Despite torrential rains this morning, my soccer team played against Napoli in the D1 Championship semi-final match. The game was scoreless until the very end of the first half when we made a very pretty goal which shifted the momentum for the rest of the match. We went on to win 5-0 against a team that scored 32 goals in their ten game regular season. We will face Stoneham in the finals next weekend for all the marbles. Jeanine and Nicolai joined me for “apres” at the home of Rob Morrison, our goalie. Nico’s soccer exploits are well known to my team and it is always fun to watch him interacting with them. In celebration of Father’s day, we picked up Maya from the library where she was studying for finals and went to see Inside Out, Pixar’s touching new animated film (highly recommended). We conferenced Kyle in on the car’s speakerphone while en route to the theater completing our family circle. The movie was a perfect choice for Father’s Day (see it and you will know why) as was the decision to head into Harvard Square for dinner at Felipe’s, one of Nico’s favorite restaurants.

Based on an earlier post I made regarding Janet Echelman’s aerial sculpture over the Rose Kennedy Greenway, my mother, a talented sculptor and painter in her own right, was interested in seeing the installation. When we visited this morning I did not have with me the circular polarizing filter which I used the first time to make the artwork stand out from the background. It was a very nice outing and gave my mom and I chance to catch up on the ride in and back.

I spent the balance of the day teaching myself a new 3D CAD program which I hope to make use of at work. My first part is nothing to write home about but a step in the right direction.

It is hard to believe that our little girl is now 16 years old. She is growing up to be a remarkable young woman but I am having difficulty watching as our last baby gets one year closer to leaving the nest. If ever there was a sweet sixteen year old, we can lay claim to her. She is also a very hard working and exceptional student. When it came time to select a gift for Maya, I knew in an instant what it would be (even if a busy work week forced me to acquire it at the last minute). I suspect that few other fathers would select such a present for their 16 year old daughter but then they do not have Maya. She received a toolbox (barely visible in the photo) containing a full set of high quality tools. When I left work “early” (6PM) to attend a family dinner birthday celebration at Besito in Burlington, I mentioned to my new boss that I would be giving Maya a toolbox, explaining that she had the makings of a talented engineer. He then remembered that Maya had built her own kayak and asked is she could CAD (i.e. design 3D objects on a computer). When I said yes, he said we should bring her in as a summer intern, a recommendation I intend to pursue. Maya learned to use SolidWorks in one of her high school engineering courses and now she will have a chance to put those skills to work.

My mother arrived today in advance of Maya’s 16th birthday and was immediately put to work altering a dress for the birthday girl. In engineering terms, I believe what we are seeing here is the use of a granite reference plane for validation of uniform hem length.  My mom is looking great and still has the energy of a woman half her age.

Now my third day on the job, I am still drinking from a fire hose. In addition to my responsibilities as head of engineering, I have also been asked to run operations and customer service. Our 3D printer, the Mark One, has been selling very well creating a challenge to keep up with demand for the consumables they use.

sNicolai has been back from Colorado College for a couple of weeks now but I have hardly seen him. Between my trip to Iceland and his camping, kayaking, and music festival excursions we have had little time together. This evening Nico was here with Karuna and a bunch of their friends to watch the Women’s World Cup match between the US and Nigeria. Jeanine and I joined the group as did Maya who for reasons unknown seemed quite intent on pulling the ears off of Nala.

Jeanine received nice coverage in the Concord Journal last week for her keynote presentation at the Class Act Awards ceremony. We are all very proud of her volunteer work for the community and it is nice to see that recognized in the local media.

I left the house at 7 am and returned by 9 pm for my first day on the job at MarkForged. I can tell already tell this is going to be a very fun ride.

Today was the last regulation soccer game of the spring season for my team. We had to leave Concord at 6 am to make an 8 am kick-off in Fairhaven, MA. We came away with a 7-3 win which secured our position as Regional Division 1 champions. The top two teams in each of the north and south regions will now compete for overall honors in a single elimination playoff tournament starting with the semi-finals next weekend. I missed last week’s game while traveling in Iceland. Apparently, the referee suspended play late in the second half when the game got out of control. Pictured here is the aftermath of an injury sustained by one of my teammates. Believe it or not, this was not the worst injury on our team. Three of our guys were banged up by the same opponent who was eventually red-carded and ejected from the game.

I spent the entire day processing photos from my trip to Iceland and thought I would share a few more related to my driving experiences on the island. Pictured above is a map of where I took photos (minus the first three days before I enabled GPS tagging on my first camera and minus the first seven days on my second camera). If you plan to visit anything off the main Ring Road (i.e. most of the good stuff) you will absolutely need a high ground clearance 4×4.  Even the main roads have sections which are gravel.  Most of the secondary roads are gravel and any road number starting with an “F” is restricted to 4 wheel drive vehicles.  Many of them are only suitable for the so-called super jeeps (normal jeep on steroids). The higher you go in altitude the worse the roads get. I rented the Subaru below which served me very well.

Iceland has as many waterfalls as Minnesota has lakes. For every waterfall there is either a bridge to cross or a stream to ford. 90% of all bridges are one lane and you are as likely to share it with livestock as with another motorist (first come, first served in both cases).

Before fording a stream it is best to get out and make a thorough inspection. I made great use of my waders to check depth before crossing.

When crossing over mountain passes visibility is often reduce to 10 or 20 feet as you literally drive through the clouds which are often present.

Falling rock zones are to be taken VERY seriously. The rocks pictured below were not on the road when I passed this way 1 hour earlier.

I drove a total of just over 2,000 miles during my ten day visit and managed to avoid any serious incidents. I would not, however, describe it as a stress free experience.

Maya turns sixteen next Friday. Today her friends threw her a surprise party which she absolutely loved. Jeanine and I were in charge of on time delivery of the birthday girl and stayed on to watch the fun from an acceptable parental separation distance. We will be celebrating her birthday again on the actual day with family.

Before leaving for Iceland, Jeanine asked that I take pictures of some Icelandic horses. I am honoring that request with today’s post featuring several of the more beautiful horses I encountered. I was amazed by the diversity of mane hairstyles that were to be found.

I spent my final night in a Reykjavík hostel and slept in until 9am at which time I left to track down a pair of hand knit Icelandic sweaters for Jeanine and Maya. I found a nice little shop with the genuine article which happened to be on the same street as the Hallgrímskirkja Lutheran Church, a most impressive work of architecture. I arrived at the Blue Lagoon at noon for my scheduled visit and let my weary muscles soak in the geothermal, mineral enriched, 100°F sea water. I spent 15 minutes under a massive waterfall letting it pound the tension out of my neck and back.  Then I tried a silica mud mask which left my face and scalp feeling totally rejuvenated.  A perfect way to end a perfect photo adventure.

As a bonus treat, my return flight to Boston took us over Greenland which is anything but green.  I may have to add it to my bucket list.

I spent my last full day in Iceland touring the Snæfellsnes Peninsula starting with Mount Kirkjufell, one of the more photogenic mountains I have ever encountered. The lighthouse at Ondverðarnes overlooks the western tip of the peninsula where the mighty Atlantic pounds the cliffs of lava.

Djúpalón is a small cove surrounded by extraordinary lava formations and known by Icelanders for its black pebbles, called “djúpalón-pearls” and giant sea stacks jutting out into the ocean.

Hellnar is another small (seal bearing) cove where the ocean has carved out holes, narrows and arches in the interesting lava tile rock formations.

The harbor at Arnarstapi is very picturesque with sea stacks rising from the ocean brimming with birdlife.

It seemed fitting to end the day at this small black church in Buðir. When photographed from the right perspective (which took me an hour to find in the adjacent lava fields) it provides a dramatic foreground to Mount Helgrindur in the background.

Hraunfossar (“lava waterfalls”) gets its name from the countless streams of clear water which emerge from under the edge of the lava field Hallmundarhraun and cascade into the river Hvítá (“White River”). Hvítá actually has a very nice turquoise colour. The lava is quite porous so rain seeps through until it meets a more dense rock layer, then runs between the lava layers, eventually emerging to form almost a kilometer long series of falls.

When the soft morning rain turned into a torrential downpour, I tried to think of an indoor photographic activity I could undertake during the afternoon. I remembered hearing about a brand new attraction (opened just a week earlier) called “Into the Glacier,” featuring Europe’s largest man-made ice caves and tunnel. Set high on Langjökull, Iceland’s second largest ice cap, and stretching 1/3 mile into solid glacier ice at 100 feet below the surface. What I failed to consider was what a torrential downpour at low altitude would translate to at an altitude of 4000 feet. The answer is a zero visibility blizzard with winds that will knock you off your feet. First, let me share photos of the interior and tell you that it is a very beautiful destination, if a bit tourist oriented.

Now let me share the story of the journey to the cave which was worth the price of admission alone and probably my most intimate encounter with the deadly force of nature. At a rally point several miles from the entrance to the cave, we (about 15 guests) boarded a massive 20 ton, 8 wheeled super truck designed specifically to traverse glaciers. Visibility was about 50 feet and winds were averaging 20 knots (pictured below). As the truck began ascending the glacier, winds increased and visibility decreased until we were in the middle of a complete white out (zero visibility).  The driver is now navigating by GPS alone and must find the tiny opening to the cave and his two colleagues who are madly shoveling snow to keep it open without driving into a crevasse. When we arrive, we are told that we must walk the final 20 feet in groups of five led by a guide wearing goggles and a special face mask.  Until we get outside we think they are joking when they say that you must hold the hand of the person in front and back of you or risk being lost in the storm. The second we exited the truck cabin into the 50 knot wind carrying sleet and snow it became infinitely clear that you were hanging on for dear life. You had to turn your face away from the wind or risk having it sand blasted by ice crystals. Walking that last 20 feet through the deep snow and gale force winds seemed like it took an eternity. When we reached the opening to the tunnel we crawled through the opening and tumbled like Winnie the Pooh down the snow bank, one on top of the other. In an instant it was quiet, warm (32F), and there was no wind. The next 90 minutes were serene and it was hard to imagine that just 100 feet above us a massive blizzard was raging. Fortunately, by the time the tour ended the blizzard had abated significantly making our return to the truck a much less harrowing experience although the additional snow fall meant that we had to climb an 8 foot snow bank and crawl out of the tunnel through the remaining two foot opening.