The Head of the Charles Regatta is the largest 2-day regatta in the world, with 11,000 athletes rowing in over 1,900 boats in 61 events. I was a spectator for the first time in 2009 when the daughter of good friends Cindy and Rob Shurtleff was a participant. Since then, I have been attending roughly every other year. Independent of the tremendous athleticism on display it is a beautiful fall spectacle. This afternoon Jeanine joined me for her first experience of the regatta. I was tempted to use my drone for some perspectives that cannot be obtained from the shore or bridges but decided against it for fear of distracting the athletes or spectators. In retrospect, I believe this was a mistaken decision. I could see a number of shooting locations and angles that would have been entirely non-intrusive. I will just have to wait until next year. Jeanine spent her morning participating in the sermon at Concord’s Tricon Church where she gave a speech on food insecurity to the congregation. I was back on the soccer pitch for all of about ten minute, just long enough to realize that my hamstring was still not ready for prime time. My team managed a 2-0 win over the entirely Russian team from South Newton.

The tiny house has returned to its birthplace where it will remain until work on the interior can be completed.  I rented a 3/4 ton pick-up truck this morning and with Jeanine serving as my spotter we moved it from its summer home to our backyard.  Positioned here, I will have walk-out access from my wood shop which will make working on it that much easier.  We had hoped that Olin would allow Maya to work on it as an independent study project but so far their facilities people have not agreed to this plan.  I am expecting my work schedule to become increasingly demanding and will try and nibble away at the work over weekends during the winter months.

Warners Pond is fed and drained by Nashoba Brook which flows into the Assabet River which then joins the Sudbury River to form the Concord River.  It is located adjacent to West Concord just a few minutes from our house.  I was in town to interview a candidate at the Nashoba Brook Bakery and grabbed this shot while waiting for him to arrive.

I like squirrels as much as the next guy but I am not comfortable with the level of intimacy on display above.  This one has been fed so often by humans that it no longer has any fear of them.  I did my part to re-establish appropriate boundaries when his attempt to climb my leg earned him a short flight into the pond.

I interrupted my morning commute for a drone photo of the Sudbury River (I cross the pictured bridge every day).  Once I had flown into position, I noticed an approaching canoe and timed my shot to include the rower as a foreground element.  It wasn’t until I could review the image on my computer that I noticed she was also a photographer and interested in my drone as a foreground element.  I hope to one day meet this person so we can exchange photos.

Although I am pleased with the photographs I took last week at Franconia Notch they could have been even better if the sun was out. Today’s forecast for that area was for bright sun and peak color. I decided to take the morning off and make a quick run up to the mountains for another attempt. One must seriously question the intelligence of someone who would make a 300-mile round trip for a second attempt at a photograph they already had. My journey began in the dark at 6 am. I was halfway to the notch when the sun rose. The light was glorious and the foliage magnificent. It was hard to contain my excitement. Alas, with less than 5 miles to go, I could see that the mountain pass I had hoped to photograph was shaded by clouds that looked like they were there to stay. I am no stranger to such disappointment and simply made the best of my return trip to Boston.

At this time of the year, I leave for the office well before sunrise.  This morning I was running late which afforded me the chance to catch a rather colorful sunrise.

With a beautiful day in the forecast, Jeanine and I decided to make a day tour of western Massachusetts and southern Vermont where foliage reports indicated we would find peak fall color.  Our first stop was the Natural Bridge State Park in North Adams.  Named for its natural bridge of white marble, unique in North America, the park also offers woodland walks with views of a dam made of white marble, and a picturesque old marble quarry.  The bedrock marble from which the natural bridge was created is estimated to be some 550 million years old. Water from glacial runoff began carving the arch after the last Ice Age, 13,000 years ago.

After enjoying lunch at the Freight Yard, we continued to the 93-foot-high, lighthouse-like Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower at the summit of 3,491-foot tall Mount Greylock, the highest point in the state.

We continued to Bennington and Brattleboro, Vermont before completing our 11-hour road trip.  Despite reports to the contrary, we did not find the foliage to be at peak color.  I suspect another few days or a week before that will be the case.

Not the best photograph, as it was taken through the windshield of my car.  Fortunately for the subject, I spotted him crossing the road in time to avoid a car versus snapping turtle situation. Not so fortunate for me were the blaring horns of the angry motorists stopped behind me unaware of the reason for my standstill.

I spent 11 hours driving around New Hampshire today in search of dramatic fall color. Unfortunately the remnants of Hurricane Michael covered the state in clouds for most of the day.  Even so, I managed a few shots that I am very happy with.  I visited Lake Winnipesaukee for the first time and then made my way over to Franconia Notch. 

Some photos just speak for themselves. 

This photo was taken on a visit to the Old North Bridge last week. I was too busy at work today to find time for a photo. Jeanine called my attention to the nice light on the tall grass.  She has gotten quite good at spotting interesting light and is becoming a very good photographer in her own right.  The same cannot be said for my abilities as a cook despite my frequent close proximity to her while preparing food.

Following on the heels of our e-scooter demo unit, my team completed are first fully integrated shared e-bike today. Both demo units were created to demonstrate functionality and performance rather than being optimized for appearance. Prospective customers will be able to ride these vehicles as part of their evaluation process. Final units will be tailored to specific customer requirements and design parameters.

As part of Superpedestrian’s pivot into the shared electric micro-mobility market we have expanded beyond bicycles and now support electric scooters as well.  The demonstration prototype scooter above was developed by my team in record time and will be revealed to prospective customers starting this week. It is a huge step up from the Bird scooters which can already be found on the streets of Cambridge.  It features much larger wheels and a suspension system for enhanced safety and comfort.  It also sports the largest capacity battery of any scooter in the market today for extended range and superior hill climbing performance.

I re-injured my left hamstring during my soccer match this morning and therefore let my drone do all the work for my photograph of the day.  Operating the controls from the comfort of our deck, I flew all the way to the Sudbury River and back.  Above is the patch of colorful trees and bushes I only recently discovered by virtue of flying the drone.  It is located adjacent to the field behind our house (on the right above) but I had no idea it was there for the last 15 years.  The lesson I take away is that finding beauty is a matter of perspective. Below is an image of Mattison Field.  Both are best viewed at full resolution on a large screen.

Twenty eight years ago on an equally splendid fall day, Jeanine and I were married in a wooded setting not too dissimilar from that of our afternoon outing in the Oxbow National Wildlife Refuge.  Jeanine’s beauty and my love for her have only grown with the passage of time.  It is hard to imagine that so many years have passed in what seems like the blink of an eye.  If we remain healthy, we may have only reached the halfway point in our marriage.

While walking through the refuge we encountered little in the way of wildlife but a veritable treasure trove of mushrooms.

Every autumn I spend countless hours driving around New England in search of photogenic fall foliage.  Last week I discovered the most vibrant scene I have ever witnessed.  Today, I finally had a sunny day and some time to photograph it.  Now for the unbelievable part of the story.  This field of small trees and bushes is located adjacent to the field behind our house.  It is literally a stone’s throw from our backyard.  How is it possible this went unnoticed by me for 15 years?  The area is surrounded on all sides by larger trees which when viewed from the ground are only moderately interesting at this time of year.  I have tried to enter this field during the summer months but it is invariably water logged and so thick with brambles that you cannot traverse it.  If not for my drone, I would have never found this gem.  Expect future photographs depicting its full extent and location relative to our house.

Followers of this blog know that I have been following the construction of the buildings that are part of the Mass+Main project in Central Square.  While researching the construction, I came across a live webcam that is documenting the construction, and the images captured will one day be used to form a time-lapse video.  I became curious about the location of the camera and was able to locate it today by reverse engineering the angles and using my drone to find it.

I managed to break another tooth this afternoon while eating pita bread at lunch.  This makes the 3rd or 4th tooth I have broken and if I keep up the pace I will soon have more broken teeth than intact ones.  Fortunately, the break was completely above the gum line and therefore one I can live with provided I have my dentist grind off the sharp edges on the remainder of the tooth.  Eventually, I will need a crown but for now, I will just leave it the way it is.  The reason I break so many teeth is because I grind them together while sleeping.  Time to locate the mouthguard I am supposed to wear at night to prevent such outcomes.

I had to bring my i3 in to have the airbags replaced as part of a factory recall campaign. Apparently, women in the fifth percentile of body size (approximately 5 feet tall and weighing 110 pounds) are slightly more likely to suffer a neck injury during a frontal collision if they’re not wearing their seatbelt. It’s a very small edge case, and it requires a person to not be wearing a seatbelt, but either way, the vehicle is ever so slightly outside of federal regulations hence the recall.  I have been given the X2 pictured above until the service has been completed.  Jeanine has been eyeing it lustfully so I have made a point to hide the keys.

