Would you buy a homeowner’s or car insurance policy if you knew that the person selling it to you was keeping 85% of the premium as a commission on the sale? Only if you were an idiot, I would venture to assert! And yet, when it comes to title insurance, this is the typical commission earned by the lawyer or real estate agent whom you are paying to represent your interests in the closing. In Iowa, the state has banned private title insurance and offers homeowners the same coverage for $175. The lawyer I was about to hire to close our recent real estate purchase provided an engagement letter in which we would agree to pay them $975 for the closing work and an additional $8,550 for mandatory title insurance, of which they would get a kick-back of $7,268. Fortunately, we are doing an all-cash deal and are therefore not required to purchase title insurance. If ever there was a totally legal scam, this is it. Buyer beware!

After my journey through the fine print of the engagement letter, I let the attorney know we would be choosing to work with someone else to close the sale, and I am reviewing quotes from three new lawyers who do not require clients to purchase title insurance through them.

Although I consider myself officially retired, I continue to do limited consulting for select companies. One of my clients is Formlabs, where I help members of the engineering and manufacturing teams with career counseling, executive coaching, conflict resolution, and generally provide advice based on 35 years of experience as an engineering leader. I do this on-site once a month. I typically meet individually with 9 or 10 employees for 30 minutes, separated by a 15-minute break to record my notes, which I review at the end of the day with senior staff. When she is not tied up in meetings, I have lunch with Maya, who is a Technical Program Manager at the company. With my commute, it makes for an eleven-hour marathon, and while it leaves me fully spent, I find the work very rewarding.

This morning, I left extra early so that I could pick up some Baltic birch plywood for a project I have been putting off for some time. It was still dark with a dense fog hovering over the ground, producing an otherworldly glow from the driveway border lighting.

Kyle and his running buddies have moved on from Ocho Rios to Negril for the second half of their Jamaican vacation. Judging from the phone in his hand, I suspect Kyle took this photo with his drone. It was not all beach lounging and sun for Kyle today. He had to initiate a large wire transfer of the binding deposit to accompany the Purchase and Sale Agreement for the Somer House, which the kids are buying jointly. All signatures have been secured, and the deal is set to close on April 15th.

For months now, the Sudbury River has been frozen, making many new activities possible for both humans and critters. We have observed snowshoers, cross-country skiers, dog walkers, and bicyclists (you read that correctly) wending their way up and down, over and back. The depth of the snow covering prevented the one activity you would expect on a frozen river: ice skating. We have also sighted deer, coyotes, and foxes crossing the frozen expanse to explore new territories on the opposite bank.

Today, as the temperature reached 75°F, the ice has started to melt in a pattern that maps out the natural springs below. If the weather forecast holds, the river will have fully thawed by the end of the week and, absent a cold snap, will remain that way until next winter.

Kyle and his running buddies look to be enjoying their vacation in Ocho Rios, Jamaica. I believe they plan to move on to Negril later in the week. I find myself wondering if they are actually doing any running or if this is more of a lounging on the beach type of holiday.

Jeanine and I did our own little run this evening, to Logan Airport. This was at Kyle’s request to search for a set of keys that apparently fell out of an unzipped pocket of his backpack. Fortunately, they are on a fob with an AirTag, so he was able to share the location with us. Regretably, we were unable to retrieve them despite assistance from a very helpful TSA agent who searched for them beyond the security perimeter. Although it appears that the keys are outside the building, the map has not been updated to reflect the new boundaries of the recently renovated Terminal E, which now includes the tagged location. Hopefully, the keys will be located by airport cleaners and will be waiting for Kyle in the Lost & Found when he returns.

Last night, Jeanine and I attended the inaugural “Brighter Together” parade and community celebration in downtown Concord. Over three hundred town residents turned up to participate. Brighter Together aims to create an annual winter tradition that lifts spirits, strengthens community bonds, and celebrates people of all ages, local businesses, and cultural organizations. Photographing by lantern light was a bit of a challenge, but enjoyable nonetheless.

For Christmas, Maya gifted Jeanine an all-day metalworking class where students learned to shape metal into art using anticlastic forming, which involves manipulating the metal to create saddle-like, ruffled and organic forms. The mother-daughter activity produced several earrings, in both copper and silver, as well as components for a wind chime.

