Where the Eagles Are

Eagle in Fulton, MD
November 14, 2017

Chris had an interesting sighting on her way to work yesterday.

She saw an eagle perched in a tree.

Eagle sightings while not rare are also not common.

The majestic birds and the symbol of our nation are making a comeback in the region--but, seeing an eagle in the wild is still an experience. 

They are big birds!

Chris reported that some of the maintenance staff of her school went up onto the roof to watch the eagle. Although invited to join them, Chris remained firmly planted on the ground. 

I like the idea of soaring with the eagles.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Wine for the Holiday

One of the joys of the holidays for me is selecting the wines to accompany the meals.

I have already begun planning the wine courses for the Thanksgiving meal. I guess that is my part of the meal, planning the wine to accompany the meal while recognizing the varying tastes of the family. 

I just find it a lot of fun.

Apparently, I am not the only one who enjoys panning the wine and worrying about how it will compliment the meal and be received by the guests.

An article in the New York Times this morning gave me hope. The article, titled The Four Rules of Thanksgiving Wines, provides some excellent holiday wine serving ideas. 

I am going to provide the four rules below, but I recommend reading the article to fully understand them.

Rule No. 1: You will be anxious before the holiday.

Rule No. 2: The holiday always goes beautifully.

Rule No. 3: If the food is good and the company convivial, you cannot go wrong with the wine. If the food is bad and the company annoying, wine can only help.

Rule No. 4: Choose wines that you like; everybody else will like them, too.


And there they are! I place a lot of importance on Rule 4 and Rule 3. Pick wines that you know and that you like! Don't experiment with untested wines for the meal unless you are willing to accept that it may not work out.

Enjoy the day and most of all, the wines.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 13, 2017

1. This is the in-between week. The week sandwiched between Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving!


2. Patrick took his drone with us to visit some wineries yesterday. He got some great shots at Big Cork Winery and was the center of attention as people took interest in his endeavor. 

3. It was a great three-day weekend, except for the cold. Now, it is back to our regularly scheduled workweek.

4. Do retirees actually care what day of the week it is?

5. If the Congressionally sponsored tax plans take away the tax advantages of home ownership, then who will own homes?

6. About taxes--why are they continuing to meddle with the existing and admittedly flawed system. Perhaps it is time to go to a flat tax system with few deductions and be done with it. 

7. I think people are finally becoming done with the antics of the NFL and the over-paid prima donna players. See the Headline below.

8. Winners and Losers: 
    Winners: Steelers. 
    Losers: Cowboys, Redskins, Penguins (2). 
    Did not play: Ravens.

Headlines

Trump Mocks Kim Jong Un: I Would Never Call Him ‘Short and Fat’ - The Washington Free Beacon

Senate Plan Could Increase Taxes on Some Middle-Class Workers - The New York Times

Hey NFL=> Bears Packers Game HALF EMPTY at Soldier Field — This Ain’t Good Folks! - Gateway Pundit

Surveillance Cameras Made by China Are Hanging All Over the U.S. - The Wall Street Journal

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"Each time our nation has called upon our citizens to serve, the best have come forward. Words cannot express our gratitude and admiration. But we can and should take the opportunity on this Veterans Day to remember their gift to us. When you see one of our young men and women in uniform on the street or someplace, how about a smiling 'hello' and, maybe, a 'thank you.'" Radio Address to the Nation on America's Veterans, November 5, 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Lost in the News

If someone is making the news, then they are controlling the news.

Most often we look at making the news as a bad thing and that is because it seems that the news media likes a juicy story that is full of poor decisions and subterfuge. 

In reviewing the headlines form the past few months, there have been hurricanes, Charlottesville, Las Vegas, New York City, Sutherland Springs, Russian meddling in the election, tax plans, Obama-care repeal and the list goes on.

The hard part is finding out what happens after the events are over are no longer in the headlines. 

The recovery from the recent hurricanes continues. People are still putting their lives back together--yet I cannot find any more coverage of that in the news.

As for the shootings--many people will be living with the pain of loss or the recovery from wounds for years.

I constantly remind myself that the news stories are about people and that once the reporters have departed from the scene, the people remain. The people are the story--be they the perpetrator or the victims.

Lost in the news are the people and they remain after the lights have turned off.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Crisp Autumn Day

Yesterday was a crisp autumn day yesterday. It was perhaps a bit colder than crisp. The high temperature crept out of the 30's topping out at 41 degrees.


