A quick tour through the backyard turned up some very interesting shots this morning. Best viewed at full size.

Kyle has hired Nicolai to develop a website for his Yard Dogs Landscaping business and he shot this portrait of the crew for the project. Kyle now has 35 clients and is gearing up for the fall season. We worked together this evening on sides for his truck bed so that he will be able to haul leaves more efficiently.

After picking up Jeanine from the airport yesterday, we went directly to the dealer to pick up her new Jetta Sportswagen TDI. It is platinum gray with a black interior. Although not the dream car she will pick after the kids are all off to college it can hold the family and our gear while getting 42mpg on the highway. Rain all day yesterday and today made getting a nice shot difficult.

Nicolai waits outside with learner’s driving permit in hand for his first official driving lesson with the Christo Driving School. He has been practicing with us and will probably be able to give his instructor a few pointers. Nico has grown 3 inches over the last year and looks every bit a man these days. Having repaired his SideStix crutches with replacement parts he is back to using them again.

If you study this soccer ball cake, made by Maya, you may notice that it appears a little odd. Absent are signs of neatly cut pieces. Rather, it appears that the cake has been nibbled away around its entire perimeter. When Nala returned to the scene of the crime looking to make another pass it became apparent what had happened. Later when Maya arrived she demanded to know what I had done to her cake refusing to accept my explanation of the situation. It was not until Nala again returned to the table looking for another snack that she came to accept my innocence.

I traveled to Rockport, MA late this afternoon to complete a Craig’s List transaction and paused for a moment to capture this image as daylight was rapidly coming to an end. Earlier in the day I played competitive soccer for the first time since the end of last season. I was terribly out of shape but I managed a couple of respectable shots on net. I am hoping the summer hiatus has allowed my knee to recover adequately. Time will tell. The scrimmage ended in a 1-1 tie and we see our first official game of the season next weekend.

A lot of activity on the automotive front today. After weeks of research and more than a dozen test drives Jeanine selected a 2011 VW Jetta Sportswagen TDI to replace her Honda Odyssey. I secured one for her this morning and we will pick it up together when she returns from Indiana next Tuesday. In the end it was the 30 city and 42 highway gas mileage, large cargo capacity and what Jeanine described as Zippy acceleration that made this the right choice. Many owners are reporting 50 mpg in real world highway driving.

This afternoon I placed my trusty 2006 Audi A3 2.0T (pictured above) up for sale on Craig’s List. I am in no rush to sell it but will if I get my asking price. Top on my list for a replacement will be a 2011 A3 TDI or an Audi Q5 SUV.

We have taken environmental concerns to heart and made vehicle choices that reflect our commitment to reducing fuel consumption and green house gas emissions.

33/41 Smart Car
30/42 Jetta Sportswagen
25/31 Audi A3 (going to 30/42 if I replace with the A3 TDI)

Jeanine is off to Indianapolis for Erica’s bridal shower and I am charged with keeping tabs on the kids, making sure the dog gets fed and buying a car to replace the Honda Odyssey. Maya completed her week long soccer camp and Nala lounges in the back yard enjoying the fine weather we are having.

Does anyone remember this little girl? Certainly it cannot be the same child that returned triumphantly from three weeks at wilderness camp.

A friend of Maya’s from Farm & Wilderness camp.

Raspberries from Jeanine’s garden make for a nice snack this evening.

I did some product photography this evening. I have been doing a little late spring cleaning and will sell this ball head and gimbal mount on the Internet over the next few days. I prefer taking photos of people, but the practice I get in lighting these types of shots is invaluable.

Maya and I went to the Concord Public Library this evening. She picked up a couple of books to finish off her summer reading program and I picked up some guides on wedding photography. My niece, Erica, has asked me to photograph her wedding in October and I want to be totally prepared.

Today we actually get to take Maya with us after she packs up her gear and says her goodbyes. We learned the significance of the 1-bell, 2-bell, 3-bell, 5-bell, and 7-bell and explored the 2-sided lean-to where Maya spent the last three weeks sleeping in one of the top bunks in a sleeping bag. Maya is looking forward to a hot shower and flush toilets upon her return to civilization.