Another month of the year 2017 is about to occur and the year will officially be 25 percent complete.
It is hard to believe how quickly the time is passing. The birds of Spring are singing in my ears where just a short month ago it was gray and cold with almost no birds calling to fill the air with song.
The trees surrounding my yard are still filling out, but I can say that all of my friends have returned for another season. I realize how much I had missed the green.
The lilac bush is finally in full bloom; filling the air with its sweet and unique scent.
Thus far, my allergist seems to have managed a miracle and my allergies are under control and I am able to enjoy the Springtime without being drugged into submission.
Sitting on my back deck, with the birds, surrounded by the flowering plants of Springtime I am reminded that these are the best days. I savor them and I need to remember them, especially during the dark days of the Winter.
In celebration of a beautiful morning and before I hit the golf course, I am sitting on my back deck enjoying the sounds of nature, interrupted by the noise of civilization.
The trees are leafing and the green has fully returned to my backyard sanctuary. The birds are busy chirping and I hear at least six different calls simultaneously. I wish I was better at identifying birds from their calls.
Cutting through the sounds of nature, however, are the passing jets flying out of BWI screaming to make altitude and get on their way to their destinations. Additionally, the sound of trucks in the warehouses occasionally drown out the birds songs.
Despite the unwanted noise, I still enjoy the sounds of life and the rebirth of Spring.
I just wish, sometimes, that I lived further away from the noise of civilization. But that written, I also need to enjoy what I am blessed with and appreciate my own backyard.
I am not a fan of taxes.
It seems that everyone has a new tax plan. I like hearing that at least some of the plans are to reduce taxes.
Having just made it through another tax season, the wounds to my personal bank account are still very fresh. I welcome plans to reduce taxes.
I am patriotic and I pay my taxes, but I know that I would be stimulating the economy more if my tax bite were lower.
Why do some people believe we need more taxes anyway?
I was encouraged by the recently proposed tax reduction plan. Sure, it may not make a lot of sense given that we have a wall rivaling the Great Wall to construct, but if the government can get by with less, I'm a big supporter!
Simplifying the tax structure may actually increase revenue by ensuing that everyone pays their fair share and that the highest per capita earners do not get away paying less than middle income earners.
My Take: Let's reform the tax structure and require government to live within its means.
I attend a lot of sporting events. It is evident from my posts. The events range from professional sports to youth sports and I participate in in two sports on a regular basis: racquetball and golf.
Last evening I attended my first math event. It was the Anne Arundel County 3rd Grade 24 Game Championship. Jackson was one of two students representing his local elementary school at the County-wide finals.
Sadly, due to traffic, I was a few minutes late, but let me set the scene when I arrived at the Annapolis Senior High School gymnasium. There were ten tables with four children at each table with a proctor looking at cards using the four numbers on the cards to mathematically total 24. The crowd in the stands, which were full, was absolutely silent. There was no noise. I was a bit eerie walking into a full gym in silence with every eye looking at me wondering why I was late.
The game progressed much like a chess match. I love to play chess--I do not like to watch chess being played. It can be like watching grass grow.
As the game progressed we really could not tell how Jax was doing. It appeared he was doing great, but after two rounds of the scheduled four round competition, Jax did not make the cut. But overall he did very well.
It was an interesting event, but it definitely was not a spectator sport.
The U.S. is about to start a major trade war with incredible tariffs over lumber? Really? See the article Trump slaps first tariffs on Canadian lumber.
It was all over the news yesterday about the tariffs ranging from 3 to 24 percent on lumber from Canada. My thought is don't we have enough trouble in the world without picking a senseless fight with one of our closest friends?
And who is going to pay?
The American consumer, of course! Our prices will increase while dollars are exchanged by businesses and governments.
I find it incredible that lawmakers do not realize that businesses do not pay the tariffs--the consumers do! Duh!
Whose prices go up? The consumers prices do!
Allegedly, Canada has a high tariff on U.S. dairy products, but wood and milk do not mix.
I just have to comment today about my Grandson, Ethan. He just turned 12 less than two weeks ago and apparently in honor of his recent age change he has decided to do something that few people attempt or even think about.
