One of the biggest challenges in the design of our new home is how to handle seating in the living area. With spectacular views out of both the east and south-facing windows, it makes sense to orient seating to look out over the river but that is at odds with fostering social interaction which favors seating that has people facing each other. Furthermore, we will have a second large flat-screen TV in the living area for when the family gathers and wants to watch a soccer match together for example. That screen is oriented opposite the river. Today, I happened on what I believe will be the perfect solution, one Jeanine was already thinking about. Instead of couches, we will have chairs that swivel. This way you can pivot to look across the river, down the river, make eye contact with a guest, or watch TV. It is really the perfect solution. Of the swivel chairs I looked at, the one pictured above is my favorite (perhaps in a different fabric). It is described as very cozy and I love the simple lines and organic form. Best of all, four of these organized in a partial arc around a coffee table fits exactly into the space we have available and centers perfectly on the windows.
The spring soccer season kicked off this morning, and for the first time in many years, I am playing for a new club. I have graduated from the over-56 age group to the over-62 league. Since I am one of the oldest players on my Concord United team, I am generally the first to move up an age bracket. In 2 or 3 years, the rest of my former teammates will move up and I will rejoin them. Until then, I will be playing for Boston Villa. We started our season on a positive note with a 4-0 win including a goal I scored from the wing midfield position. I made a far-post run and received a perfect pass about 25 yards from the goal. I really concentrated on my first touch which set me up nicely as I dribbled in on the keeper. When I reached the top of the box he started to cut off my angle to the right and I calmly slotted the ball past him into the lower left-hand corner. It never hurts to score a goal on your first outing with a new team.
For some time now, Nicolai has been organizing a New England Amputee soccer team. This evening they played an abbreviated match at Gillette Stadium during halftime of the Revolution-Red Bulls match. Nico had a hat trick in the 3-2 win and both teams received a standing ovation from the crowd of 16,000+. I know this because one of my teammates was at the match and called me to share this information. Best of all, many of Nico’s students and colleagues were in attendance after the Principal at the school where he teaches arranged for discounted tickets and bus transportation to the stadium. I am hoping someone took photographs during the game and will share them in a future post if I can find any.
With many of the large-scale design features of the River House starting to settle down, I have turned my attention to the kitchen details. Since Jeanine is the master of this area, I have been very careful to address her every wish. I am happy to report that she seems very pleased with the way things are shaping up. Here is a partial list: ample room around the island for multiple cooks to work at the same time, a large galley style sink (46″) with cutting board and colander accessories overlooking the river, a dedicated drink/coffee nook, a dishwasher adjacent to both the sink and storage for flatware, dishes and glasses, pull out bins for trash, compost, paper, and metal/glass recycling located next to sink, large landing zones for the refrigerator, double oven, dishwasher, cooktop and sink, island seating for four with views of the river, ability to see the TV from either the sink or cooktop, a walk-in pantry (not shown), pots and pans storage under the cooktop, and easy access to the dining room table. Some details remain to be worked out but I think the basic layout is looking really solid.
While visiting our friends on Harbor Island last weekend, I offered to work on any jobs they might need help with. Chuck and I, with shovel and hoe in hand, excavated several areas to restore water flow to a spring-fed creek running through the center of the island. The work was less than glamorous but also quite rewarding as each section of the creek was reconnected and water gushed downstream. Today, Jeanine informed me that our hosts have named the restored rivulet “Carl’s Creek.” I feel quite honored by this tributary tribute.
Our River House design is approaching completion. The last area of refinement is window placement and sizing. The latest riverside elevation is shown above. Our initial concept was very modern but also had something of a “commercial store-front” vibe. In this version, we have established a three-floor repeating pattern covering the living area, aviary, and game room, and the dining area gets its own window centered on a circular table. Much of the initial design was driven by the outside appearance of the house. We have now shifted our focus to make sure that the windows make the most sense from the inside looking out since that is where we will be spending 99% of our time.