This morning the temperature fell to 20 degrees before dawn. It fell almost a degree during the hour I was awake from 5:30 to 6:33. Dawn was only beginning to grace the morning sky as the the temperature fell. I can feel winter wrapping its tendrils around the thermometer.

At least the morning fire in the fireplace began to chase the cold from the house.

Yesterday it was too cold to work outside. I usually put up the outdoor Christmas lights on Veteran's Day. We don't illuminate them, but I get them in place and ready for the coming season. That did not happen yesterday. The lights remain safely in their container. It is likely that we will be changing the exterior lighting this year and no longer using the icicle lights that have decorated our home for the past 17 years. I guess they are getting a bit dated.

Autumn Tree
November 10, 2017

Yesterday, however, did provide some stunning autumnal beauty. 

I came across this tree, which against the backdrop of the clear sky provided the perfect advertisement for autumn. It is the color that people look for during the all-to-brief autumn season.

Today should be an equally spectacular and cold day. The sky is clear as sunlight begins to tickle to tops of the trees.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Veteran's Day 2017

Veteran's Day, officially, is tomorrow, but today is Veterans Day Observed--for those of us lucky enough to get a holiday. 

It is an important day to honor those who have served our nation in the military.

It is an honorable endeavor and I am proud to be a veteran. 

An excerpt from military.com about Veteran's Day is below:

A Brief History of Veterans Day

Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, was originally set as a U.S. legal holiday to honor the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. In legislation that was passed in 1938, November 11 was "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.'" As such, this new legal holiday honored World War I veterans.


In 1954, after having been through both World War II and the Korean War, the 83rd U.S. Congress -- at the urging of the veterans service organizations -- amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation on June 1, 1954, Nov. 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill ensured three-day weekends for federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the fourth Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on Oct. 25, 1971.

Finally on September 20, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed a law which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of Nov. 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on Nov. 11.

My recommendation: Say thank-you to a Vet!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

First Fire of the Season

First Fire of the Season
November 8, 2017

Last evening marked the beginning of the cold season. 

The day represented the first day since April 7th that the temperature did not climb to at least 50 degrees!

Ugh!

It was raw and cold. Ten degrees below normal and just miserable.

It was a good evening to begin burning the recently delivered hals-cord of wood. And so we did. Chris and i enjoyed the first fire, in the fireplace, of the season.  It took the chill out of our living room and warmed our hearts.

It was dark by 5:30 PM. With the coming freeze, the lines to the pool house needed to be blown out and the hoses uncoupled from the faucets. 

There is so much work to get done before the winter actually arrives. We still need to get the frost sensitive plants inside before the upcoming freeze. 

And then we need to hunker down and plan a strategy to survive another winter. 

Too soon, I fear there is snow coming, but then there will be more fires in the fireplace.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Midnight Madness

Nothing good happens after midnight.

Makayla and Finnegan 

That is a phrase that I believe in strongly. When I hear reports about accidents and shootings, it seems that many of them happen after the witching hour, while it is still dark.

The same is true around my house. 

The photo of Makayla and Finnegan is proof. That photo was taken in the morning, about 6 AM after they had been up since 3 AM playing with Riordin, the cat. The three of them were everywhere and it was as if the day had dawned. It was nice that they could curl up and go back to sleep, while I had to leave for work. 

Being a pet in my house is a cushy assignment. I remember that years ago I had a friend who was a fellow officer in the Air Force and he would joke that after he died he wanted to come back as an officer's dog. 

It is a good gig.

I just wish they would sleep through the night. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Darkness Arrives

The return to standard time has happened. 

I got to sleep an additional hour on Sunday morning. I can't for the life of me remember actually enjoying the additional sleep. The penalty, however, was that it gets dark by 5:30 PM, which is great for sitting around the fire pit but not much else.

And the weather is getting colder.

We are expecting our first no kidding freeze on Saturday morning. The projected temperature is now down to 24 degrees! That, friends, is cold. I have a lot of work to do around the house, including getting in some of the not-freeze tolerant plants inside to escape Jack Frost's touch.

The march of darkness continues. The days are progressively getting shorter, and darker.

I think I need a trip south of the equator! Maybe the wine country of Argentina or South Africa where springtime is fading into summer.

It is nice to remember that while we are devolving into darkness, elsewhere the sunlight is strengthening. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - November 5, 2017

1. November has arrived, but fortunately the weather has been wet it has been warm. Our first hard freeze is expected Saturday morning.