Kyle departed Boston this morning, destined for a week in Jamaica. He is traveling there with three friends from his running club to soak up the sun and enjoy a bit of snorkeling. It has become his routine to vacation in the tropics to break up our frigid New England winters.

Jeanine joined her good friend Stefanie for high tea at the Lexington Vintage Tea and Cake Company. The smile on her face tells the whole story. It should be noted that none of the leftovers made their way back to our home. Admittedly, I do not know what half these things are, but I am damn sure I would have discovered a tasty morsel or two in the lot.

UPDATE: After reading my post, Jeanine informs me that there was nothing left to bring home. Still, I believe a search of typical hiding spots in the kitchen is warranted.

The water pipes at Kyle’s house have been prone to freezing during severe cold spells, of which we had a fair share this winter. To combat the problem, we opened up the wall behind the pictured kitchen cabinet so that the pipes could be heated from the living space side. Today, Kyle added a vented valence to the top of the cabinet, which allows warm air from the kitchen to circulate past the pipes. Air enters from an opening in the wall behind the base cabinets and flows up and out of the openings in the new valence. Phase two of our plan includes adding insulation on the outside of the foundation wall but this work will have to wait for more temperate weather.

This morning, while Jeanine and Kyle were enjoying coffee in the great room, they were treated to a brief visit by an American Mink or River Otter (there is an ongoing debate within the family) who peered in the window at them. I was in my office and missed the encounter, but later pulled up video from one of our security cameras and caught some of the action. The furry creature can be seen entering the frame in the lower left corner (make sure that your viewing window does not crop the bottom of the video). Sixteen seconds later, it makes its way along the picture window on the lower right side of the frame, looks inside to check things out, and then turns around and departs. Please reach out to us if you have a strong opinion as to the identity of our visitor.

In addition to our critter sighting, the scene outside was just magical this morning. Last night’s snowfall left the tree branches frosted, and the bright morning sun quickly turned it into rain.

When a total lunar eclipse occurs during sunrise, a rare celestial phenomenon called a selenelion (or “impossible sunrise”) takes place. During this event, you can see both the totally eclipsed “blood moon” and the rising sun simultaneously on opposite horizons. Of course, you also need clear skies. Early this morning, we enjoyed perfect viewing conditions, though a bit uncomfortable at 10° outside. Photographically speaking, the event is less interesting than a regular lunar eclipse because the rising sun makes it impossible to expose for the “blood moon.” I chose to take a photo shortly before the full eclipse and while it was still dark enough to barely see the outline of the moon. Once the moon was fully in the Earth’s shadow, it completely disappeared from view. It was still above the horizon but simply too dim to be seen in the morning light. This was to the dismay of the 50 or so people gathered at a popular high ground observation point, who did not know this would be the case. Yesterday, the local news made a big deal of this rare event, featuring lovely photos of a blood moon, but failed to mention that in our part of the country, this scene would not be visible. Dozens of people were still driving up as I departed, knowing the show was over.

Ten years ago this month, I spent several weeks traveling through Southeast Asia. While in India, I visited the Taj Mahal and was somewhat disappointed to find it undergoing routine cleaning with scaffolding on three of the four minarets. This was after sprinting to reach the reflecting pool ahead of all others (full story here).

Fast forward a decade, and I was able to remove the distractions with a simple command and artificial intelligence to create the image below. I find this both exciting and disappointing. The fact is that I could now prompt the software to place a picture of me in the scene without ever setting foot in India.

With my upcoming trip to Bolivia on the horizon and all the activity related to the Somerville house purchase, I thought it best to file our taxes early this year. Thankfully, that task is now behind me. While I was taking care of business, Kyle and Mario ran 10 miles with Kyle’s running club, and Jeanine, Maya, and Brooke went for a long hike in Concord. Later, the entire crew met at the new Somerville house, Nicolai and Jeanine for the first time, to look the place over.

Joining us this morning for an extended brunch were more cousins—John, Rachel, and her boyfriend Rob. Jeanine and Maya teamed up to make a perfect batch of popovers, while Brooke prepared a fruit salad that could feed a small army. In between catching up on everybody’s news, we engaged in a raucous game of Hues and Cues.

My nephew, Mario, and his new bride, Brooke, are staying with us for two nights. Mario has business in the Seaport District starting on Monday, and they will stay at a hotel in the area starting on Sunday. Kyle, Nico, and Maya joined us for dinner and a sleepover to spend time with their cousin. Jeanine was pleased to see her new sofa-bed pressed into service with high marks for comfort.

