I happened across this tiny structure while running errands today. It appears to be a detached office or guest quarters for a nearby home. For all its simplicity, I think it is very beautiful and would love to discover the story behind it. On the home front, I interviewed our ninth potential builder and feel like we finally have the right match. It has been challenging trying to find a company that has the right mix of experience building high-performance homes, a culture of building right the first time, and an openness to allowing me to participate in aspects of the construction work. Assuming their contract terms are reasonable, I think we have found the right partner.

I spent the morning in Haverhill where my soccer team faced the local club. We won handily bringing our record to 7-0-0. I notched my second goal of the season when I found the ball on my foot during a scrum in the box and punched it in with my right. Our team has scored 25 goals this season and only conceded 1. After the match, we enjoyed an Irish breakfast at the Peddler’s Daughter (an Irish pub and restaurant) where I also found this dramatic mural in the adjacent parking lot.

I followed the flight of this Monarch butterfly into the high branches of a pine tree where I was able to photograph it. Had I thought to take one, I would have liked to post a picture of Kyle, Maya, and the demolition project we are working on in his basement. While the kids moved lumber and removed drywall and ceiling tiles, I installed a heat pump water heater to replace the gas-fired unit there now. It is more efficient than either a gas or electric water heater and will be easier to relocate later when Kyle has a new HVAC system installed.

This rare breed of dog can only be observed in the week before Halloween. Scary enough at other times of the year, this is one canine that you do not want to mess with.

Maya produced these photographs for a design class she is taking at Olin. The prompt was to create a poster of a recipe for something that you’ve made. This week her coffee club decided to make pumpkin spice latte so she used that for her subject. She was up at 5 AM to prep the ingredients and take advantage of morning light. If she ever gets tired of a career in engineering, I think she could easily make a living as a photographer.

Occasionally, we see some pretty unusual things in the river. Today’s entry features what appears to be a two-person kayak fitted with an outrigger, gas-powered engine, and battery-powered motor. Other features include two dashboard-like consoles with storage, a windshield, a map holder, and an over-land wheeled cart. I apologize for the blurry photo but this thing was moving along pretty quickly and I had to run for my camera.

Born in San Francisco, Reuben Lucius Goldberg (1883-1970) graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a degree in engineering. He later entered journalism and moved to New York, where he became a syndicated cartoonist.

His whimsical and overly complex machines designed to solve the travails of modern life endeared him to generations of engineers, scientists, and everyone else who encounters the wonders and headaches of modern technology.

Some road-side business signs stand out more than others.

The Jaffrey Mills is a historic mill complex in the central business district of Jaffrey, New Hampshire. It consists of a connected series of primarily brick buildings flanking the Contoocook River. Its oldest buildings, the original mill and office building, are on the west side of the river (left). They were built in 1868, and feature mansard roofs and banded dentil brick cornices. In 1872 the building on the east side was built, and the two sides were joined by timber-frame bridges in 1897.  The mills have since been converted to residences. This afternoon, after a morning of planning HVAC ducting for the new house, I ventured out to enjoy the fine fall day only to have the clouds roll in as I reached my original destination of Mount Monadnock.

My sister Alissa and my mother both performed ballroom dance exhibitions at the Mall of America in Minneapolis today. My mother, 93, partnered with her former teacher from New York in an Argentine Tango. My sister reprieved a performance she recently did at the Crossgates Mall in Albany. Both were in fine form. The same cannot be said for my performance on the soccer pitch today. With many of my teammates sidelined with injuries, I played far more minutes than I am accustomed to and my lack of conditioning showed. Even so, I managed a couple of decent attempts on goal and we came away with a 3-0 win.

Nobody looks as good in a hat as Jeanine. This afternoon we attended the Conantum (name of our neighborhood) harvest gathering where she was wearing my favorite one. Held at our communal gardens, members of the neighborhood enjoyed an opportunity to get to know each other better. I arrived towards the end of the gathering because I was waiting for Nicolai and his friends to arrive at the house. They borrowed our kayaks and our neighbor’s canoe for an extended outing on the river. The sky was cloudy and the winds quite strong but still a great day to be out on the water.

Without a doubt, the stinkhorn mushroom pictured here is the strangest-looking fungus I have ever seen. I found a trio growing in the yard while doing some fall clean-up. This was a quick “grab shot” taken with my phone and I hope to post a better version taken with my “real” camera.

I was in Cambridge this afternoon meeting with a potential new client. I arrived early to avoid being late due to traffic and had a chance to walk around a bit. Pictured here is the Area 4 Story mural by artist David Fichter. It illustrates the rich history of Area 4, which is known for its social reformers like Margaret Fuller, Clement Morgan, and William Lloyd Garrison as well as its technology and inventors like Elias Howe who invented the sewing machine. Area 4, now called the Port, is a high-density residential neighborhood located near Central Square in Cambridge.

While returning home from the Boston Marathon on Monday, I came across this very nice scene in Ashland, MA. Unfortunately, the grey skies that day did little to make the photo pop. Today’s cloudless skies gave me reason to return for the shot above. Earlier in the day, I wrapped up the Purchase and Sale Agreement on our next house. We are on track to close before the end of the month.

I narrowly avoided stepping on this wooly bear as I was headed out to my car this morning. One of the most familiar caterpillars, wooly bears are renowned wanderers. They hatch from eggs in the fall, overwinter in woodpiles, and molt into Isabella tiger moths in the spring. Seeing it reminded me of a photo I took of Maya when she was 5 years old.