2. It was interesting to see the transition of autumn leaf colors during our trip to New York. In Maryland, the leaves are just past peak while in places north the leaves are gone form the trees. Orange and yellow are the predominate colors.

3. Winners and Losers: Winners: Cowboys, Redskins. Losers: Ravens, Penguins. DNP: Steelers.

Doe at the Neighbor's Garden

4. I have noticed that some drivers are becoming more aggressive on the roadways. They are driving at unreasonable speeds and making dangerous maneuvers.

5. Traffic is more frustrating when tie-ups happen during a long trip.

6. Winter is coming. The deer are getting pretty bold. This one let me within 10 feet of her while she was eating.

7. It must be late-autumn, I have not played golf on two successive weekends.

8. With the return to Standard Time, the dark season has arrived! Ugh! I'm not sure what happened to the extra hour.

Headlines

Trump Opens Asia Trip Talking Tough in Campaign-Style Rally - The New York Times

At least nine people in Trump’s orbit had contact with Russians during campaign and transition - The Washington Post

US, Australia and South Korea hold joint Navy drills - CNN

Ronald Reagan Quote of the Week

"Democracy cannot be imposed from outside and it frequently evolves only after patient, incremental steps. It must be the product of free institutions -- churches, labor unions, independent judiciary, and the press -- and its life-giving, rejuvenating process is a citizen placing his vote in a ballot box -- the subject of this Conference."

Remarks at a White House Luncheon for Delegates to the Conference on Free Elections, November 4, 1982

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Autumn Vines

Vines at Magnus Ridge

We stopped at Magnus Ridge, an upstate New York winery. The vines were displaying their autumn colors. The vineyards are beautiful this time of year after the harvest and before the leaves are gone.

We did a tasting at Magnus Ridge and and found solid wines up and down the tasting list. Our favorite was the Reserve Riesling. A very nice wine with 0% residual sugar and nicely rounded flavors centering around pear.

Although the leaves have fallen from most of the trees, the vineyards are still exciting places to visit and enjoy the lingering autumn colors.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

Puppy Love

Dad with Finnegan

Who doesn't love a puppy? They are just cute and adorable, mostly. Yes training can be trying, but rewarding.

Dad and Finnegan bonded yesterday. But then, Dad has always liked dogs. I was the cat lover when I was a kid. I always thought cats were more affectionate. I was wrong.

It is a rare cat, our Riordin for instance, that is more affectionate and caring than a dog.

Bring on the puppies!

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ithaca, NY

Car Talk

On the Road in PA

We started the day departing under the cover of darkness as we left Baltimore in our rear view mirror.

The day dawned clear around Harrisburg but turned cloudy and overcast near Williamsport.

The traffic was light and the conversation in the car covered a wide range of topics. We also discuss seed which wineries we should visit on this trip north. There was also some discussion about next summer's cruise. Yes. Ten months away and already a topic of discussion.

We talked about how the trees have already lost their leaves here. Where did autumn go?

Car talk. Trapped together less than three feet apart for almost 6 hours. At least we still talk.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Route 15 north of Williamsport, PA

Congrats to Houston Astros

I stayed up until midnight and watched the Houston Astros win their first ever World Series by defeating the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 in game 7 of the Fall Classic.

Baseball is over for the year. A new champion has been crowned. 

The Astros now leave the group of teams which have never won a World Series. That group is larger than you might think and consists of the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. Additionally, the Washington Nationals (formerly the Montreal Expos) and Seattle Mariners have never even appeared in a World Series.

It is hard to believe that a sport which has been around for so many years has 7 teams which have never won a championship. I read that the Astros were formed during 1962.

I am glad that my prediction of a Dodger series victory in six games was wrong. That, after all is why they play the games. 

The off-season can now begin in earnest!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

On to November

Ethan, Jack, Jackson, Lucas

November arrived overnight, but not without some fanfare. 

Finnegan Ready for Halloween

Of course there was the Halloween celebration with scores of kids and adults wandering the neighborhoods in search of treats. Fortunately, there were far more treats than tricks. 

The grandkids and friends got together for their annual costumed walk through the neighborhood. 

Even Finnegan was costumed and ready to meet the neighbors. 

But now it is November--the month of Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving. It dawns on me that it is but one of two months of the year blessed with two holidays. 

Happy November! It is the season of the turkey!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Halloween 2017

Jeremy's Light Wrapped Tree

It is the day of decorations and costumes.

The family will gather tonight for our annual trek through the neighborhood to collect treats from those who participate.

