Our family dentist owns a portable sawmill and enjoys milling logs as a hobby. For the second time, he gifted us the fruits of his labor. This time, in the form of several slabs of spalted beech, which are destined to become a desk for Jeanine’s office. Spalted wood refers to wood which has been exposed to certain fungi and bacteria over a period of time. This process causes discoloration and produces dark lines or streaks in the grain of the wood. It is highly coveted among woodworkers. Before the raw slabs can be used, they must first be surfaced to make them flat and of uniform thickness. I have been gradually working through all of the material and have now completed the first pass. Once the boards have had a chance to air dry for a couple more months, they will be ready for final machining. Although the work is tedious, it is a little like opening a Christmas present. You never know what grain/spalting pattern you will discover until that first pass over the planer.
The damage assessment is in for Nicolai’s shoulder. He has a grade 3 AC joint separation. He reports that it will not require surgery but no word yet on how long it will take to recuperate. The good news is that crutching will aid in his recovery, as it will push the bones back into their normal orientation. He has already set his sights on competing in Costa Rica in January.
During the last few days, I have passed two of my largest kidney stones ever. The first was on Friday, measuring 5.5mm x 4.5mm. The second was after my soccer game on Sunday, a record of 6.5mm x 4.5mm. For all the blood, sweat, and tears required to produce these, it seems only just that they be more valuable than gold. Perhaps if I add more carbon to my diet, I will be able to produce diamonds, which might make the whole ordeal more worthwhile.
In his first match of the day, after scoring two goals, Nico sustained a serious AC sprain of his right shoulder. The extent of the injury could not be determined with the x-ray taken at the hospital and will require an MRI, which he will have later in the week. He returned to the field, arm in a sling, to watch his New England Revolution team manage a 2:2 tie against the New York Metro Football Club, which was good enough to secure a second-place finish in the tournament.
In case it is not apparent, a shoulder injury for someone who uses their arms to walk is a major inconvenience. Until he recovers, Nico will need to get around on one crutch. Given the level of pain he was in after the injury, I suspect it will take weeks, if not months to fully recover.
Although still suffering from a virus, I joined my short-handed soccer team on the pitch this morning and had an assist to help us secure a 2:1 win.
Five regional teams are competing this weekend for the US Amputee Soccer Cup. Nico plays for the New England Revolution Amputee Soccer Team and had two matches today. The first was against the team from Miami, which is essentially the same as the Haitian national team. Nico had one goal in the 2:2 tie: a good result against the favored Haitians. The second match against Chicago was a one-sided affair, with Nico scoring 4 goals. I spent the day photographing all five teams in action and the album can be found here.
On the drive home from the tournament, I heard an interview with Nico on Nation Public Radio. He spoke eloquently about his efforts to grow the sport of amputee soccer in the US. Talk about a driveway moment! Later, I heard from friends that they had seen him interviewed on TV as well. I hope to track down that video if it is available.
Here is a link to another interview with Nico from earlier this year. Spoiler alert: Nico is wearing a suit jacket.
Jeanine and I are still feeling quite ill with whatever virus we have contracted (not COVID). Rather than mope about the house all day, we jumped in the car and drove to Vermont for some leaf-peeping. What better way to distract ourselves on what turned out to be a perfect fall day? Our first stop was Brattleboro where Jeanine lived while getting her Master’s degree. From there we drove as far north as Quechee using backroads stopping whenever we were moved to do so.
Jeanine is still feeling under the weather, and I am now starting to show the same symptoms. Nevertheless, we both felt the need to get out of the house. We went to Idylwilde Farms for lunch, then to Kimbal Farms for the last ice cream of the season (they close tomorrow), and on to the Groton area for a little photography. Every time I drive past the pictured barn, I feel compelled to stop for a photo. There is something about the setting and composition that speaks to me. Despite having attempted several times, I feel I have yet to capture the optimal perspective.
Jeanine has come down with a nasty cold, and I am not feeling 100% either, so we decided to spend the day indoors. Even so, we still enjoyed the beautiful fall day from our living room. I made a chicken soup run and we curled up in front of the TV to watch the season finales of “Slow Horses” and “Bad Monkey,” two of our favorite series.
After doing some morning landscape work, I drove to western Massachusetts to enjoy a perfect fall afternoon. I traveled as far as the Connecticut River, where I paused to photograph the French King Bridge. The foliage is only beginning to change and it would be nice to return to the area in about a week with Jeanine.
My sister Mayela and her husband Stephen ventured out to visit their mountain cabin located in western North Carolina, 75 miles northeast of Asheville, to see if it was still standing. They witnessed massive destruction along the route messaging photos to the family as they drove. We were all relieved and thrilled when they reported that their home had been spared, and had electricity and water.
Once they ascertained that their house was intact, they continued further inland to deliver supplies to those less fortunate.
The family gathered this evening to celebrate my 66th birthday. We got to hear all about Maya’s single-day Presidential Traverse, Nico’s ascent of Mount Cotopaxi, and Kyle’s exploits in Panama. Joining us were Owen, Maya’s boyfriend, who shot this photo, and Heloisa, one of Kyle’s housemates. I grilled steaks while Jeanine prepared a wonderful salad, Brussels sprouts, and baked potatoes, which we enjoyed on the patio warmed by a fire. We retired indoors for a delicious ice cream cake that Jeanine had prepared at my request.
My soccer team enjoyed a 2:0 win over Medfield earlier in the day. For the first time this season, I felt good about my game. I made zero mistakes and did something productive every time I handled the ball. My hip joints have been bothering me for the last week and I was pleased that they did not hurt at all during (or after) the match.
Although my birthday was front and center, today is Jeanine and my 34th wedding anniversary. How lucky can one guy get?
In a recent post, I shared the news that the Bionic Project, where Nico works as the Lead Educator, had been selected as a finalist in the national Land Rover Defender Service Awards!
The winner of $25K and a Bionic-branded Land Rover Defender will be determined by public voting, which has already begun.
I am pleading with all my followers to support the Bionic Project by voting every day for the next 12 days. It costs nothing and would mean so much for the organization.
The forecast called for sunny skies and peak color in the White Mountains, so I grabbed my cameras and headed north for the day. I left at 4:30 am to arrive in time for morning light and covered 400 miles in my search for autumnal beauty. The weather was ideal but I estimate that peak color is still a week away at most elevations. Nonetheless, I returned with several nice photographs. I traveled north to Franconia Notch, spending most of my time in New Hampshire. I detoured into Vermont to charge my car and found some nice subjects there as well. Fall is by far my favorite season and such excursions recharge my soul.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
