We received this photo today from my nephew John, third from the left on top, pictured with his Babson classmates on the Great Wall in China. He is taking a term abroad to study Global Entrepreneurship and Business while traveling to China, Russia, and India. Meanwhile, on the home front, Maya was named co-captain of her freshman soccer team and we are sure she will be a great leader both on and off the field. This evening my soccer team had its final pre-season tuneup match against Belmont. I produced one assist and one goal, a rocket from distance into the lower left corner after beating the sweeper off a through pass. Most importantly I did not injure anything and should be pretty healthy when the season starts this weekend.

When I had my head CT done last week I requested a copy of the study. Today I picked up a CD that contained over 700 x-ray slices of my brain. I studied the images for hours before concluding that my brain is completely normal, a fact that my family might choose to dispute, but supported by the included radiologist report. The images of my brain are photographically uninteresting so I have selected a slice that shows my eyeballs, less-than-symmetrical sinuses, and ear canals.

There are few things I enjoy more than listening to world percussion played on hand drums. Whether it is a Djembe or Conga I am entranced by the syncopated rhythms can be produced by a skilled drummer. Nicolai has a natural talent for percussion, something he did not inherit from either of his parents. He is pictured here with the Congas I picked up yesterday, a belated birthday gift.

We said goodbye to Plum Island this morning and stopped for an incredible breakfast in Newburyport. Jeanine and the kids took her car and returned to Concord while I took mine and drove to Dover, NH. There I purchased a pair of used Conga drums for Nicolai who has waited patiently for his birthday gift since July. On the way back I stopped at REI to pick up items needed for my Nepal trek later this year including an ultra lightweight, 28L pack that tips the scales at a mere 24 ounces. At home, I spent the better part of the afternoon devising a method of attaching my camera holster to the new pack and am quite pleased with the solution (likely to be featured in a future entry).

I returned to Concord early this morning for a soccer scrimmage while the rest of the family was still sleeping. My fall season opens next weekend and it was important I get a game under my belt before then. We played Lowell United, last year’s Northern Division 1 runnerup. We won 3-1 and I scored two rather nice goals. The first was off a break-away and one-on-one with the keeper. He closed rather quickly taking away my angles so I slotted the ball between his legs. The second was a powerful full volley from inside the box after the defense failed to clear a corner kick adequately. Torrential rains started in Concord shortly before the end of my game but the weather could not have been nicer when I arrived back on Plum Island shortly after noon. Jeanine and the kids had just returned from a lunch excursion to Newburyport and we all headed to the beach for an intense game of bocce. Father and daughter took on the brothers in an epic match which featured play on the heavily sloped dunes and among the rock outcroppings. The first game went to Maya and I as we spanked the boys. The second saw them rebound and beat us like a drum. In the tie breaker, however, our pinpoint accuracy and control of the pallino led Maya and I to a victory that we will savor until the next rematch.

As the sun began to set I asked the kids to pose for a photo and this may well be one featured in our Christmas card this year. Later in the evening, Nico and I returned to the beach to photograph and make videos of him using his recently acquired light gloves. These gloves have multi-colored flashing LEDs at the tip of each finger and when a skilled performer moves them in rhythm to the music it has a very hypnotic effect on the observer.

Last night the family arrived at Plum Island where we are renting a beach house for the long weekend. We spent the bulk of the day at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge where we enjoyed the wildlife and the Sandy Point State Reservation beach located on the southern most tip of the island. Within minutes of arriving, Jeanine observed a huge Bald Eagle. He was just out of camera range but conveniently perched for viewing through the spotting scope we brought with us. Next we came across a tree with leaves of birds. Click on the photo for an enlarged version if you don’t believe me.

As we continued to drive through the park, a small furry creature scampered across the road. Massive debate ensued regarding what we had just seen until an internet consultation via smart phone confirmed it was an American Mink, the first one any of us had ever seen in the wild. A second unusual spotting occurred at the beach where we came across a floundering stingray. A good Samaritan gently and carefully guided the stranded creature back out into deeper water.

The water was too cold for swimming but the beach offered much to enjoy for each of us.

Better to be safe than sorry, so this morning I stuck my head in this big donut-shaped machine. Every few weeks I experience an insanely intense pain in my brain which lasts for less than a second. I mentioned this to my doctor during my annual physical and he suggested I get the CT scan just to rule out anything serious. This has been going on for years and I just assume it is the price to be paid for using your head to score soccer goals. Expect to see an image of my brain next week when I receive the results of the test.

