Rainy Saturday

Another cold, dreary day
Elkridge, MD
May 30, 2021

A cold rain fell most of yesterday.

It put a damper on outdoors activities. It was so very cold for late May. It is too cold for the holiday weekend which marks the unofficial beginning of summer!

The cicadas were, however, quiet. I am sure that if they could think they would be wondering why they waited 17 years for this cold, wet weather. It certainly does put a damper on breeding season.

The dogs didn't want to go outside.

I didn't want to go outside, for that matter. I was fortunate to have been able to mow the lawn Friday before the rains arrived and the temperature dropped. 

It was a bleak and dreary day. 

Today is beginning much the same as yesterday. The pool sits empty, the water warmer than the air which is too cold to swim. I am glad that I have not yet fired up the heater to bring the water to full swimming comfort. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cicada, part 2

 

Cicada Brood X Hiding in Hyacinth
Elkridge, MD
May 28, 2021

Since they only visit every 17 years and there is a high probability that I will not be living in the region for their next visit, I am truly fascinated by the bugs.

It is amazing how much I have forgotten of their last visit. I had forgotten that they are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. As I mowed the lawn before the cold and rain arrived yesterday, I noticed the bugs and their discarded shells covering almost everything. I found the cicadas hiding in flowers and the grasses surrounding my pool. 

I even found them crawling up the outside wall of my house in great numbers!

And so it continues and then, it will be gone and we will have to be content with memories form the visit of the cicadas.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Cicadas Everywhere

 

Cicada Brood X Nymph Shells
Elkridge, MD
May 27, 2021

In an effort to document the Brood X arrival, and subsequent departure, I have decided to provide periodic updates for those who are not enjoying (I use the term facetiously) the arrival of the bugs. 

They are loud and they are nearly everywhere. I do not rememberer the piles of empty nymph shells lying at the bottom of the trees from 17 years ago--but even after the ferocious rains of the night before, there are piles of the shells at the bases of trees in the neighborhood. 

Brood X Cicada
Elkridge, MD
May 27, 2021

I confess, however, the bugs are not a large as I remember. Maybe they are still young and will continue to grow during their short 2-4 weeks above ground eating and breeding.

But they are definitely here and I am not too sure why I was so excited about their impending arrival. 

It is an infestation of biblical proportions. The Egyptians had nothing on this!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Lightning

Lightning Lit Storrmy Night Sky
Elkridge, MD
May 26, 2021

 The storms blew through last evening providing a spectacular display of lightning. It was fun to watch. Our dogs and cats also joined us for the shows, compliments of nature. I learned, however, that it is very hard to actually get an image of lightning. 

I tried.

My camera has a night mode that meant it wanted to make the scene bright--but I wanted it dark. 

I missed the actual lightning bolts streaking across the sky.

I need to do some research about how best to capture lightning on camera.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wednesday

 

Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter, Florida
October 6, 2020

It is one of those mornings.

My laptop is restarting and I am not getting anything accomplished. 

I love my Apple Mac, but some mornings when it loads new software it is just painful. I am on my iPad trying to recollect my thoughts to no avail. 

I was supposed to play racquetball this morning, but I had to call it off because I was up late last evening. 

And it is a gloomy day outside. 

So I went to my happy place for respite. 

Enjoy the view.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Sunday Morning at the Ballpark

Jax Swings and Misses
Pasadena, MD
May 23, 2021

 Well, it wasn't really a ballpark, it was a field with fences and dugouts behind a middle school in Pasadena, MD. That is where Chris and I found ourselves in the heat of Sunday morning watching baseball with other parents and relatives. And that is probably the truest form of baseball--a rough field, two teams, boys living a dream that may not be their own, and dedicated fans.

As Chris and I walked across the dry grass of the adjoining playgrounds to the baseball field, I though about the many other players and parents across the country who are doing the same thing this morning, other mornings, and evenings to enjoy the game of baseball. And I do enjoy baseball. The boys are getting to the age where the game is much more than try to hit the ball and hope something good happens. There are plays and calls and strategy. And often just plain old good hustle will turn into a great play. It is fun and frustrating because we want the boys to play like professional baseball players and sometimes forget that they are still boys who are learning. 

But it was on this Sunday morning that I realized how special it was to be able to enjoy the game of baseball as it was being being played on a hot, dusty field full of hopes and dreams.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - May 24, 2021

 

1. It is the fourth Monday of May 2021. There is one Monday remaining in the month and that will be celebrated as Memorial Day. There are 31 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. Hot weather has been awesome the past few days. Too bad today is supposed to be 20 degrees cooler. 

Finnegan Changing Floaties in the Pool
Elkridge, MD
May 23, 2021

3. Next Monday we celebrate Memorial Day, the unofficial beginning of the summer season. Gas prices are up but the country is reopening.

4. We hosted our first pool party of the season yesterday and had a great time. It was good to have the family together to celebrate the heat in the refreshing atmosphere of our pool. Finnegan demonstrated his ability to change floaties in the middle of the pool without concern.

Cicadas Brood X in the Garden
Elkridge, MD
May 22, 2021

5. Brood X has arrived. Brood X has arrived. The Cicadas, Brood X have arrived and they are both everywhere and noisy. Very noisy. At least they are quiet at night.

6. The Orioles have managed to take the escalator straight to the bottom of the standings. They are 12 games below .500 and 11 games out of first in the division. They are tied with the Twins for the worst record in baseball.

7. The NHL playoffs have become interesting. Two teams are now out of there playoffs: the St Louis Blues and the Washington Capitals. The Penguins continue to play and are tied 2-2 in their series with the Islanders. 

8. Today in History. May 24, 1883. After 14 years, the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River opens, connecting the great cities of New York and Brooklyn for the first time in history. Thousands of residents of Brooklyn and Manhattan Island turned out to witness the dedication ceremony, which was presided over by President Chester A. Arthur and New York Governor Grover Cleveland. Designed by the late John A. Roebling, the Brooklyn Bridge was the largest suspension bridge ever built to that date.

Belarus Forces Down Airliner Carrying Dissident and Seizes Him - The New York Times

U.S. Virus Cases and Deaths Drop to Levels Not Seen Since Last Summer - The New York Times

Lawmakers worry the toxic mood on Capitol Hill will follow them home - The Washington Post

Fear of the ‘next round’: Why many Israelis who live near Gaza oppose the cease-fire - The Washington Post

Phil Mickelson Wins the PGA Championship - The Wall Street Journal

Cable-Car Crash Kills 14 In Italy - The Wall Street Journal

Healthcare & PharmaceuticalsWuhan lab staff sought hospital care before COVID-19 outbreak disclosed - Reuters

Asia PacificU.S. waiting to see if North Korea wants to engage in diplomacy - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

Memorial Day is a time to take stock of the present, reflect on the past, and renew our commitment to the future of America.

Today, as in the past, there are problems that must be solved and challenges that must be met. We can tackle them with our full strength and creativity only because we are free to work them out in our own way. We owe this freedom of choice and action to those men and women in uniform who have served this nation and its interests in time of need. In particular, we are forever indebted to those who have given their lives that we might be free.

I don't have to tell you how fragile this precious gift of freedom is. Every time we hear, watch, or read the news, we are reminded that liberty is a rare commodity in this world.

This Memorial Day of 1983, we honor those brave Americans who died in the service of their country. I think an ancient scholar put it well when he wrote: "Let us now praise famous men . . . All these were honored in their generation, and were the glory of their times. Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.'' As a tribute to their sacrifice, let us renew our resolve to remain strong enough to deter aggression, wise enough to preserve and protect our freedom, and thoughtful enough to promote lasting peace throughout the world.

Message on the Observance of Memorial Day - May 26, 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Lighting the. Night

Chris and I completed a lighting project yesterday for the pool area of the house. 

New Lighting
ELkridge, MD
May 2, 2021

Previously, we had rope lights on the fences, but over the years some portions of the strands had gone dark. It didn't look good and so we took them down earlier this year.

But, of course, we needed to replace them with something and so we decided to place lights on the deck itself. Amazingly the lights come in packages measuring 48 feet and the area we needed to cover was 47 feet, which meant that there was a foot at the end for the cord to come down. I admit, I never usually get that lucky. 

We installed the lights yesterday, after the heat of the day had passed, and I snapped this image last evening with the screened porch lights also illuminated. It does brighten the areas. And, as an added benefit, it also attracts Brood X cicadas and mosquitoes. 

We are hopeful that it will add fun to an already enjoyable area.

BTW, the pool is open and I actually swam in it yesterday! Yes! 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Reopening

 

It is happening right before our eyes--the country is reopening. 

Finally!

I can tell because the morning and afternoon traffic jams are becoming routine again on I-95 and Route 100. What took 10 minutes to travel just a short two months ago at 4:30 PM now takes 20 minutes. 

As I wrote yesterday, Chris and I enjoyed dinner at a restaurant where no one was facially covered and there was no requirement to wear a facial covering to enter. 

People are getting vaccinated and that shows a definite impact because the infection rates are dropping--just as predicted. 

Outstanding questions:

When I will actually attend a movie in a theater?

Will I feel safe on a cruise?

When will the mask mandate be dropped in airports and aircraft?

Can I trust people to be honest about their vaccination status?

When will I attend a concert in a building? (I am going to an outdoor concert Friday night)

When will I play racquetball on an indoors court?

When will wineries reopen for tastings like they were before Covid?

When will Southwest Airlines begin serving more than four Beverages on a flight? (They don't even serve coffee)

When will Orioles Park have a full-capacity sellout?

At least the reopening is coming and happening. It has been a very long almost year-and-a-half. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Escaping the Week

 

The Pointe Crab House Docks
Magothy River, Arnold, MD
May 20, 2021

Yes, Friday has arrived again. I am happy for that. 

Chris and I, however, decided to begin the weekend a day early by heading out for dinner last evening to a place I cannot remember visiting since the COVID epidemic began. We headed off to The Pointe Crab House in Arnold, MD. 

We enjoy The Pointe because it is situated on the Magothy River and provides a unique and enjoyable dining experience. I especially like the boat-up to the restaurant docks which provide a constant source of amusement and awe.

It was great to get out and we were in a facial-covering free environment for the first time in well over a year. It was freeing. The restaurant is open air and the light breeze and strong sun made the experience even more enjoyable. 

It is good to get out, midweek, to escape the house and to enjoy the great weather which has moved into the area.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD