Doig Tired

Finnegan Dog Tired
Tequesta, Florida
June 3, 2019

Yesterday was a busy day. I know that I was exhausted by the time the day was done. Finnegan was also apparently tired as he crashed on the sofa and just watched the activity around him. 

I had to capture his expression as he just watched the activity around him. 

I had to smile--we have been dragging him everywhere, but yesterday we decided to give him a day off and he perked up by the time the day was over. I am sure he will not be too excited about traveling tomorrow.

Travel days are exhausting.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, Florida

Flat Water and Great Days

Home Sound National Wildlife Refuge Beach, FL
June 2, 2019

As Monday morning dawns and I hear the distant sound of the train whistle, I realize how lucky that I am to be away from the rush of my day-to-day life and in Florida where Chris told me yesterday, as we were walking the beach, I am living the dream. I cannot fully comprehend how fortunate that i am to have the opportunity that currently have to be able to fly two-and-a-half hours from home to home! 

The weather has been almost idyllic in that the mornings are fantastic and then the obligatory afternoon rains come through making the evenings are nice and steamy. Chris and I have been completing a multitude of projects around our Florida home. We are still decorating and looking for that perfect piece of furniture for one room or another. Yesterday we found the perfect carpet for our patio area and it makes the place "pop!"

Even more exciting than the projects and the relaxation, the ocean has been still and inviting. Yesterday at Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge the water was still! Flat even. It was war and inviting and we spent time in the water and strolling the beach looking for shells. We saw no less than three crab, big crabs, playing in the surf and I saw sand fleas launching themselves in the water to find new places to spend some time. It is summertime, almost. 

Yesterday was National Cancer Survivor Day and I am both happy and sad to count myself among that group of people. Happy that I am a survivor, but sad that I joined the group in the first place. It is truly a group that no one actively seeks to join. 

Today, more sun, ocean, projects, and relaxation. It is the beginning of the workweek after all. I am hoping to enjoy more flat water. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, Florida

Walking the Beach

On the Beach
Jupiter, Florida
June 1, 2019

We arrived home, well at our Florida home, about 11:40 AM yesterday and we were on the beach by 1:30 PM! Less than three hours after arrival, doing some unpacking, and getting some supplies we were on my favorite Jupiter beach. 

Carlin Park Beach
Jupiter, Florida
June 2, 2019

It is off season here. The perfect time to enjoy these south Florida beaches. We went to the beach yesterday and there were all of three other couples on a mile long stretch of clear water and gentle waves. 

We repeated our beach experience this morning with a walk along a stretch of beach occupied mostly by fishermen and exercise conscious people. It was awesome. We have promised each other to walk the beach every morning, weather permitting, to enjoy one of the reasons that we have a house in Florida--the ocean. And the beaches are less than 5 minutes away. I waste more time than that getting ready!

Even Finnegan is enjoying the beach time. He loves sniffing at the seaweed baking in the sun. Who knows what could be hiding in there? 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, Florida

Traveling Again

Chris and Finn at BWI
June 1, 2019

And we are off. Heading to our Florida home for a couple of days. For me I will have completed a tour of six airports in three days. But arriving in West Palm will be the crowning achievement.

Chris and Finn are with me. Yay. Hopefully in a few short hours I will be on a beach enjoying sun, sand, and relaxation. I did not get home last evening until about 13:30pm due to weather delayed flights. That left the packing for this trip entirely to Chris who did a magnificent job balancing everything.

I think I will get a weekend at home next weekend. Maybe.

Rock and roll. Travel again.

— Bob Doan, BWI airport, MD

Out the Hotel Window - Dayton, OH, May 2019

Out my Hotel Window - Dayton, OH
May 30, 2019

Another day and another hotel. Staying for only one night in a hotel is tough because there is almost no reason to unpack. I am traveling with just my backpack which makes it easy to get around where but does complicate getting needed items which are at the bottom. But, I have become a believer in traveling light and with a backpack. It is a lot easier to lug a backpack around an airport than a suitcase. And my clothes need to be ironed upon arrival regardless of whether I use a suitcase or not.

The view out my hotel window here in Dayton is busy. It is also dark and rainy. Rain has been a constant on this trip. I long for sunny skies. I thought the raindrops on the hotel window when I took the image were a nice tough looking at the rainclouds and the clearing skies, which never materialized, in the distance.

At least I have a view to enjoy.

Today I am hoping/planning on getting home to sleep in my own bed again. But tomorrow, I will be off on another adventure! First things first, however, I must get through today and accomplish the very specific goals laid out for me. Summer is drawing close. Today is the last day of May--how quickly it has slipped away. Tomorrow, June arrives and it is the month during which Summer begins! The best season of the year. 

-- Bob Doan, writing from Dayton, Ohio

Barn

Barn in a Field
Ithaca, NY
May 27, 2019

Traveling is tough sometimes, well, all the time. 

Over last weekend I finally got to fly Radio Flyer again and get some images of the area around Ithaca. I still have not been able to fly into some of the gorges to capture the beauty there, but I hope to remedy that soon. 

On one of my early morning Memorial Day flights, I was able to capture this barn which sits alone in a field. I thought the red board contrasted nicely with the tree springtime grasses and trees. 

The flights that Radio Flyer  made on Monday were not long, but they were my first flights in over a month. I am amazed at how the weeks seem to be slipping away. At least it is only being lost a day at a time.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Omaha, NE

Out the Hotel Window - Omaha, NE - May 2019

Out My Hotel Window - Omaha
May 28, 2019

Welcome back to Nebraska and Omaha, home of the College World Series! 

The view out my hotel window is of an open area and filled with visual stimulating activity. It is raining this morning, but was only overcast last evening as I took the image. 

Bread Counter in Upstream Brewing Company
Omaha, NE
May 28, 2019

The city was almost deserted last evening as I went to dinner. It was a short walk to The Old Market area and the Upstream Brewing Company, where I dined. I enjoyed a wholesome dish of Stroganoff, something that I have not had in many years along with a very nice pint of a local IPA. I recommend this a good place for dinner and a relaxing glass of brew.

It was good to be back in a place that seems almost familiar, although the city keeps growing and changing. I ran across a funny thought as I was leaving the restaurant last evening and it was so good that I had to take a picture. It made me smile. I suppose something similar could be written for grapes that become grape juice or raisins instead of wine!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Omaha, NE

When Tuesday is Monday

Sunset Behind the Trees
Ithaca, NY
May 26, 2019

It happens after every three-day weekend: Tuesday is really a Monday in disguise. 

Yes, it seems weird, but even when a holiday falls on Monday, the workweek still begins with a Monday only a day later on Tuesday.vThe first day of the workweek, regardless of when the week begins, is always Monday. It is just how things in the working world seem to progress. Every week begins with a Monday. There are just tasks that need to be completed which happen on the first day of the week after a weekend--hence,  Monday. 

I am fortunate to have been off and away for the better part of four days, but it had not, as you know from reading yesterday's entry,  been a vacation. 

And so, I travel out on this Monday on Tuesday morning to my place of employment. I know that my retired friends are not similarly afflicted by trying to keep track of the day of the week--but, it is where I am at for now and so I will move along through the day. 

At least the sun is climbing into the sky for another day and the probability of rain is somewhat reduced. 

Enjoy the day.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saying Goodbye

Happy Memorial Day! That seems weird to write. It is a holiday to remember sacrifice and heroism. Shouldn't it be happy as we recall those who have gone before us to secure the freedoms that today we enjoy?

I'm taking a break from Monday Musings this week to focus on the holiday and the feeling of melancholy that I am experiencing.

Yesterday was a tough day for my family. We said good bye to the place on the planet that has been called home by most of us. Mom and Dad drove away with tears in their eyes as the door closed behind them for last time ending a 43 year-long era. It was sad. I, too, had tears in my eyes although I had never lived there. It was the seat of the family. It was the closing of a chapter in the book that we call our lives.

I took this final image of my sister Pennie sitting in the nearly empty garage after everyone else and the moving truck departed. Everything there is destined to be cleared out by tomorrow and the house will be for sale like meat at the market. Mom and Dad are the second owners of the home and soon the third owners will take over stewardship of the property.

I want to thank my cousins for coming to help with the transition. It was good to see them and remember the picnics and barbecues we shared there together.

Time shared and times remembered. I wonder what it will be like when I say goodbye to my house like Mom and Dad just said to their home?

— Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

Back into Spring

Flowering Dogwood
Danby, NY
May 25, 2019

The flowering trees are still in bloom here in Upstate New York. It is like stepping back in time to enjoy Spring. The pink dogwood tree is adorning my parents's backyard and adding color to the area. The trees are green as is the lawn. Set against the blue sky, it is a scene that I have enjoyed many times.

I made time to enjoy it once more yesterday by taking a break between demolition and cleanup. We are hoping to get the house market ready by the end of the weekend. It is the end of an era as mom and dad have lived there for about 43 years. There are tons of members ories from the family events that have happened there. I remember painting the deck and doing repairs around the house during those years.

But, it is a new era and transition is in the air. Memories are more important than things. Well, I have to keep telling myself that as we add more stuff to the dumpster.

— Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY