Congaree National Park is not going to win any awards among national parks for splendor but there is beauty to be found here if you look carefully. It is essentially a swamp containing a dense old growth forest of bald cypress, tupelo and oak trees, some of the tallest to be found. Consequently, most of what one will see here at ground level are the massive trunks of these trees. On our traverse of the 5 mile Weston Lake loop trail we encountered more spiders and dragonflies than any other form of wildlife.

Pictured below is a sequence of images showing a spider molting.  It was a fascinating process to watch and it took me some time to understand what I was witnessing (I initially assumed I it was two spiders mating or fighting). I think it is safe to say that this is something I will never again see in my lifetime and am thankful I had the chance to document it so well.

The dragonflies were quite large and very beautiful.  I kicked myself a hundred times for not bringing my macro lens with me on this trip.

The occasional snake and bird were few and far between. Plenty of wild pig tracks, but none to be seen.

After visiting the park we were quite hungry and in the mood for some famous South Carolina BBQ.  I programmed my NAV system for the nearest establishment. When we arrived at an unsigned store front that looked like anything but a place where food is served, we were hesitant to enter. Thank God we did.  What we stumbled onto was the flagship restaurant of Big T’s Bar-B-Que. Larry or “Teddy” “Big T” Brown has served barbecue to the greater Columbia, S.C. area for over 30 years. In 2003, his reputation prompted a request from incoming Governor Mark Sanford to cook for his inaugural barbecue. I have never had a pulled pork sandwich that even comes close to what I enjoyed on this day.

With full and happy bellies we started the long multi-day journey back to Concord making it as far as the Virginia border where we paused for the night at the KOA campground in Fancy Gap.  Our new 4-person tent has been serving us extremely well and working together we can put it up or down in a matter of a few minutes.

Our morning drive to the Clingsmans Dome Visitors Center offered several view points which made clear why the Great Smokey Mountains are so named.  From the visitors center we made the steep hike to the top of Clingsmans Dome sitting at 6,643 feet above sea level.  From there we walked along an elevated spiral path to the futuristic tower which offers an unrestricted 360 degree panoramic view of the magnificent mountain range. What a joy to behold.

After exited the national park we stopped briefly on the adjacent Cherokee Indian Reservation to hike to Mingo Falls which drops some 120 feet.

On the recommendation of my sister Mayela, we stopped for a late lunch in Cashiers, NC.  Afterwards we explored a quaint little country store called the Farmers Market where we picked up some locally grown peaches to sustain as as we travelled on to South Carolina.

Jeanine jumped at the chance to have coffee at this tiny little shop in the middle of no where rather than have me prepare my special camp brew for her.  Once she was properly caffeinated we drove to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park by way of Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, TN.  We paused at midday to make the 2.5 mile hike to Laurel Falls before continuing on to Cades Cove where we setup camp and I prepared a nice bruschetta with a side of sliced apples and cherries for lunch.

After our late lunch we made a leisurely circumnavigation of the Cades Cove loop road stopping at the John Oliver homestead and Cable Mill historic area.

Jeanine treated her toes to a cool massage in Mill Creek before we returned to our campsite for a light dinner.

As dusk approached we made another lap around the loop road in search of wildlife. Our effort was rewarded when we encountered a medium size black bear some 30 feet from the road.

During the family reunion, Mark’s family and mine shared a luxurious (hot tub, pool table, big screen TV) rental cabin which slept 12.  We squeezed every last minute out of our departure deadline of 11AM before heading our separate ways. We travelled a full 30 minutes before reconnecting with Kyle, Nicolai and Karuna to watch the Italy versus Spain Europa Cup soccer match at a sports bar in Boone.  Jeanine and I then left for Valle Crucis where we spent time at the Mast General store, built in 1882. Jeanine purchased several items but not the locally sourced honey pictured below, a choice which she still laments.

We found a campground in Hot Springs, NC where we spent the evening and explored the French Broad River as dusk approached.

No Calabria family reunion would be complete without levitation photography.  A trip to the Moses Cone Memorial Park near Blowing Rock provided the perfect backdrop. Some of our first time recruits are still working up to their full potential.

An attempt at inverted levitation was unsuccessful but will be practiced for the next reunion.

 

New arrivals today included my cousin Anita and her extended family as well as my sister Alissa, her husband John and their son John Jr.

In addition to several more rounds of soccer juggling the entire assembled group made an excursion to Grandfather Mountain where we climbed to the Mile High Swinging Bridge and out onto a precipice which overlooks the Blue Ridge Mountains.

When we returned to the cabin I took advantage of the afternoon mountain light to create portraits of everyone present.  The full set of weekend photos can be found by following this link. My favorite of each of my offspring can be found below.

Normally it can be challenging to get a large number of people to pose for a group portrait. Not so when the completion of said portrait is all that stands between them and a pig roast.

Jeanine and I got an early start for a short but steep hike to Dark Hollow Falls, a 70 foot high cascade located near the lodge.  We then dragged my mother away from the lumberjack size breakfast she was devouring and set off for Fleetwood, North Carolina where my sister Mayela and her husband Stephen recently purchased a cabin in the mountains and where my side of the family will converge for our reunion this weekend.

The view from their cabin porch is absolutely stunning and likely even more spectacular with autumn colors.

Relatives started arriving from all directions throughout the day and it did not take long for the fun to begin. Soccer was the most popular activity despite the fact that an errant pass would wind up half way down the mountain before it could be retrieved.

Friday arrivals included Maya (drove here with Nico and Karuna by way of Shenandoah and the Great Smokey Mountain National Parks), Kyle (directly off a red-eye from California), and nephew Mario (returned yesterday from a 4 month semester abroad in Chile).

Nicolai and niece Sophia arrived via limousine after winning first place in a matching eye contest.

Niece Rosie arrived by piggyback courtesy of Karuna, Nico’s girlfriend.

Nephew Rory walked here from Minnesota with his brother on his back while second cousin Toni slid down from the top of the mountain.

My brother Mark and his wife Marie came directly from a two week  chin-on-hand, head resting clinic where they both received high grades.

At 87, my mother remains the picture of health and danced her way here from Albany, New York.

Sister Mayela and husband Stephen are our hosts for the weekend. They share their lives with two Jack Russel Terriers. One is very affectionate, the other will bite you for looking at him the wrong way. He is not pictured for fear of injury to the photographer.

My cousin Heather, her husband Burton and Jeanine arrived under the influence of a libation known locally as “moonshine.” Judging by their respective reactions it is a wonder they did not get lost on the way.

 

The Big Meadows Lodge in the Shenandoah National Park was our destination for the evening. We drove in by way of Skyline Drive which affords spectacular views of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountain and Piedmont Mountain ranges.  The lodge accommodations were very cozy and our dinner was much nicer than what I have come to expect of the national park service.

Experiencing ballroom dancing withdrawal symptoms, my mother attempted to interest a rather hairy guy she met in the lobby to join her for a turn on the floor.  He was very shy and did not accept her invitation but did not seem to mind posing for a quick picture.

We enjoyed a beautiful sunset from the porch before retiring for the evening.

Jeanine, my mother and I travelled to Gettysburg today en route to North Carolina for a family reunion this weekend.  We arrived in time to visit the museum and take a guided tour of the battlefield.  During the 8 hour drive we listened to the  Pulitzer Prize winning historical novel, The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara (highly recommended), which enhanced our understanding of the pivotal battle that took place here and helped us to fully appreciate the circumstances that led to it and contributed to the outcome.

It is sobering to walk on the hallowed ground were tens of thousands lost life and limb to support their principles.  The scars on our society have far outlasted those on the land and I hope we will not forget the terrible price that was paid for a nation divided especially at a time when our politics have become so polarizing.

The family of birds I found nesting in the canon muzzle below gave me hope that even an instrument of death can serve the world in a more peaceful way if we just give it a chance.

Nicolai, Karuna and Maya began a 10 (or so) day road trip this morning. Jeanine, my mother and I will rendezvous with them on Friday in North Carolina where my side of the family is gathering for a reunion at my sister Mayela’s mountain cabin. From there, Nico and Karuna will head all the way down to Florida to visit friends, Maya will fly back to Boston, and Jeanine and I will extend our road trip to take in a couple of national parks in the area before returning home late next week. The kids will be camping during their journey and left with the Audi packed to the gills with their gear.

Jeanine and I returned from a rare joint shopping excursion to discover a beautiful full moon rising over our backyard field. Since the advent of electricity, humans, by and large, have lost touch with the night sky and it was nice to be pulled back into the awesome spectacle, if only for a short while.

The problem with children is that they grow when you feed them.  Jeanine started feeding Maya exactly seventeen years ago and now look what has happened. She is all grown up and only a year away from leaving the nest. We celebrated her birthday this afternoon with cousins Johnny and Rachel, brother Nico and Karuna and the “rents”.

Johnny prepared two magnificent birthday cakes with some assistance from Karuna and Rachel.  He spent several hours over two days creating the cake featured in the movie “Burnt” as well as a peanut butter and chocolate cheesecake (I think I will go sample another piece right now).

I too was celebrated on this Father’s Day and am seen below modeling one of two shirts I received from the kids.  The only thing that would have made the day better would have been to win our soccer playoff match this morning.  Instead we finished the spring season one game short of competing for top honors in the state.

We joined the Edwards family to celebrate the graduation of their son, Win, from the Perkins School for the Blind. Aliza is one of Jeanine’s dearest friends and it was a joy to share in the family celebration. A complete set of photos from the event can be found here.

For two years, I have waited patiently for a Tesla Model X.  I am 100% sold on the future of electric vehicles and Tesla is the only company today offering range up to 250 miles. My car arrived in Boston almost a month ago with a cracked windshield and Tesla has been attempting to repair it since then.  A consistent pattern of delays and lack of communication have exhausted my patience with Tesla and my desire for a pre-damage $100K car has evaporated.  Today I purchase a new BMW X1 to cover my long distance and off-road travel needs. I will continue to use my electric BMW i3 for local commuting. Audi is working on a long range electric SUV scheduled for availability in 2018 and so begins another 2 year wait. The X1 is a baby brother to our five year old Audi Q5.  It gets 32 mpg on the highway, is huge inside for a compact SUV, and is unequivocally fun to drive.  I hope to put its all wheel drive, off-road capabilities to the test on our upcoming cross country road trip.

On very short notice the Dutch mission to the United Nations invited representatives from the American Amputee Soccer Association to participate in an event promoting different forms of adaptive soccer.  Nicolai was available and left last night with Karuna to attend the event that was held today at the UN headquarters in New York City on their enclosed outdoor rooftop soccer field. They spent the night at the home of a friend whose family lives in an apartment overlooking Central Park.

Maya created this wonderful selfie of us relaxing on the couch.  One of my favorite pictures of all time.

I pass this house whenever I head into West Concord and frequently pause to admire the natural beauty and serenity of this scene.

Jeanine and I enjoyed a 16.5 mile bike ride this morning along the Nashua River Rail Trail. We started in Groton and turned around once we reached the New Hampshire border.  Along the way we paused for this photograph within the J. Harry Rich State Forest.  Overcast skies made for a chilly start to the ride but the exercise eventually warmed us up.

My soccer team concluded its regular season in fine form this morning with a 4-1 win to secure a second-place finish in our Division 1 (southern region) over-50 soccer league.  Our age group includes 64 teams split between five divisions and two regions (north and south). Unfortunately, an injury that has been nagging me all season reached the point where I needed to sit out and will likely miss the playoffs as well (the top 4 teams in the league compete for the champions trophy). Bummer!

Maya had an afternoon scrimmage with her club team.  She looked a bit rusty but still showed some mad skills and made some very impressive attacking runs.

Santa Clara University held its undergraduate commencement ceremony this morning under beautiful California skies. Karina, Jeanine and I were there to witness the auspicious occasion.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Computer Science back in December but we encouraged him to attend the ceremony for our benefit. How else would we get the official graduation portrait of parents kissing child?  In my exuberance, I may have gotten little carried away with the whole concept.

Apparently, the women who attend Santa Clara are as strong as they are attractive.  I do not know if it is customary for graduating males to be hoisted in the fashion illustrated below, but who am I to judge in light of my approach to showing affection for my son?

Before catching the red-eye back to Boston, we concluded our California visit with a nice walk to the Rose Garden in San Jose.  Jeanine and I really enjoyed getting to know Karina better during our brief visit. She graduated from Santa Clara last year and is preparing to pursue a graduate degree in Education. She exudes a relaxed confidence in herself that makes being around her so enjoyable.  She is as charming and beautiful as she is intelligent and hard working. Kyle has much to be thankful for.

Our flight from Boston to Los Angeles, where we connected for San Jose, took us right over the Grand Canyon.  Shortly after arriving we met with Kyle and his girlfriend, Karina, for a wonderful dinner followed by Copa America soccer viewing back at our hotel.

Despite overcast skies and high winds it proved to be a nice day for a nature walk.  I discovered a new path which offered great access to our new Great Blue Heron rookery even if from a very great distance.  I spotted two and three chicks on every nest, a veritable bumper crop of very healthy looking birds.

Jeanine and I leave for California in the morning where we will witness Kyle’s commencement ceremony on Saturday.  Although he graduated in December, we wanted him to experience the full pomp and circumstance of this milestone.

Jeanine has been offered and accepted the position of Executive Director at Open Table.  Maya and Karuna (Nicolai’s girlfriend) surprised her with flowers and ice cream to celebrate the occasion.  Taking her out for lunch at Paparazzi, by comparison, seems like a feeble gesture on my part. I did, however, offer much emotional and coaching support as she navigated the long interview process which included 20 other candidates.  Her start date will be August 1st allowing her to travel to Europe on a visit already planned for July.  We are all very proud of her and can’t wait to watch as she leads the organization into the future.

No longer the speedster she once was, Nala is aging gracefully as she turns 50 in human years.  She can still out run me but in another year or two I expect to gain the advantage.  She remains gentle and independent, behaving more like a cat than a dog.  I am going to try and persuade Maya to reshoot a photo that I took when Nala was just a puppy.  Although she is much larger now, Maya is plenty strong enough to pick her up and I think the grass in Mattison field is just the right height. Stay tuned.

Shot two nights ago, I finally had a chance to select my favorites from over 100 images I took.  Everywhere I looked, the sky was on fire.  Pictured on top and bottom is the Sudbury River. The image in the middle is from our back yard.

Our garden is peaking this week with flowers blooming everywhere. In a matter of days the spring symphony will be over and I am pleased I have been able to enjoy it this year.

This way, you shall have the chance of satisfying someone you loveLuckily, there is a solution to headache can be provided based on the research ‘The Study of Life Satisfaction’, quality of life are two very different idioms. cialis 10 mg click here now The generic version of cialis 100mg canada is sold at a significantly lower price compared to the original branded drug. Make sure that you do not avoid the dosage pattern that is been given to you sildenafil 10mg by the doctor for better effects. The unique part about the Visit Your URL levitra 40 mg professional is one of the most popular medications for treatment of erectile dysfunction.

At Concord Carlisle High School, seniors are treated to an All Night Live party to celebrate their graduation.  Parents of underclassmen traditionally take charge of the event so senior parents can relax.  Jeanine and I were on the decorating committee and placed in charge of lighting.

As a favor for a close friend who is moving, I photographed and put up for sale the pictured telescope. The rest of the day was split between eradicating a bumper crop of poison ivy located in the woods at the edge of our property and shopping for the few remaining items needed to complete my car camping setup.  Jeanine and I will be driving down to North Carolina for a family reunion at the end of the month and plan to visit the Great Smoky Mountain and Shenandoah National Parks.

Nicolai was in charge of dinner this evening and prepared bacon and avocado cheeseburgers.  Yummy.

A couple of young visitors enjoying our all you can eat salad buffet. Generally unconcerned Not unnaturally, the US manufacturers spend large sums of money generic 10mg cialis on propaganda designed to convince you your money will be lost to criminal gangs if you buy through the internet. The cialis online best most notorious disease for men is erectile dysfunction. The branded levitra online order has to provide ads for getting a sustainable place in the competitive medicine market. Vigrx Oil is the industry’s key player product and has a pure base with the healthiest elements to give the most potent and safest cialis online brand to date. with my presence they are quick to perk up when Nala is about. I often wonder what Nala would actually do if unrestrained by her electric  containment fence.