Tractor Maintenance Blues

Tractor Tune-up Parts

My tractor reached a significant maintenance milestone. There was a lot of work that needed to be don't to maintain its enthusiasm for cutting the grass and helping with other mundane duties around the house . 

I took an image of all of the parts that were being replaced. I had already swapped out the blades when I took the shot, but there are many parts being replaced to ensure continued years of faithful service from one of the unsung heroes around the house.

Frankly, I was appalled at the cost of all of the parts. I believe that I could have purchased a push mower for the price of the parts in the image. 

Sears, where Purchased the parts, did not make the process easy. The parts good was difficult to read and then, in the end, one of the parts was wrong--the mower drive belt. The belt in the book was for a 42 inch mower deck and I have a 46 inch mower. So the inevitable return is at hand to actually complete the process.

Nothing is ever easy, it seems.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Fun with Pool Animals

Chris and I rescue some of the strangest creatures from our pool.

Usually it is a stray toad or hoards of frogs (almost akin to the Biblical plagues of Egypt) that are helped to safety.

Cicada on a Leaf in the Pool

Sometimes it is a really unique animal like the bunny we rescued a couple of years ago. We have, in the past, rescued a bat, a bird, and an assortment of snakes--usually small hatchlings who got confused. Mammals generally do not do well and drown before we can get to them. 

Yesterday, however, I saw something that really got my attention--a cicada on a leaf floating in the pool. I'm not sure how the bug got there and managed to float until rescued.

It looks to me like it had commandeered a ship and was sailing until dawn or something. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Airplane Cookies

Southwest Plane Cookies

On one of my recent Southwest Airlines flights I received a new treat for my flying enjoyment: Airplane Cookies!!

It was an early morning flight and the cookies were my breakfast--well partly.

How unique are they.

Not really--it dawned upon me that they were animal crackers in disguise!

But there were not just plain cookies, they were plane cookies and I thought they were cute. Just like animal crackers, except there was only one plane. Oh yes, Southwest only flies one type of plane--the Boeing 737!

The cookies were, however, both cute and tasty.

I also had a couple cups of coffee which helped shake off the drowsiness of getting up at 3:30 AM to catch a 6 AM flight!  Ugh! Why did I make the reservation for so early?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 4, 2016

1. Happy Independence Day! (and it's a holiday too!)

2. Mondays that fall on Tuesday are the toughest days of the week.

3. John Adams wrote that the Fourth of July "...ought to be celebrated by pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other..."

4. There is something great about starting the day on a golf course, even if I'm not playing very well.

5. We enjoyed fireworks yesterday in advance of the expected storms this afternoon. The whole neighborhood seemed alive with explosions and bright displays, almost as John Adams intended.

6. Some places are rescheduling the fireworks--it is possible to get three nights of fun and explosions.

7. Many dogs hate fireworks.

8. Enjoy your fourth and be safe.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Strike up the Band--or Not!

Military bands are under attack by the Congress.

The New York Times, in an article titled Military is Asked to March to a Less Expensive Tune, reports that the budgets for military bands are being reduced in and effort to help the military achieve its end strength goals. The article traces some of the history of US military bands and notes that in 1862 there were nearly 15,000 bandsmen in the Union forces.

I have often enjoyed the music of military bands. 

The patriotic sounds, not played anywhere else, represent a unique piece of American history that could easily be lost if the military were not preserving it for future generations. 

The article does point out that the DoD spends more on music than any other part of the government. But, does that make it wrong?

Without military bands, I worry that some our our uniquely American music would be lost. While the article points out that no one in Congress is advocating the dissolution of military bands, I found the following paragraph interesting:

Leaders in the Pentagon quietly grumble that by focusing on bands, Congress is going after small potatoes. The military has for years proposed base closings that it estimates would save more than $2 billion a year, but Congress has not acted on the politically troublesome proposals that could cut jobs in their districts.

Strike up the bands! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: When Serving Brownies is Bad

Brownies

I love it when Chris makes up a batch of brownies. I usually means we are headed somewhere to meet with friends and that there will be an assortment of desserts.

I especially love brownies served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup covered by a mound of whipped cream.

And now I learn that a third grader in Collingwood, New Jersey, was subjected to police interrogation because of a simple statement made in reference to the delicious dessert being served at the end of the school-year party.

Collingwood, NY

According to The Inquirer in an article titled Why police were called to a South Jersey third-grade class party, a 9 year-old boy made a comment about brownies being served to the class, in reference to the end of the year party. Another child exclaimed that it was a racist remark and police were called.

Sadly it does not end there.

"The boy's father was contacted by Collingswood police later in the day. Police said the incident had been referred to the New Jersey Division of Child Protection and Permanency. The student stayed home for his last day of third grade."

All about brownies? 

It is clearly a policy that was poorly implemented. The article indicates that police have been called to investigate incidents was many as 5 times per day in a school district with a total enrollment of 1,875 students. Given that there are only 14,000 residents in the borough, I cannot imagine there are too many police officers remaining in the community to handle more serious matters.

One mother opined "Are we going to have to send kids to school with a lawyers name and number?"

As a society we are losing our perspective and the ability to resolve disputes at the lowest level. There is too often a rush to call police and a lawyer. 

My Take: The police and the courts need to begin to help people develop common sense by enforcing regulations against frivolous police reports and lawsuits. 

Brownies do not have any other name!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Welcome July

It is with great fanfare that I announce the start of the uniquely summer month of July!

July has arrived. Hail Caesar!

Cue the beach, waves, sand, surf, and fireworks!

After a Springtime that was so cold and rainy that I thought summer would never arrive, July has finally moved onto the scene as the year 2016 slides into the second half of its run.

The weather, lately, has been almost idyllic with limited rain and moderate temperatures.

The vacation season is upon us and my plans are pretty well set.

The month gets off to a great start with Independence Weekend--the holiday with a bang! It is great when Independence Day coincides with a weekend. That will not happen again until 2020 since the holiday will fall on mid-week days for the next three years.

Not to get too far ahead of the action, let's stick to the weekend at hand. 

Drive safely, if you handle fireworks do not over imbibe alcohol, and generally be responsible.

Enjoy the 4th, and better yet--enjoy July. Did I mention that July is my favorite month of the year? I wish that July would never end or that I could live in the land of perpetual summer.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

World's Oldest Twinkie

I remember Twinkies!

Apparently there was a science class in Maine, 40 years ago, that was studying the effects of  preservatives in food. They unwrapped a Twinkie and documented the changes as the popular snack item was exposed to air.

The Twinkie still lives. 

40 Year Old Twinkie

According to first hand reports, the Twinkie is mostly unchanged from the original out-of-the-package look, except for some dust.

The preservatives work.

I wonder if that is a good thing or not?

The Twinkie survives despite all of the publicity and the retirement of the teacher that began the science project. It is under glass for all to see. 

Note to self--Twinkies are definitely not health food.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Sky Changes

The sky has shown some stark beauty and ferocity during the past few days. 

Denver, CO
June 28, 2016
Sunset

Last evening, for example, as I was leaving the restaurant where I had dinner, there was both a thunderstorm and a beautiful sunset in the sky. I tried to capture it, but it just doesn't look the same in an image. 

The lightening was actually very close, causing me to head for the car instead of trying for another, better, image.

I had thought about attending the Rockies game, but in a strange moment of mature thought, I looked at the weather and decided against going into Denver. The start of the game was delayed for almost three hours as it turned out. I made a good choice.

Baltimore International Airport
June 27, 2016
Dawn!

I was also amazed at the dawn sky in Baltimore the day that I was departing. The deep colors were amazing, however, the lights reflected by the terminal make the image less appealing. 

If you look deep into the image, you can see my reflection taking the picture.

It was much more beautiful in person.

The sky--I love the cyan of a clear day, but the morning and evenings also lend themselves to a fantastic show.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, CO

Out the Hotel Window - Denver, June 2016

June 27, 2016 - Denver, CO

The picture out the window is fairly nondescript. The difference from last evening when I arrived until this morning is in the lighting and the angle that I shot the image. 

June 28, 2016
Denver, CO

It is good to be back in the Denver area again. I guess. I am not at my usual hotel and I had hoped the images out the window would have been better, but alas, it was not. 

The weather has been nice--it is supposed to creep into the high 90's today and that will be a true burst of summer. 

I made a trip to Colorado Springs yesterday and looked up to Pike's Peak. It is still magnificent.

Well, as I wrote, the view out my window is not spectacular, but the sun is up and it is another day.

I wonder what adventures are in store for me.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Denver, Colorado