For the second time this week I enjoyed dining with colleagues from iRobot. This evening Jeanine and I shared an amazing meal at the home of Christian and Isabella Cerda, General Manager of the Home Robots division along with Oscar Zamorano, SVP of Operations and his wife Angela. The conversation was as entertaining as the food and by the time we left it was one in the morning. I no longer remember what point Oscar was trying to make but I am sure it was very important.

In the last years of the 18th century, the Reverend Charles Stearns became “Lincoln’s first author of note” when he published several books of poetry and moralistic dramas. Stearns and some of his neighbors joined to form the private subscription “Social Library of the Town of Lincoln.” This small beginning led, in 1884, to Lincoln resident George Grosvenor Tarbell donating $27,000 for a handsome Victorian red brick library designed by noted Boston architect Wiilliam G. Preston as a public library for the use of all residents: The Lincoln Public Library. This afternoon I had occasion to pass by the library while returning from a meeting in Waltham and decided, despite the drizzling rain and poor light, to pause for a photo.

I had the pleasure of dining with a group of former iRobot colleagues at The Bancroft this evening. Unique to this modern American steakhouse is a glass-enclosed room for ten situated in the middle of the restaurant where our table was located. Here, you are able to have a quiet conversation while still being connected to the energy of the restaurant. Standing to my right is former COO, Jeff Beck, under whose leadership the assembled group turned an unprofitable division into the financial backbone of the company, which today generates 100% of the profits and 90% of the revenue.

I currently own four carbon fiber tripods. One small, one medium, and two large (one short with 3 sections, the other tall with 4 sections). Based on lack of use, I have decided to sell the large tall one and it can now be found on Craig’s List. When Maya leaves for college in two and a half years it will be just Jeanine and I in our very large home. We are both committed to downsizing when that day arrives and have already begun to systematically divest ourselves of things which see little use and are simply taking up space.

Located on 890 acres just outside of Austin, TX, the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) is a 3.4-mile motor racing circuit. It is the host of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, the Motorcycle Grand Prix of The Americas, the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. I photographed it during a day trip to Austin which started at 4 am in the morning and ended at midnight.

Jeanine prepared an Easter basket for Maya who was giddy as a four year old as she investigated the contents. We then were treated to Easter brunch by Alan Budris and his daughter Sarinnagh at AKA Bistro in Lincoln. A wonderful meal and even better company. Maya spent the better part of an hour driving my (her future) Audi around the neighborhood in preparation for Driver’s Education which she will be starting in June. I suspect she will be able to teach the class by the time it starts.

Although we still have a 3-foot-high pile of snow on our deck our lawn is now absent of it. Nala has been enjoying increasingly greater amounts of time outdoors and seems to be as ready for spring as the rest of us. All the local rivers are swollen and I must make a point of taking my kayak out one of these days to explore the expanded river basins.

After Kyle and I returned from Yosemite he left with Karina for San Diego where the two seem to be having a wonderful time. He forwarded this photo to Jeanine and she to me. In between excursions, Kyle went into the medical center where his strep throat was diagnosed and an antibiotic prescribed. He reported feeling better almost immediately and from the photo appears no worse for the wear.

Since Tuesday, we have been enjoying a visit from Kris Earle, Jeanine’s best friend from childhood. The three of us were in the mood for an outing and decided to head to Essex where we had lunch at Periwinkles Restaurant, famous for their New England clam chowder and seafood. Our next stop was the Peabody Essex Museum to see their newest exhibit, “Audacious: The Fine Art of Wood.” As both a woodworker and engineer, I was blown away by the collection. I found myself unable to comprehend how some of the pieces were fabricated. My appreciation for their aesthetic beauty was equally matched by an awareness of how difficult they were to create. We ended the day with a brief tour of historic Derby Wharf in Salem.