After an extremely restful night in the guest house (to the right of the long deck in the photo above), I was up with the sun for some aerial photography. Because of the location of many trees, I struggled to get a perspective that did justice to the house design which is modern with interesting angles everywhere. We picked up many ideas for incorporation into our new house plans. Not shown is a large barn that houses the woodshop and additional living area. I spent a portion of the morning helping Chuck to reestablish proper flow to a small rivulet on the island while Jeanine enjoyed an extended walk with Lydia. We returned to Concord in time for the Academy Awards, hoping to see Geoff McLean win an Oscar for his short documentary, “Audible..” Unfortunately, the award went to “The Queen of Basketball,” a very well-done interview with Lusia Harris chronicling her legendary career in basketball. While very good, I personally believe that “Audible” was a far superior documentary in terms of dimensionality, nuance, and overall storytelling.
Jeanine and I drove to Sebasco, Maine early this morning to visit with friends, Lydia and Chuck, who have recently finished building a new home on Harbor Island. Transit to the island, located only a few hundred feet off the coast, was by way of their amphibious vehicle; half Zodiac style boat, half three-wheeled rock crawler. The hydraulically deployed wheels carry the boat over rugged terrain and are retracted once in the water. VERY COOL! It is the ultimate mode of personal transport between the cars they leave parked on the mainland and their home which is a fair distance from the landing cove on the island.
After a nice lunch, we were treated to a tour of their home and the ~65-acre island, much of which they own.
While in Mexico the US Amputee Soccer Team was followed by producer, Geoff McClean, and his videographer. His most recent project. “Audible” is up for an Oscar Award this weekend in the Short Documentary Film category. He has been following Nico for at least four years now and is interested in doing a project involving the team. He was gathering footage and interviews to prepare a 3-minute video to present to Netflix executives. If they greenlight the project, he will be assembling a crew to follow the US team as they prepare for and compete in the World Cup. If you have a Netflix subscription, I highly recommend watching “Audible.” There is a reason it has been nominated for an Oscar.
When in countries where motorcycles and scooters are primary modes of transportation, I always find myself drawn to photographing families riding together. There is something very intimate I find in these scenes. Here are some of my favorites from San Juan de Los Lagos.
My primary motivation for choosing to visit Puerto Vallarta after the World Cup Qualifier was to photograph the Playa del Amor, the “beach of love” more typically called the Hidden Beach, a secluded sandy cavern on one of the islands that make up the Marietas Islands National Park. Unfortunately, I was not able to accomplish that goal and the photo above is not one I took. Had I been less busy when booking travel I would have done more research and learned that (a) access to the islands is not permitted on Mondays and Tuesdays (the two days I was in Puerto Vallarta), and (b) that drones are not permitted over the islands. I had assumed that this was a natural formation but have since learned that the round opening over the sea cave was created when the military was testing new explosives.
With the Marietas off the table, I decided to visit the Los Arcos Islands instead. They also feature many sea caves and birdlife proving to be a pleasant consolation. All in all, my time in Puerto Vallarta has been relaxing but I found myself constantly missing Jeanine who would have really enjoyed the food, music, and art.
Puerto Vallarta is a city with much to recommend it. The beaches here stretch for miles and there seems to be one for every type of visitor. As with most such locations, the economy is based on tourism so you are constantly exposed to merchandise or services for sale. Despite the fact that every inch of the beachfront appears to be developed, there is no lack of wildlife to be found. I enjoyed a casual day of strolling the boardwalk and Malecon before enjoying an afternoon siesta and delicious food. I tested negative for Covid and should be all set for my return flight to the US tomorrow.
The final qualifying matches last night were followed by an Awards Ceremony which I was able to watch live on the San Juan TV streaming channel. Nicolai was awarded the “Jugador Mas Valioso” (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament scoring a total of 3 goals and 2 assists. His lifetime international goal tally now stands at 29. Although I was not there in person, I did photograph his acceptance off the TV screen in my room. As far as the team standings go, it remains unclear if the USA finished 2nd or 3rd. We were initially awarded the 2nd place trophy but later in the ceremony asked to exchange it for Mexico’s 3rd place trophy. Since Haiti, the USA, and Mexico all finished the tournament with 7 points, the finishing order is determined by the tie break criteria. Apparently, there remains confusion around those criteria. Either way, the US is headed for Turkey in the fall.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
