Thanksgiving 2019

Well, it has arrived. The holiday to officially begin the holiday season dawned, or will dawn in a few minutes, and with it the parades, festive gatherings, football games, and the activities of our nation turn from divisiveness to family and friends. 

We need it! The news lately has become a repetitious drone of embarrassment. What have we become as a nation? Have we lost our moral rudder?

Our nation which used to be known for consistency with friend and foe alike has become like a rudderless ship adrift on the ocean. Friends are wary and foes openly defy us as they brazenly meddle in our internal affairs. We have become myopically inward-focused while the external world continues to churn. 

On this holiday, however, there are patriots among us who are not mired in the politics of the moment. The women and men of our military are standing guard across the world, but do not forget that with them there are also many civilians of the Department of Defense serving in foreign countries and working in operations centers here at home and around and who, instead of being at home with their families, are sacrificing their time and talent to secure and preserve freedom.

God bless you all!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Sun is a Late Riser

Sunrise Behind the Trees
Laurel, MD
November 26, 2019

Yesterday morning while walking to my truck in the parking lot of the club where I played racquetball in Laurel, I noticed that it still was not light out and that the sun was only beginning to brighten the skyline behind the trees. The streetlights were still illuminated. Sunrise was still more than 20 minutes away and while it was good that the sun was rising, I realized that for the next few weeks, until January 8th, it will continue to rise later in the morning.  

Here are the sad statistics.

Sunrise today was at 7:02 AM. By the end of 31st of December, sunrise in Baltimore will occur at 7:25 AM. I was amazed to find that even after the solstice on December 21st, when sunrise occurs at 7:22 AM, it will continue to occur later in the morning. It will be at its latest from January 1-7, 2020, when sunrise is at 7:26 AM. I guess the Sun prefers to sleep in during early January. I know that seems counterintuitive given that the daylight is actually lengthening during that period. The actual change in daylight from December 22 until January 7 is 11 minutes 51 seconds and it is all in later sunset times. 

And now for the real depressing thought, sunrise will not occur at 7:02 AM again until February 12, 2020. It truly is the season of darkness.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Darkness Falls

Sunrise today is at 7:02 AM.

I get to work at about 6:50 AM after playing racquetball beginning at 5:30 AM. 

Sunset will be at 4:48 PM. I will be lucky to be home by 4 PM so that I can experience 48 minutes of sunlight. 

It is the dark season. 

I am learning to live in the darkness, although I crave the light. There are only about 28 days left while the sun continues to reduce its daily presence. The solstice is coming and soon the light will begin to return.

The season of the darkness will be ending soon!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 25, 2019

1. It is the last Monday of November. Thanksgiving is Thursday and Christmas is a mere 30 days away. The year is rapidly drawing to a close. 

2. One of the most sensitive subjects in America right now is the impeachment proceedings--everyone seems to have an opinion, but most people are too polite to share theirs openly. 

3. Have the news media gone too far? Are they forgetting to cover the news? There are many things happening in the world right now that out Americans are blind to because the media is not covering them. 

Jupiter Lighthouse
Jupiter, Florida
November 18, 2019

4. Last week I was waking up in Tequesta enjoying the warmth of 70's. This morning it is 34 degrees as I wake up. On the last evening I was there, I did manage a nice image of the Jupiter Lighthouse  against the sunset-filled sky. 

5. Chris and I managed to escape for a few hours yesterday and visit a couple Maryland wineries. It brightened the entire weekend. 

6. The shortness of the days is becoming very evident. Darkness falls so early that there is little to do other than to watch the television. 

7. Family NFL Report
    
    Ravens play tonight in LA vs the Rams
    Redskins defeated Lions 19-16
    Cowboys lost to Patriots 9-13
    Steelers defeated Bengals  16-10


8. Today in History. “The Mousetrap,” a murder-mystery written by the novelist and playwright Agatha Christie, opens at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. The crowd-pleasing whodunit would go on to become the longest continuously running play in history, with more than 10 million people to date attending its more than 20,000 performances in London’s West End. When “The Mousetrap” premiered in 1952, Winston Churchill was British prime minister, Joseph Stalin was Soviet ruler, and Harry Truman was president. Christie, already a hugely successful English mystery novelist, originally wrote the drama for Queen Mary, wife of the late King George V. Initially called “Three Blind Mice,” it debuted as a 30-minute radio play on the queen’s 80th birthday in 1947. Christie later extended the play and renamed it “The Mousetrap”—a reference to the play-within-a-play performed in William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”



Headlines

Hong Kong Democracy Backers Win Big as Voters Flock to Polls - The New York Times

Voters in Romania Reject Years of Scandals and Chaos - The New York Times

Australia probes 'deeply disturbing' allegations of Chinese political interference - Reuters

Iran says pro-government rally to show who 'real' Iranians are - Reuters

Turkey to test Russian S-400 systems despite U.S. pressure: media - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

“Although we are a pluralistic society, the giving of thanks can be a true bond of unity among our people. We can unite in gratitude for our individual freedoms and individual faiths. We can be united in gratitude for our nation’s peace and prosperity when so many in this world have neither.” (1983)


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cats and Dogs Living Together

Louis with Francis
Elkridge, MD
November 22, 2019

Riordin with Francis
Elkridge, MD
November 22, 2019

Friday evening Chris and I hosted Happy Hour for our friends. It was a great event, but we also, apparently hosted Happy Hour for the cats and dogs that share our lives. They also enjoyed the activity and at one point stole the show.


The cats became the hit of the party, near the end of the evening, as we allowed them to leave the area where we had them confined. I thought the look that Louis gave was a priceless "I'm not happy and I'm going to do something drastic" look. Riordin, on the other-hand  was not amused that he had to share shoulder-time with Louis. 

Finnegan Sitting on Makayla
Elkridge, MD
November 23, 2019

The dogs were just dogs. They seemed unaffected by the activity and were content to themselves. They did sit next to me during the mean, but otherwise, they were content. I did not get a picture of them during the evening, but I took one yesterday that represented their approach to activity in the house. 

I think dogs have a more global view of the activity than do the cats. The cats get involved in the moment and the dogs roll over and say to themselves, "Oh yea, people." Yawn. "Maybe I can get a treat."

Dogs: totally incorrigible. 
Cats: spastic.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

What a Week (Potentially a Bit Controversial)

Waking to a temperature of 30 degrees this morning and with frost on the newly mown grass, I was reminded that I started the week waking to temperatures in the 70's with palm trees dancing in the breeze.

It is a cold the morning, much like the political climate in our country right now. 

I cannot understand why our political leaders are abrogating their responsibilities to govern in a bipartisan manner and allowing our global adversaries the opportunity to make huge gains while we are myopically focused upon domestic bickering. 

Here's Bob's view of the impeachment proceedings. I got asked this question this week about how I felt about the proceedings and after I formulated my answer and teased it out a bit, I felt that I wanted to share it with others to provide my perspective on the issues.

The proceedings are legal under the Constitution.

There is too much fluff being entered into the discussion by the defense. It does not matter what the Democratic Party did, or this or that candidate did, or what the Republican Party did. The ONLY thing germane to the conversation is what the president did!

That the President did something illegal has not been disputed by the Republican defense. 

The big question: Is what the President did worthy of impeachment and subsequent removal from office? And that is the true substance of the whole issue. 

Here is my analysis.

Given the current make up of the Senate, I believe this question will be answered only through the extremely partisan process that we have witnessed thus far. If the impeachment goes to the Senate for a trial, I predict the final vote will be 53-47 against conviction and removal. That allows for two Democrats and two Republicans each to switch sides. When it is boiled down, despite what the Constitution says, the standard for removal of a president from office is such that the crimes have to be egregious enough for the President's own party to vote for conviction and removal. In this case that means that at least 20 (more likely 22 or 23) Republican senators must vote for removal in order to obtain the 67 votes necessary to sustain a conviction. At this point it is clear that the party of the president continues to staunchly support the president. Hence, there will be no conviction. Going back to the Constitution, that, by extension, also means that the crimes are not egregious enough to warrant removal.

Bob's opinion--the Congress needs to get back to work and govern the nation and start passing a budget and fixing our looming economic disaster.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Final Mowing of the Season

Last evening I mowed the lawn!

Ornamental Bush
Elkridge, MD
November 21, 2019

Freshly Mowed Lawn
Elkridge, MD
November 21, 2019

For real on the 21st of November the lawn needed to be mowed to prepare it for winter. The grass had grown and in fact the lawn looks better right now than it looked all summer. The lawn is green--it is just crazy that I had to mow the lawn during November. But, even though it was cold, I had fun realizing that this will likely be the last mowing of 2019. 

