Monday Musings - October 17, 2022

 

1. Welcome to the last half of October. This is the 3rd Monday of the month with two remaining. There are 10 Mondays remaining in the year.

2. Family NFL report. It was a mixed week with family teams going 2-2.  

    Commanders (2-4) defeat Bears (2-4), 12-7

    Ravens (3-3) snatch defeat from the jaws of victory with the Giants (5-1), 20-24

     Cowboys (4-2) lose to Eagles (6-0), 17-26

     Steelers (2-4) defeat Buccaneers (3-3), 20-18

Makayla in the Flowers
Elkridge, MD
May 31, 2014

3. It has been a week since Makayla passed. The family is still feeling her loss. Finnegan periodically checks all of the places she used to hang-out looking for her. It is still hard not to look for her when I come into the house or when I am eating. She was always present.

After Sunset Looking Northeast
Carlin Park, Jupiter, FL
October 16, 2022

4. We made it to have a Happy Hour on the beach last evening. With the sun setting earlier, we are enjoying the changing scene. Last evening the beach was busy. There was a wedding on one part of the beach and a baptism celebration in another. The sea birds were active over the water getting their evening meal from an apparently large school of bait fish. 

5. Russia is desperate in the Ukraine war. It has been reported that they are using North Korean artillery shells and rockets and Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. For the geographically challenged, Russia does have a common border with North Korea.

6. Today in History. On October 17, 1931, gangster Al Capone is sentenced to 11 years in prison for tax evasion and fined $80,000, signaling the downfall of one of the most notorious criminals of the 1920s and 1930s.

Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1899 to Italian immigrants. He was expelled from school at 14, joined a gang and earned his nickname “Scarface” after being sliced across the cheek during a fight. By 1920, Capone had moved to Chicago, where he was soon helping to run crime boss Johnny Torrio’s illegal enterprises, which included alcohol-smuggling, gambling and prostitution. Torrio retired in 1925 after an attempt on his life and Capone, known for his cunning and brutality, was put in charge of the organization.

China Abruptly Delays GDP Release During Communist Party Conference - The Wall Street Journal

Kyiv Hit by Drone Attacks as Russia Targets Infrastructure - The Wall Street Journal

After Hurricane Ian, Their Company Pulls Yachts Out of Swimming Pools and Mangrove Trees - The Wall Street Journal

Gunmen kill 11, wound 15 in attack on Russian military recruits - CNN

New UK finance minister Hunt reverses tax plan, reins in energy support - Reuters

Analysis: A $1 trillion headache: China's local fiscal shortfall poses broader growth risks - Reuters

Exclusive: China's state banks seen acquiring dollars in swaps market to stabilise yuan - Reuters

South Korea kicks off military drills amid talk of North Korean nuclear test - Reuters

American technology boosts China’s hypersonic missile program - The Washington Post

Leaders of democracies increasingly echo Putin in authoritarian tilt - The Washington Post

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Birthdays and Celebrations

Chris and Birthday Flowers
Tequesta, FL
October 15, 2022

 Chris celebrated her birthday yesterday and was amazed and humbled at the outpouring of love for her. 

The day began with the unexpected arrival of a large and beautiful bouquet of flowers from our children. It was a total surprise and really brightened her day. 

The day ended with dinner at a local restaurant with friends, one of whom was also celebrating a birthday yesterday, and then coming home for a piece of cheesecake. Yes, for those of you in the know, I actually made her favorite cheesecake to celebrate the day. Sadly, however, it was my first true baking experience using the oven here in Florida. What did I learn? It bakes a few degrees too hot and so the cheesecake was too brown because it was a bit overcooked and because of that is had a crack the size of the Grand Canyon in the middle. 

But it tasted great!

And so, it was a Happy Birthday for Chris!

BTW, I received the secret for longevity in a birthday card--celebrate more birthdays! People who live longer have more birthdays. (duh?)

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Pets and Loss

Makayla as a Puppy: The Mighty Keeshond
Elkridge, MD
January 27, 2009

 So I found out that I am not crazy in my feelings of loss over losing Makayla earlier this week. 

A friend referenced me to a Facebook post that was made a few days ago and now has over 6,600 comments made, mostly, by people grieving over the loss of their dog. 

The post is on the group Life with Animals. 

The picture accompanying the post is especially touching as it shows a boy/man with his dog in three frames spread taken over the years as they both grew together. 

