I finally managed to photograph a King Fisher, a pair, in fact. One shows up almost every morning but every time I step outside for a better shot, it is off to the other side of the river. I think that the pair were more interested in each other than me which allowed me to get close enough to capture a half-decent image. Click on the images to reveal more detail.
The boating speed limit on the Sudbury River is 10 mph. Sadly, there are a few people who choose to ignore the rules. Given a 10 to 1 ratio of kayakers to power boaters, it is just a matter of time before this guy causes a problem. I photographed his boat ID and if I see him speeding in the area again, I will file a complaint with the appropriate authorities.
Located close to my office, the Vine Brook Wellfield is a well-hidden natural landscape in the midst of much commercial development. I have previously photographed this scene in winter and can definitely say that spring offers a more photogenic result. My recent post featuring a photograph of painted turtles was taken where the water from this marsh empties into Vine Brook.
Open Table and Jeanine were recognized by Food Bank News for their innovative approach to food distribution in the face of the Covid pandemic. The article features three US food relief organizations that have embraced digital technology to enable online ordering. The section featuring Open Table is appended below (click on it for an easier-to-read view).
This photo does little to convey the beauty of the full moon’s reflection on the river as was the scene this evening. It is made even more mesmerizing by the ever-changing patterns of light on the wind-whipped water.
Maya was sporting a new haircut when the entire family got together for dinner at Kyle’s place. The glasses belong to Nicolai but we all thought they looked good on her. The kids had a lot of news to share this week. Kyle is poised to make an offer on a house in Medford. Nicolai has accepted a full-time teaching position at Concord Middle School. Maya has been offered a summer internship with Rivian, the electric truck maker. I have already asked her if she can get me an employee discount. Jeanine is adjusting to reentry after a week of blissful vacation. I had my second Moderna vaccination yesterday and feel like shit (achy and fatigued). Neither the shot nor the cold rainy conditions kept me from showing up for my soccer game. I played for the first half which we finished with 5-1 lead. It was clear that I was suffering on the pitch so the manager pulled me from the lineup for the second half for which I was grateful.
I am happy to report that the owl’s nest Jeanine and I discovered last year is still occupied. It is not yet clear if we will have owlets again this season but I plan to make frequent visits for the next month to see what develops. I invited our new friends, Dave and Sara as well as his visiting grandson to join me for the outing. Later in the morning, I got my second vaccination shot and took it easy for the balance of the day. Jeanine returned from her week-long vacation in Provincetown and shared stories of her adventures with me.
Jeanine reports from Cape Cod that she is getting tons of exercise, eating well, and sleeping like a baby. A well-deserved vacation and break from what has been an incredibly stressful year at Open Table, I am happy that she is getting a chance to recharge her batteries. Not only has the pandemic dramatically increased the number of people dealing with food insecurity, but it has also forced the organization to re-engineer the way it delivers food.
It has been quite some time since I have done any aerial photography. Despite very high winds, I decided to make a quick flight down the river this evening. I was less focused on photography than I was in brushing the rust off my flying skills. I am hoping to make extensive use of my drone when I visit the Faroe Islands later this summer and it is almost always windy there. Not quite the same as riding a bicycle, it took a while before I felt comfortable in the pilot’s seat again. A few more practice sessions and I will be ready to tackle the North Atlantic winds.
The female red-winged blackbird displays neither of the attributes contained in its name. It makes one wonder, how differently birds would be named if the female was the headliner. I photographed the one pictured here at Great Meadows this morning.
The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I found these ones in a small stream near work during my lunch break. Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago and to look closely at one (the claws, for example) it is not hard to imagine. Reliant on warmth from its surroundings, the painted turtle is active only during the day when it basks for hours on logs or rocks. During winter, the turtle hibernates, usually in the mud at the bottom of water bodies. Adults in the wild can live for more than 55 years.
Jeanine is spending the week in Provincetown taking a well-deserved vacation. I am banking my vacation time to compete in a soccer tournament being held in Denmark later this summer. She sent me a number of photos she took yesterday. This one is my favorite and as good as any I have ever taken. She is really becoming an excellent photographer.
By the time I got home from work, there was not much light left but did manage to capture this mallard in front of the house.
One of the things that differentiate Concord United, my soccer club, from other teams, is that we get together to socialize after most games. We call these gatherings an après. I volunteered to host today in combination with my beer duty assessment from last weeks’ match for roughing up the opposing goalie, a matter of some considerable disagreement. Given that most of our furniture is in storage, I had to ask folks to bring their own chairs. I provided a crockpot full of Tenessee Whisky infused pulled pork, sesame seed buns, a fruit salad, and chips with salsa in addition to the beer. Teammates added a freshly baked loaf of bread and guacamole for a spread that Jeanine might even consider respectable. The mood was great having just defeated arch-rivals, Juventus, by a score of 2-0. I managed to strip their star midfielder of the ball which set up our first goal making the game very satisfying for me on a personal level as well.
Nicolai is rock climbing in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge with high school buddies Oliver and Raz. Did he send us this photo? No. We got a hold of it through Oliver’s mom.
After a few weeks of spring-like weather, it felt odd to have snow again. In Concord, we received about two inches but it was here and gone within 2 days.
It has been over a year since my last kidney stone. Earlier this week, I began passing another. I have tolerated the pain for almost five days but this evening it reached a peak and even double doses of Ibuprofen would not do the trick. I headed for the emergency room at about 11 PM and several hours later learned by way of a CAT scan that I was simultaneously passing two stones, 3mm on the left and 2-3mm on the right side. Armed with this knowledge and a shot of Toradol, high dose Ibuprofen administered by injection, I returned home in the early hours of the morning to continue the waiting game. The doctor also informed me that the radiologist had identified more than a dozen stones currently rattling around in my kidneys that will each one day try to make the great escape. Not the best news after 5 days of relentless pain. On a less depressing note, let me know if you can spot a Harry Potter character in my CAT scan.
Meet Gary, our resident groundhog. I think he must be a juvenile because he seems smaller than the groundhog who lived with us on Mattison Drive. I am concerned that his dietary interests may include our newly planted blueberry bushes and plan to install some mesh fencing to protect them this weekend. Jeanine noticed him early in the day and I encountered him after work suggesting we will be seeing a lot of him.
I can only imagine that these ants are having some kind of food orgy. Every day, this intense concentration of ants can be found swarming around a different part of our walkway. You could take out the entire population with a single misplaced footstep. As long as they stay away from the house this is going to be a live and let live relationship. Click on the image for a closer view.
I think it is safe to say that spring has arrived in Massachusetts. This scene is across from the entrance to Heath’s Bridge Road where our house is located. The magnolia tree is in full bloom as are the daffodils that line the fence.
Jeanine’s sister and brother-in-law joined the family for an outdoor celebration of Jeanine’s birthday this evening. Lauren and Bob were in New Jersey for a wedding and are returning to Indiana by way of Massachusetts and Vermont to visit with family. We had a delightful time spent mostly outdoors by the fire. Lauren and Bob are both fully vacinated and our family has all had their first shots. Earlier in the day, I was on the soccer pitch for my second match of the season, scoring my first goal of the year to help with an easy victory over our opponents from Arlington.
Jeanine and I went to Great Meadows for a nice late afternoon walk. The great weather made up for the lack of good photo opportunities. On the way home, Jeanine spotted a bunch of deer in a field near our old house. I stopped to pull out my camera and then Jeanine spotted a couple of distant turkeys. I set off on what turned out to be a half-mile hike to track down this tom. I am glad I did.
When Jeanine called my attention to this spider in our bedroom, she became very unhappy with me when my initial response was photographically motivated. She promptly took matters into her own hands and executed a catch and release before I could set up some decent lighting.
Each day for the last week, an army of ants have been working their way down our walkway towards the driveway. For some reason, they stay grouped very closely, never occupying more than a square foot at a time.
Killdeer get their name from the shrill, wailing kill-deer call they give so often. Eighteenth-century naturalists also noticed how noisy Killdeer are, giving them names such as the Chattering Plover and the Noisy Plover. This one was quite quiet as he waded in the Concord River in search of dinner.
Jeanine and I were invited on an eagle amble this evening by neighbors who share our interest in nature and photography. They guided us to a local nest which is less than a mile from our house. I made many attempts to get a clear line of sight but was unable to find a less obscured view than the one above.
It has been almost half a year (173 days, but who is counting) since we were scheduled to close on the purchase of our new home. Today, at long last, the excruciating wait has come to an end. Jeanine and I signed documents in the office of our real estate attorney this morning to finalize the transfer. Most of the delay was related to settling the seller’s estate in probate court and having a 45-year-old lien on the title removed. We are now at liberty to file for the necessary permitting to begin our reconstruction project.
We celebrated Easter outdoors with the kids today. Jeanine prepared a lovely strawberry-pecan salad, French lasagna, and strata with mushrooms and chard. For dessert, we enjoyed a collection of fine chocolates. Later, we planted four Spartan blueberry bushes on the river bank. We hope that in the years to come we will enjoy the fruit of these plantings with the next generation of Calabria’s. Earlier in the day, I travelled to Peabody for my soccer season-opening match. Our pre-season preparation served us well and we secured a 4-0 win. I am still struggling to gain back the level of fitness I had last season but managed to survive the match with no injuries and no mistakes.
Easter is one of Jeanine’s favorite holidays. When the kids were young they looked forward to the Easter baskets that she would create for each of them. As they have grown older, she has modified her Easter gifts appropriately. Pictured here are a number of air plants “potted” in small animal-themed sculptures which she will surprise them with tomorrow.
In the coming days, we are expecting a bumper crop of rhododendron blooms. There are dozens of mature trees on our property and we are waiting with great anticipation to see what the color pallete will include.