I Had a Hosta

Hosta Converted to Rabbit Food
Elkridge, MD
July 17, 2021

Chris and I have a shade garden. It is nestled under the trees near the driveway. 

The other morning I noticed that my prized and beautiful hostas had become nothing more than rabbit food. It used to have big and beautiful leaves that were fun to look at and enjoy. It covered a very wide area of the garden right on the edge. 

It is gone now, having been repurposed as nothing more than wild rabbit food. As have most of the hostas in the garden. 

Chris had placed some netting over the hostas to protect them from the rabbits, but a couple weeks ago a good sized rat snake became entangled in the mesh and died--so since we prefer to snakes over rodents, we removed the netting and effectively sacrificed the hostas to protect other beneficial snakes. 

It is a balance. We enjoyed the hostas for a while and now the rabbits have also enjoyed the hostas. We noticed a fox in the yard yesterday which will likely be enjoying the rabbits thereby allowing the hostas to grow new leaves for us to enjoy them again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

On the Edge of the Abyss--A Rant

 Well it is happening.

As a country are taking strides backwards into the abyss of COVID-19. 

It fascinates and upsets me that so many in the country did not see this coming or if they did, they did not heed the warnings. But, the warnings were true despite all of the posturing on one of the news networks--if we do not get vaccinated we cannot get rid of COVID-19. 

COVID-19 is real. People need to get vaccinated or they may get sick and potentially die. 

I think it is clear that more Americans have been vaccinated than have been afflicted with COVID-19 and that the consequences of getting vaccinated are that the COVID-19 infection rate is near zero and those who get sick form the vaccine are also very low as compared to the virus. The anecdotal stories to the contrary do not compare well against reality.

But no! For some strange reason people continue to avoid the vaccine opting instead to become a burden on society when they get sick from the new mutation of COVID-19. 

Loa Angeles County is mandating facial coverings indoors again. 

Let me be clear: I do not like wearing a face mask!

Please--get vaccinated if you can so that we can all help protect those who for valid medical reasons cannot be vaccinated.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Dogs and Water Creatures

Fascinated by a Leaf
Elkridge, MD
July 13, 2021

 The dogs are fascinated with water creatures, even if the water creature is a leaf.

It happened again the other evening--a leaf floated across the pool and the pack of dogs became agitated and barked at the leaf in an effort to convince it not to come closer.

They are funny to watch. I do worry about the noise when four of them start barking in unison. I am not used to having barking dogs in my yard and I do not want to disturb the neighbors. 

I must be leading a very boring life if this is the most exciting thing that I write about. But, it is something different breaking up the evenings. 

I could write about the clock we bought from Amazon that quit working because the hands got tangled up. The clock also has a humidity and temperature dial. The temperature hand was too far form the face and the hour hand collided with it. I was going to return it to Amazon, but I decided to return it on July 12th and the last day to return it was July 9th. So I fixed it in about five minutes. 

The dogs were far more interesting.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Mid-Summer

 Last evening was the first in about two weeks that evening thunderstorms did mot move through the area. 

The days have been hot and sultry. Uncomfortable.

I note that during most summers past, I have spend a couple weeks of July in Florida. I remember the reason. The average daily highs in Jupiter for the pas week have been in the 80's while here in the Baltimore region they have been in the 90's. Yes, it is cooler in Florida! What a concept. 

And there is a nice ocean breeze along Florida's Atlantic coast. 

10 Day Forecast for Elkridge, Maryland

10 Day Forecast for Jupiter, Florida

I'm guessing I'd rather be in Florida for the summer.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Orioles Mid-Season Update

 

I have to admit that at one point I was thinking of a weekly Orioles update, but as the season progressed it became clear that there was nearly nothing to update. The Orioles are without a doubt the second worst team in baseball. That means that of 30 terms they are number 29! Ugh. 

There is not a lot of excitement. The big question is how badly will they lose tonight?

Standings as of July 12 ,2021

The excitement of the season so far have been the no hitter by John Means and Trey Mancini's making it to the finals in last night's Home Run Derby. Aside from these two highs, everything else has been pretty low.

To recap: the Orioles have catchers who should not be in the Majors, the relief pitching is uneven, the offense cannot produce runs against the best pitchers in baseball, and base running has been awful. 

So at the All Star Break, it can hopefully only get better.

I hope that some of the young stars of the future begin to arrive from the minor leagues to restart a sense of baseball to the team. 

I really need something to cheer for!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - July 12, 2021

 

1. It is the second Monday of July 2021. There are two Mondays remaining this month.

Florence and Lily Relax
Elkridge, MD
July 11, 2021

2. I cannot believe that I occasionally still write 2020 when I mean 2021. I did it yesterday in the caption of an image I posted in my blog. I went back and corrected it, but I think the wrong date still shows up in Facebook.

3. Lily and Florence were relaxing on a hot July afternoon. I was likewise chilling in the shade after doing some projects and being up on the roof of the pool house. Having a pressure washer means having annually do some deep cleaning, which is best done under a hot sun!

4. There are a couple of scary headlines this morning.

5. Welcome to the Dog Days. This year they run from July 3 - August 11. And this week is going to be a hot one here in the mid-Atlantic region.

6. I do love hot summer days. What could be better?

7. Today in History. July 12, 1984. Walter Mondale, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, announces that he has chosen Representative Geraldine Ferraro of New York as his running mate. Ferraro, a daughter of Italian immigrants, had previously gained recognition as a vocal advocate of women’s rights in Congress. Ferraro became the first female vice presidential candidate to represent a major political party. 

Cuba sees biggest protests for decades as pandemic adds to woes - Reuters

Taliban surround central Afghan city of Ghazni  - Reuters

Italy erupts in celebration after Euro soccer triumph - Reuters

TikTok Owner Shelved IPO Plans After China Warning - The Wall Street Journal

Branson’s Virgin Galactic Flight Opens Door to Space Tourism - The Wall Street Journal

More Power Lines or Rooftop Solar Panels: The Fight Over Energy’s Future - The New York Times

Despite Outbreaks Among Unvaccinated, Fox News Hosts Smear Shots - The New York Times

Top U.S. commander to step down in  symbolic end to Afghan war - The Washington Post

This Christian movement wants a nation under God’s authority and is central to Trump’s GOP - The Washington Post

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

It's clear that achieving economic recovery now poses one of the greatest challenges to the free world, and it's this challenge that shall lie at the heart of our summit in Ottawa. We must discuss not just our problems there but our own national policies to cope with them and what we must do together to restore general prosperity.

I also hope from this summit will come a new sense of confidence and community among the industrial nations that economic recovery can be achieved. And I hope, further, that in our meetings, our countries will reaffirm our fundamental partnership with each other. For many years we've shared democratic political institutions, market economic systems, and a belief and faith in human dignity and freedom. By meeting at this summit, we will express our quiet determination to defend those institutions against any threat.

Finally, let me say I look forward to the summit for personal reasons. I believe it's important to the vitality of our foreign policy that I have the opportunity to renew friendships with world leaders who've already visited here in Washington and also have an opportunity to forge new relationships with those who've recently been elected to office.

Remarks of the President and Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau of Canada Following Their Meeting - July 10, 1981

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Pack is Formed

Lily and Arthur with the Leaf
Elkridge, Md
July 10, 2021

 I think five dogs composes a pack. 

If so, then we have a pack for the next week. Adding our daughter's three dogs to our own two makes a five dog pack. 

Life gets complicated when there are that many dogs and three of them do not feel constrained to remain in the yard. 

Last evening the dogs found some entertainment by watching a leaf dance in the current of the pool. They were completely into the leaf and could not fully grasp its motion. At one point they tried to attack the leaf, thinking it was an intruder. The leaf ignored them and continued its motion in the current created by the pool jet.

This infuriated the dogs as they could not understand how the leaf could continue to ignore them.

All told, this was at least a 15 minute adventure and allowed Chris and I to have some enjoyment at the dogs' expense. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

As the Weekend Arrives

 It was a different Friday evening. 

Usually our group of friends gets together on Friday evenings to enjoy some food and great wine while retelling the stories of the week. But last evening, no one was available and so Chris and I spent a Friday evening together enjoying the pool and watching some television. 

I did enjoy seeing the Friday version of Jeopardy and the last conducted by guest host Sanjay Gupta. 

We watched an old Jeff Dunham comedy show from 2007. Wow, we have changed so much in the 14 years since. Chris and I felt that there was way too much socially insensitive comedy in his routine then. And Achmed the Terrorist must go. His time is long past. 

I missed being with the group to discuss the week in news, sports, weather, and juicy gossip.

But even so, enjoying the pool and just hanging out together was enjoyable.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Saying Good-bye

 

America is saying good-bye to the longest war that it has ever waged: Afghanistan. 

I admit I have mixed emotions about the end of the war and the way it is ending, but I do believe that the time has come to allow the Afghans to either stand or fall on their own. 

I find the Republican resistance to the withdrawal interesting, since it was the former president who first announced the withdrawal during October 2020:

Trump's Afghanistan withdrawal announcement takes US officials by surprise

President Biden is following through on something his predecessor proposed and should, therefore, have bipartisan support. 

The sad state of politics in America is clear in this episode. The two parties have fallen into camps of progressives and obstructionists and this issue highlights the irrational approach to government both parties exhibit. 

I am looking forward to September 1, 2021 as being the first day in a very long time that America has not been at war. 

I do have to take issue with the notion that Afghanistan is the longest war that the U.S. has fought. Too many people forget the Cold War (1945-1991) which we waged longer. And don't tell me that no one died during the Cold War. There are many civilians and military personnel who died waging the Cold War. 

I long for peace. I hope that the church bells ring as the last American military forces depart Afghanistan and Americans begin the search for our collective post-9/11 Era identity and place in the world--that is the truer struggle. Afghanistan is the last active reminder of the America which began to take shape after 9/11/2001.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Hanging in the Morning Sky

Moon over Ducketts Lane Elementary
Elkridge, MD
July 7, 2021

Yesterday I headed out early, just before dawn, to play racquetball. As I was driving past the local elementary school, I saw the crescent moon hanging in the predawn sky. The scene yelled "it is summertime to me."

The color of the predawn sky had the summer hues and the silhouetted school building, clearly empty with few lights illuminating the halls similarly supported the conclusion that this was a hot, sultry summer morning. And it was!

I am playing racquetball at an outdoor court and we try to begin our match as soon as we believe we can see the ball well enough not to be a danger to ourselves. 

This evening, we are expecting the remnants of Hurricane Elsa to pass through the area and treat us to more rain and thunderstorms! Rain and thunder seem to be an every evening event right now. 

They just serve to make the morning sky more interesting.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD