I recently photographed a dragonfly with a macro lens at a very close range. Today, I used one of my telephoto lenses to shoot one from about 3 feet away. Even so, he was quite skittish. Fortunately, he kept returning to the same perch which made it somewhat easier for me to get a nice photo. I just love the faces and variety of colors that can be found among these magnificent little helicopters.

I am coining a new phrase; “work art.” It describes artwork made during the course of work not intended to create artwork. This image, taken last week on Digital Alloy’s scanning electron microscope, provided very important evidence to help us diagnose a problem that we have been trying to solve for some time. When I saw it for the first time, my initial response was that of a photographer, admiring it for the beauty of the image rather than a researcher looking at the answer to a long-standing mystery.

It seems like only yesterday that Nicolai was just a toddler, choosing to navigate the world on forearm crutches rather than use a prosthetic. He has always chosen to stand out rather than fit in and we could not be prouder of him. Today, he turned 26 and we gathered for a small birthday celebration featuring the Thai cuisine he requested. He shared with us his plans to embark on a road trip to visit with his amputee soccer teammates and friends all over the country. All the details are not yet finalized but he plans to bring a camping tent so that he can minimize contact with others. We are less worried about the Covid-19 risk than we are about his car breaking down in the middle of nowhere. Even so, Nico has a knack for skirting calamity and we trust he will return no worse for the wear.

We are in the process of having our house painted and one of the workers removed this robin’s nest from the ledge of our sunporch so he could power wash all the surfaces. Before doing so, he removed the nest and left it under Maya’s care. Naturally, she placed it back in the original position and reports that mama Robin is still tending to it. With the painters set to start work next week, it is not clear if the nest will have to be repositioned and, if so what that will mean for the eggs. Stay tuned for updates.

On the way into the office this morning, I stopped to check out a lot for sale in Concord only to discover it was being cleared of trees in preparation for the construction of a new home. It was amazing how quickly it was deforested with the highly specialized equipment being used. Although the lot is nicely situated on high ground, it offers little more than a forest view and would cost almost as much as our house for just the dirt. I think we will pass.

Jeanine and I have been casually looking for a new home for the past year. Today, for the first time, we found one that we liked enough to tour. It is situated on 320 acres Bare Hill Pond in Harvard. The Lakeview from the back of the house is exceptional. Despite the many other homes on the lake, none are visible from this location creating a sense of privacy unmatched by any other waterfront property I have ever seen. Alas, the house is somewhat larger than we are looking for and the interior layout had problems we were not willing to look past. Having lived in very large homes for the past 25 years, we want to retire to a cozy space about half the size of our current house. Such homes exist, but we have yet to find one that offers a view even close to the one we enjoy now (pictured below).

Nicolai hosted a small gathering of his friends for the Fourth of July and to celebrate his upcoming birthday. With the assistance of his siblings, Nicolai prepared two smoked chickens which turned out wonderfully. The party was held entirely outdoors to maximize air circulation and minimize close contact but it would be incorrect to suggest, as this photo proves, that all best virus prevention practices were observed. Jeanine and I spent much of the day looking at potential new homes and decided to enjoy the party from inside the house.

Two weeks ago, I suggested that our corn crop was on a leisurely pace and that it would likely not achieve the “knee-high by the Fourth of July” milestone commonly recognized in the midwest. I could not have been more mistaken. Admittedly, Maya’s knees are on the shorter side of average, but some of the corn stalks are as tall as her waist. Expect more reporting on crop progress over the coming weeks.

When the kids were young, I built a trebuchet for us to play with. Before the invention of gunpowder, these machines were used to hurl boulders at the fortified walls of castles (the canon of its day). This one, made of solid white oak, is sized to throw a baseball-sized object from ~50 to 500 feet. It uses standard barbell weights (not shown) as the counterweights. The weights are secured to two thick dowels with quick-release clamps. The size of the weights can be adjusted to achieve the desired range and the release angle of the sling hook can be adjusted to optimize trajectory. The design features a safety latch to prevent accidental triggering while loading and wheels allow for easy mobility also serve to neutralize recoil when firing. Lateral supports provide excellent stability and can be removed for transportation.

Sadly, this trebuchet is now for sale on Craig’s List and I hope it will find another family that will both enjoy using it and appreciates the craftsmanship that went into it.

UPDATE: The trebuchet sold in less than 4 hours and will be enjoyed by a North Shore family.

When Maya needed a place to store her tiny house, one of her friends offered to let her keep it on their property. Now she is returning the favor by looking after their animals while the family is away. Under her charge are three cats, 1 rabbit, dozens of chickens, a turtle, a large corn snake, 2 goats, and several fish to name the ones I can remember from the tour she gave Jeanine and me this evening. The food for the rabbit and turtle comes straight from the garden and Maya drops off fresh eggs for us each morning. What would be work to anyone else is pure joy for Maya.

Drag racing is the only race that I can think of where spectators are only interested in watching the start. This is the New England Dragway, located in Epping, NH. I had an errand to run in the area today and paused for this aerial photograph. I was very tempted to launch my E-tron down the track and there appeared to be nothing preventing me from doing so. In the end, I decided that the track owners would probably take a dim view of an unauthorized test run and resisted the urge

Also spotted at the track was this old fire truck. Not quite sure how this fits in with drag racing but it was too cute to pass up.

I have often wondered what birds do when it is raining out. I guessed that they might take cover in the lower part of a tree using the canopy for cover. Not so in the case of this cardinal. He was happily perched on the top of our Japanese maple tree and seemed totally content to get soaking wet. Today’s rain was most welcome and our lawn will be very happy if the forecast for more of it holds true.

The Calabria kitchen became a barbershop this morning as Nicolai cut Kyle’s hair and then I cut his. This took place after Nicolai prepared a delightful breakfast hash for everyone, we had a family zoom call with relatives to celebrate Maya’s 21st birthday, and we watched a home movie of when the kids were young (2003). In the video, Maya explains why she hates spiders and her preferred method of extermination, Nicolai dispatched a wrestling opponent, and Kyle got the better of me in a philosophical debate. The only positive outcome of the Covid pandemic has been having the kids home again and enjoying a day such as this.

Although Maya turned 21 last weekend she was camping in Maine with friends at the time. Today, our family celebrated her birthday with a Carne Asada dinner and an unbelievable strawberry cheesecake that Jeanine prepared. Afterward, Maya opened her presents. In an effort to be environmentally friendly or as a result of being extremely lazy, I no longer wrap presents. I simply place them underneath suitably sized dinner or kitchenware. This was no problem because my gift theme was everyday carry (EDC) gear which by definition means small and compact. Maya received two different multi-tools, a USB chargeable micro flashlight, a titanium toothpick that can double as a defensive weapon, and “kitty claws,” a key fob in the form of modified brass knuckles. God help anyone who might try to attack her.

Our family is very fond of three lawn games, each originating from a country of our ancestors. These are Bocce (Italy), Croquet (France) and Kubb (Sweden). Kubb (pronounced [kɵbː] in Swedish) is a lawn game where the objective is to knock over wooden blocks (kubbs) by throwing wooden batons (kastpinnar) at them. Play takes place on a small rectangular playing field, known as a “pitch”. “Kubbs” are placed at both ends of the pitch, and the “king”, a larger wooden block, is placed in the middle of the pitch. The ultimate objective of the game is to knock over the “kubbs” on the opposing side of the pitch, and then to knock over the “king”, before the opponent does.

I found this little fellow just outside our back door. During the course of our photography session, he enjoyed two little insects for breakfast. Most of the time he would sit motionlessly. The instant something got snared in his web he would pounce on it with amazing speed and gobble it up before I could reposition for a dining shot. I was amazed by the coloration of the hairs on his back and side. I suspect few people will actually pause and take the time to appreciate the beauty that such creatures possess. As usual, anyone who can offer an identification is welcomed to contact me.