Ethan has managed to break bones and get a cast on each arm in less than one week. It takes a dedicated person to be able to accomplish a feat of such magnitude.
Last Thursday, Ethan was playing basketball and took a ball off his thumb. It hurt. And in the end it was broken and required a cast for healing and stability. Not too big a deal.
Then, over the weekend he was playing and managed to fall, catching himself with his good arm. Needless to say, the arm hurt and after a trip to the orthopedist, he had another cast.
I guess you could say that Ethan is "armed and considered dangerous!" To himself!
1. Today is the last Monday of April. The journey into Spring continues although it seems as if April only just began.
2. The rainy weekend washed out Saturday baseball and allowed for alternate activities.
3. The Orioles have the best record in the MLB. They continue to play well even though they lost yesterday.
4. It is five more days until the next weekend. Why am I thinking about that already?
5. Having a connected home could be a problem according to a New York Times article titled Here is Hoe to Fend off a Hijacking of Home Devices.
6. I played golf yesterday, it was cool outside, but great to be out on the course.
"The developing world has been told that it's necessary to give up freedom in order to achieve progress. Nothing could be further from the truth."
Yesterday's rain completely changed my plans for the day.
The day was scheduled to be devoted to baseball with the annual GORC parade in the morning and another game for the GORC 10U Intramural Dodgers in the afternoon. Both events were canceled due to the wet conditions.
The cancellations meant that the day suddenly became a blank page waiting to be filled with unscheduled activities. The first was the obligatory springtime trip to the landfill and recycling center. There is always an accumulation of junk that needs to move along and Chris and I managed a truckload yesterday. We were on our way to the dump by 8:30 AM which was the time the parade was supposed to form.
On the way home, we stopped at Home Depot and did some shopping. Being Springtime, there is always yard work that needs to be done and in this case we bought some grass seed to fill in the holes in the yard. We also priced a new smoker as our old rusted one had just been delivered to the metal recycling area of the landfill.
Now the afternoon, what to do for the afternoon on a rainy day. Visit wineries, of course, was the answer. We hit the road and headed west to visit Big Cork, where we had a wine club distribution to retrieve. We enjoyed a tasting at the winery and then decided to find a winery we had not previously visited. After some work on the cell phone, the decision was Creek's Edge Winery about 30 minutes from where we were, but somewhat on the way back home.
I will be writing up a full review in my wine blog, but visiting Creek's Edge was a great choice for the afternoon and we spent a few hours watching the rain fall and sampling some very nice Virginia wines in a magnificent and relaxing atmosphere.
I'm happy the rains came. Chris and I enjoyed a great unplanned day!
The Spring has fully arrived and continues to deepen. I was amazed by the size of my bleeding hearts the other day. They are huge.
Lilacs are in bloom and the rains are making the lawn green, but unfortunately too wet to mow!
I was reflecting yesterday that one week ago I had been on vacation in Florida.
The thought of being on a beach with a warm sun and blue sky is very appealing.
It is rainy and overcast in the Baltimore region today. It is so wet that the Opening Day GORC Spring sports Parade was canceled.
But that is Spring! And the scene is green! And getting greener every day!
I know the title is a bit strange, but it was a crazy night as I was watching two very different sports teams win their games.
First, it is playoff season in the NHL and the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets to win their opening round series of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Penguins are the defending Stanley Cup Champions! The win was even more exciting because they accomplished the feat by laying their "back-up" goalie. It is important to note, however, that their back-up has helped the team win the Stanley Cup, so Marc Andre Fleury is one of the best goalies in the game. I wish the defense would help him to a bit more because he stopped 49 of 51 shots on goal last evening.
The Penguins are now awaiting their opponent for the second round of the playoffs. It will be either the dreaded Washington Capitals or the Toronto Maple Leafs. That best of seven series is tied 2-2. It will be a few days until the winner is finally determined.
My other bird team is, of course, the Orioles! The Orioles completed a 9-game road trip last evening with a 6-3 record. The Orioles continue to have the best record in baseball, but as the standings show that only makes them one-half game better than the team "whose name shall remain unwritten from up north." I am excited because I have tickets for tonight's game against the Red Sox and it will be my first Orioles game since Opening Day.