Halloween is the celebration at the beginning of the dark days. Winter is on the horizon, but more importantly the length of daylight is waning significantly day by day. The length of the daylight is 10 hours 32 minutes today. Each successive day is over 2 minutes shorter. There is still more than one hour of daylight to shed each day until the days begin to lengthen during late December. 

Witches with a Cauldron in a Neighbor's Yard

The lights of Halloween are a reminder of the lost summer days as we drive away the darkness that is creeping into our lives. Of course the tales of witches and goblins also provide some excitement as the harvest celebration continues.

Tomorrow begins the season of the turkey!

Be careful out there tonight. I think it is going to be cold and I know it is going to be dark!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 30, 2017

1. It is the last Monday of October. Tomorrow is Halloween and then we are onto November. 2017 is racing towards its conclusion.

2. I had to get a new laptop yesterday. Mine would not stay running. 

3. I saw a funny sign on the internet yesterday. I am sure cats would not text back, either.

4. Winners and losers. Winners: Ravens, Cowboys, Steelers, Astros. Losers: Redskins and Penguins.

5. The World Series has become a wild affair. Sadly the games are on too late for me to see the endings, but my prediction will not come true. It is the Astros who can win the series in 6 and not the Dodgers. The Dodgers will have to go to Game 7 to win. And talk about home runs!

6. Rain everywhere saturating everything. Wind blowing. I took the dogs out this morning and was surprised by how loud it was outside with the wind blowing hard through the trees. I wonder how many limbs are down in the yard?

7. Watch out for Trick or Treaters tomorrow. 

Headlines

Republicans, desperate for a win, already face setbacks as they prepare to unveil tax bill this week - The Washington Post

Dread, expectation hang over Washington before Mueller sweep - CNN

Russia Uses Its Oil Giant, Rosneft, as a Foreign Policy Tool - The New York Times

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"Well, I'm here today because I believe you're right to care about the future. I believe America's future and your future hold promises bigger than the sky and more vast than the galaxies -- if we have faith and if we're true to the values of family, work, and community that have always been America's guiding stars on the path of history." Remarks to High School Students and Citizens in Sterling Heights, Michigan, October 7, 1988

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Last Baseball Game

Jackson at Shortstop
October 28, 2017

Yesterday represented the last baseball game of the season for Jackson. 

He has effectively been playing baseball since March and is heading into the off season as a much better player than he was as the season began.

Final Baseball Game of the Season
An Idyllic October Day

Since March, he has become an effective relief pitcher, has hit two grand slam home runs, become a smart baserunner, and can effectively play all infield positions. Yesterday saw him take a slow rolling ball and fire it to first base to get the batter. In March, he would have thrown a "rainbow" ball that never would have made it to first in time.

It is officially the off-season. I am already looking forward to March when we start up again.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Autumn Color Arriving

Color on a Tree in My Yard

I have finally noticed the colors of autumn gracing the leaves of the trees. 

It has been a mostly colorless autumn. Many of the leaves have fallen from the trees around my yard, but they just turned brown and fell to the ground.

Within the past few days, however, the trees which still have leaves have finally begun donning their autumnal garb. As can be seen from the photo though, many of the leaves have already fallen without providing the much anticipated autumn color.

It is a different autumn. September and October have been two of the warmest months of their kind in memory. I think September was warmer than August.

Perhaps the winter will be warmer and produce more rain than snow! I can hope, right?

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Halloween Decorations

The House Two Doors Up

My neighborhood really gets into Halloween decorations. 

Most of the houses have added decorations to their entrances responding to the festive nature of the season. 

One house, this year, has added a 12 foot dragon. But the winning neighborhood home is two doors away--they have created an entire Halloween environment. It is pretty impressive.

I am not a huge Halloween fan, but I do enjoy looking at the decorations. They become more creative and the inflatable decorations are a lot of fun to look at for their complexity and size.

Happy Halloween. It is going to be cold!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Memory Problems

It is a computer in crisis or a crisis with my computer? It is hard to say, but my laptop decided to cease working last evening.

I did get it to boot this morning, however, it is not working very well at all. 

I believe there may be a memory problem. 

I too, have a memory problem. I can't seem to remember half of the things that I need to remember. I am not a lucky as being able to swap out some memory and get things going in the right direction again.

So, I am writing my blog on Chris' laptop this morning while mine decides whether to boot or not.

It is making a valiant, albeit slow, effort to start up and allow me access to my files. 

Chris is going to be unhappy when she discovers I used her laptop. I'm sure I messed up some setting.

