Expanding the Route

 

I managed a late morning bike ride yesterday, seeking to increase my distance by about 5 miles from the previous ride. I added a loop through Odenton which was almost exactly 5 miles and totaled 14.01 miles for the ride. 

14 Mile Ride
Odenton, MD
May 20, 2023

What really amazed me, however, when I checked the stats for the ride was the elevation change. That is something I do not get a lot of in Florida. On this 14 mile ride I enjoyed 570 feet of descent and 560 feet of ascent while achieving a max elevation above sea level of 224 feet. I was pretty much climbing or coasting for the entire route. By comparison on a recent 22 mile ride in Florida, I experienced 71 feet of descent and 73 feet of ascent achieving a max elevation of 30 feet above sea level. So biking in Maryland is a very different type of riding from Florida.

Crossing the Patuxent River
Odenton, MD
May 20, 2021

I enjoyed the long gradual descent of the WB&A railroad bed. It is also not too severe to return. The mapping program recorded it fairly well. It looks to be over a 100 foot elevation change.

As I crossed over the Patuxent River, I noted some people down one the banks with a fire and playing in the water. I was able to get the smoke in the image, but the people had moved out of sight by the time I stopped my bike and managed to get my phone off its handlebar mount to take the image. This area is one of the most scenic along the path.

It was a great day and a great ride. OK, it was a bit cool.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Debt Crisis or Not?

 

The U.S. is about to melt down and a small group of Republicans in Congress are playing their fiddles like Nero as Rome burned.* 

Meanwhile, the headline in the Washington Post read: “World watches in disbelief and horror as U.S. nears possible default.” The story by Rachel Siegel and Jeff Stein revealed that at the meeting of the G7 leaders in Hiroshima, Japan, this week, the finance ministers for the G7—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union—have been pulling U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen aside to ask her what is going to happen.

“Around the world,” Siegel and Stein write, “experts have been watching in disbelief as the U.S. flirts with its first default, fearful of the potential international economic ramifications—and astonished by the global superpower’s brush with self-sabotage.” (Letters from an American)

This is not a trivial matter. Failure to service the debt will destroy the U.S. as a world leader and potentially throw economies around the world into chaos. The crisis is already damaging the faith of borrowers around the world and could have very long reaching consequences which will affect every American in the future. 

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution is the trump card in this instance. A discussion in an NPR piece explains how this may be accomplished, but it is widely believed that the amendment gives the President the authority to protect the good faith and credit of the U.S. The article is at: Democrats urge Biden to use his constitutional right to raise the debt limit. 

From the referenced article:

TINA SMITH: Well, first, I think that if anyone can find a reasonable agreement to get us out of this mess, it's President Biden. And it's - the Republicans should take the threat of default off the table immediately. I think that what Secretary Yellen is saying is that the Biden administration and the president are negotiating in good faith to try to find a path forward. But if the choice we have is between default, which would be disastrous, and the president using the clause in the 14th Amendment, which says that the validity of public debt shall not be questioned, we believe strongly - I believe strongly - that he should use that 14th Amendment authority to avoid the disaster of default.

The downside of employing such a unilateral action would be the alienation of the Republicans. Oh wait, some of them are already alienated and working to dismantle our country. On the other hand, I cannot see any upside to default.

OK, raise the debt limit and let's move on. 

The fallout for such a unilateral action will occur at the end of September when a new budget will need to be passed. I'm feeling a prolonged government shutdown coming as a small group of anarchists continue to have a stranglehold on the Republican Party. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

* Note: There is no historical evidence to support the assertion that Nero either started the fire or played his fiddle as Rome burned.

Another Day, Another Trail

WB&A Trail Ride with Closed Area Marked
Odenton, MD
May 18, 2023

 I took off to explore another biking trail yesterday. It is part of the Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis (WB&A or WBA) trail network. The trail runs very close to where we are staying and looking at my biking app, which has the trail clearly marked, I was expecting a nice long ride. 

View from the End Point of my Ride
WB&A Trail
May 18, 2023

The trail, which mostly follows and old rail line, does not have severe hills but generally gradual and long grades. I picked up the trail up where it crosses Waugh Chapel Road in Odenton and followed it south, towards Annapolis. I had an enjoyable ride for about 4.5 miles until I came, abruptly, to an area where the trail is closed for both rerouting away from the railed and construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Patuxent River. I was bummed because the trail goes on for a great distance beyond the closed area, but I could not figure a route around the closed section.

In the end, I posted an easy 9-mile ride. It was an out and back ride, rather than the loop rides that I enjoy doing. The scenery along the way varied from forest and open fields to housing communities. At one point, I was perched on a small hill overlooking what seemed like rolling fields of houses. It made me sad to think about how the area used to be used for farming, but now was filled with houses placed too close together. 

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Riding the Loop

BWI from the Overlook
Baltimore, MD
May 17, 2023

 

The BWI Loop Ride
Baltimore, MD
May 17, 2023

We did it!

Last evening, accompanied by Patrick and Jen, Chris and I rode the BWI Loop. It was not a long ride, compared to many we have done, but the nearly 11 miles of Maryland hills made it challenging. Even more exciting was the ride through wooded areas and then to the overlook where the entirety of Baltimore-Washington International Airport was observed. 

We had a lot of fun, even with the hills. At one point I was going 25 mph down a long slope. I would have gone faster but I came upon some people walking and needed to slow to avoid them. 

Chris and I will definitely do the loop again, in fact we are already planning it with Patrick and Jen for next week. But, there are some other trails in the area that I want to explore. 

Looking forward to more fun on the trails.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Geese in the Grass

Goose Family on an Outing
Odenton, MD
May 16, 2023

 One of the advantages of being back in Maryland for the late-Spring, is the ability to enjoy the animals as they tend their youngsters. Near us is a rainwater runoff pond which has a lot of duckweed and is the daily feeding location for two pairs of Canada Geese and their goslings.  There are eight goslings between the two groups. Three older ones and five younger. The geese are not nesting around the pond, they actually nest in another pond and walk through the forest every day. They spend the day feeding at the pond near us. 

I check on the two families throughout the day, counting the goslings. Sometimes they come outside the fence surrounding the pond, as they did yesterday. There are actually four geese in the image. The two parents are close together. 

We are careful not to disturb the families. The pond also hosts other visitors, one of which is a large groundhog. It is humorous to see him running up the hill when people approach. He gets to the top and then looks back to see if he is being chased, which he is not. 

Today, we are planing our first bike ride. We will be joining Patrick and Jen and friends for a ride around the BWI Loop. Surprisingly, I never ride the loop last summer as I was too busy downsizing our house and selling it. 

So we have another busy day planned and are already enjoying our time in Maryland.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

The Drive

Chris and Finnegan Driving
South Carolina
May 15, 2023

 Chris and I completed another successful trip from South Florida to Maryland yesterday. 

I decided not to try and publish Monday Musings because I had a car strapped to my bottom for roughly 16 hours. 

The trip began at 11:58 PM on Mother's Day and ended at about 3:40 PM yesterday when we made our first stop to drop off Riordin, our cat, who is bunking with Jeremy while we are here in Maryland. I will endeavor to visit him almost every day. It took him almost two weeks to get back to normal after he stayed alone with only daily visits from a friend while we were last in Maryland. 

Both Finnegan and Riordin were great travelers on the trip. Riordin only asked to be out of his carrier on one occasion, to relieve himself, and then was happy to curl up inside of his safe place for the remainder of the trip. 

We made only four stops during the trip. Two were for gas (my truck has great range), one was for lunch, and the other was at a rest area for a break. We stocked the car with snacks and beverages to assist in minimizing stops. I figure the four stops totaled about an hour and we lost another hour from Northern Virginia around D.C. and on I-95 to Elkridge. Even in the early afternoon, traffic was snarled.

Well, the trip is done and we can begin the business of being here in Maryland to visit family, friends, wineries, attend graduations, baseball and whatever else comes our way. We are here until mid-June when we will make the trip south. We are considering a two-day return trip and if so, I want to stop near Exit 102 in Georgia for the night to visit the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

-- Bob Doan, Odenton, MD

Mother's Day 2023

 Happy Mother's Day!

 

Mom
Columbia, MD
August 16, 2013

Being a mother is a special calling. Mother's are special people and not everyone is called to be a mother--and that is OK. Those who accept the calling to be a Mom know the joys and the pains of raising children and worrying about them day and night--even after they have left the nest. 

What I have learned is that after a while the roles become reversed. We begin to worry about our Mom and become concerned about the trials she is facing and how her life is progressing. We see the terrible disease she is fighting and the care she is receiving for that destructive ailment. We have to do hard things like move her from her home to a place where she can receive proper care. And then, in the middle of a dark night, she was gone.

It has been a year-and-a-half since my mom transitioned to her heavenly address. She is missed every day. She is remembered. She even is part of fairly one-sided conversations. But she is alive in my heart and the hearts of my family.

Here is to you Mom--Happy Mother's Day. You have more than earned the recognition for a job well done.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Golfing, Biking, Boating or going to Costco?

I am reminded of a cartoon, Pinky and the Brain,  in which two nefarious characters ask, "What are we going to do tomorrow night?" And the answer, "The same thing we do every night, plan to take over the world."

Storm Clouds over Jupiter Dunes Hole 7
Jupiter, FL
May 12, 2023

That is similar to the situation Chris and I face nearly every day. We ask the question, "What are we going to do today?" But unlike Pinky and the Brain, we are then confronted a multiple choice answer:

"The same thing we do every day, decide between golfing, biking, boating, or going to Costco."

Yesterday was a golf day. It turned out to be a good choice given the early morning weather. Although it did not look like rain when we began the round, we were treated to a passing shower while we were playing the 5th and 6th holes. By the time we moved to the 7th Tee box, the showers had passed and the sun had almost completely dried the course. The greens were a bit slower, but not too bad. 

Chris had a good round and I had one of my better rounds. I even made a rare (for me) birdie on the last hole. It was hot by the time we departed the course at noon. I was very happy we made it out before the heat of the day set in. Of course, passing shower resulted in a significant humidity increase. 

Today the question remains outstanding, but the answer is trending towards biking. 

Time will tell.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Vet Fun

 

Riordin in the Cupboard
Elkridge, MD
August 27, 2022

It is, of course, an oxymoron. There is no way that going to a vet can be fun. In fact, it was almost catastrophe. 

Riordin, our cat, has been coughing and Chris and I were concerned that he might have a respiratory infection. He had been to the vet a month ago and had a non-specific infection, for which he was prescribed antibiotics. He had a cough then and it seemed to get better, but now it had become more annoying.

Riordin in Xray
West Palm Beach, FL
May 11, 2023

During the trip to the vet, Riordin became carsick and puked all over his cat carrier. To make it worse, I had to stop quickly and his carrier rolled off the seat onto the floor and of course the poor cat was now covered in regurgitated ick. Upon arriving at the vet, Chris and I were able to clean him and the carrier. He was not a pretty sight, but cleaned up nicely and dried before we were called into the examination room. We left him out of the carrier and I held him so that he could dry out.

The exam went well, Riordin is a pretty chill cat. Blood was drawn, X-ray taken, and a shot given. Riordin handled it all pretty well. The final verdict? He may have allergies or asthma. There is no infection (blood work) and no mass in his lungs indicating either pneumonia or cancer (X-ray). We were relieved, and also relieved of just over $300, to get that information. When we return from Maryland we are considering having him tested for allergies. We are pretty sure he has allergies since he used to sneeze a lot, but is coughing and we are considering testing and immunotherapy treatment. 

Well, at least we know he is fit to travel. We obtained a mild sedative to take the edge off while he is in his carrier in the car during the upcoming trip. AND, I will secure the carrier so it will not roll off the seat again.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

It Was Efficient

 

I guess you can sum up last night's Republican Town Hall as the President did: "Do you want four more years of that?"

Has anyone else noticed the huge difference between the leadership style of the current vs the former president?

The former, as was showcased during last night's Town Hall, enjoyed finger-pointing, blame, distraction, and lies.

I look to the stability of the cabinet and advisors to the President to understand how well things are going. A comparison between Trump and Biden, done by the Brookings Institute reveals the following:

              Cabinet Positions        A-Team Turn Over

Trump              14                            92%

Biden                 1                            47%

Trump Administration Analysis

Biden Administration Analysis

And then, so many supporters of the former President point to the border crisis as being a Biden failure, but yet for placing such emphasis on the border security, Trump did not increase the number of border patrol agents during his term and there was actually a net reduction, although small. (Statista)

Now, he [Trump] is advocating budget reductions which will further reduce border patrol agents. As the President noted: . . . the enormous costs of the cuts the Republicans insist they require before they will permit a raising of the debt ceiling, including, Biden emphasized, 30,000 federal law enforcement officers: “11,000 FBI agents, 2,000 Border agents, DEA agents, and so on.” (Letters from an American)

So much for border security.

The party of Lincoln has become the party of chaos!

Do we really need four more years of that nonsense?

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL