According to our local meteorologists, an extended period of La Nina ended in April which means we can expect greater than average rainfall and cooler than average temperatures over the coming months. On the down side, my commutes are far less photogenic, on the bright side, electric and water bills should be lower than normal. In truth, I enjoy a climate with four distinct seasons and have little to complain about the variety we get in Massachusetts.
Maya was in action on the track this afternoon in a dual meet with Lincoln Sudbury. She ran in the 800m for her second time, finishing 9 seconds faster than her first effort. I made my own sprint from work to arrive minutes before her 4 x 400m relay. She ran the second leg making up a huge margin and finishing in fine form. I need to study the best angles for shooting a track event but was rather pleased with this first effort made with my pocket camera. Jeanine and I were thrilled to watch her compete in a new sport and appreciated the team camaraderie that was on display.
Whenever I venture off the beaten path I invariably find some of my most interesting photographic opportunities. I continued working with my mother on her house this morning and left for the return drive to Concord shortly after noon. I have made this trip several dozen times but with no particular deadline to meet I decided to explore nooks and crannies along the way. Above is the Grafton Peace Pagoda, one of two in the United States, built in 1993 under the guidance of Buddhist nun, Jun Yasuda. In 1978 she walked from San Francisco to Washington, D.C. with Native Americans as part of the “longest walk,” a coordinated peace movement and since then has walked cross-country several times in the name of peace.
Below is a building on the RPI campus which I believe is some type of entrepreneurial business incubator. It is an amazing photographic subject that left me with more than a dozen unique perspectives and compositions.
With no hope of playing soccer this weekend on my still recovering pulled hamstring, I drove to Schenectady to help my mother prepare her house for sale. We interviewed two Realtors and selected the clearly stronger one. Initially I thought I would spend a good portion of the day photographing the house and gardens for the listing. My attention quickly turned, however, to rectifying issues with the wiring and plumbing that are sure to fail inspection. In a fluke accident, I put my elbow through a door window and lost an hour and a half of my time to this self-generated project. I didn’t have the right tools and supplies with me to tackle the main electrical challenge which will be the conversion of the home from fuses to circuit breakers and removal of the visible knob and tube wiring which I plan to address during my next visit. Pictured below is the before picture of the electrical panel. After sundown, I attempted to photograph the Super Moon event but was thwarted by heavy cloud cover despite several hours of waiting for a break.
As I pulled into the driveway this evening I was motivated by the great light and Nala’s posture on the lawn to photograph the house. Nala can appear quite regal as she surveys her dominion constantly on guard for potential transgressors.
Love is in the air all over New England. For the record, this hen did not seem all that interesting in this gobbler. Had he read “The Five Languages of Love,” he would know that he’d have better luck if he spent quality time with her, listened with sincere interest about her concerns over the flock, and offered her some choice berries that he had gathered just for her.
My nephew John stands on the stair below my sister Alissa and still comes up taller. His presentation at Babson today went very well and both joined us for dinner this evening. If not for the fact that he seems so happy I sometimes wish Kyle had chosen a school closer to home so we could see him more often. With John so close we see him quite frequently now and there is a good chance he will live with us during his summer internship. It is not too early to start selling Nico on the benefits of living within a reasonable car drive from the nest.
My sister Alissa is in town to visit with her son Johnie who is attending Babson. It was nice hearing about the recent exploits of our niece Rachel who shares a passion for dance with Maya. Alissa it must be said is the only one of my siblings who has carried on my parent’s tradition of ballroom dance and has become extremely accomplished in her own right.
Nicolai has taken up a new cause. His latest campaign kicked off this morning. Included here is the e-mail that he hopes will find its way across the country.
At age thirteen, Nicolai Calabria, born with one leg, became the first person to summit 19,341 foot Mount Kilimanjaro on crutches. In so doing, he raised more than $100,000 for the Free Wheel Chair Mission and was the subject of an award winning short documentary film, Nico’s Challenge. He returned to Tanzania the following year to assist in distribution of wheelchairs to the impoverished disabled of that country. He has been a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres show, NPR’s All Things Considered and the recipient of numerous awards for his charitable work.
Since he was five years old Nicolai has used forearm crutches to play soccer with able bodied players. When he learned of the American Amputee Soccer Association at age nine he set his sights on playing for the US team one day. Now seventeen, Nicolai has realized that dream. He has become the youngest member of the US National Amputee Soccer team and scored a goal in his debut international match to help secure a 2-1 victory over Mexico.
Amputee soccer is played on a 3/4 size field with seven players to a side. Field players are permitted to use crutches and may play the ball with only one leg. Keepers defend a 7×16 foot goal and may field the ball with only one arm. The sport was invented by Don Bennett of Seattle in 1980 and is currently played in 29 countries. This year’s World Cup will be held in Russia among the top twelve qualifying teams.
Members of the US team are scattered across the country. Air travel and lodging is required for every match or exhibition which can easily exceed $10K per event. Teams from other countries routinely train together giving them an advantage over the US which has never been able to afford that option.
Nicolai is asking for your support as he seeks to raise $250,000 for the American Amputee Soccer Association. We can meet this goal if every soccer player in the United States contributes just 16 cents. Your tax deductible donation will support the team as it represents our country around the world and help expand the sport within the United States. Wounded warriors, accident survivors, and those battling disease or born with differences will all benefit from your generosity as we expand their opportunity to remain or become athletes.
When a person with a disability watches an amputee soccer match, their view of what is possible is forever expanded. When an able-bodied person watches, they will never forget the display of courage and determination defined by a refusal to accept perceived limitations. All will enjoy the beautiful game at its most beautiful.
Are you willing to take 5 minutes from your day to make a donation in any amount to this very worthy cause? Of equal importance, will you help Nicolai’s appeal reach every soccer player in the United States?
Donations can be made at the AASA website or by check to:
American Amputee Soccer Association
1033 Creekside Drive
Wilmington, Delaware 19804
Tax ID# 510402649
Thank you for your support and we hope you will follow the US team on its quest for the World Cup.
Although my soccer team secured another win this morning, I left the game in the closing minutes with a pulled hamstring muscle. Over the years I have been plagued by such injuries. Once you damage these muscles they develop scar tissue which is prone to re-injury. As a coping strategy, I have learned to throttle my speed to 95%. At this point in the game, however, I ran past a pair of defenders onto a very nicely played through-ball. In order to line up for what would have been a very easy shot on goal I had to max out at 100% and in that moment I felt my hamstring let go. I was smart enough to pull back immediately and in so doing minimized the severity of the injury. So far this feels like a 2-3 week recovery rather than the end of my season. I used the balance of the day to begin selling several tripods which seem to multiply in this house like rabbits although it could have more to do with the fact that I purchased two more yesterday.
Nicolai spoke at our church this morning on the value of international service as a means to connect with the broader world and to appreciate how fortunate we are. Maya was kind enough to make a video which allowed me to see his presentation.
From tutu to cleats Maya has had more than her fair share of exercise over the last few days. Nico will be attending her second performance of Hansel and Gretel later this afternoon after which she is sure to be physically exhausted. Her team squeaked out a 1-0 victory after which I took her out for a late breakfast at the End of the Trail restaurant.
For a town of 17,000 the Concord Journal cannot really afford to cover all of the news let alone the myriad of sporting activities occurring over the course of a week. I was pleased to see in the issue which came out today that the article I submitted covering Nicolai’s recent soccer experience was published along with one of my photos. Nicolai reluctantly allowed me to make the submission (he has no desire for notoriety) but agreed it would be good for a fundraising effort he is about to initiate on behalf of the American Amputee Soccer Association. His appeal will go out this weekend and any publicity will help the cause.
While I truly appreciate all that Jeanine does to keep me healthy her latest ploy may have gone too far. The meat used for this burger came from “our cow” (Jeanine buys part of a locally raised cow which we freeze and use over the course of several months). This is not only healthy but tasty. I’m OK so far. Next, we have organically grown tomatoes which cost more than my camera. Still good. I may have to draw the line, however, at her new choice of buns. They are about half the diameter of any self-respecting hamburger bun. While this does represent a meaningful savings of empty calories, it simply looks ridiculous and does not afford adequate purchase on the burger. Please note, my nephew John who stopped by unexpectedly was offered a proper size bun rather than the little sesame seed covered beanie that topped my burger.
Still not fully readjusted to local time, Maya had an extended dress rehearsal this evening for an upcoming production of a ballet adaptation of Hansel & Gretel. Photography is not permitted during the final performance so parents were encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to capture memories. Dressed in black Maya’s first appearance is as a “shadow”. Her other role is as a “seraphim”, an angelic being regarded as belonging to the highest order of the ninefold celestial hierarchy associated with light ardor, and purity. Maya and her cousin Rachel appear to be the most likely candidates to carry the Calabria dance tradition to the next generation. We are told that a DVD of the performance will be available and we will plan to share that with my mother.
