Most of the beach is roped off so that the endangered Piping Plovers can nest undisturbed. I was able to photograph two of them, but the photos are not very good due to the extreme distance. 

This morning I played soccer down in Foxboro against the currently top ranked team in Division 1. We played very well but were only able to manage a 0-0 tie. I had one of my better games but missed a nice header opportunity that would have secured the win. With Jeanine on her retreat, Kyle at his game in the middle of the state, Nico at his friend’s house and Maya at the circus, I decided to drive out to Plum Island for a little nature photography. Here is a nice shot of a Snowy Egret. 

Finally, this is a male Common Carp thrashing around the surface water as part of their spawning behavior. 

Red-Wing Blackbirds are everywhere. 

We also spotted a bunch of Painted Turtles. 

Jeanine is on a retreat with the three girls she is mentoring so I am Mr. Mom this weekend. Maya and I made a visit to Great Meadows before Nicolai’s soccer game. Here we have a Common Grackle. 

This evening, Maya and her friend Julie performed a piano duet at the annual Willard Talent Show. They played the Turkish Rondo. I contributed a slide show set to music featuring photos from prior years in honor of Becky Robichaud, the originator and driving force behind the shows. Afterwards, Maya and I had an ice cream date at Helen’s. 

Maya has taken to the electric scooter like a fish to water. With no prior experience she simply hopped on and took off. 

Caught this little Yellow-Rumped Warbler on the way to work this morning. 

Kyle works on his juggling skills after dinner. 

We have promised to add a dog to our family if the children can care for a stuffed one for 30 days. The routine requires two 10 minute walks per day, one feeding, and two water bowl refills. If they miss a day, then we reset the 30 day clock. If they are late, then the dog poops inside and they have to clean it up (has happened already). So far they have a week of care under their belts and are showing a lot of resolve. 

I found this crumpled up sketch in the kitchen today. I am fairly certain this is Nico’s work. 

Kyle was also in action and helped his team to a 1-1 tie. Here he splits two defenders on a run which he finishes with a nice shot on goal. Kyle needs to arrive one hour before kick-off. During that time, I usually wander off in search of photographic opportunities. Today I decided to try and get some shots in the Oxbow Wildlife Reserve which is located adjacent to a military base. The Oxbow, like the Rookerie, has no apparent point of entry or place to park. You have to walk in. So, I park the car and walk toward the reserve finding little more that a bird or two along the way. When I return to my car, I find it surrounded by three police cars and twice as many cops with their hands poised to draw their guns. They demand to know what I am doing and threaten to confiscate my camera. They want to see every picture I have taken and then threaten to arrest me when they find a picture of a bluebird sitting on top of a fence. The fence, you see, is part of the military base and photographing any part of a military base is illegal. The fact that there is nothing but nature on the other side of the fence is irrelevant and being in possession of this photo is all the evidence they need to throw you in jail. As I did not wish to miss the start of Kyle’s game and thought a conviction for attacking a military base would do little to enhance my resume I was very contrite and cooperative. 

This morning after church, Jeanine and I went to Great Meadows for a long walk and came across a pair of swans. Before church, I had an 8AM soccer game which ended in a dissapointing 3-0 loss. Despite the poor result, I had one of my better games and got a lot of playing time.