I tweaked my left hamstring playing soccer this morning and had to leave the game mid-way through my second shift.  Fortunately, I pulled up at the first twinge and I am sure I will be back on the pitch in 2 weeks. We thumped first place Western Mass by a score of 6-3 and have moved to within a point of capturing the Division 1 lead.  I spent the balance of the day doing chores and enjoying the beautiful fall colors.  Have I said recently how much I love fall in New England?

Sometimes it’s luck, sometimes it’s perseverance. Today the later was at play in capturing some of my favorite photos of the season.  A rainy and dreary morning gave way to a crisp and beautiful afternoon. I decided to stay close to home (within a mile) and really explore some of my favorite locations.  I worked for an hour to get the image above, waiting for the perfect combination of light, clouds, and still water (no wind).  I think it was worth it.  The image below was made earlier in the day in our back yard. Click on either for a full view.

A more perfect fall day I cannot remember.  I elected to take a half day of vacation this afternoon to enjoy the ideal weather, tool around in my new car, and take in Maya’s soccer game against Wayland.  Maya scored a gorgeous goal from the top of the circle (22 yards) from where she launched a left-footed rocket that found the corner of the net.  It was truly a thing of beauty and now has her leading me in goals on the season.

Five months ago I put in an order for an electric drive BMW i3 which I took delivery of this evening.  Demand has out stripped supply which extended the delivery date by 3 months. I can say without reservation, however, that it was worth the wait. I have owned a dozen cars in my life and this one is the most fun to drive.  Electric motors deliver instantaneous neck-snapping torque AND, in this case, the equivalent of 134 MPGe.  The tradeoff is that range is limited to 88 miles (125 in a pinch) relegating this to a commuter vehicle which is how I plan to use it.  iRobot has free charging stations at work which only makes the value proposition that much more compelling for me.

I had hoped to photograph the lunar eclipse occurring as the moon set early this morning but it was obscured by overcast skies.  I had to settle for this photo of the full moon rising this evening.  Even though it is in the shadow of the sun, a lunar eclipse produces a “blood moon” illuminated by diffracted sunlight traveling through the earth’s atmosphere which both “bends” it and gives it a reddish-orange tint.

I came across this graphic on the blog of a fellow adventure traveler.  I generally only post my own photographs here, but this image so succinctly sums up my philosophy on life that I was moved to include it here. I used a reverse image look-up to see if I could identify and credit its creator. Countless others have also felt compelled to republish this graphic and it was not possible for me to determine where it originated.

UPDATE:  With the help of former colleague, good friend, and internet search guru, Mukund Srinivasan, I was able to find the source of inspiration for this image.  It comes from the book From Within I Rise by T. F. Hodge who wrote “Don’t wish…DO! Don’t try…BE! Don’t think…KNOW!” I also was able to determine that there are many variations on this graphic design including a commercially available wall decal (LINK)

In addition to the internal upgrade to iRobot’s Bedford facility, the exterior of the building is also getting a face lift.  I am more often than not attending meetings scheduled for the noon hour.  Today was a welcome exception and I took a stroll outdoors to survey the progress.

I scored my first goal of the season this morning contributing to a 3-0 victory over Boston United.  I picked up a loose ball inside the 6 yard box and slotted it through the legs of the keeper.  The win moved us solidly into second place for the division.

Yesterday’s rain gave way to a perfect fall day motivating Jeanine and I to take a drive in the country. We will be celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary tomorrow and thought we would enjoy a brief get away before the hustle and bustle of the work week.  We spent most of our time in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire where fall color is not yet at peak but where many interesting subjects can be found.

Of all the photos from yesterday, the one I will cherish most is this one taken with my co-pilot.  Pressing the shutter button on a camera is easy.  Finding beautifully composed scenes to photograph is the hard part. With no pre-planned destinations, Kyle and I worked in tandem to hunt for prime locations as we crisscrossed northern New Hampshire.

Arguably my favorite thing about living in New England is that we enjoy four full seasons, autumn being my favorite. At this time of year the changing colors of the trees is a spectacle to behold. The combination of ideal weather and peak color in New Hampshire motivated me to take the day off for a photographic outing. Kyle joined me on the 14 hour excursion starting at 6AM during which we covering 380 miles. Unlike most of the photos I post on my blog, these really need to be viewed at maximum resolution to be fully appreciated. Click on an image and expand the new window to full screen, then click in the image to zoom in further.

Thursday evenings during the spring and fall are reserved for soccer practice with my over-50 men’s team.  When I saw the way the lights were shining through the mist that covered the pitch, I grabbed my camera for a quick photo. I was really glad I did when I saw how well it captured the feeling in the air.  As the season progresses it becomes increasingly difficult to drag myself out of the house and into the cold night air but I always feel invigorated after a good workout.

Six years ago I was contacted by a publisher of English as a second language textbooks for permission to use my photos and Nico’s Kilimanjaro story in one of their texts.  My only request at the time was to receive a copy of the book when it went to print.  To my amazement, having assumed the project never reached fruition, the book arrived in the mail today.  As I understand it, this is now the official textbook used to teach English to sixth-grade students in Israeli public schools.

It has been a year since Jeanine was elected President of Open Table and in that time she has made many positive changes to the organization.  The annual Board meeting was held this evening in conjunction with a volunteer appreciation dinner.  I have become the defacto photographer for the organization which keeps me busy on such occasions. I enjoy combining my favorite hobby with my favorite person although I barely had time to eat dinner and entirely missed the dessert course.

Fall color this year has arrived much earlier and is more brilliant than usual.  Even overcast skies cannot subdue the vibrant hues that are to be seen everywhere. I celebrated my 56th birthday today by rising early and spending some time at Great Meadows before work. The water has been largely drained for the winter, for reasons not entirely clear to me, leaving behind a beautiful sea of exposed water lilies.

Reds this year are more intense than ever and I am hoping for a little sunshine this week to capture some photos which do justice to what nature has created.  I cherish this time of year and treat every day as a precious gift.