I found this black cougar perched in a tree outside the Emerson Umbrella (a building dedicated to the arts). After I coaxed it from the tree we attended Open Studio. Painters, photographers, potters, poets, architects, and sculptors welcomed visitors into their studios and discussed their work. Maya was fascinated with them and we spent the better part of two hours going from studio to studio before having lunch together downtown. 

If you click on this picture you should be able to see the eyes on this snail. 

This Australian pygmy hedgehog is named Tiny. 

I was able to get some close ups of the snails. 

The party featured Animals as Intermediaries. The children were introduced to snails, rabbits, skunk cabbage, a ring neck dove, and a hedgehog. Here the use a spray mister to wake up the snails. 

Maya attended a birthday party for her friend Emma Walker. 

Today Nicolai entered the work force as a soccer referee. He filled out his own W4 and is now a tax paying member of society. He officiated three games and did a great job netting a whopping $60 for his effort. 

I have no idea what she is saying, but she sure looks like she knows what she is talking about. Jeanine left early this morning for three days in NYC where she will meet up with her good friend, Monica Frost. I will be holding down the fort with the objective of not losing any of the children and providing them reasonably nutritious sustenance. If your favorite child is absent from the blog next week then you will know that I failed at my mission. 

This morning I awoke to find Maya teaching herself sign language from a pamphlet she picked up at school. 

All in all, it was a great weekend spent with Kyle. 

On our way to retunring the rental car, we stopped briefly at the entrance to the Botanical Gardens and encountered this very strange looking duck. Jeanine would have loved this place so we decided to bring back this little piece for her. 

After the tournament, we made our way to the Chesapeake Bay and strolled along the beach before heading to the airport. 

I asked a stranger to take a photo of Kyle and I. The exposure is a little off, but I am happy to have any pictures of the two of us together. 

In the evening, I strolled down the boardwalk pausing at the Virginia Beach signature King Neptune statue. I like this photo because the dog on a leash in the foreground mimics the turtle in Neptune’s left hand. 

In between games, I set out in search of interesting things to photograph. I like this shot, because I was able to shot from a high perspective which is rarely the case with birds. 

The main activity of the weekend was soccer and the boys played a total of four games. Here Kyle splits two defenders as he moves the ball up the field. Although the team did not fare so well (1 win, 1 tie, 2 losses), Kyle played very well and has again been elected as a captain of the team. 

We dined at Catch 31, an upscale seafood restaurant and weekend hot spot. The 30 minute wait for a 9PM seating was well worth it. The meal was outstanding and was a nice way to start our weekend together. 

Leaning off our fifth floor balcony, I tried to gather in the sky, ocean, and boardwalk. What I could not capture was the sound and smell of the ocean which came through the door we left open all evening.. 

We stayed at the Marriot Courtyard, overlooking the beach and the Atlantic Ocean. 

Kyle and I flew to Virginia Beach today for a weekend soccer tournament. This photo was taken on approach to Norfolk Airport and I believe is of the Botanical Gardens. 

Nicolai went a little over board with the face painting this evening. 

Left this morning to return to the US. I have a few more trips in the coming months and then expect the travel to subside a bit. This evening my indoor soccer team entered the play-offs. We faced a tough opponent and sqeeked by with a margin of one point. Our game was at 11PM making for a very long day. 

The hotel where I gave my presentations literally overlooked the atrium to a large shopping mall. I did a total of six back-to-back presentations together with an associate. Each time he started speaking I ran out to the mall returning just in time to present my section. On the first excursion I purchased a pair of comfotable shoes to relieve my blistered feet. The second trip yielded a new shirt (I had packed for 2 days, not realizing I was booked for a three day trip). Finally, I returned with a workout bag (to carry my boots in; I had packed my clothes in my computer bag and had no other luggage). Shopping in precise 20 minute intervals is a very entertaining way to go about the process.  

This little bistro had in interesting combination of lights, graphics, and sculpture. Very typical of the store fronts on St. Denis Street. 

This afternoon I traveled to Montreal for meetings tomorrow. Despite the VERY cold temperatures, I decided to walk back to my hotel from the restaurant where I dined with colleauges. What was suppose to be a 35 minute walk turned into a 90 minute hike when I overshot the hotel and had to back track. My newly repaired boots were tighter than I remembered and I wound up with a couple of nice blisters. Fortunately there was plenty to photograph along the way and I have a nice sequence from my stroll through the city at night. 

Here is one of the glamour shots of the camcorder I am selling. Not very artistic, but the lighting principles I use are directly applicable to portrait photography. 

I am selling my video camcorder and used a light tent to photograph it. Maya crawled inside and I got a nice shot of her as well. 

Nicolai got a hair cut this week and you can actually see his eyes now. 

Woke up this morning to a nice 10 inch snowfall. Very wet and very icy on top. It took about 2 hours to clear the entire driveway. 

A nice for was on the marsh as I drove into work this morning. 

This evening, I joined Jeanine, Nico and Maya for dinner at the Main Street Cafe where we were treated to a very nice jazz trio (tenor sax, keyboard, and drums).