The Orioles are off to a strong start, but then so are most of the other teams in the division. I am reminded that both of the American League wild card teams came from the American League East Division last season. The division remains one of the toughest in baseball. The top three teams in the division are a combined 30-15 .667 right now.
I guess I like teams with bird logos because my favorite football team is the Ravens (another bird).
Let's Go O's and Pens!
It finally registered last evening after baseball practice.
The green has returned and replaced the gray and brown of winter!
Leaves are on the trees and the grass has taken on the rich green of Springtime. The canopy formed by the trees around my yard is returning and that is definitely improving my mood. I didn't really think about it when I snapped the image at the baseball game Monday evening, but the trees are filling out with leaves and changing the scenery.
I also noted yesterday that I am again driving to work in daylight as the set-back that occurred during daylight saving time has been erased. The sun is up for 13h 27m! One month ago, when Spring began, daylight was 12h 9m and we are headed for 14h 56m during June when the solstice occurs.
Pool opening day is less than two weeks off!
Spring is rapidly turning into summer!
It was a jolting experience.
At about 3 AM, the alarm system decided to activate and declare an emergency.
It was another, false alarm in a series of false alarms. Fortunately, we have never had a real alarm--but at 3AM in the middle of the sleep cycle, a false alarm effectively signals the end of sleep for the night.
I am growing weary of my alarm company and their ability to blame me for the false alarm rather than actively trying to help prevent them from occurring.
And to think, I pay extra for this service. I am going give the company one last chance before revealing their name.
I don't need anymore false alarms. At least the police did not respond, this time!
Coaching youth baseball is at the same time frustrating and rewarding. It is an investment in the future, but until the team actually steps foot onto the baseball diamond against an opponent who has been similarly coached you never really know what to expect.
Last evening the GORC 10U Intramural Dodgers played their first game of the season that runs until early June. It was a beautiful April evening with temperatures in the high 60's and relatively clear skies after some rain showers passed through about noon. The field was in good shape for a game, thanks to the hard work of Mike and Jim who worked on it for about two hours.
To their credit, the boys have been practicing hard and having fun learning the game. Mike has designed practices that focus on fundamentals like catching the ball and knowing where to throw it.
It turns out that at the kid pitch level, pitching is critical. Our team has pitchers, but, we also have a team full of boys who love playing baseball and are learning how to play it well.
The game lasted a full two-hours plus and we only completed five innings due to the time limit, but the Dodgers came away with a big win that saw everything--pitching, fielding, smart base-running, hitting and most importantly a lot of fun. The game was slow because the other team's pitchers had trouble finding the plate and there were a lot of walks. Their hitters showed up late in the game and allowed our players to display their ability to think fast and make good decisions in the field.
The final score is not as important as the fact that the boy on the team contributed and demonstrated solid baseball skills in every facet of the game. There are still areas that need work, but for the first game of the season it was a great start!
1. The Easter weather in the Baltimore region was fantastic. It reached a high of 87 degrees and there were only a few small passing sprinkles later during the day. Our family was smaller this year, sadly, but no less enthusiastic.
2. Eleven games into the 162 game season, the Orioles have the best record in Baseball! Yes, I am only showing the American League, but trust me, it's true!
3. The family Easter photo was taken from a new perspective.
4. I learned that I am not a drone pilot. I killed a drone yesterday. Ugh!
5. Until yesterday, I had not played full-speed, outdoors hide-n-seek in many years. I can still do a flat out sprint, it seems.
6. Children make Easter fun!
"Now, some in this country say, 'Freedom is fine for us, but we can't worry about it for everyone else. Let's not stick our necks out anywhere.' Have they forgotten that freedom was not won here without the help of others? Have they forgotten that people who turn their backs on friends often lose what they cherish most for themselves? Have they forgotten that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction?"
In the midst of the family celebrations today, I pray that you find happiness and contemplate the significance of the most important Christian observance.
The secularization of Easter, with the cute rabbits, chicks, and candy delicacies can detract, if allowed, from the meaning of the event that we celebrate today.
