Although I am pleased with the photographs I took last week at Franconia Notch they could have been even better if the sun was out. Today’s forecast for that area was for bright sun and peak color. I decided to take the morning off and make a quick run up to the mountains for another attempt. One must seriously question the intelligence of someone who would make a 300-mile round trip for a second attempt at a photograph they already had. My journey began in the dark at 6 am. I was halfway to the notch when the sun rose. The light was glorious and the foliage magnificent. It was hard to contain my excitement. Alas, with less than 5 miles to go, I could see that the mountain pass I had hoped to photograph was shaded by clouds that looked like they were there to stay. I am no stranger to such disappointment and simply made the best of my return trip to Boston.

At this time of the year, I leave for the office well before sunrise.  This morning I was running late which afforded me the chance to catch a rather colorful sunrise.

With a beautiful day in the forecast, Jeanine and I decided to make a day tour of western Massachusetts and southern Vermont where foliage reports indicated we would find peak fall color.  Our first stop was the Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams.  Named for its natural bridge of white marble, unique in North America, the park also offers woodland walks with views of a dam made of white marble, and a picturesque old marble quarry.  The bedrock marble from which the natural bridge was created is estimated to be some 550 million years old. Water from glacial runoff began carving the arch after the last Ice Age, 13,000 years ago.

After enjoying lunch at the Freight Yard, we continued to the 93-foot-high, lighthouse-like Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower at the summit of 3,491-foot tall Mount Greylock, the highest point in the state.

We continued to Bennington and Brattleboro, Vermont before completing our 11-hour road trip.  Despite reports to the contrary, we did not find the foliage to be at peak color.  I suspect another few days or a week before that will be the case.

Not the best photograph, as it was taken through the windshield of my car.  Fortunately for the subject, I spotted him crossing the road in time to avoid a car versus snapping turtle situation. Not so fortunate for me were the blaring horns of the angry motorists stopped behind me unaware of the reason for my standstill.

I spent 11 hours driving around New Hampshire today in search of dramatic fall color. Unfortunately the remnants of Hurricane Michael covered the state in clouds for most of the day.  Even so, I managed a few shots that I am very happy with.  I visited Lake Winnipesaukee for the first time and then made my way over to Franconia Notch. 

Some photos just speak for themselves. 

This photo was taken on a visit to the Old North Bridge last week. I was too busy at work today to find time for a photo. Jeanine called my attention to the nice light on the tall grass.  She has gotten quite good at spotting interesting light and is becoming a very good photographer in her own right.  The same cannot be said for my abilities as a cook despite my frequent close proximity to her while preparing food.

Following on the heels of our e-scooter demo unit, my team completed are first fully integrated shared e-bike today. Both demo units were created to demonstrate functionality and performance rather than being optimized for appearance. Prospective customers will be able to ride these vehicles as part of their evaluation process. Final units will be tailored to specific customer requirements and design parameters.

As part of Superpedestrian’s pivot into the shared electric micro-mobility market we have expanded beyond bicycles and now support electric scooters as well.  The demonstration prototype scooter above was developed by my team in record time and will be revealed to prospective customers starting this week. It is a huge step up from the Bird scooters which can already be found on the streets of Cambridge.  It features much larger wheels and a suspension system for enhanced safety and comfort.  It also sports the largest capacity battery of any scooter in the market today for extended range and superior hill climbing performance.

I re-injured my left hamstring during my soccer match this morning and therefore let my drone do all the work for my photograph of the day.  Operating the controls from the comfort of our deck, I flew all the way to the Sudbury River and back.  Above is the patch of colorful trees and bushes I only recently discovered by virtue of flying the drone.  It is located adjacent to the field behind our house (on the right above) but I had no idea it was there for the last 15 years.  The lesson I take away is that finding beauty is a matter of perspective. Below is an image of Mattison Field.  Both are best viewed at full resolution on a large screen.

Twenty eight years ago on an equally splendid fall day, Jeanine and I were married in a wooded setting not too dissimilar from that of our afternoon outing in the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge.  Jeanine’s beauty and my love for her have only grown with the passage of time.  It is hard to imagine that so many years have passed in what seems like the blink of an eye.  If we remain healthy, we may have only reached the halfway point in our marriage.

While walking through the refuge we encountered little in the way of wildlife but a veritable treasure trove of mushrooms.

Every autumn I spend countless hours driving around New England in search of photogenic fall foliage.  Last week I discovered the most vibrant scene I have ever witnessed.  Today, I finally had a sunny day and some time to photograph it.  Now for the unbelievable part of the story.  This field of small trees and bushes is located adjacent to the field behind our house.  It is literally a stone’s throw from our backyard.  How is it possible this went unnoticed by me for 15 years?  The area is surrounded on all sides by larger trees which when viewed from the ground are only moderately interesting at this time of year.  I have tried to enter this field during the summer months but it is invariably water logged and so thick with brambles that you cannot traverse it.  If not for my drone, I would have never found this gem.  Expect future photographs depicting its full extent and location relative to our house.

Followers of this blog know that I have been following the construction of the buildings that are part of the Mass+Main project in Central Square.  While researching the construction, I came across a live webcam that is documenting the construction, and the images captured will one day be used to form a time-lapse video.  I became curious about the location of the camera and was able to locate it today by reverse engineering the angles and using my drone to find it.

I managed to break another tooth this afternoon while eating pita bread at lunch.  This makes the 3rd or 4th tooth I have broken and if I keep up the pace I will soon have more broken teeth than intact ones.  Fortunately, the break was completely above the gum line and therefore one I can live with provided I have my dentist grind off the sharp edges on the remainder of the tooth.  Eventually, I will need a crown but for now, I will just leave it the way it is.  The reason I break so many teeth is because I grind them together while sleeping.  Time to locate the mouthguard I am supposed to wear at night to prevent such outcomes.