I drove into Boston earlier than usual this morning affording me the time for a nice 5 mile walk before work. I opted to carry my drone rather than my camera with me, pausing a few times for interesting aerial landscapes.  I am glad I took the opportunity because the beautiful autumn morning gave way to a dreary afternoon of grey skies and rain.

Following my big birthday celebration yesterday, it was a little difficult rolling out of bed for an 8AM soccer match. Happily my tweaked hamstring from two weeks ago has healed and I managed to play the entire match without further aggravation, even managing an assist on one of our 4 goals. My team is on a real streak, having won our last 15 matches without surrendering a single goal. With half the season remaining, we are now solidly in first place. I returned home in time to bid farewell to my visiting sister, mother, and sister-in-law and then to spend time teaching my nieces to fly one of my drones. Above is a dronee taken by Sophia before my brother and his family traveled to Olin with Jeanine and I to visit Maya. She gave a tour of the campus leaving all the engineers in the family wishing they could go back to school and her young nieces with a glimpse of what a future in college might look like.

Sixty years ago today I entered the world, the first of four children born to Frank and Angela Calabria in Albany, NY.  A lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. I am happy to report that I have few regrets and many blessings to be thankful for.

Jeanine conspired with family and friends to throw me a surprise party to celebrate the milestone. Misdirection took the form of a visit to the Boston Aquarium with my nieces, Sophia and Rose, and brother, Mark. This to lure me down to the waterfront where a classic sailing schooner, manned by a large contingent of my family and friends was waiting wharf side to collect us for a sunset cruise of the Boston Harbor. Our group of ~35 then walked to the North End where we dined at the L’Osteria Italian restaurant.  Between appetizers and the main course, guests were entertained by a game in which they had to answer various trivia questions about the birthday boy. The highlight of the evening for me was hearing the words offered by my children in celebration of their father.  A more wonderful day I could not have hoped for.

This aerial photo of the field behind our yard revealed an entire patch of fall color on the right side of the frame.  As soon as we get some sun, I plan to investigate more thoroughly.  This is a very exciting discovery and I can hardly wait for some decent weather.

I made it to CCHS in time to catch the end of a women’s varsity soccer match today.  I was hoping to put my new sports-oriented camera body through its paces.  I could not be happier with the results.  For the record, CCHS enjoyed a hard-fought 1-0 win.

Today after work I picked up a used Sony a9 camera body. It is the camera of choice for sports photography and will be part of the kit I take to  Mexico for the Amputee World Cup tournament a month from now.  I got a highly discounted price on a very lightly used copy which looks to be in perfect condition. Tomorrow I plan to give it a real workout.  The Concord Carlisle High School women’s soccer team has a late afternoon match at home. 

Raptors are some of the most photogenic birds of all.  This one flew across the road as I was driving by.  I spotted where it landed, pulled over, and got out my telephoto lens.  I approached slowly and was rewarded for my effort with this nicely framed portrait against a dramatic blue sky.  Regrettably, I did not have time to hang around while it hunted.

Since I was nursing my hamstring yesterday, I decided to photograph the match. The image above is one of a sequence showing my teammate, Frank, dribbling around the keeper and several defenders to score a beautiful goal.  The full set of images can be found here.

For the sixth year in a row, Jeanine participated in the Three Squares New England Ride for Food. This year she raised $10,250 on the 25-mile ride.  Together her team from Open Table collected $31,500.  She was joined by close friend, Karen Metzold, the wife of my high school wrestling partner. Apparently the ride can be very dangerous so participants must wear really big helmets. Either that or the team from Open Table thought it would be fun to create a headpiece with the organizations new logo on it. My tweaked hamstring is healing nicely but I decided to sit out my match this morning to ensure I will be fully recovered for next weekend when we face one of our toughest opponents.  After today’s 8-0 win we are 4-0 on the season.

Last night on the evening news I saw a story about a local family that created a corn maze honoring Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.  It is hard to explain to those who do not live in the Boston area just how seriously people here take their sports. I’d say these photos make the argument better than I can. Located in Bolton, MA, the Schartner Farm is operated by the 4th generation descendants of Julius Schartner who emigrated from Austria in 1902.  For those who do not keep up with the latest vernacular, G.O.A.T. = “Greatest of all Time.” 

As city halls go, the one in Lowell, MA is quite beautiful. Pictured above with the gold-domed Holy Trinity Church in the background and below with the Tsongas Center in the distance.  I made a brief visit to the city this afternoon for a tour of the historic mills that line the Merrimack River. They were equally interesting but not quite as photogenic.