The text of the post is a letter about loving a dog. It had a special meaning for me and I am including it here:

"They tell you not to cry.

They tell you he's just a dog, not a human.

They tell you it will pass.

They tell you that animals do not know that they must die.

They tell you that the important thing is not to make them suffer.

They tell you that you can get another one.

They tell you it will happen.

They tell you there are more unbearable pains.

But they don't know how many times you've looked your dog in the eye.

They don't know how many times it was you and your dog that looked in the dark.

They don't know how many times your dog was the only one by your side.

They don't know that the only one who hasn't judged you is your dog.

They don't know how scared you were the night his moans woke you up.

They don't know how many times your dog has slept next to you.

They don't know how much you've changed since the dog became a part of your life.

They don't know how many times you hugged him when he was sick.

They don't know how many times you pretended not to see when his hair was getting whiter and whiter.

They don't know how many times you've talked to your dog, the only one who really listens to you.

They don't know how good you were to your dog.

Little do they know that only your dog knew you were in pain.

They don't know what it's like to see your old dog trying to come over and say hello.

They don't know that when things go wrong, the only one who isn't gone is your dog.

They don't know that your dog trusts you, every moment of his life, even at the last moment.

They don't know how much your dog loved you and how little he needed to be happy, because you were enough for him.

They don't know that crying for a dog is one of the noblest, most meaningful, truest and purest things you can do.

They don't know about the last time you rocked him hard ... being careful not to hurt him.

They don't know what you felt when you caressed his face in the last moments of his life"

From dad

I was in awe of the comments and pictures of dogs that the post generated. There are so many others out there that love their dogs like I loved Makayla and that is comforting.

From reading the comments to the Facebook post, I am happy that Makayla passed away at home in my arms with the Chris and our other pets around her and not in the sterile environment of a Vets office. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

More than a Hurricane

Looking out onto the Patio
Tequesta, FL
October 13, 2022

 We received more rain yesterday than we did during Hurricane Ian. It was actually pretty incredible. The amount of rain falling during the storm, which lasted for a couple hours, flooded streets and caused widespread flooding in the Jupiter/Tequesta area. 

The reports of flooding were centered in our area. One TV station, WPTV detailed the flooding. At one point we actually saw our street, Village Blvd, on the news--it was flooded. The streets mentioned in the news report are ones we traverse daily. The rain came down hard and not for just a few minutes, but for almost two hours. 

Orange-tipped Oakworm Moths
Tequesta, FL
October 13, 2022

In the end, our area experienced more flooding in a couple hours than we did when Hurricane Ian grazed us two weeks ago. 

We were not the only ones taking refuge from the deluge. I found two Orange-tipped Oakworm Moths together in the entryway. They were dry and sheltered from the rain pelting the earth just a few feet away. They are stunning in their orange color.

We survived the storm and the rain without too many issues. The water began to creep up to the edge of our patio because the gutters could not handle the amount of rain coming off the roof, but it did not actually come onto the patio.

Today should be a nice day and the weekend is expected to be cooler (low 80s for the highs) and less humid. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Finding New Places

 

Chris and I are expanding our vistas now that we have finally, mostly, completed the move-in process. The projects that I finished during the past two weeks have pushed us to the 99 percent moved-in point.

Nieuw Amsterdam
Holland America Lines

Last evening we found a new place to enjoy Happy Hour. And it is really an old place, Cooper's Hawk. We happened to be at the local mall and there was a Cooper's hawk. As it was almost 5 PM we decided to have a glass of wine and enjoy Happy Hour together. Well, we know Cooper's Hawk because we had been to the one in Annapolis. I was impressed with the wines. They have significantly improved sine the last time I visited a Coopers Hawk. I enjoyed a California Barbera and Chris enjoyed a very vibrant and exciting Spanish Tempranillo.

We also, spur of the moment, planned a Caribbean cruise for early November. There are advantages to living in Florida AND being retired: our calendar is. generally open. We got a great price on a seven-night cruise. It is costing less for both of us to go on this cruise with a balcony cabin than for one of us to go on the cruise we are going on in January with a similar cabin with a balcony. Pretty awesome!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

When Will it be Over?

 

The mid-term elections season is definitely out of control. My senses are assaulted with almost every political ad airing on the television. The untruths twisted into seemingly fact and the quotes from previous elections from ten years ago thrown out as current policy imperatives. 

Of course, I am in the middle of two desperate campaigns one for governor of Florida and the other a senatorial race. The stakes are high for our country. But, I wondered why have those running for office gone so far off the rails and so far from the truth to retain their offices?

I found possible answers this morning in The Atlantic. 

In an article titled: J. D. Vance and the Collapse of Dignity, the author maintains "American politics are now cruel burlesque." I tend to agree and might even table it the theater of the absurd.

Two paragraphs form the article highlight the descent of American politics into the abyss.

Americans once expected politicians to carry themselves with a seriousness that indicated their ability and willingness to tackle problems, whether poverty or war, that were too difficult for the rest of us. We elected such people not because we wanted them to be like us but because we hoped that they were better than us: smarter, tougher, and capable of being leaders and role models.

A few paragraphs later:

Today, we no longer expect or even want our politicians to be better than we are. The new American right, however, has blown past the relatively innocuous populism of the past 40 years and added a fetid cynicism about almost everything related to public life. Not only are the MAGA Republicans seemingly repelled by the idea of voting for someone better than they are; they support candidates who are often manifestly worse people than the average citizen, so that they may slather their fears about their own shortcomings and prejudices under a sludgy and undifferentiated hatred about almost everyone in public office.

I remember a cruel joke from a few years ago that, sadly, has become too true:

How do you know a politician is lying?  Their lips are moving.

Until we the voters determine to elect honest, hard-working, patriotic Americans devoted to the principles of the Constitution, we will continue to get lying, cheating, single issue (or less) scoundrels who will say or do anything to achieve office. And then we will wonder--why is our country failing? 

Why?

Because We the People are not electing people with vision and a dedication to democracy. Become afraid when candidates tout they support freedom because inevitably they have redefined freedom as free from choice instead of free to choose.

The banner of The Washington Post is Democracy Dies in Darkness. Darkness is growing in our country and we who recognize it must work to overcome it. I see it in the mid-term campaigns, some are campaigning on issues while others are campaigning on fear. Fear promotes darkness.

When will it be over? Probably never. The struggle will continue because our democracy is under attack. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

Different and Difficult Monday

Jupiter Island Beach
Jupiter, FL
October 10, 2022

 I am still numb, even this morning, from the passing of Makayla during yesterday's pre-dawn hours. 

Once sunrise occurred yesterday,  Chris and I decided to head to the beach for a walk to enjoy the sun, the sand, and the surf. We thought a beach walk would help us to begin processing Makayla's passing. Upon arriving at our favorite beach, we found that the storms had deposited piles of sea grasses and sargassum which combined with the high tide made walking impractical. So we stood for a few minutes and just enjoyed the sounds of the waves, the feel of the sun, and the smell of the ocean. 

It was, after all, Chris's first morning home after her 10-day Maryland trip. It was good to have her home, especially with everything that had happened already during the still early morning hours of the day. 

Egret Hunting
Square Grouper, Jupiter, FL
October 10, 2022

When we arrived back home after the aborted beach walk,  I announced that I was going out on a bike ride to clear my head. Chris wanted to join me and we set out on what I had planned as a short and easy 8-mile ride. About 3 miles into the ride, Chris developed a flat tire. It reminded me of my flat tire last week. The bike ride was doomed much like the beach walk. Even though I had my newly assembled tire repair kit with me, I decided to ride back and get the truck to retrieve Chris and her bike. I think I am going to buy her a new bike this week. She is riding a second-hand bike and she really deserves one built and adjusted for her. I enjoy riding with her.

Here it was still before 10 AM and it had already turned into a very different and difficult Monday. 

We busied ourselves for most of the remainder of the day with a trip to the airport to retrieve friends, lunch, a nap, and getting the Halloween decorations displayed. I am not a huge Halloween fan, but we decorate to enjoy the season. 

We closed out the day at our favorite watering hole, the Square Grouper, for some nachos and adult beverages. The Square Grouper, situated along the banks of the Loxahatchee River looking at the Jupiter Lighthouse, is one of my favorite places. There is almost always some activity to watch be it boats, or fish, or birds, or the people in the bar. Being off-season, the bar was not packed and it is still an enjoyable place. Soon, however, as the snow birds begin arriving it will be very difficult to find parking and tables to sit and enjoy the view will be scarce.

I sincerely hope that today is better than yesterday. I already has started out better. I am still coming to terms with how big a hole Makayla's passing has left in my life, and heart. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Good-bye Makayla

 

Makayla
June 3, 2017

It is with much sadness and grief that I report that this morning shortly after 5 AM my faithful, gentle-spirited Makayla crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She was in my arms surrounded by Chris and our other pets, Riordin and Finnegan. She was almost exactly 14 years old having been born November 3, 2008.

Good-byes suck! But, I cannot think of a better way to depart as she was surrounded by the entire pack. 

She woke me up just before 5 AM with labored breathing and I carried her downstairs and outside to see if she needed to relieve herself. She could not stand and I knew things had gotten very serious overnight. I went inside and sat with her in my chair and as I held her I felt her relax in my arms and I realized that it was time. I called to Chris and Finnegan and Riordin came as well almost as if they knew. She went peacefully, surrounded by the pack which now mourns her departure.

Christmas Morning 2008
Elkridge, MD

Makayla was a one-of-a-kind dog. She was the most gentle-spirited dog I have ever known. She did not like to play too much, but she was always there to greet me when I came home. She was a surprise Christmas gift from the family. 

Makayla in the Snow
Elkridge, MD
January 14, 2019

She loved snow. I know, we moved her to Florida but she really enjoyed playing in the snow. I used to throw snowballs with her and shovels of snow. She just loved the cold snow and playing in it. Even as an adult, snow brought out the hidden puppy inside of her.

Finnegan, Makayla, and Riordin
Tequesta, FL
February 11, 2022

Crossing the Rainbow Bridge she now rejoins our other family friends who have proceeded her and as Jeremy said, there is another fluff ball in heaven. Keeshonds are very fluffy. 

Me and Makayla
Elkridge, MD
May 12. 2019

Makayla, thank-you for 14 years of unconditional love and friendship. You were the best. Well done my faithful companion.

I hope it is true that all dogs go to heaven.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Storm Clouds Down the River

Storm Clouds from the Loxahatchee River Bridge
Tequesta, FL
October 8, 2022

 Saturday was my last day of temporary bachelorhood as Chris returns this morning. 

The almost 10 days alone managing the house have been only slightly challenging, but I have to admit that I am not very creative at finding things to occupy my time. I have been working on a number of projects around the house and I can report that, with the sale of my small wine refrigerator yesterday, the garage is finally unpacked and my tools are stored in a newly purchased workbench. 

I accomplished a short 9.3 mile recovery bike ride yesterday. I kept it short both because I had the long ride the previous day and the storm clouds were gathering. I managed to complete the ride before the rain arrived raising the humidity back to uncomfortable levels. I have been enjoying rides with low humidity and temperatures in the high 70s. It seemed cool. I likely won't get a ride in today because I need to head to the airport to retrieve Chris. This will be my second of three trips to Palm Beach International in four days.

Kienzle Wall Clock
Tequesta, FL
October 9, 2022

In project news, I can report that the last container moved from Maryland has been unpacked. The container contained one of the two wall clocks that we retained and brought with us. It is now hanging in a specially prepared spot, pending Chris's approval.

The off-and-on rain yesterday put a damper on outdoors activities--like the beach. But, I managed to get to our storage room to retrieve Halloween decorations and they will be the next project that Chris and I will tackle.

Today is football Sunday and Chris scheduled her arrival to allow for us to become sofa sports geeks and watch the games. The big game for me is the Ravens-Bengals collision scheduled for this evening. It will likely be a late night.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Personal Record

 

Another glorious day in South Florida was logged yesterday. Today will likely not be as nice as rain is in the forecast.

Bike Ride Around Tequesta/Jupiter
October 7, 2022

I attended to projects around the house yesterday, most notably getting the ceiling fan in our bedroom connected to the internet. The project went reasonably well but took longer than expected. The hard part was getting the switch online. Turns out the switch went online easily and quickly, except that I did not receive any indication that it was installed. So I kept trying to install it, but it since it was already online it didn't install. I finally figured out that everything was good and it is now happily working with Alexa!

The highlight of the day was my personal best longest bike ride. The ride was 22.69 miles for a time of 1h52m. I added a new loop around the Turtle Creek community which helped push the ride well over the 20 mile mark. I am not sure I can continue to devote two hours a day to riding, but occasionally I can pull it off. I do wish for more wildlife along the route. It seems that I get excited when I see a tortoise because I get bored avoiding squirrels and lizards. At least the tortoises do not run out in front of the bike. I have been amazed at the stupid squirrels.

And so the day begins!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL