Meet the King Rail. This bird is very rare in Massachusetts and quite secretive. He (or she) likes to travel along the edge of the water (usually through the under brush) plucking worms from the mud. Jeanine and I went to Great Meadows this morning and were fortunate to see both the King and Virginia Rail.

How about these rare little birds flitting about the backyard?

I am going to have to consult with Jeanine on this fellow but I am fairly certain it is a catbird.

An after the storm sunset. A very rewarding end to the day.

A drive up gas station for motor boats.

It has been raining for 40 days and 40 nights. The Concord River is as high as I have ever seen it. When the water gets this high the Old North Bridge leads to an island rather than the other side of the river.

The kids were more interested in scaling this wall than taking in the beauty surrounding them. Admittedly, they really enjoyed themselves.

Angela samples the lilacs fragrance.

Despite the rain we all ventured out to the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Jamica Plains. Maya’s umbrella was so large that she had to be tethered during a stiff wind.

Swan from Great Meadows.

My parents are in town for the weekend and we did this portrait for their 50th wedding anniversary invitation.

With my parents in town, competitive Scrabble (timed turns, strictly enforced back of the box rules) was the order of the evening. Kyle came from behind to defeat his father on the last move, and Angela (the reigning champion) was relegated to a third-place showing.

The babies have arrived.

Another little fellow. Jeanine is visiting her father in Indiana this weekend. She brought her field guide with her and I am fully expecting her to e-mail with some identifications.