After the mowing was complete and the tractor placed in the shed, I took a picture of the lawn and one of the ornamental bushes. The bush takes on the fire red color of the season. We are lucky in that we have not had any snow. The temperatures are cold, but snow, thus far, has not made its way into the region. 

Autumn is sliding into winter. The nights are getting longer and colder. The green lawn reminds me that spring and summer are coming again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Drawbridges

Drawbridge Over Lake Worth
Palm Beach, Florida
November 13, 2019

In reviewing my photos from the visit to Florida, I happened upon one that I took from the Flagler Museum of a Palm Beach drawbridge. While not a particularly interesting image by itself, as I reflected upon the subject and the region I realized drawbridges define coastal South Florida. 

I remember that as a kid I was fascinated by drawbridges. Ithaca did not and does not have any. Seeing one for the first time, I think I was in college, was a fascinating experience, it was almost like the first time I happened upon an escalator, I just wanted to stop and watch the precision of the huge machinery lifting the road to allow maritime traffic to pass underneath. 

Floating Drawbridge
Willemstad, Curacao
July 29, 2015

The area where I reside in Florida when I escape to the south is replete with drawbridges. Sometimes, I believe they have it in for me and seem to open at the most inopportune times. There is one particular drawbridge that I traverse multiple times per day and I clearly remember one day that it was open fully fifty percent of the time I attempted to pass. And as you are likely aware, drawbridge openings are not a short affair. It takes a good 5-10 minutes for the entire cycle to complete. 

One of the most fascinating drawbridges that I have seen was in Willemstad, Curacao. That bridge opened by sliding away in the water. It was a floating drawbridge.  Against the colorful town, it was a sight to see and enjoy. 

I will have to become used to the open and closing of drawbridges as I spend more time in South Florida as they are a way of life for the coastal communities. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Palm and the Cactus

My Palm Tree
Tequesta, Florida
November 19, 2019

Waking yesterday morning in Florida and being treated to a clear blue sky and warm sunshine was a perfect send-off and ending for my two weeks away from the north. I felt compelled to take a picture of my palm tree--the one that I park the car next to  in my drive when I am there. It is not a huge palm tree, as palm trees go, but I must be mindful of it as I back the car into the drive. I additionally use the palm to position the car so that I do not back into the garage door. 

Thanksgiving Cactus
Elkridge, MD
November 19, 2019

After an uneventful plane ride to Baltimore, Chris and I entered our home and were treated to our Thanksgiving Cactus in full bloom for the upcoming holiday. We knew that the cactus would likely bloom during our time away, but thought that it would be complete by the time we returned. We were happy that was not the case. It was a joy to round the corner into the family room and see the cactus brightening the space with its blooms. 

The house is decorated for Thanksgiving, however, we will likely begin the Christmasification process this weekend. It is the season! I usually install the exterior Christmas lights on Veterans Day, however, this year I was enjoying the sun and warmth of Florida on that holiday. So now the work begins. 


-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD
   (I do not know why I prefer to write out Florida, but abbreviate Maryland as MD)

The Last Sunset

Sunset to the South Over the Beach
Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter, Florida
November 18, 2019

Sunset to the East Over the Atlantic Ocean
Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter, Florida
November 18, 2019

Last evening Chris and I continued our ritual of saying good-bye to the ocean. This is something that we do at the end of every trip as a way of recognizing the end of the vacation and fixing in our minds that last image of the ocean waves crashing on the beach. Last evening the surf was definitely strong and the ocean was angry. We have observed a lot of beach erosion during our visit. All of the beaches we visited have shown signs of erosion from the pounding of the surf. 

Jupiter Lighthouse Looking to the West
Intra-coastal Waterway
Jupiter Island Florida
November, 18 2019

Sunset to the West
Intra-coastal Waterway
Jupiter Island Florida
November, 18 2019 

But the real joy of last evening, as we visiting the ocean for one last time, was the spectacular sunset. It was one of those rare sunsets that fully encompassed the sky. We looked to the east across the ocean and we could see the reflections of the sunset in the clouds and looking to the south along the beach the sunset was also stunning. When we walked across Jupiter Island to stand on the Intra-coastal Waterway and face fully to the west, however, the sunset was awe-inspiring. It was a sunset to remember and I am very glad that I captured the memory of it in more than a few images. 

It will be a some months before I return to stand in the places where I stood last evening, but the memory of the last sunset will be with me for a while. The sunset was a true example of "raining fire in the sky" that John Denver sings of in his song Rocky Mountain High.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, Florida