Jeanine and I enjoyed a morning walk around the neighborhood, where we encountered four-foot-high snowbanks and igloos big enough for an adult. It would be safe to say that we have had more than our fair share of snow this winter, but you will find no complaints here. One of the things I love most about living in New England is that we get all four seasons in their full glory.

This morning, our family’s offer to purchase this triplex in the heart of Somerville was accepted by the seller. I say family because this home will be jointly owned by all three kids. Each will own one of the three nearly identical units. Jeanine and I are helping with the down payment, while the kids will cover the rest. Each can choose to live in their unit alone, collect rent from roommates, or generate passive income by renting their entire floor out.

When we started looking for a property last week, this was the only one that met all of our criteria. The 3,816 sqft. home has 9 bedrooms, 6 baths, a huge basement and off-street parking. The closing is scheduled for April 15.

The nice thing about having a really long driveway is that it affords significant privacy. The downside is that it takes a long time to clear snow, especially after a powerful Nor’easter. Last night, we received about 11 inches of fresh snow, and it was the wet and heavy kind. I had an appointment with an orthopedist to evaluate my hip and knees at 8 am, so I had to get an early start on snowblowing the driveway. I have two sets of batteries for my electric snowblower, and I had to use each set twice to complete the job. On the first pass, I cleared a path just wide enough for one of our cars to reach the road. I took care of everything else on the second pass later in the day. I always make an effort to get down to the asphalt when temperatures are below freezing, and more snow is in the forecast. Failure to do so just makes future snowblowing that much more difficult.

Incidentally, I learned that my hips and knees hurt because of decades of wear and tear. The doctor saw no immediate or foreseeable need for replacement joints. The plan is to continue my stretching and strengthening routine and to address pain with Ibuprofen.

Nicolai will be honored by the Soccer Unity Project at their annual fundraiser. The Unity Ball event will be held on April 10th at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. Funds raised will ensure that young people — especially girls and youth of color — can continue to experience the power and joy of sport. Nico will share the spotlight with Miles Robinson, a defender for the US Men’s National Team, and Ally Sentnor, a midfielder/forward for the US Women’s National Team.

This evening, Jeanine and I hosted our second six-course $1000 donation dinner party, with the proceeds going to our church. Our neighbors, Tom and CC made the donation in addition to providing an expert selection of wines and Champagne. They invited two other couples who are long-time friends of CC to share the meal, and we used the occasion to celebrate a pair of birthdays as well.

Last night, we received 3 inches of wet snow, the kind that sticks to tree branches, creating a beautiful winter wonderland. After clearing the driveway, I set out for some aerial photography and a honey-do list of errands. Pictured above is a distant view of the Old North Bridge and Visitor Center. My shopping list included an offset spatula, Portobello mushroom caps, candles, a zucchini, a red onion, and a yellow squash. This mission required stops at three different stores and was not completed to the satisfaction of my boss. I forgot the candles, and apparently, I do not know the difference between a zucchini and an English cucumber. In my defense, I doubt Jeanine knows the difference between a Forstner bit and a brad-point drill bit.

I met Kyle in Lowell to tour a multi-family dwelling he is considering acquiring. He is serious about investing in real estate to create a source of passive income. We then traveled to Somerville to tour a triplex that Jeanine and I are considering purchasing.

Jeanine noticed from the windows of her sanctuary that the roof vent for our cooktop had been dislodged by the ever-so-slowly (think glacially) advancing sheet of snow sliding off the roof. If snow or rain were allowed to enter the exposed exhaust pipe, water would drip down onto our cooktop and potentially damage the fan motor. I decided that an immediate repair was called for. I must admit that the idea of climbing a 20-foot ladder onto an icy and snow-covered metal roof in below-freezing temperatures was not something I was looking forward to in the least. Even so, postponing was not an option. I made one trip up the ladder to assess the situation and a second to return with the necessary tools and hardware to complete the repair. When I completed the work, I decided to take a picture of the river from the rooftop. It did not occur to me to take a picture of the repaired roof vent until I was back on the ground, and at that point, the risk of a third trip up the ladder seemed like a bad idea.

Most evenings, just after dusk, our driveway sensor chimes. When no visitors or deliveries appeared responsible for the alert, we eventually figured out that it was being triggered by members of our local deer herd. Pictured here is one of three that visited last night, as captured by one of our security cameras.

When it came time to install path lighting for the driveway, I opted to install a 300-foot LED rope light along one side. The white light string can be programmed for different types of animation, which makes for a fun greeting to the house. When covered by snow, the lights can still be seen as a soft glow in the snow bank, which is even more fun.

Homeowners often seek to remove heavy snow from their roofs. We designed our home to handle a substantial snow load and selected a low roof pitch, hoping to keep fallen snow in place on top of the house. This is because snow, on average, has an R-value of 1 per inch of snow. That means that our recent 15″ snowfall added R-15 to our R-50 insulated roof, helping to further reduce energy loss from the house. Pictured above is the right side of the garage roof with an entire slab of snow and icicles inching their way off. By design, neither rain nor snow falls over an entrance to the house.

For Christmas, Jeanine gifted Nico two tickets to the world premiere engagement of Wonder: The Musical at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA. By all accounts, it was wonderful.

You adore people like your favorite foods,
from varied cultures and corners of the globe;
I gather lenses, flashlights, and tools,
researching them all while still in my robe.

You plant tiny seeds of basil and thyme,
then bask beneath the sun in a state of rapture;
I chase the light through forests and canyons,
the perfect image hoping to capture.

You’re at home where conversations wander,
where shy souls bloom, and joyous hearts sing;
I’m at home with wood shavings on the floor,
and the quiet hum of a well-tuned thing.

You watch hawks circling the tree line,
fox tracks stitched in fresh-fallen snow;
I frame you there in my viewfinder,
the one wild wonder I never outgrow.

We’ve raised three remarkable humans,
each odd and brilliant in their own way;
sometimes I wonder how we pulled it off-
then I remember: you, leading the fray.

You’re the generous friend, the fierce defender,
the one who shows up, casserole in hand;
I’m the nerd checking flight times and weather,
plotting our next half-baked travel adventure.

Yes, we are gloriously different creatures-
you, the warm hearth, me, with my toolbox and charts;
but somewhere between spice jars and spreadsheets,
we learned how to embrace each other’s hearts.

So here’s to our not-yet-written chapter,
to golden years we’ve only just begun:
may we roam new trails, make new stories,
and keep laughing and having fun.

If time is kind and luck holds steady,
there’s still so much mischief left to do:
because, my love, my favorite adventure
has always been simply – growing older with you.

My cousin Vincent, a fellow inventor/maker, just purchased a CNC router and shared some visual simulations of the machine in operation. He cannot set up or use the machine until he moves a car out of his garage. My desire to see the tool in action prompted the following excerpted messages:

Vincent:

Anyway, that’s what I’m chomping through these days. When the snowbank behind the garage melts, we can move the Nissan out, organize the garage, and make a home for the CNC router. 

Carl:

They have a tool now called a shovel. Some are even designed for use with snow. Perhaps you could use such a tool to make space for the Nissan now rather than waiting for the Earth to get closer to the sun.

Vincent:

It seems the entire population adjoining the alleyway behind the garage has conspired to move all their snow, waist-high I might add, to the place where the Nissan needs to go. Since the snow came weeks ago, it has now frozen into a virtually immovable mountain. 

Could it be moved, it could be set afloat in the ocean as a small but impressive iceberg. Failing free access to explosives or a flame thrower, it will have to wait while I investigate this shovel tool you speak of…

Carl:

<I replied with the image above and the following caption>

Have flamethrower. Will travel.

Last week, I thought the migration of my website to a new hosting service provider had been completed without issue. In fact, everything seemed to be working as expected until I tried to make a new post. I received an error message indicating that I had reached the 262,000 file limit for a shared hosting server. My choices were to delete some of my 20-year posting history (not an option) or migrate the site again to a VPS (Virtual Private Server). Fortunately, my new service provider did much of the heavy lifting, but even their experts failed to complete the transition without issues. Today, after several interactions with their support team, my site is back online and appears to be functioning normally, fingers crossed.

Jeanine and I are lucky to share a great dentist. In his free time, he relaxes by milling tree trunks into slabs of lumber. Last year, he gifted us a large quantity of spalted beech. Originally, I planned to use the wood to build the desk for Jeanine’s sanctuary, but the exceptional spalting proved too frenetic for such a large piece of furniture in a room meant for meditation and soothing energy. Instead, I used some of it to build a small bench for our mudroom.