Although many believe that Christmas is the most significant Christian holiday, and it is important because it celebrates God becoming man and coming to us, Easter takes God's love one to the ultimate plane. The Son of God, true God, died to give us eternal life. And He didn't just die, because that would be a typical ending to a story, but He was raised back to life and lives even today.
With the resurrection, the meaning of the cross was changed from one of the most horrible methods of execution that mankind has ever devised into a symbol of freedom and hope.
The trip from Florida back to Maryland went without incident. That was significantly different from the canceled flight we experienced during our travel to Florida.
That normally means that vacation is over and it is back to real life. And I am. There are groceries to buy, an Easter dinner to plan, and mail to rummage through to see if anything of value arrived during our absence.
I enjoyed sitting on the beach; eating lunch and sipping adult drinks. It was fun not to worry about what time I had to wake up, even though I woke up early.
I was able to sneak out this morning and play a round of golf. I did pretty well considering that I had not touched a golf club in two weeks. My vacation is not over yet.
I miss walking on the beach every morning.
The last full day of vacation always a sad time. Yesterday was that day. Today is a travel day and that always brings its own set of stresses.
I remembered to log on and get my seat on the airplane for the return trip home. I sincerely hope that it is less exciting than was the trip to Florida.
I have been watching the news and I know that the world is a busy place, but being on vacation has allowed me to keep my head in the sand and let the international and domestic issues pass, kind of like having my head in the sand.
And writing of sand, even though the water was again too rough to actually venture too far from shore, the sand on the windblown beach was warm and inviting. We have become big fans of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge Beach. It was a busy day yesterday, being a nice day and high season, and there were about 12 other people on the 5 miles of beach. That is a good ratio.
Too soon, I will be back into my all too busy life and the relaxing morning walks along the beach and afternoon naps in the sun will be nothing more than a memory.
But today, I will definitely enjoy all of these for at least one last time.
I was going to title this "A Study of Palm Trees" but I decided that images of two palm trees blowing in the wind did not constitute a study.
The Atlantic Ocean has been rough during my entire vacation thus far. Three foot waves crashing onto the beaches and a steady wind that makes the nearly 80 degree temperatures seem cool.
The beauty of one of the beaches that we frequent is that the ocean is on one side and there are calmer beaches on the intracoastal waterway side. We found respite from the wind and waves yesterday on the intracoastal side and had an thoroughly enjoyable afternoon on the beach. It was as if we had out own private beach from which to watch the yachts sail the channel to the sea.
But it was the palm trees in the wind, illuminated by the sun with the dark storm clouds behind them that caught my eye. Standing alone, as palm trees often do, against the worst storms that the weather can throw against them.
What more can I say. I know that I am far enough south when palms begin to appear with increasing regularity and frequency. I know that they potentially can survive northern winters, but they do not grow naturally in the wilds of Maryland. I even found a website that details the correct types of palms to purchase for the varied Maryland climate zones.
Maybe I will start landscaping with palm trees and sand.
The waves have been high along the beaches which have hindered our ability to play in the water.
We have not been able to snorkel, but we have been enjoying the ocean and beaches in other ways.
Our morning beach walk has been occurring on differing beaches. The waves have been magnificent. The scenery awesome.
Chris has been having a blast playing with the waves and searching for shells. I ended the video below just before a wave caught up with Chris. It was very funny.
Yesterday we visited three beaches. I have to admit, it looks as if the entire Sargasso Sea is coming ashore. The beaches are still a lot of fun and the sun is still warm.
And, of course, I am not at work!
There are still, countless tomorrow's.
Walking along the beach in the morning can be an educational experience.
Yesterday the waves were crashing on the beach and red flags were flying.
We found the beach to full of life. The sea birds were everywhere and there was even a small portuguese man o' war washed up among the sea grasses.
The waves obviated any idea we had of getting into the water, but the walk along the beach was exciting.
It is too early in the season for turtles, but we did look to see if any had happened onto the beach during the night. There didn't seem to be any.
Of course, the day before we had happened across a small crab along the beach as well.
The sky above is full of life as well. The pelicans cruise the beach looking for a meal and a family of ospreys aggressively hunt above the shore as well.
Remember, a bad day at the beach is better than a good day at the office!
1. It is good to get away from the daily grind of life and change the scenery.
2. Do you ever feel trapped in wide open spaces? I saw a crab on the beach yesterday that I am sure had some of those feelings.
3. Palm trees are the next decorating fad.
4. Congratulations to Sergio Garcia on winning a thrilling Master's tournament yesterday.
5. The craziness in Washington should subside for a couple of weeks, Congress is on Spring Break!
6. The Orioles had a meltdown yesterday and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. They remain atop the American League East, however.
Today is essentially the first day of my Spring vacation. It is, however, the third day of my vacation.
We arrived in Florida last evening, uneventfully. The ride from Orlando seemed longer than normal, but at least we finally overcame the scheduling impact from the storms of Thursday. We heard that some people whose travel plans were disrupted by the weather were not getting out until Sunday. We felt lucky when the plane roared into the sky and Baltimore was in our proverbial "rear-view mirror."
Today was almost idyllic. We have been to the beach twice to enjoy the sun, wind, and waves. We even switched beaches from the ocean side to the intercostal side to be warmer and to be able to get into the water. The ocean surf was rough and yellow flags were flying along the guarded beaches this morning.
It was a great start to my first day in Florida. Alas, however, there was a trip to the local grocery store sandwiched in there. But, I guess we need some food to eat.
I am just enjoying the day, the sun and the warmth!
I am happy that we finally arrived!
Every year, Chris and I plan a get away during Spring Break. For Chris, who works in a school, the week provides a much needed escape from the daily grind.
We we're supposed to be in Florida soaking up sun and walking the sandy beaches.
Due to many flight cancellations on Thursday evening, we are hoping to get out on a flight today and start our early-Spring vacation a couple days late.
So what did I do on my first day of Spring Break?
First off, I sojourned to Lowe's to get the supplies to replaced the innards of a noisy toilet.
Then, I finally got my tractor started amid a humorous and frustrating series of mishaps to get it out of the shed and into the garage for the necessary work. In the end, I couldn't push it up the yard and had to work on it in the cold 45 degree temperatures of the day. Who knew that tractors with soft tires could be so hard to push. I almost hooked a tow cable to it and towed it with my truck, but that seemed to be a bit excessive.
But, with a little work and tinkering the tractor started and I mowed, yes, mowed, the lawn. I was freezing mowing the lawn in 45 degree temperatures--but the thoughts of soon being on a warm beach kept me warm (in my mind).
I definitely was not relaxing on a beach for my first day of vacation.
I was supposed to wake up this morning in Florida surrounded by palm trees and 80 degree temperatures.
Due to the rough weather along the East Coast yesterday, I am at home superfine through 40 degree temperatures and will not be leaving for Florida until tomorrow! Ugh!
First the flight was delayed three hours. OK--no big deal. But then, it was canceled! And we HAD to go to the airport to try to get rescheduled--for Saturday!
Well, it is Spring Break and everyone who can is trying to escape to Florida, it seems.
We met some nice people, especially the couple trying to return home to the West Palm Beach area after living in Australia for the past three years. They were really in a mess because their dog was being delivered to their house today! They needed to be home. I hope they made it.
I hope we make it tomorrow!
Soon, I expect many more ads to start appearing on my computer because Internet privacy has been repealed.
My service providers are going to begin selling my browsing history to make a buck.
I feel as if my privacy is being invaded.
It is like people can rummage through my personal mail and then sell lists of whom I receive mail from to advertisers.
I'm thinking about a VPN to try to keep at least some privacy. Big corporations do not need to know when I am planning to go on vacation--that becomes a security issue because I plan all of my trips on line. Cruises, get-aways and the like.
Even my car repairs and home repairs are subjects of internet searches. Also, all of my medical doctors now have web services that I use to schedule appointments and renew prescriptions. Do I really need big business to know these types of personal things?
Just like I do not like having my USPS mail examined.
My Take: What happened to the idea of privacy?