where pictures are allowed and encouraged. Turns out that I didn't take many images because I was fascinated with looking at everything in the house. The homestead was converted to a museum before everything could be sold off and therefore everything has a story. The current exhibit regarding the assassination of Lincoln along with the attempted assassination of Seward is excellent and helps to historically align Seward's life and times.

I highly recommend a visit to the Seward house for a fun afternoon of history and connecting the pieces of history together.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 19, 2015

Snow on the pines along Route 15 in PA
October 18, 2015

1. Snow! For real! I experienced snow in Central NY and Pennsylvania yesterday. Ugh. Winter is too close.

2. The Ravens effectively ended their season with a loss yesterday. A 1-5 record is going to be almost impossible to overcome, unless they decide to go on an 10 game winning streak.

October Fire in the Fireplace

3. One of the joys of a weekend away is discovering new things that were there all along.

4. I didn't play golf this weekend, but I saw a lot of empty golf courses in Upstate NY.

5. The results of my weekend confirmed that New York vineyards continue to improve and develop their wines. The whites are among the best in the country for Rieslings and there are other varietals coming close behind.

Boat Lift in the Early Morning Light

6. Sometimes I run across scenes that are just beautiful. I'm glad that I always have a camera to capture them.

7. Impatient and aggressive drivers are a distinct problem on the highways.

8. Why are some people so willing to give away civil rights that they personally don't appreciate?

9. I have discovered a new style of leadership--leadership by confusion.

10. Transparency is something that we at the same time desire and despise. We want others to be transparent while we work to conceal our own lives and interests.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Along the Lake

Sunrise Seneca Lake
October 18, 2015

Spending four too short days in a cabin on a lakeshore provided me with the opportunity to watch the changes as the world wakes and how it affects the beauty of the world that I am watching.

This morning, for instance, I am watching the sunrise behind the hills as the world wakes. The colors are building as the dawn creeps closer and I can see autos driving along the roads across the lake from me.

Sunrise Seneca Lake
October 16, 2015

It is quiet, more quiet than I am used to back home. And it is cold this morning, 31 degrees here, but I am sure it is much colder up the hills away from the stabilizing microclimate that the lake provides. There is a frost! The leaves are turning to greet the rushing end of autumn.

Soon the trees will be naked and stark in preparation for the harvest celebrations and the winter ahead.

Geese over Seneca Lake
October 17, 2015

But just yesterday, I stood on the dock and watched a flock of geese fly overhead. Their squeaking and honking filled my heart with excitement as they gathered together in flight and headed off to find food in preparation for their trek south for the winter.

The lake was calm and the sky clear blue as I stood there. I wished, as I always do, that I could experience flight the way that they do. Together in a flock working together against the elements not even aware of the laws of flight working to keep them in the air. They are just free and flying.

I admit, I have seen the lake slate gray and cold as well, although I did not take an image of it. It was a foreboding sight.

I have appreciated this long weekend because I have reconnected with the scenic beauty of upstate New York and enjoyed one last visit before the harshness of the dark season begins. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Dundee, NY