In the Midwest, where Jeanine grew up and a lot of corn is grown, the crop is expected to be “knee-high by the Fourth of July.” Our first ever corn crop seems like it is on a more leisurely pace. Still, with each passing day now, it is possible to see the plants getting bigger and I will try to take similarly framed photos every week to monitor progress. I wish I had a spare camera to devote to the task. A time-lapse movie would have been a lot of fun.

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused untold health and economic hardship around the globe. Fortunately, there has been a matching outpouring of generosity to food relief organizations such as Open Table. Here, Jeanine is posing with a check representing a sizeable grant from the Concord-Carlisle Community Chest. Most food pantries rely heavily on volunteers, many of them elderly. Given their heightened risk to Covid-19, a large number are not comfortable putting themselves at risk. This has led to the collapse of many such organizations. Open Table, with a small paid staff, its own facility and truck is faring better than most. Still, it has been a very challenging period and has forced the organization to rethink how best to serve the food insecure in these crazy times.

It has been something like two years since I have taken the kayaks out for a spin. Fortunately, the effort Maya and I put into building them has not gone to waste. Nicolai makes frequent use of them and Maya to a lesser extent. For her 21st birthday weekend, Maya took them up to Maine where she joined friends for overnight camping and a day on the water. This morning, I helped her offload them after doing some early morning macro photography in the back yard.

It has been almost a decade since my father died but his memory lives on in my heart and with all who knew him. I can still hear his laughter whenever I think about him. Infectious is the only way to describe it. He found humor where others did not. He would repeat aloud the thought that he found funny to himself and for the benefit of those in his vicinity. As he worked himself into a frenzy of laughter, those around him were drawn in and soon infected as well. What a tremendous gift. As I age, I wonder what my children will remember about me when I am gone. I can only hope it will bring the same joy to them as thinking of my father brings to me.

The muskrats at Great Meadows had become quite acclimated to humans and can often be seen sharing the paths with them. Not so this little fellow who preferred to hide in the tall grasses. Turning to the sky, I spotted this pair of hawks. I did not have time to adjust proper exposure but liked the silhouette just the same.

It is amazing what you can find in your own back yard with just a little bit of effort. I don’t know what type of insects these are but I definitely know what they are doing. To get this shot, the front of my lens has to be about 2.5 inches from my subject. They were completely oblivious to my presence which gave me sufficient time to get a well-focused image. I could not be happier with my DIY flash diffuser which can be credited with the quality of lighting in this photo. Last night, I glued aluminum foil to the white reflector which had the net effect of boosting contrast in the image. Switching my attention to flora, I am also rather happy with this budding flower.

In addition to helping feed the food insecure in our community, Jeanine also feeds the local hummingbirds with a special recipe she makes herself. Thus, they visit rather frequently. This little fellow stopped in a dozen times over the course of an hour and I managed to get a few keepers. The background is our grey-blue house. Orienting the feeder so that I am shooting into the woods will make for a much nicer image and I will try that next time.

I finally perfected a DIY lighting scheme for shooting macro photos and tested it this evening. Made from an old light modifier for my flash and popsicle sticks, it satisfies all of my requirements; lightweight, easy to set up and tear down, easy to transport, does not prevent me from getting close to subjects, and, most importantly, produces soft light.

Attachment is by way of velcro to my flash head and macro lens. The top half is a reflective white surface that bounces light to the bottom half diffuser. When removed from the camera, the assembly folds flat. The angles have all been calculated to maximize light intensity at the diffuser.

Maya spotted this ant chomping away on what appeared to be some kind of caterpillar larva. He was so engrossed in his meal that I was able to get in very close for this shot. With machine-like efficiency the ant devoured section after section of his prey stopping every minute or so to take a 15-second breather. Then back to work.

For the first time since we have lived here, the field behind our house has been planted with corn. Our property goes as far as the small green patch in the field where a pair of birdhouses are situated. The remainder of the land is Concord Conservation Land, which can never be developed. The pond has recently been restored by the abutting neighbors and it has never looked so good. I shall be sure to post images of the cornfield as it grows. As we get closer to putting our house on the market, our appreciation for the setting we have enjoyed for so many years only grows. Today, those pangs were even stronger as we put an offer on a property near my office.

When I originally posted this blog, I thought that the small round objects on this dragonfly’s abdomen were eggs. Not so. Jeanine reached out to a friend who directed us to a blog by Kent MacFarland at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies whose description I have included below.

I really don’t like weeding. So it was with great pleasure when just moments into the task I spotted a dragonfly acting strangely on a nearby plant. What immediately caught my eye was a pile of tiny, red, egg-like sacs all over its thorax. I ran to grab my camera, and at this point, I am sure my wife was rolling her eyes. Anything to get out of weeding. But heck, I was just about to bear witness to phoresy.

Frankly, I didn’t know the term either. But it turns out that those little red sacs weren’t eggs at all, but rather larvae of water mites hitching a ride on the dragonfly. Ecologists call it phoresy, the process of using another organism to move about.

Arrenurus water mite adults are a mere three millimeters long and usually brown or greenish so you wouldn’t notice them in the water unless you were really looking for them. They mate in spring, and the female lays up to 400 red eggs on underwater objects, one egg at a time.

The six-legged larvae hatch in one to six weeks, depending on water temperature, and they immediately swim around looking for an insect larva. When they find a mosquito, stonefly, damselfly, or a dragonfly larva that is in its late stages of growth, they grab onto it, waiting until the larva goes airborne.

As the dragonfly larva crawls out of the water and sheds its exoskeleton, the mites jump off the cast shell and onto the dragonfly. Now they are not only hitchhiking, but they also become parasites. They form a tube that pierces the exoskeleton of the dragonfly so that they can feed on the victim’s hemolymph, kind of like blood in an insect’s circulatory system. After the mite grows enough, its exoskeleton becomes like a sac and inside the larva develops into a nymph.

When the nymph is fully developed, it just drops off the host when it is over water. Now, like all arachnids, it has eight legs and looks similar to an adult water mite. They eat the same foods as adults too – tiny insects, worms, and even other mites. After they eat and grow, if they avoid being eaten themselves, they find an object to attach to and form another sac to develop into an adult.

I did not need to take more than 10 steps from our backdoor to find a bunch of dragonflies this morning. Maya thinks the photo above looks more like a painting. Other than slight exposure correction and sharpening it is straight from the camera but I do share her opinion. The dragonfly below looks less vibrant, partially due to the fact that it was perched upside down on our photographically bland doorstep.

Today’s post comes in the form of a quiz. How many turkeys are in this picture? For the not so obvious answer, solve the following math problem.

42-19 +28-46

Congratulations if you answered correctly on the first try. Keep at it if you think I got my math wrong. Click on the photo and then zoom in for additional clues.

Addendum: In response to the overwhelming insistence that there are only four turkeys in the photo above, I am providing evidence to confirm that there are indeed five. Also, I watched as the family of five traversed our field before I could get my telephoto lense fitted to my camera for the shot.

Jeanine and I attended an outdoor concert this evening. It has been a long time since we spent an evening outside of the house, let alone while being entertained. This is the first post in 15 years that features an audio clip rather than a photo. See if you can identify all of the instruments in the band. Hint: there are far more than you might think at first.

After work, I swung by Great Meadows for an evening walk where I encountered this Osprey and his dinner companion. Shooting birds in flight is fairly challenging and always satisfying when you find something interesting in the frame. Technically speaking, the photo is not that great. I had zero time to adjust the settings on my camera and was lucky to capture a few frames in focus. Quality notwithstanding, I like the shot.