Timing our departure to take advantage of good weather Maya and I left mid afternoon for New Hampshire’s, Monadnock State Park. Setting up our two person tent took no time. Not so for building a fire. We used a flint and striker which proved a difficult method in light of recent rains and lack of dry tinder. Perseverance paid off and in under an hour we had a roaring fire to warm ourselves by in the sub-freezing temperatures. Our next priority was diner which included a fruit salad appetizer, followed by piping hot chicken noodle soup, with chocolate pudding and roasted marshmallows for dessert. Should Maya read this post in the distant future I will ask her to remember the world’s most perfectly cooked marshmallow that I prepared for her. Night time temperatures dipped into the mid twenties but we both stayed warm and toasty in our down sleeping bags.

We are receiving daily reports and photos from the leader of the church youth group to which Nico belongs describing daily events. Yesterday the group learned about the terrible 12-year civil war that traumatized the nation and took 75,000 lives during the 1990s from a veteran guerrilla fighter. They heard first hand accounts of the human rights atrocities committed by the military government which was funded by the United States. Today the group traveled by horse to the Guazapa region, a guerrilla stronghold during the war, where they saw the trenches and caves used by fighters for protection and housing. The region is essentially a mass cemetery where thousands of souls rest, many of their personal belongings still strewn about. A very sobering experience for everyone and a close up view of the realities of war. Nico was not sure he could ride a horse but apparently it was much harder to convince him to get off than on.

The weather has been very gray and wet for the past few days. I promised to take Maya camping this week (the kids are on spring break), and it looks like Friday and Saturday are going to be our best bet for dry conditions. This duck doesn’t seem to mind the weather conditions at all.

Celebrating Patriot’s Day in Concord is something that is taken quite seriously. Accurate reenactments, punctuated by cannon and rifle fire is just the beginning. Jeanine and I planned on an early walk at Great Meadows but instead followed these Red Coats as they marched from the town center over to the Old North Bridge.

My soccer game this morning produced a very satisfying 2-1 come from behind win over Wayland. I played for 80 minutes and had three shots hit the post. Oddly enough, I will be credited with a goal as I was the closest player to an opponent who scored an own goal (accidentally played the ball into his own net off a cross from one of our strikers).

Although the day started with short periods of rain, by afternoon the weather was just gorgeous. I got out for a few hours of photography and decided to find interesting subjects within a quarter of a mile of our home. This Weeping Willow captured my interest and I photographed a nice series of which this is my favorite.

Nico left yesterday for El Salvador where he will spend a week on a service project with his church youth group. We received word that all arrived without incident and were spending the day participating in Palm Sunday celebrations. I expect to post photos as soon as they become available.

With heavy rain in the forecast, Kyle and I decided to arrive early for Candidates Day at Villanova so that we could see the campus before the deluge arrived. Kyle remembered his way around and gave me the tour of this most beautiful campus.

The Villanova Business School was recently ranked 7th in the nation and after the presentations it became apparent why. The faculty is first rate, they make themselves entirely accessible to the students and the programs are highly experiential with significant ties to the business world. I was extremely impressed.

The formal programs ended by late afternoon and then Kyle connected with three other CCHS students who are considering Villanova to compare notes. Kyle really appreciated the academic excellence but felt that the school might be too conservative for him. Time will tell. The 6 hour drive home was grueling. We essentially followed a massive weather system up the Eastern seaboard and remained centered under its fury the entire way.

After Kyle finished school today, he and I drove to Villanova University, just outside of Philadelphia, so that we could attend their Candidates Day tomorrow. The journey took 6.5 hours with traffic but afforded me a nice opportunity to chat with Kyle about his college options. He has been accepted at several schools but has already narrowed the field to George Washington University, the University of Santa Clara Business School and the Villanova University Business School. He has about two weeks to make his final decision.

Before work this morning, in a plan to add exercise to my daily routine, I walked out to the Concord River where I was rewarded with this nice waterscape. In the evening I added 90 minutes of soccer practice. If I am going to compete at the level I want and have my knees hold up this season I am going to need to drop 15 pounds.

In keeping with the success and growth at iRobot we are in the process of upgrading the appearance of our “town hall” area where we congregate every other week for a “huddle” during which everyone in the division learns about the activities of one of our groups. This coffee table creates the illusion of an infinite path to our offices in China. I spent the day offsite in a Quarterly Business Review followed by a nice dinner with the team and then an indoor soccer match where I racked up two goals. A busy but highly successful day.

This little girl celebrated her 48th birthday with her family this evening at Paparazzi’s. She is all grown up now but has not lost touch with her inner child. She goes to school and plays for an hour every day. She has her very own dog and three other mammalian pets she cares for as well as a boyfriend who has loved her for more than half her life.

I left for work early today and stopped by the Great Meadows National Wildlife Reserve to do a little photography. I am not a birder per say but I do enjoy the challenge of photographing these amazing creatures which requires considerable patience and a bit of skill. Most satisfying, however, is the time spent immersed in nature as apposed to zooming by it. As I was leaving I came upon the pictured Great Blue Heron who was hunting for breakfast. I captured a great series of him catching fish and preening. Click on any photo for a more detailed view.

A disappointing start to my spring outdoor soccer season. Despite dominating play and possession (20 shots on goal to our opponents 2) we lost 1-0 on a penalty kick to Ashland. I played midfield and had three solid shots on goal, one a header that rebounded off the post, none that found the back of the net. I can guarantee we will beat this team in our next encounter but for today I will have to draw cheer from Maya’s Spring Dance Recital. She performed in both a jazz number and a ballet piece.

Maya’s day was chock full of activity. Her first outdoor soccer match of the season was followed by an indoor playoff match (in which she scored her team’s only goal) and then on to a dance recital rehearsal for both ballet and jazz. I was pleased to be her assigned chauffeur for the day and to watch as she demonstrated both her power and grace. In the first photo Maya duct tapes her shorts to her belly to prevent them from sliding off her slender waist. Not exactly the method I would have employed but further proof that Maya has a potential future in engineering. On the field Maya remains one tough cookie who refuses to yield to much larger opponents.

As I drove into work this morning I came across a family of four deer and was able to get close enough for a photo of the mother and one child. Work responsibilities demanded that I arrive earlier than normal and consequently I had little dawn light to work with explaining why the photo is a bit blurry.

A car makes a good blind for shooting deer as long as you lower the windows before you drive up. Once the car stops you will have their full attention until they are satisfied you do not represent a risk. Moving a second time, however, will generally spook them.