It was my turn in the carpool to drive Maya and three of her friends to crew practice at CRI. While the girls were working out, I took a nice 5 mile stroll along the Charles River. I kept looking for Maya on the water but later learned her crew was practicing indoors. Aside from pausing for the occasional photo I had plenty of time to formulate the perfect April Fools day prank. With the help of her team’s assistant coach, I hid behind the main counter of the facility when the girls came down from their workout. When Maya called to inquire about my ETA, I answered from my concealed position on the other side of the counter telling her I had gone to do photography in the Mount Auburn Cemetery and had become lost (Jeanine had taken the power cord from the Garmin and I had to rely on her friend Maddie for driving instructions to CRI so this was a very plausible scenario). I asked Maya to put Maddie on the phone to try and give me directions. Naturally I ensured this was a fruitless conversation and the phone was passed back to Maya. I told her that it would take me 40 minutes to get there with traffic. As she expressed her considerable exasperation, I stood up from behind the counter while still talking to her on the phone. It took her more than several seconds to realize it was me since her mental frame of reference placed me in my car very far away. As a bonus, I roped Jeanine into the prank when she texted to remind me of my pickup obligations (knowing I am prone to forget these sort of things). I played on her guilt for removing the Garmin power cord (reason I was lost) as well as her knowledge of my absent mindedness when emerged in photography. Her final text to me before calling all the other parents to inform them of my tardiness was, and I quote, “You suck at carpooling.” The joke was appreciated by all in the car but probably less so by their parents who had called to inform the girls of the non-existent delay.

Fort Mifflin, originally called Fort Island Battery and also known as Mud Island Fort, was commissioned in 1771 and sits on Mud Island on the Delaware River near Philadelphia International Airport. During the American Revolutionary War, the British Army bombarded and captured the fort as part of their conquest of Philadelphia in autumn 1777. The United States Army began to rebuild the fort in 1794 and continued to garrison and build on the site through the 19th century. It housed prisoners during the American Civil War. I flew over the fort on approach to PHL where I connected for my return flight to Boston bringing my ten-day vacation to a close.

Apart from the Visitor Center, Biscayne National Park’s 172,971 acres are only accessible by boat. On New Years Day, 1966, the schooner Mandalay ran aground on Long Reef within the park’s boundaries and that is the snorkeling destination I will explore today followed by a brief visit to the Island of Boca Chita. The following images represent my first attempts at underwater photography and were taken with a very inexpensive camera which is to say they are not up to my normal standards.

I don’t have a lot of experience snorkeling but it is hard for me to imagine a more enjoyable site. I was surrounded by huge numbers of fish of seemingly infinite variety and could have easily spent the entire day in the water except for that small matter of the setting sun. On the way back into port I was able to frame some para-sailers against the Rickenbacker Causeway and the Miami skyline for an interesting photo.

My bucket list includes visiting all 59 US National Parks and my trip to Florida was motivated by a desire to add two more, bringing my current total to 22. Florida in the spring is THE time for bird photography and the reason you have been treated to (or tortured by) so many avian portraits in recent days. My visit to Corkscrew Swamp today should be the last for bird photography for some time. I had good luck on the trail and stayed until the light got harsh before driving to Miami Beach.

I arrived early in Venice, FL this morning at a rookery that I discovered while researching this trip on the internet.  It proved to be every bit as magical as I had hoped.  Several nests contained fledglings and I watched for hours as parents tended to their new borns.

At noon I departed for Cape Coral, a preferred nesting destination for the Burrowing Owl. Although the burrows can be found all over the place, it is harder to find ones that are occupied, have a high mound and a photogenic backdrop. My searching paid off and I found this attractive pair who cooperated just long enough for me to take this picture. It is good birding etiquette to spend no more than a minute or two in proximity to nests so as not to disturb the occupants. With the shot I was looking for in the bag, I headed for Fort Myers Beach to enjoy the sunset and to have dinner.

Within the Everglades National Park is the tiny town of Flamingo.  All manner of birds and critters can be found near here with the notable exception of flamingos.  I spent the entire day within the boundaries of the park taking short hikes at every point of interest along the main road between the entrance and Flamingo.

I returned to Key West from Dry Tortuga by mid day and drove directly to the Everglades where I arrived in time to take advantage of evening light.  Here is just a small sampling of the wildlife I encountered.

I learned an important lesson last night about tent camping; it is no fun in hot places. To date, I have always camped in cold climates were staying warm is just a matter of having the right gear. Once you are naked, however, there is no getting cooler when night time temperatures are in the high 70s. Lack of a restful night’s sleep did little to diminish my enjoyment today as I flew by seaplane to the Dry Tortuga National Park located 68 miles west of Key West. The land based portion of the park is on seven tiny islands, the largest of which is home to Fort Jefferson.

Fort Jefferson is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere and is composed of more than 16 million bricks. It was built to defend the Gulf Coast but never fully completed or used for that purpose.

Beyond the foot print of the fort, only birds are permitted. Most were too far away to photograph but I did manage a nice in-flight photo of this little fellow.

The flights to and from the national park were equally interesting. Flying below 500 feet it was easy to spot sea turtles, dolphins, ship wrecks and the amazing undersea sand dunes which are characteristic to this area of the Gulf of Mexico.

I made good use of the drive from Fort Lauderdale to Key West stopping frequently when I spotted an opportunity to photograph interesting wildlife. The four hour journey took twice as long but I was rewarded with a great collection of images. I arrived in time to set up my tent before sunset and enjoyed a nice dinner in town.

My flight today from California to Florida flew directly over Yosemite affording me an exceptional view of the entire valley. As luck would have it my cameras (all four that I had with me) were in the overhead compartment and I was not able to gain access to them in time. Instead, I had to settle for this aerial view of a city which I found interesting.

It rained last night like their was no tomorrow. Fortunately our tent proved to be a match for the storm and we remained dry if slightly rattled by the lightning and thunder. Our reward was a moody sky at morning light which made for some fine photography from Tunnel View.

Kyle’s strep throat grew worse throughout the morning and after breakfast he elected to sleep in the car while I made the hike to Vernal Falls. I found some nice off trail paths which opened up on nice views of the falls.

We left Yosemite at noon for our return to Santa Clara where we were joined by Kyle’s new girlfriend Karina for a very nice Mexican dinner on Santana Row. She was kind enough to capture an image of father and son to commemorate our long weekend adventure.

I was up before the sun for some morning light photography. Kyle, having pulled several late nighters cramming for exams, was content to sleep in. Morning light favors the eastern exposure of El Capitan so I hunted for a spot on the Merced River that would provide a nice reflection. I found several nice shooting locations and settled on the one pictured here as my favorite. During my location scouting I encountered a very healthy looking coyote which remained focused on finding breakfast even as I stalked him for a photo.

When I returned to the tent several hours later, Kyle was still sleeping (we later learned that he was suffering from strep throat). We grabbed a quick breakfast and made a tour of the valley floor including a quick jaunt up to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls.

This is my fifth visit to Yosemite and the panoramic vista from Tunnel View never ceases to inspire me. For a new perspective, Kyle and I made the 2.6 mile roundtrip hike from Tunnel View to Inspiration Point, a 1000 ft. gain in elevation. If truth be told, the view from the top is not all that inspirational compared to one that can be found about a third the way up the trail. We have since learned that the original Inspiration Point has been renamed to Old Inspiration Point and the place we discovered along the path has now been deemed, justifiably, the new Inspiration Point. When we returned from our hike we drove to Curry Village in the valley and checked into our accommodations for the next two nights, the platform tent pictured below.

Once situated, we ventured out for more exploration and stopped at Valley View for a nice evening light scene. We arrived at the Yosemite Lodge just in time to have dinner before the restaurant closed which was fortunate as both of us had worked up quite an appetite.

I flew from Boston to San Francisco today where I rented a car and drove to Santa Clara to visit Kyle for an extended weekend. Pictured here is the student housing complex which he moved into at the beginning of the semester. His two bedroom apartment, which he shares with one other student, is quite an upgrade from the tiny dorm room he moved into as a freshman. Below is a photo of the Santa Clara Mission Church, the iconic center of campus.

Our plan is to head for Yosemite National Park in the morning and I am really looking forward to sharing the experience with Kyle who is now the same age I was when I first visited. My desire to visit all of the US National Parks was no doubt kindled when I first gazed upon Yosemite valley from Tunnel View.  Profoundly beautiful is the only way I can describe it.

I have had the distinct pleasure of working with Frank Wilson, General Manager for the Defense and Security Business Unit at iRobot for two and a half years. He has been a great partner in crime and his departure will be a huge loss for the company.  This evening we celebrated his contributions while roasting him at every turn.  An inspirational leader with bold vision and an intense desire to satisfy customers, he has a gift for building engagement and motivating people in a culture free of blame and focussed on the future.  Frank is also a pilot and co-owner of a plane. He agreed to take me up for a ride until I asked if we could remove a door to facilitate my aerial photography.

What can I say? I am a sucker for a meandering stream. I passed this scene as I was returning from meetings in Watertown. The fact that I was wearing dress shoes was not a consideration as I trudged through the snow in search of an unobscured view of this partially thawed lowland area. Regrettably, no such vantage point was to be found and I had to settle for a distracting foreground and pair of cold feet. While on the subject of thawing ice, here are two crops of the same image, a picture of the edge of  block of ice (an ice damn that fell from our roof) which is being thinned everyday by an ever present and intense sun.

I did not appreciate finding this insect in the duffle bag I am using to pack my camping gear for my upcoming trip to California and Florida. I am not one to squash bugs (mosquitos being a notable exception) but have no compunction whatsoever about ejecting them from the house, even if it is cold outside. Once I photographed him on the ice where he landed (this thing flies), I moved him to the warmer grass which is now exposed over the area where our septic tank is buried.

Maya is trying out for the CRI crew team this spring as a coxswain. If bossiness is one of the desirable attributes, then I think she will be a shoe in. Maya has a way of making you do things that you don’t necessarily want to do without making you upset. Winding up with half an orange I have peeled for myself or slowly stealing my blanket as the reward for massaging her fee, for example. She has practice every night this week and today I was in charge of delivering her to the Harry Parker Boathouse, pictured below, along with the Ruth Somerville Sculling Pavillon and a crew that dodged chunks of ice to get a workout on the water.

With temperatures hovering around the freezing point all day it was not until late afternoon that rain gave way to snow, possibly the last of the season. Snow is most beautiful (IMHO) when it sticks to the trees which has not been the case at all this winter despite the prodigious amounts. Today’s coating was little more than a quarter of an inch but it stuck like glue making for some nice photo opportunities.

I have been checking our local heron rookery in recent days and have yet to spot a single bird. I settled for a photograph of a stand of trees distinguished by their uniformity in size, distribution and color. I head to California this Friday for a visit with Kyle and will spend the following week in Florida where I expect to find all of our heron still basking in the warmth.

Nicolai opted to remain in Colorado for his block break and has joined his roommate, Thomas, and his family to ski Breckinridge. The mountain is 13,000 feet high and features 187 trails. We were happy to receive the photo above, taken by Thomas’ mother, but have yet to receive any reports from Nicolai. He was quite a proficient skier as a youngster, pictured at age 14 below, but it has been many years since he was last flying down a mountain.

My new Canon 200-400mm telephoto zoom lens arrived yesterday. After putting it through some testing, the image quality has proven to be as exceptional as I had hoped for. Its range falls between my Sigma 120-300mm and my Sigma 300-800mm and my thought was that I would sell these two lenses to help offset the cost of the new Canon. Both have served me very well over the last 4 and 7 years respectively but I cannot justify keeping them knowing I will always reach for the Canon first in all but a few very rare situations. I spent a few hours creating the glamour shots to be used in my listings, a form of photography I enjoy a great deal.