Early this morning, I drove Jeanine and Nicolai to the airport. They are headed to Los Angeles to be on the Ellen DeGeneres show. The show will tape on Tuesday and air on Wednesday. I made it back to Concord in time for my soccer game against Framingham. I warmed up with the team but opted not to play. I think I need another couple of weeks before my knee is ready for game level intensity. We tied 3-3 in a very combative match. Afterwards, I dropped Maya off for her soccer clinic and then found a nice field for some photography. 

Maya beats her defender and makes a run up the sideline in her game today. The hard faught match ended in a tie. 

A rather overcast day today and little time for photography so I am posting a shot of Kyle I took last weekend. He had just completed some work for me in the yard and did not realize his face was covered in dirt. After work today I attended soccer practice in the rain. My knee is on the mend and I had a pretty good run although I am still in no shape to play in a competition. Nicolai was invited to be on Good Morning America in December and received an interview request from the Smithsonian Magazine. 

This photo really needs to be viewed at full resolution to appreciate the leaves. Click on the photo to get the full image. 

This black beauty made a nice foreground for the fire red foliage in the background. 

I left for work early so I could hit the Great Meadows NWR on the way in. Colors were a bit muted because of the cloud cover. 

Fall is upon us. My favorite season of the year. I am very tempted to take a vacation day to enjoy all the beauty New England has to offer but work is very intense at the moment. I may have to settle for photography along my commute as was the case this morning.

Today was a pretty big day for Nicolai. He was featured on the front page of the Boston Globe, was interviewed on NPRs All Things Considered by Michele Norris, and met the Founder and President of the Free Wheelchair Mission at a dinner gathering thrown in his honor. The Globe is reporting that Nicolai is the youngest disabled climber to summit Kilimanjaro after checking with officials in Tanzania. NPR reported that I am an accomplished professional mountain climber (who knew, I always thought I was a professional engineering manager). Don Schoendorfer, pictured here with his low-cost wheelchair design is an MIT mechanical engineering graduate who founded the Free Wheelchair Mission and whose work has made it possible for nearly a quarter of a million disabled poor to receive the gift of mobility.

Link to NPR Interview

Link to Boston Globe Article

I believe this bee was either dead or extremely considerate of the photographer. It did not move at all. Perhaps it was drunk on pollen and sleeping off the hangover. I guess if you are a bee and you are going to kick the bucket, this is not a bad way to go out. 

Aliza who lives only two houses away is very athletic and loves the outdoors just as much as Jeanine. The two enjoyed hiking and biking but had to forgo the planned kayaking because of high seas. 

Jeanine and her best friend Aliza spent the weekend in Acadia National Park with a group from the Appalachian Mountain Club. As she left, I handed her a camera and told her not to come back without photos. I think she did a pretty good job. I don’t know the name of these hills but I know what I would call them. She also managed, to my total dismay, to photograph a Bald Eagle, something I have been trying to do for almost three years now. The image is rather small and photographic jealousy prevents me from posting it. 

Kyle had his hair cut today (or so I am told). I remain tempted to get out my shears and finish the job. He swears the stylist took off six inches. 

Last month I was insisting that Maya was part canine. Now I am inclined to suggest something in the monkey family. 

After work I found Maya and her friend Gianna on the playground in the park where Kyle was playing soccer. His team won again and they are now 9-0. 

It was really a terrific day and now my only worry is how I top this next year. 

Our convoy stops at a local summit to enjoy the sunset. 

I am more of a walk quietly in nature kind of guy, but I have to admit that riding these things on the back wood trails was a ton of fun. 

Originally, I had planned to end the day with a Moose Safari but members of the team discovered that we could rent ATVs for the same price and the group opted for the later. 

Saying good bye to the river was difficult but this was not the only event I had planned for the day. 

The water temperature was not too cold and we all had wet suits on. Here Len enjoys a granola bar while floating down river. 

Most of the team found themselves in the river at some point or another. I went in 4 times. Three times by choice and once when our river guide intentionally put me over in one of the Class 3 rapids. 

I timed the trip to coincide with peak fall color in Maine and we were treated to a beautiful setting in addition to the high flow water release. 

I would say these guys are enjoying themselves. 

This was my second time white water rafting and I forgot how thrilling it is. We split the team into two rafts and take on two additional women from England in ours. Our two rafts are the only ones on the river today. 

This dam controls the water flow into the river and was set for 4800 CFS (cubic feet per second) today producing a great Class 4 white water rafting experience. 

We board the luxurious Kennebec 2 for the 40 minute ride to our put in point. 

The team poses in front of our rafts for our mandatory team photo. There seems to be a school of thought now that I organize these events just so I can dress them up in funny garb. 

Dave Perri, confusing our outing with a cross dressing convention, arrives wearing much of his wife’s clothing. 

The day begins with a hearty breakfast served in the main lodge. 

The cabin is quite cozy, but feature only one bathroom. Terry, the only women gets one of two bedrooms on the ground floor. The snorers are banished to the second floor dormitory style bunks. We arrive in time to watch the end of the Soxs game. 

Because it is late in the season we virtually have the camp to ourselves. All nine of us share the cabin on the right.