The horse farm and riding arena adjacent to our property often offers nice photographic subjects. This morning was no exception as I paused for this shot from my car window of what appears to be a new boarder.

This evening, I twisted Kyle’s arm just enough to coerce him into joining me for my Over-50s soccer practice. Kyle has not played since his senior year in high school when he injured himself while snowboarding. He reported that it was still difficult to make sharp cuts but that he felt pretty good running in straight lines. During our scrimmage time Kyle and I played on the same team. We scored a pair of father-son goals together and I enjoyed playing with him as much as he enjoyed being back on the pitch again. He was a little bit rusty but I’m sure he will be in top form in no time.

Every three years I go in for my annual checkup. I passed all physical exams and my blood pressure was in a good place. Blood work will be back in a few days at which time I will get the verdict on cholesterol and triglycerides which are always out of whack. I got a prescription for Diomox (for high-altitude climbing) and vaccinations for Typhoid and Hepatitis A for my trip to Nepal later this year. I was covered in Band-Aids as I left the office and hungry as hell having skipped breakfast as required for accurate blood work. As I get older I might consider having my annual checkup every two years.

Strategic offsite meetings are invariably accompanied by tempting food. Not necessarily a good thing when you are on a diet. I am allowing myself a photographic gear weight budget for Nepal equal to the amount of weight I can take off my body between now and the end of November. I’d rather carry cameras than fat on my 150 mile trek. I am off to a good start but took a slight step backwards after the full day meeting accompanied by food at every break. My presentation at the meeting went very well and the entire day was extremely well organized concluding within minutes of the scheduled end.

I had a lot on my plate when I returned to work this morning and by the time I was ready to leave it was near midnight. Therefore, I am taking the liberty of posting some additional photos taken yesterday after we completed our climb in the White Mountains. Not shown on maps and known only to locals is a unique jumping hole offering multiple diving platforms and a deep pool in which to land. Initially, Maya was not interested in joining her friends in the ice cold water. Eventually she fell in. There is on going debate as to whether I was trying to help her or may have actually been pushing her at the time she went over the edge. Here is a sequence of the Spiderman Jump. You run along a thin ledge and up onto the vertical rock face before diving off into the pool.

We got an early start this morning on the short but fairly steep ascent to South Twin Mountain (4902 feet). The kids are at the perfect age for hiking. They are strong enough that they view the climb as a challenge and they are motivated by their own desires to reach the top. Rather than coaxing them along, the parental role is now simply trying to keep up. South Twin offers what I believe is one of the best views of the White Mountains. The centrally located peak offers a 360-degree panorama of the entire range. Perfect weather and low haze made for a magical visit. Having left early we had the peak to ourselves for quite some time before other hikers began to arrive. We hung out at the top for about half an hour before setting out across the saddle to North Twin (4761 feet) where we paused for lunch. We completed our 6.4-mile hike by mid-afternoon and joined Jeanine and Louanne for well-deserved ice cream.

Alex Mackenzie, one of my former soccer teammates and father of Maya’s close friend Fiona invited Maya, their mutual friend Sarrinagh, Jeanine and I to join his family for a hiking weekend in the White Mountains. Last night we stayed at their mountain condo located in the vicinity of Crawford’s Notch. We enjoyed a hearty breakfast before setting out on our adventure. Fergus, Fiona’s twin brother, joined the girls, Alex and I for a 4.6-mile ascent to the AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) Galehead Hut (3800 feet) while Jeanine and Fiona’s mother, Louanne, did a day hike on their own. After getting settled in at the hut, we made quick work of the one-mile round trip to the summit of Galehead Mountain (4024 feet). Incorrectly assuming that the tree-covered peak would not offer any photo-worthy views, I opted to leave my camera and tripod behind only to discover a wonderful vista showing our hut nestled in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. I decided I had to have the shot and made a second ascent with my photo gear.

By the time I returned, the sun was beginning to set and I put the golden hour light to good use chasing the kids about as they frolicked upon a giant slab of granite.

Rarely at work do I get a chance to participate at the engineering level with members of my organization. For the last four days, I have enjoyed working with the team pictured above to develop a new product concept at the request of one of the General Managers at iRobot. I am not at liberty to reveal the idea, but I can say that the group, with significant contributions from every single member, produced a design that we are all quite pleased with. Each member contributed their own time to the special project and many will labor through the weekend to finalize a working prototype. I treated the team to lunch at the Macaroni Grill to celebrate the highly successful design sprint.