Sleepy Cat

Riordin on the Sofa
Elkridge, MD
July 4, 2021

Riordin never ceases to amaze. 

The other morning he was sleeping on the sofa with his head on a pillow.

He looked cute. 

And comfortable. 

Too comfortable! I cannot get that comfortable on that sofa. I wondered how he managed to do it. It is, however, his normal sleeping location every morning although he has never before rested his head on the pillow. 

Why do I have cats? They puke and use a litter box which stinks up the place. At least doge reliever themselves outside--and I then pick up their feces in a bag to prevent flies. 

As I took this image, he looked at me and then went back to sleep.

I wish I could have done the same.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Summertime Fun

Diving In
Elkridge, MD
July 4, 2021

 I just had to do it. Chris even asked me why?

Because, I responded, it is the 4th of July and I have to be in the pool because it is the real summer holiday. 

But the day was cool--upper 70's and the pool had lost some heat due to the overnight loss in the 50s--yes, 58 degrees. It really takes a few degrees out of the pool.

And so, I stood on the diving board and prepared myself for a frigid experience and dove in. All-in-all it was not so bad. It was refreshing, but not cold and I actually stayed in the pool for a while. The air was cool and I felt the evaporation when I finally got out, but I felt better for being in the pool on a great Independence Day. 

Sometimes you just gotta do what you just need to do! And do it head first.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 5, 2021

 

1. It is the first Monday in July. Amazingly, my favorite month of the year has arrived. 

Fireworks from Neighborhood Block Party
Elkridge, MD
July 4, 2021

2. It was a fantastic 4th of July. The neighborhood got together for a great block party. It was the first year in many that we did not have our own backyard display.

3. The pool has cooled some, but it was still refreshing and enjoyable and I took some time to definitely enjoy it during the day.

4. It is vacation season and the world is beginning to open. I hear that the National Parks are jammed.

5. I wish I could spend some time on a beach today--but soon enough.

6. I enjoy taking pictures of fireworks!

7. And so the week begins. At least I have a day off today. I am playing racquetball this morning. 

8. Today in History. On July 5, 1946, French designer Louis Réard unveils a daring two-piece swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled the new fashion, which Réard dubbed “bikini,” inspired by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean earlier that week.

Champlain Towers Demolished as Storm Approaches Miami - The Wall Street Journal

Retail Investors Power the Trading Wave With Record Cash Inflows - The Wall Street Journal

Engineers who have examined the wreckage have been struck by a possible flaw in the building’s construction. - The New York Times

Vaccination Is the ‘Most Patriotic Thing,’ Biden Says on Independence DayVaccination Is the ‘Most Patriotic Thing,’ Biden Says on Independence Day - The New York Times

Thousands in D.C. celebrate a nearly normal Independence Day - The Washington Post

Iran, facing another virus surge, reimposes restrictions and focuses on homegrown vaccines - The Washington Post

Hackers demand $70 mln to restore data held by companies hit in cyberattack - Reuters

Tropical storm Elsa likely to pass near Florida Keys on Tuesday - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

All through our history, our presidents and leaders have spoken of national unity and warned us that the real obstacle to moving forward the boundaries of freedom, the only permanent danger to the hope that is America, comes from within. It’s easy enough to dismiss this as a kind of familiar exhortation. Yet the truth is that even two of our greatest Founding Fathers, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, once learned this lesson late in life. They’d worked so closely together in Philadelphia for independence. But once that was gained and a government was formed, something called partisan politics began to get in the way. After a bitter and divisive campaign, Jefferson defeated Adams for the presidency in 1800. And the night before Jefferson’s inauguration, Adams slipped away to Boston, disappointed, brokenhearted, and bitter.

For years their estrangement lasted. But then when both had retired, Jefferson at 68 to Monticello and Adams at 76 to Quincy, they began through their letters to speak again to each other. Letters that discussed almost every conceivable subject: gardening, horseback riding, even sneezing as a cure for hiccups; but other subjects as well: the loss of loved ones, the mystery of grief and sorrow, the importance of religion, and of course the last thoughts, the final hopes of two old men, two great patriarchs, for the country that they had helped to found and loved so deeply. “It carries me back,”’ Jefferson wrote about correspondence with his cosigner of the Declaration of Independence:

July 4, 1986, Independence Day Speech Aboard the USS John F. Kennedy in New York Harbor

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The 4th

 Happy Independence Day!

It is America's Birthday! 

245 years and counting. 

There will be celebrations and fireworks across the neighborhoods of America today. 

We must never forget the words of Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, 

It is from these words that our Republic was formed by the conflict of revolution and grew into the world leader that it is today. We are not perfect, but as we address our imperfections we grow more and more into realizing the dreams of our Founding Fathers. 

Live the dream!

Happy Independence Day!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Storm Raged

Rainbow Amid the Storm
Elkridge, MD
June 30, 2021

Photo by Chris

 Violent thunderstorms have assaulted our region during the evening hours lately. They have brought winds ,rain, and even the threat of tornados to our generally placid area. 

The other evening Chris and I took up our positions on the porch to watch the fury and the power sweep through the area. We enjoy the lightning and the thunder. We especially love watching the lightning break across the sky in complex fractal patterns between the clouds sometimes striking the ground.

But then, in the middle of it all, a rainbow appeared. It was very faint at first, but grew in color and intensity. The rainbow occupied a calm in the middle of the storm. A patch of blue sky between the thunder cells. 

Chris adeptly captured the image and I have to admit, it came out much better than I though it would. The image captures the darkness around the rainbow--the calm amidst the storms.

Kind of like life--there is sometimes calm between the storms. We just need to recognize and pause to enjoy the opportunity that it provides. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Photographing a Firefly (Lightning Bug)

 

Capturing a Firefly
Elkridge, MD
June 29, 2021

The other evening as I watched the firefly's illuminating across the yard I decided to obtain a picture of a lit bug. 

It turned out to be more difficult than I imagined and the results were underwhelming, at best.

A bright spot in the picture--that is a firefly. Wow!

I guess a time exposure would have been better to see it move across the field of view. 

I took a lot of pictures before I actually caught one of the bugs actually lighting. 

I tried looking at it in long exposure--to no avail. The bright spot near the middle of the image is the best that I could do, sadly. 

But, it was fun trying.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Please Get Vaccinated

Some of my Facial Coverings
Elkridge, MD
June 30, 2021

I do not enjoy wearing facial coverings in public places--like airplanes and stores, despite the fact that I have some of the most creative masks out there thanks to some great friends and former neighbors.

I do not enjoy lockdowns for public safety. 

The Delta COVID-19 variant is virulent. It reportedly is a threat to the over 50 percent of Americans who are not fully vaccinated. 

I have been enjoying the freedoms that living in a mostly vaccinated society provide. I even went to a concert the other evening and did not feel uneasy being around multitudes of other people who were not wearing facial coverings. 

Already the CDC is beginning to recommend that all people (vaccinated or not) wearing facial coverings to defend against the Delta variant because not enough Americans are vaccinated.

I believe the statistics are fairly obvious--the risk of getting COVID-19 AND suffering long term problems and possibly dying from it are far greater that any of the risks associated with getting vaccinated.

My conclusion--Get Vaccinated!

As an aside, I cannot answer the question that was retold to me the other day: "Why is the government making only people who are unvaccinated get COVID-19?"

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Same Dog, Different Day

Lily Joining the Fun
Elkridge, MD
June 29, 2021

Ethan Airborne with Lily Watching
Elkridge, MD
June 29, 2021

 Yesterday I posted an image from April of Lily running on the pool cover. Today, the same dog is shown racing around the pool on a hot summer day playing with her humans!

It is the perfect pool scene: boys, dog, water, and more importantly--fun!

What better activity to enjoy on a sweltering summer day? And the advantage that a home pool has over a public pool? The dog! 

The entire family gets to play together. 

Of course, another floatie was destroyed during the fun, but after all, that is what they are made for. 

I only wish that I had been there to enjoy the pandemonium and the fun, but alas, I was stuck at work. I did enjoy the pool after coming home, but by then the fun was long over.

Summertime is here and tomorrow my favorite month of the year arrives!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Heat Returns

Lily on the Pool
Elkridge, MD
April 4. 2021

 After the cold spell which saw temperatures were in the low 50's and even high 40's overnight, the hot summer 90 degree plus weather has returned. And I am cheering! The pool is back up to the optimal summertime swimming temperature and it feels awesome to fall into the warm waters.

If I cannot be at the beach to enjoy a hot summer day, I want to be able to enjoy my pool. Napping on a floatie with a cold drink in my hand on a summer afternoon is almost the best that it can be.

The pool is clear and the water is balanced. Perfection for the short four month period every year when we actually can enjoy the pool. Until the pool was opened and the water warmed the only ones who really enjoyed it were the dogs, like Lily did during April earlier this year. A few nice days here or there do not offset the expense of keeping the pool clean and balanced. 

I think we opened the pool the latest ever this year. Truly. But, the weather since has meant that we made a good decision--between the continual rains and the too cold temperatures it has not been a lot of fun to be in the pool.

But that has changed, with the arrival of hot summer days. 

Here comes the sun, heat, and humidity! Everything for which a summertime in Maryland is know. 

And the pool water is beckoning. 

Why am I working when the pool is calling? Remind me again?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - June 28, 2021

 1. Wow. It is the fourth and final Monday of June. There are 26 Mondays remaining in the year.  Next week it will be July and we will be celebrating the start of the second half of the year.

Crowd at Big Cork Concert
Rohrersville, MD
June 26, 2021

2. Chris and I went to an actual concert Saturday night on the lawn at a winery. The weather was great and the crowd was definitely not concerned about COVID.

3. I have noticed that many drivers are speeding along the roads at scary speeds and creating unsafe situations. 

4. Yesterday I moved a sofa and a mattress--what a great way to begin a hot June Sunday. Not!

5. There is something relaxing about lounging in the pool on a floatie on a hot afternoon.

6. What are decisions related to relocating so difficult? It seemed like a no brainer just a few months ago and now doubts are increasing about the planned residence change to Florida.

7. I am very happy that my condo in Florida is not in a high rise building. Chris and I had looked at some like that, but decided against them.

8. Today in History. Sometime after midnight on June 28, 1969, in what is now regarded by many as history’s first major protest on behalf of equal rights for LGBTQ people, a police raid of the Stonewall Inn—a popular gay club located on New York City's Christopher Street—turns violent as patrons and local sympathizers begin rioting against the authorities.

Although the police were legally justified in raiding the club, which was serving liquor without a license among other violations, New York’s gay community had grown weary of the police department targeting gay clubs, many of which had already been closed. 

Soon, the crowd began throwing bottles at the police. The protest spilled over into the neighboring streets, and order was not restored until the deployment of New York’s riot police sometime after 4 a.m. 

Unemployment Rolls Shrink Faster in States Cutting Aid - The Wall Street Journal

U.S. Airstrikes Hit Iranian-Backed Militias in Syria and Iraq - The Wall Street Journal

Possible Failure Point Emerges in Florida Building Collapse - The New York Times

Infrastructure Deal Is Back on Track After Biden’s Assurances - The New York Times

Records crushed in Pacific Northwest amid historic heat wave - The Washington Post

Trump Organization attorneys given Monday deadline to persuade prosecutors not to file charges against it - The Washington Post

North Korea sees 'propaganda value' in slimmer Kim, analysts sayAsia Pacific - Reuters

Analysis: Shut off from the world, Australia fosters red-hot growth at home - Reuters

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

The signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 marked both the beginning of a new nation and the start of a great epoch in the history of political affairs. That day in Philadelphia, a Republic was born based on the idea of liberty for all. The Fourth of July is America's birthday celebration, but it is also a day of importance for anyone who believes in freedom.

The Declaration of Independence opened government to the people as never before. Each individual was acknowledged as possessing certain inalienable rights. And these rights in turn enabled our people to take part in their political system. Here was a true revolution, embodying the idea that government required the consent of those it governed. Overnight, Americans were acknowledged as citizens of a free land where they had once been only colonial subjects of a distant monarch.

To this day, this eloquent document detailing the rights of man and the concept of individual liberty is as moving as it is timely. It continues to hold profound meaning for us. We should remember the words of John Adams when he wrote of its signing to his wife Abigail as, ``the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty.''

This Independence Day, 1985, let us be guided by the wisdom of that great American statesman and of all our Founding Fathers. As we commemorate 209 years of liberty today, let us pray for God's blessing and His help in safeguarding the precious legacy of the Declaration of Independence.

Message on the Observance of Independence Day, 1985 - July 3, 1985

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD