Maya returns from Austin Texas after visiting with Aunt Susan (Tigger) and Rose for a week. She had a great time but was also happy to be home having missed her puppy dearly. As I was collecting Maya at the airport, Jeanine was dropping Kyle off in Freeport, Maine where he is joining ten other kids and two councilors on a 2-week bike excursion which will end in Quebec. They will be camping out along the way pausing only for a three day community service project. 

Nicolai captured this baby robin venturing to the edge ot its nest. Earlier in the week, while pruning this shrub, I cut the branch holding the nest. Out tumbled the day old baby and hit the ground with a thud. I picked the little guy up and showed him to Jeanine and Nicolai who both decided it was a goner. I placed it back in the nest, where I found his sister still clinging to it and then placed the nest back in the shrub. In no time, Mom returned to the nest with food and both chicks have been thriving. 

Nicolai and I went on a one hour nature walk and captured this dragon fly. 

This morning Nala attended her first puppy training class. She was very well behaved and one of the more timid dogs. She thought this boy was very rude considering this was their first encounter. 

Nico makes friends in the garden. 

Mother and new daughter fast asleep on the couch. Maya has my coloring. I would say that Nala looks more like Jeanine. 

I spent Tuesday and Wednesday in Fort Collins, Colorado visiting with a vendor. The good news was that the meetings proved far more valuable than I had anticipated. The bad news was that I had no time for photography. I grabbed this shot of a dirt bike course just off the highway on the return to the airport. 

Niece Sophia practicing her kissing technique on my brother. 

A little something from the garden (actually taken a few days ago). The day flew by with no chances for photography. My summer soccer league started today and I had a game after work. It is an open division which means no age restrictions. I got 60 minutes of playing time (on sore legs from the Monadnock climb) against kids easily half my age on a very hot day. It is very satisfying when you beat the 18 year old kid guarding you after he has assumed anyone older than his father has got nothing he can’t handle. I am travelling on business for the next two days and may not post again till the end of the week. Maya is in Texas visiting her Aunt Susan and I am missing her every day. 

Not sure who was prouder, father or son. Either way, a day I will never forget. 

My hero. 

All the hard work pays off as Nico stands atop the summit. 

This climb includes a lot of rock scrambling. Nico spent 30 minutes of our two and a half hour ascent on hands and knee working his way up the rocks. This was the most exhausting part for him. He was able to conserve much more energy when he could make use of his crutches. 

Today, Nicolai and I climbed Mount Monadnock which rises to 3165 feet above southern New Hampshire. Here we take a rest once we have cleared the tree line. Nico is so able I sometimes forget how hard he has to work to do what is easy for others. We ascended a total of 1800 feet (2 miles up, 2 miles down) in about 4.5 hours. With 50 feet of ascent remaining, Nico hit the proverbial wall. We rested and had some food after which he decided to make a final push for the summit.  

Today was largely spent gardening. I noticed this dragonfly and was lucky enough to snap a quick shot before he flew away. 

Nicolai choose to take some of his fiends to Six Flags for an early birthday celebration before they leave for the summer. Along for the fun was Kyle and his friends supervised by Jeanine and another mom. 

While the boys appeared a bit awkward in their suits, Kyle’s female friends appeared totally at ease in their outfits. 

This evening, Kyle attended a formal end of the year dance and I took advantage of the opportunity to get a photo of the guys he hangs out with. 

I believe Kyle took this photograph capturing his sister’s true spirit. 

Happy Birthday Maya!!! 

Jeanine delivered another signature ice cream cake for the celebration. 

I was at work and missed the Tea Party, but good friend Kate was kind enough to capture the moments for us. 

In a normal home this would be a bunch of potted plants. Chez Jeanine, these are actually edible treats to be served at Maya’s Birthday Tea Party. I am told they were so realistic, that some children could not be convinced to dig into the “dirt”. 

Today little Miss Maya turned 8 years old. She starts the day caring for her new baby. I remember when she was as small as Nala and I was holding her in my arms. 

The grass on our field is now taller than Maya in some places. Here she finds refuge from her pursuer who questions the logic of entering what must look to her like a dense forest. 

The puppy chasing my little cat. 

This morning was the final match of my spring season and after the game I took the customary team photo. We needed a win or a tie to maintain our division one standing and were fortuante to achieve the latter after squandering a 2-0 lead. I had a beautiful solo goal taken away by an offsides call made by the ref who had his back to me when the ball was played. Although the goal did not count, it was a very sweet play that I will remember for a very long time. The ball was lobbed over the sweeper and the goalie came racing out to collect it. I was racing in to get there first. I beat him to it by a millisecond, flicking a quick header past him on the right and then jumping over his attempt to tackle me before slotting it in the low right corner. 

I took dozens of photos and these are among my favorites. I will try to post all of them on my web album later in the week. 
 
 
 

Later in the day we drove to Old Lyme, Connecticut for an annual gathering hosted by my cousin Anita and her husband Tony. The food is always magnificent and this year was no exception. 

Nico had a mock diving competition this morning (intra-squad event judged by high school divers). The idea is to acclimate to all of the requirements and routines of a real diving meet. Here he begins a forward one and a half in pike position. He placed second. 

Ever since the dog arrived, the pigs have received modest attention. This morning, Maya cleaned their cage and set out new bedding. This child loves anything with fur on it. For the record, I will be saying no when she eventually gets around to asking for a horse.