Losing memory is a bad thing, atleast they can be replaced in computers. Me? I just have to work harder to remember the important stuff nd write down the other stuff.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD 

Growing the Wood Pile

Wood in the Drive Waiting to be Stacked

It is the time of year when preparing for the expected cold days takes precedence. 

The Growing Wood Pile

While not like some homes where the primary winter warmth comes from burning wood, we do enjoy a hot fire in the fireplace to remove the chill from the family room. Call it supplemental heat.

Chris and I had a half cord of hardwood delivered on Monday. That is about all the wood we use during a season. I know that real wood burning homes may use up to 5 or more cords of wood. 

It only took me about two hours to move the wood from where it was dumped in the driveway to the growing wood pile. 

I was getting kinda tired at the end.

Getting more ready for winter!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Season of the Gourd

Chris and the Gourd

It is the season of the gourd.

Last evening we were in Annapolis meeting friends for Happy Hour and dinner and came upon on oversized gourd. 

Laura, D, and Chris

It was a big, deformed pumpkin. 

It was positioned next to our table at the restaurant. We went to Davis's Pub in Eastport, near Annapolis. 

It is hard to believe that we sat outside for dinner near the water in Annapolis on the 23rd of October. The weather is unseasonably warm. 

It was fun to gather together with our "boat people" friends as they traveled through the area and towards the south for the winter. There is something about living on a boat that appeals to me, right up until I get to sit next to my fire pit or swim in my pool.

We all have found places and lifestyles that we are happy living. And it is fantastic that we can gather twice per year to celebrate life and friendships.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings - October 23, 2017

Looking Back to the Tee Box
Timbers Hole 9
October 22, 2017

1. October is slipping away. There is just over a week left in the month.

2. Yesterday was an idyllic day for golf. The first two holes were really tough because we were driving directly into the sun, but then it got higher in the sky and the day was great.

Celebration

3. Winners and Losers. Winners: Steelers, Cowboys. Losers: Ravens, Penguins. 

4. World Series update: Dodgers host Astros. Both teams had over 100 wins this season.

5. The Sunday football and birthday gatherings continues for the second week in a row. Happy birthday Jeremy.

6. Sometimes I feel like I need to go back to work on Monday morning to recover form the weekend. And I took Friday off, so I have had a three-day weekend!

Headlines

U.S. military says it has helped its allies capture Syria’s biggest oilfield - The Washington Post

Xi Jinping Pushes China’s Global Rise Despite Friction and Fear - New York Times

Why Trump's Korean war talk should be taken seriously - CNN

Ronald Reagan Quote for the Week

"Historically, we've always been a people willing to take risks and dream great dreams. We weren't the people who stayed on the shores of the Old World. Instead we were the Italians, the Frenchmen, the Dutchmen, the men and women of every race, nationality, and religion who came here to push back the limits and in the process become Americans one and all."

Remarks at the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, October 19, 1983

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Around the Fire

I've written  before about sitting around a fire as evening falls. It is a fantastic way to end the day. 

I have experienced three such nights already beginning on Thursday. All at different locations with differing gatherings of family, friends, and newly made friends.

Fire warms and and the same time causes people to move closer, both to see the flame and to experience the heat.

Away from the distractions of life--the TV and cell phones, people begin to communicate. 

Throw another log on the fire, sit down and tell me what's on your mind.

Alternatively, just sit there staring into the fire to contemplate life.

It is all good.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

The Grasses are Cut

Grasses Before Cutting

Preparing for the onset of the "dark" season and winter takes a lot of preparation.

Chris Raking
One Side of the Pool is Complete

Yesterday, Chris and I accomplished one annual project that takes a couple of hours, but must be faithfully done every year.

The ornamental grasses surrounding the pool must be cut. They create quite a pile and I take them to the recycling center so that can be composted into mulch.

It is sad the way that the pool area changes from a secluded into a more public area. It is suddenly a very open area.

Grasses Cut and Loaded

We have found, through experience, that cutting the grasses during the autumn is much better than waiting until spring. They tend to get very dry and windblown during the winter and do not pack down well. As it is, I can get the entire cutting into one truck load for the trip to Marriottsville Alpha Ridge Landfill.

My Truck
Yes, It is a Work Truck!

It was an absolutely beautiful day. Cool in the morning but warm afternoon. I chose a good day to take some leave and get work done around the house.

With each passing day we become more and more ready for the winter snows which are not all that far off. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD