Monday Musings - August 28, 2017

Site of one Former Horseshoe Pit

1. August is winding down. Today is the last Monday of the month. Labor Day is a week away.

2. The destruction and chaos caused by hurricane Harvey is unfathomable. My thoughts and prayers are with the people who live in the affected area.

3. The Orioles have managed to claw their way back to .500 and are 2.0 games out of the second wild card position. There are just 32 games remaining in the regular season.

Heron at Eisenhower
August 27, 2017

4. Removing unused, but well constructed, horseshoe pits proved to be a much harder job than expected. Chris and I learned that the brute force method was not the best approach.

5. I love golf courses because of the wildlife that is usually seen. Yesterday a heron posed for me.

6. Busy weekends with great weather do not happen often. This one was awesome.

7. And so it is Monday again!

8. The coming weekend is a holiday weekend! At least it is something to look forward to with the start of September.

Headlines

Full extent of Harvey’s aftermath starts to come into chilling focus - The Washington Post

India withdraws troops from disputed Himalayan region, defusing tension with China - The Washington Post

Fatigue and Training Gaps Spell Disaster at Sea, Sailors Warn - The New York Times

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"You know, some people say it's America's natural resources that make our country so great, but the greatest resource of all is our working men and women -- their skill, hard work, guts, and determination."

Radio Address to the Nation on Economic Growth , August 30, 1986

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Tree Trimming Weekend

Piles of Brush in the Side Yard

Mowing the yard has been a weekly affair this summer with the copious amounts of rain we have received. Our yard is lined with juniper trees which need trimming every couple years to remove the dead branches and allow for better access with the tractor while mowing.

Saturday, using my newly acquired chain saw, was tree trimming day. And the trees were trimmed. It opened up the yard and will make mowing more enjoyable by not having to duck as much under the junipers. 

Relaxing Around the Fire Pit

We created huge piles of brush which will be heading off to the dump this week in the truck. I would have preferred to rent a chipper to reduce the brush, but at over $200 for a day, it seems a bit expensive. Although, I do so enjoy running the chipper.

After the work of the day which included removing one of the unused horseshoe pits, then came relaxation around the fire pit. 

A fantastic day. Beautiful, although a bit cool, weather and hard work.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Friday Evening Reconvenes

Last evening we recognized the unofficial end of summer as our wine group reconvened to share stories of summertime travels and experiences.

The evening was cool as we enjoyed each other's company under the clear sky as the sun set. A great dinner and some fantastic wines created the perfect setting for reconnecting with friends.

The summer has not been kind to some of our band and others of us are already beginning to plan for next summer. It is almost like our own personal football season as August comes to an end and September arrives next week.

It was great to be back together with friends. I look forward to enjoying the passing seasons during the next weeks.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

Friday Arrives

It is not even a three-day holiday weekend and I am excited about the arrival of Friday.

Ethan and Jax on Ocean City Beach
Last Weekend

It seems the weeks get harder and longer and the hoped for respite of the weekend gets shorter. 

While I am not planning a beach weekend,  I will be using my new chain saw to clear some trees and brush and begin to build a wood pile for the fire pit.

I am surprised how cool the August nights have become already as the humidity drops along with the temperatures.

I feel the summer slipping away as August fades into September.

I am reminded that I need to enjoy each day for itself and not perseverate on the days past. Each day is full of its own promise.

I need to mow the lawn!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Shuttering the Government

The ultimate sign of political weakness is contained in the threat to shut down the government. 

In a New York Times article, Trump Widens Rift With Congress as Critical Showdowns Loom, the President  ". . . threatened a government shutdown over his long-promised border wall and attacked key lawmakers whose votes he needs heading into a crucial legislative period." Trump reportedly said: "Build that wall. Now the obstructionist Democrats would like us not to do it. But believe me, if we have to close down our government, we're building that wall." As reported by Wake up to Politics. 

It is easy to say that I'm going to "take my ball and go home." But, it shows an immaturity of thought and action that imposes penalties upon all Americans by shuttering the government in order to attempt to force through an unpopular and singly focused opinion. 

To make such a statement, with the new budget year just over a month away, is frightening especially since the President is blessed with a Republican controlled Congress that he can't get along with.

The one positive thing that the President may be accomplishing is reviving bipartisan cooperation--against him!

Why do some politicians believe that being in elected position gives them the right to impose their narrow beliefs upon others rather than developing and inclusive atmosphere where everyone is better off living under the rights and privileges that the Constitution provides?

My Take: Shutting down the government because it can be done is not living up to the inauguration day oath: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunrise over the Ocean

Dawn, August 20, 2017
Ocean City, MD

I am a dawn kind of guy, people who know me know that to be true.

Sunday morning, I got up early to play golf and being at the beach I was treated to a predawn show over the ocean. The sun, still below the horizon, began to light up the eastern sky.

I love the ocean and I love the colors of the dawn. 

It is a great way to start the day, especially when August is heating up before it ends in a short nine days.

I sat for a few minutes and enjoyed the show as the day began to arrive. And then it was off to the golf course. I do enjoy teeing off as the sun peaks through the trees at a low angle and the dew is heavy on the grass.

I appreciate the summer and the heat and the dampness and the mornings when it is warm when I walk outside.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Eclipse

I am already making plans for the 2024 Total Eclipse!

The eclipse was fun! I was awed at how nearly everyone was excited even the total eclipse--even in areas where the eclipse was only partial--like Baltimore and Washington. 

It was the astronomic event of the year. Some called it the event of the century, but I think that was overstating the situation a bit.

August 21, 2017 Total Eclipse Path
over South Carolina

I reflected back on a couple of total eclipses that I experienced--I don't really recall the 1979 eclipse, but I do remember the 1972 eclipse. My family was driving towards Prince Edward Island as it happened. I recall briefly seeing the sun and moon coupled together through the clouds. If only we had left one or two days sooner we could have enjoyed totality in Canada. 

I discovered that NASA has an eclipse page! It is called Total Eclipse 2017. The next total eclipse to cross the united States occurs on April 8, 2024! Of course there are a few total eclipses between then and now, but they cross other, more distant parts of the world. Time and Date has a chart of the upcoming eclipses. 

I did wander outside and borrow some eclipse glasses to view the sun and moon together. It was inspiring, to say the least. Viewing the event on TV actually made me want to travel to totality during the next U.S. eclipse, which will include such close cities as Buffalo and Syracuse. There is a map of the path with animation at Time and Date.  

It was clear from the continuous news reporting yesterday that the eclipse was renewing our interest in space and forces that we cannot control. It was fun to watch the reactions of the crowds across America as totality happened. 

I'm planning on being there, next time.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - August 21, 2017

Crab on the Green
Eagle's Landing Golf Course
Berlin, MD
August 20, 2017

1. A beach weekend cures all ills. 

Sign in Ocean City, MD

2. Playing golf yesterday, we had to fight off the crabs to play one of the greens. They were small and we were careful not to hurt any of them.

3. Prepare for the eclipse! It is coming to a town near you, today!

4. Out of context, this would be a strange sign and combination. In Ocean City, MD, however, anything goes it seems.

5. We in Maryland do love the idea of our State Flag. It adorns so many different things.

6. August seems to be rocketing by--Labor Day is just two weeks away!

Finding the Green
Eagle's Landing Golf course, Berlin, MD
August 20, 2017

Fish Hanging in an Ocean City, MD Restaurant

7. There is something magnificent in the power of a thunderstorm.

8. Dawn comes too early some mornings.

9. I wonder how big the traffic jams will be today on major highways that the total eclipse passes over? I'm glad that I am not traveling.

Headlines

A 121-year-old Confederate monument was coming down. This Kentucky town put it back up. - The Washington Post

The eclipse capital of the U.S. is over the moon for Monday’s solar event - The Washington Post

10 Missing After U.S. Navy Ship and Oil Tanker Collide Off Singapore - The New York Times (How does this happen again?)

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"If excellence is one pillar of the agenda for opportunity, equality is another, and it's just as important -- equality of rights, treatment, and protection under the law. We want every American to participate fully in society on the basis of individual merit, regardless of race, sex, or national origin. I reaffirm today our unshakable commitment to eliminate discrimination against blacks, women, the handicapped, and other minorities. And let me add, this is not just our legal commitment; it is also our moral commitment. " Remarks at the Annual Meeting of the American Bar Association in Atlanta, Georgia, August 1, 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

End of the Day

Sunset. The end of the daylight and the time the night begins.

Chris and I experienced a magnificent sunset last evening from a restaurant where we were enjoying dinner.

We took the time to pause, admire, and image the setting sun. With the eclipse just now over 24 hours away, watching the sun took on a renewed interest it seemed with many of the other patrons. We were not the only ones imaging the red orb as it sank below the horizon in the west.

The day was ending. But the night was going to be alive with activity.

It is the cycle.

But it is always nice to pause and admire the beauty that so often surrounds us.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD

Back to the Beach

From the Condo Balcony

It is summer. That means that there is almost no where else that I would rather be than the beach.

This weekend it is Ocean City, Maryland. The drive to the beach on a Friday can be exasperating, but surprisingly it was mostly pleasant yesterday. Waze routed me around the worst of the traffic and I made relatively good time.

From the condo, I can hear the waves crashing on the beach. I can see and smell the ocean. And I can walk barefoot to the beach.

Being at the beach recharges me. Chris and I watched a fabulous lightening display last night as thunderstorms passed overhead. From the safety of the condo balcony, we felt the spray of the storm and absorbed the majesty of the light show occurring over the ocean.

I'm glad that we did not have plans to go out.

Weekend day 1 is ahead. And the beach beckons.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD