Monday Musings - April 24, 2017

1. Today is the last Monday of April. The journey into Spring continues although it seems as if April only just began.

2. The rainy weekend washed out Saturday baseball and allowed for alternate activities.

3. The Orioles have the best record in the MLB. They continue to play well even though they lost yesterday.

4. It is five more days until the next weekend. Why am I thinking about that already?

5. Having a connected home could be a problem according to a New York Times article titled Here is Hoe to Fend off a Hijacking of Home Devices. 

6. I played golf yesterday, it was cool outside, but great to be out on the course.

Headlines

7. Showdown looms as Trump demands funding for wall on U.S.-Mexico border - The Washington Post

8. France's election reveals a new political divide - The Washington Post

9. Syria changed the World - The New York Times

Quote of the Week

"The developing world has been told that it's necessary to give up freedom in order to achieve progress. Nothing could be further from the truth."

Ronald Reagan

Remarks to the International Forum of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States, April 23, 1986

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Happy the Rains Came

Circular Stairway at
Creek's Edge Winery

Yesterday's rain completely changed my plans for the day. 

The day was scheduled to be devoted to baseball with the annual GORC parade in the morning and another game for the GORC 10U Intramural Dodgers in the afternoon. Both events were canceled due to the wet conditions. 

The cancellations meant that the day suddenly became a blank page waiting to be filled with unscheduled activities. The first was the obligatory springtime trip to the landfill and recycling center. There is always an accumulation of junk that needs to move along and Chris and I managed a truckload yesterday. We were on our way to the dump by 8:30 AM which was the time the parade was supposed to form.

On the way home, we stopped at Home Depot and did some shopping. Being Springtime, there is always yard work that needs to be done and in this case we bought some grass seed to fill in the holes in the yard. We also priced a new smoker as our old rusted one had just been delivered to the metal recycling area of the landfill. 

Now the afternoon, what to do for the afternoon on a rainy day. Visit wineries, of course, was the answer. We hit the road and headed west to visit Big Cork, where we had a wine club distribution to retrieve. We enjoyed a tasting at the winery and then decided to find a winery we had not previously visited. After some work on the cell phone, the decision was Creek's Edge Winery about 30 minutes from where we were, but somewhat on the way back home. 

I will be writing up a full review in my wine blog, but visiting Creek's Edge was a great choice for the afternoon and we spent a few hours watching the rain fall and sampling some very nice Virginia wines in a magnificent and relaxing atmosphere.

I'm happy the rains came. Chris and I enjoyed a great unplanned day!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Surging into Spring

Bleeding Hearts in My Garden

The Spring has fully arrived and continues to deepen. I was amazed by the size of my bleeding hearts the other day. They are huge.

Lilacs are in bloom and the rains are making the lawn green, but unfortunately too wet to mow!

Chris and I on the Beach
April 13, 2017

I was reflecting yesterday that one week ago I had been on vacation in Florida.

The thought of being on a beach with a warm sun and blue sky is very appealing. 

It is rainy and overcast in the Baltimore region today. It is so wet that the Opening Day GORC Spring sports Parade was canceled. 

But that is Spring! And the scene is green! And getting greener every day!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bird Teams Win

I know the title is a bit strange, but it was a crazy night as I was watching two very different sports teams win their games.

First, it is playoff season in the NHL and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets to win their opening round series of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup Champions! The win was even more exciting because they accomplished the feat by laying their "back-up" goalie. It is important to note, however, that their back-up has helped the team win the Stanley Cup, so Marc Andre Fleury is one of the best goalies in the game. I wish the defense would help him to a bit more because he stopped 49 of 51 shots on goal last evening.

The Penguins are now awaiting their opponent for the second round of the playoffs. It will be either the dreaded Washington Capitals or the Toronto Maple Leafs. That best of seven series is tied 2-2. It will be a few days until the winner is finally determined.

My other bird team is, of course, the Orioles! The Orioles completed a 9-game road trip last evening with a 6-3 record. The Orioles continue to have the best record in baseball, but as the standings show that only makes them one-half game better than the team "whose name shall remain unwritten from up north." I am excited because I have tickets for tonight's game against the Red Sox and it will be my first Orioles game since Opening Day. 

The Orioles are off to a strong start, but then so are most of the other teams in the division. I am reminded that both of the American League wild card teams came from the American League East Division last season. The division remains one of the toughest in baseball. The top three teams in the division are a combined 30-15 .667 right now. 

I guess I like teams with bird logos because my favorite football team is the Ravens (another bird). 

Let's Go O's and Pens!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Return of the Green

It finally registered last evening after baseball practice. 

GORC Intramural 10U Dodgers
GORC Field 5
April 17, 2017

The green has returned and replaced the gray and brown of winter!

Leaves are on the trees and the grass has taken on the rich green of Springtime. The canopy formed by the trees around my yard is returning and that is definitely improving my mood. I didn't really think about it when I snapped the image at the baseball game Monday evening, but the trees are filling out with leaves and changing the scenery. 

I also noted yesterday that I am again driving to work in daylight as the set-back that occurred during daylight saving time has been erased. The sun is up for 13h 27m! One month ago, when Spring began, daylight was 12h 9m and we are headed for 14h 56m during June when the solstice occurs. 

Pool opening day is less than two weeks off!

Spring is rapidly turning into summer!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Alarms in the Night

It was a jolting experience.

At about 3 AM, the alarm system decided to activate and declare an emergency. 


It was another, false alarm in a series of false alarms. Fortunately, we have never had a real alarm--but at 3AM in the middle of the sleep cycle, a false alarm effectively signals the end of sleep for the night.

I am growing weary of my alarm company and their ability to blame me for the false alarm rather than actively trying to help prevent them from occurring. 

And to think, I pay extra for this service. I am going give the company one last chance before revealing their name. 

I don't need anymore false alarms. At least the police did not respond, this time!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Playing the First Game

GORC 10U Intramural Dodgers
April 17, 2017

Coaching youth baseball is at the same time frustrating and rewarding. It is an investment in the future, but until the team actually steps foot onto the baseball diamond against an opponent who has been similarly coached you never really know what to expect.

Jackson Preparing to go to the Plate

Last evening the GORC 10U Intramural Dodgers played their first game of the season that runs until early June. It was a beautiful April evening with temperatures in the high 60's and relatively clear skies after some rain showers passed through about noon. The field was in good shape for a game, thanks to the hard work of Mike and Jim who worked on it for about two hours. 

Dodgers in the Field

To their credit, the boys have been practicing hard and having fun learning the game. Mike has designed practices that focus on fundamentals like catching the ball and knowing where to throw it.

It turns out that at the kid pitch level, pitching is critical. Our team has pitchers, but, we also have a team full of boys who love playing baseball and are learning how to play it well. 

The game lasted a full two-hours plus and we only completed five innings due to the time limit, but the Dodgers came away with a big win that saw everything--pitching, fielding, smart base-running, hitting and most importantly a lot of fun. The game was slow because the other team's pitchers had trouble finding the plate and there were a lot of walks. Their hitters showed up late in the game and allowed our players to display their ability to think fast and make good decisions in the field. 

The final score is not as important as the fact that the boy on the team contributed and demonstrated solid baseball skills in every facet of the game. There are still areas that need work, but for the first game of the season it was a great start!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - April 17, 2017

2017 Family Easter Picture
April 16, 2017

1. The Easter weather in the Baltimore region was fantastic. It reached a high of 87 degrees and there were only a few small passing sprinkles later during the day. Our family was smaller this year, sadly, but no less enthusiastic.

2. Eleven games into the 162 game season, the Orioles have the best record in Baseball! Yes, I am only showing the American League, but trust me, it's true!

3. The family Easter photo was taken from a new perspective.

4. I learned that I am not a drone pilot.  I killed a drone yesterday. Ugh!

5. Until yesterday, I had not played full-speed, outdoors hide-n-seek in many years. I can still do a flat out sprint, it seems.

6. Children make Easter fun!

Headlines

7. A ‘Cuban Missile Crisis in Slow Motion’ in North Korea - The New York Times

8. United Staff Will No Longer Take Seats of Boarded Passengers - The New York Times (why does this seem like a no brainer?)

9. Here are the missiles North Korea just showed off, one by one. - The Washington Post

Quote for the Week

"Now, some in this country say, 'Freedom is fine for us, but we can't worry about it for everyone else. Let's not stick our necks out anywhere.' Have they forgotten that freedom was not won here without the help of others? Have they forgotten that people who turn their backs on friends often lose what they cherish most for themselves? Have they forgotten that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction?" Ronald Reagan  Remarks at the National Legislative Conference of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL - CIO, April 5, 1982

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Easter Greetings

Happy Easter!

In the midst of the family celebrations today, I pray that you find happiness and contemplate the significance of the most important Christian observance.

The secularization of Easter, with the cute rabbits,  chicks, and candy delicacies can detract, if allowed, from the meaning of the event that we celebrate today.

Although many believe that Christmas is the most significant Christian holiday, and it is important because it celebrates God becoming man and coming to us, Easter takes God's love one to the ultimate plane. The Son of God, true God, died to give us eternal life. And He didn't just die, because that would be a typical ending to a story, but He was raised back to life and lives even today.

This is very deep. 

For I passed on to you as of first importance what I also received—that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures, - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

With the resurrection, the meaning of the cross was changed from one of the most horrible methods of execution that mankind has ever devised into a symbol of freedom and hope.

Happy Easter.

Greet your family and friends with the Paschal greeting:

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Vacation Isn't Over Yet

Bloody Mary on the Beach

The trip from Florida back to Maryland went without incident. That was significantly different from the canceled flight we experienced during our travel to Florida. 

Mike after Teeing Off at Glenn Dale
April 15, 2017

That normally means that vacation is over and it is back to real life. And I am. There are groceries to buy, an Easter dinner to plan, and mail to rummage through to see if anything of value arrived during our absence.

I enjoyed sitting on the beach; eating lunch and sipping adult drinks. It was fun not to worry about what time I had to wake up, even though I woke up early.

I was able to sneak out this morning and play a round of golf. I did pretty well considering that I had not touched a golf club in two weeks. My vacation is not over yet.

I miss Florida.

I miss walking on the beach every morning.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD