A Different Friday Happy Hour

 

The Boys Watching a Video
Cinco Ranch, TX
January 14, 2022

It almost escaped me that yesterday was Friday--but it was! 

The family gathered for Happy Hour and a meal. The day concluded with some quality time around a fire pit. The family, as it gathers, is a fun mix of children and adults. 

Friday was generally uneventful as I spent most of the day with Dad. I enjoyed his company, one-on-one; it is something we do not get to do often. It was very different having an entire afternoon with him. We watched a few movies, but most importantly just spent time together. 

I enjoyed watching the kids interact after the family had gathered. There were 5 of them, 2 girls and 3 boys. They spent time together as a group, other times split off into gender specific groups and at some times in family groups or alone. I enjoyed dinner with almost all of them as they cycled through the table at which I was dining. 

It is clear to me that I am still getting used to the retirement gig. Today is a travel day and we head back to Maryland. I am not looking forward to the cold weather there. Were it not for our pets which we need to retrieve, we would head back to the warmth of Florida. But Chris and I will be back in Maryland, hopefully, by the end of the day weather permitting with good memories of our visit to Texas and looking ahead to our Florida return.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Weston Lakes, TX

Messina Hof - Texas Winery & Kitchen

 

It has been a busy week of travel and visiting with family. 

Last evening we had the opportunity to visit a local winery for dinner. The Messina Hof provided a great dinner menu highlighting Texas wines. We specifically visited the Messina Hof Harvest Green Winery & Kitchen in Richmond, Texas.

I had read that Texas wines were becoming very good and I was not disappointed by the wines we chose with dinner. The GSM was the spectacular wine of the night. Very deep with a great nose. The winemaker describes it as follows: GSM is for the sophisticatedly-curious. Upon first taste, this medium-bodied wine leaves the palate with a blended synergy of rich flavors like blackberry, dark cherry, and plum with a hint of spice. Enjoy this hearty blend with savory meats like pork or lamb complemented with blends of herbs and peppery spices. The wine has an excellent price point of $25.

I also enjoyed the Paulo Tempranillo with my dinner which was an elegantly served and tasteful pork dish called The Cactus & Pig. Duroc pork chop, grilled Texas peach and cactus flower agrodolce with Blushing Angel and smoked potato hash cake and arugula. The Tempranillo is described as: a full-bodied wine with nuances of dark cherry, vanilla, and dried cloves. It is masterfully oak aged giving it a wonderful tannin structure and long, refined finish. It has a price point of $60 and the wine was perfect for the dinner.

The final wine of the evening, which was enjoyed sitting around a fire pit, was the HG Abounding. It was very enjoyable with earthy aromas of rich Texas terroir and flavors of blackberry that reach out from the depths of the glass. Oak aging adds balanced layers of black tea and leather. Its lingering finish, when savored, evokes the lifecycle of the grapevine from soil to press. A great bottle of wine with a $25 price point.

The service at the restaurant was excellent and friendly. The wines and courses were serves promptly and the servers and manager were eager to showcase their wines for non-Texans. And I was very impressed.

A great Texas meal highlighted with Texas wines!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Weston Lakes, TX

As the Sun Rises

 

Winter Trees
Weston Lakes, TX
January 13, 2022

The trees of Winter were standing tall this morning as the Sun slowly rose over Texas. The trees had that eerie look that trees possess when silhouetted, yet they were standing tall as the morning light grew stronger. 

It was the start of another day in Texas and I look forward to spending more time with my Dad. He is doing remarkably well and it was very good to see him yesterday.

Traveling to begin the new year has been very different. I have also been keeping one eye on the news and monitoring developments in the areas that I used to work. It has been an exciting time, to say the least.

As the sun rises on a new day and I am in my second state of the new year looking forward to returning Maryland on Saturday to enjoy (or not) a possible winter weather event on Sunday! What a way to spend a three-day weekend. Wait! every weekend is a three-day weekend for me.

Still trying to get used to that concept.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Weston Lakes, TX

Question of the Day

Baggage Handlers at Work
Jackson, MS
January 11, 2022

I survived the travel day and made it to Hump Day. Not that I am trying to get through the week or anything, but I am clinging to some of the ways I used to identify days of the week. 

Question of the Day:

What do you do when you are a through passenger with over an hour stuck in the aircraft on the ground before continuing the trip?

Answer:

I experienced this very situation yesterday. I did three things.

1. Watched the baggage handlers load luggage.

2. Wrote my blog.

3. Vowed never to let this happen again!

And then I really explored how this happened. Houston does not seem to be that strange a destination when traveling from West Palm Beach, yet the flights mostly pass through connecting cities and multiple stops. At least on Southwest. I did find one direct flight on another airline. According to Expedia, that is the only nonstop. I guess I may be flying that airline next time.

Travel can be frustrating. I also have to confess, wearing a mask for almost seven hours is not a lot of fun. I wonder how people on trans-Pacific flights survive. The bands of the mask really began to cut into my ears.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Fulshear, TX

Fly-Away Travel Day

Jupiter Lighthouse at Sunset

 It is a travel day. We are taking what seems like the most circuitous route possible from West Palm Beach to Houston on Southwest. There were no direct flights and so we have visited Atlanta at sunrise and are now trapped on a plane in Jackson, Mississippi, waiting to load and then head off to Houston. Ugh.

It was kinda cool to land in Atlanta at sunrise and see the rising sun kissing the tops of the tall trees. We had departed Palm Beach under the cover of darkness. The blessing has been very empty flights and Chris and I have enjoyed a middle season both legs of the journey thus far. Hopefully we will end the trip three for three in that department. 

I am looking forward to seeing Dad and the Houston part of the family for a couple of days before heading back to frozen Maryland. I am hopeful of keeping the turnaround time in Maryland short. I long to see the Jupiter Lighthouse again and enjoy the shorts, sandals, and tee-shirt weather. I have very much enjoyed starting my retirement in a warm climate.

Despite missing my morning beach walk, the day has been going fairly well. Getting up at 4 AM to catch a 6:25 AM flight was not a lot of fun, but that is how it is sometimes.

Another fly-away day partially complete.

— Bob Doan, writing from Jackson, MS

Monday Musings - January 10, 2022

 

1. Give a big greeting to the second Monday of January 2022. There are 50 more Mondays, or chances to get it right remaining this year.

Squadron of Pelicans
Jupiter Island Beach, Florida
January 9, 2020

2. Sitting on the beach last evening for happy hour, I was treated to a very large squadron of pelicans flying overhead. They were amazing in the way they maintained their spacing and formation.  

3. Family Sports Report

   NFL

      Ravens (8-9) lose to Steelers (9-7-1), 13-16

      Cowboys (12-5) defeat Eagles (9-8), 51-26

      Washington (7-10) defeat Giants (4-13), 22-7

   NHL

      Penguins (20-9-5) lose to Stars (17-12-2), 2-3

4. I enjoyed a drive to the Port of Miami yesterday to retrieve family members from the cruise which I was unable to enjoy. The drive gave me some perspective on how long of a drive it actually is to get to Miami!

5. I am shocked by the amount of misinformation regarding COVID. vaccines, and COVID testing. Apparently people want to intentionally harm other people by providing bad information.

6. Busy week ahead. More traveling and then finally back to Maryland. It is hard to believe that I have started the year in Florida and will be leaving for a bit but will return to enjoy my first long-term residence since I was in college.

7. Today in History. On January 10, 1901, a drilling derrick at Spindletop Hill near Beaumont, Texas, produces an enormous gusher of crude oil, coating the landscape for hundreds of feet and signaling the advent of the American oil industry. The geyser was discovered at a depth of over 1,000 feet, flowed at an initial rate of approximately 100,000 barrels a day and took nine days to cap. Following the discovery, petroleum, which until that time had been used in the U.S. primarily as a lubricant and in kerosene for lamps, would become the main fuel source for new inventions such as cars and airplanes; coal-powered forms of transportation including ships and trains would also convert to the liquid fuel.

Ahead of talks, U.S. again warns Putin of ‘massive consequences’ if Russia invades Ukraine - The Washington Post

Threat of omicron keeps China walled off, as the country’s scientists search for better vaccines - The Washington Post

As Afghanistan’s harsh winter sets in, many are forced to choose between food and warmth - The Washington Post

Hospitals Cut Beds as Nurses Call In Sick With Covid-19 - The Wall Street Journal

Are Musk’s Starlink Satellites Overcrowding Space? Why China, Rivals Say So - The Wall Street Journal

Taliban Detain Prominent Critic, Intensifying Crackdown on Dissent - The Wall Street Journal

Tennis star Djokovic wins court battle to stay in Australia - Reuters

Putin claims victory in defending Kazakhstan from revolt - Reuters

Israel not bound by any nuclear deal with Iran, Bennett says - Reuters

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

What is a Weekend?

 

I have had many people tell me that once retired, weekends are hard to distinguish from weekdays.

That may be true, but as I have just experienced my first true retired weekend I noticed one thing that sets it apart from weekdays: local activities. Yesterday, for instance, Chris and I found two artisan gatherings to visit and enjoy. These are weekend occurrences and I realized that I need to do a better job scouring the internet for local weekend activities. 

I have to admit, I am looking forward to playing golf during the week--which may also be a big difference from when I used to have to golf on weekends. Hopefully, before the end of January Chris and I will be on the golf course again smacking the little white, or brightly colored, balls around to either increase or decrease our frustration. 

And so, weekends still exist--just differently. At least that is my observation from week one of retirement.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

A Flamboyance

A Flamboyance of Flamingos

A surprise arrived yesterday inside of a small package left by the UPS driver.

Upon opening the package I was surprised and excited as I discovered that it contained a flamboyance of flamingos! All jumbled together.

Single Flamingo Light

They were flamingo lights to adorn the patio of our condo.

It is amazing how something like these can make me smile. Now I just need to find the perfect spot for the flamboyance to occupy. I have them temporarily installed along a wall on the patio.

It took about five minutes to get them untangled and strung out. 

But it was worth it. They are cute. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Day 4 - Maybe it is Real

 

Day 4 - Retirement
Jupiter Beach, Florida
January 6, 2022

Retirement Day 4 started like most days--I wrote a blog, enjoyed breakfast, checked the weather back in Maryland and was happy not to be there. There is way too much snow and cold.

I am still adjusting to the idea that I don't have to go to work when my vacation is over--wait, I'm not on vacation. I am sure that the permanence of my situation will hit me when I get back to Maryland in just over a week. 

I do miss work, or at least the thought of work. I miss the people I worked with and from reading the news I have a sense of what they are dealing with. I remember that when I retired from the Air Force a couple decades ago that it took me a while to disconnect from the military, I am sure that will be the case again--but I do not want to lose touch with the friends I've made and the people I've worked with these past 20 plus years. 

The great part about yesterday was the couple afternoon hours on the beach. It was cool, only 75 degrees, I think the weather was warmer than that, but the sun shone brightly and made it feel warmer. And then there was the beach and the ocean. The surf was rough and enjoyable to watch. It was very loud, except for short moments when everything fell silent. It was my first afternoon sojourn to the beach, we have been walking the beach in the morning, but until yesterday had not actually taken chairs and a cooler of refreshments to enjoy actual "sun time" on the sand. 

Day 5 is at hand and I have a new ceiling fan to install. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Flamingos to Enjoy

  

Flamingos
Flamingo Gardens
Ft Lauderdale, FL
January 4, 2022

Question.

What is my favorite bird? 

Answer:

Flamingo! 

Spoonbill
Flamingo Gardens
Ft Lauderdale, FL
January 4, 2022

Chris and I found a small piece of paradise called Flamingo Gardens Botanical Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuary close-by in Fort Lauderdale. 

We spent a relaxing afternoon touring the gardens and enjoying the wildlife most of which roams freely around the grounds. 

The variety of waterbirds and local animals is fun to enjoy as well as seeing multiple tropical plants and trees that we might never enjoy in person. The history of the area is engaging and I found out that originally the farm was planted as an orange grove and the clementine and tangelo were both developed on-site. 

The tour of the original house constructed by the owners, which is now a museum, was very interesting and enjoyable as it is furnished in original and period furniture and accessories. It provides a snapshot of a working farmhouse of the 1930's. I was most impressed with the correspondence from President Eisenhower upon the receipt of a case of oranges for his personal use. 

And the multitude of botanical plantings on the property are not to be ignored. It is not often that I see a real coffee tree with beans and a huge grove of banana plants and I had never driven through a mango grove before. 

Flamingo
Flamingo Gardens
Ft Lauderdale, FL
January 4, 2022

But it was the birds, the huge flock of ibis and the roaming peafowl, that were the stars of the show. The display of flamingos really stole my heart and time and became the subject of a large number of images. 

As might be expected, this spot  is now on my visitor tour list. It is a long-ish drive from Jupiter, about one-hour-and-a-quarter, but definitely worth the time investment. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL