Even on a grey and foggy day, I revel in the beauty of our river. I got out for a nice 3-mile walk and can finally declare my injured hamstring fully healed. Jeanine signed me up to play pickleball starting in a few weeks, so the timing worked well. I watched a few YouTube videos to familiarize myself with the rules, techniques, and strategies. I played on my high school tennis team and am not a half-bad ping pong player, so I think I should be able to hold my own against folks my age.

While walking in nearby woods on a path I had not taken before, I came across the pictured tower and small hut. It appeared to be some sort of radio antenna, but with no electrical service this deep in the forest, that seems an unlikely guess. I will have to consult some of our older neighbors to see if they can shed some light on this mystery.

This evening, Jeanine and I hosted a holiday gathering for members of the Conantum community where we live. Every year, about ten families volunteer to host a potluck dinner to which the remainder of the neighborhood is invited. We had 16 people join us, and they arrived with a delicious array of food that we set out on our island, where Jeanine had two pots of vegetarian soup on simmer. We turned the counter in the pantry into a staging area for the desserts, which worked out perfectly. Jeanine prepared a traditional Swedish glögg, a punch made with spiced wine and served hot, which was a hit with the group.

In a change from our tradition, our Christmas tree will not be topped with an angel this year. In honor of our new home, we have opted for a very adorable woodland gnome. Absent also are the shiny balls and tinsel, replaced by woodland creature-themed ornaments. The kids were here last weekend to help trim the tree and I finally got around to photographing it today.

Our friends, Alex and Lou Ann spent the night. More importantly, they said yes when Jeanine offered to make pancakes. Naturally, I had to partake as well because I am a most hospitable host.

A close inspection of this photo will reveal a very lumpy reflection of the sunrise in the waters of the Sudbury River. Temperatures for the last week have dipped well below freezing for much of the day and all of the night. The surface of the river has been freezing and thawing in patches, resulting in large plates of textured ice.

This evening, we hosted a gathering of friends who are the parents of Maya’s high school soccer teammates. We are fortunate to have found such lasting relationships and enjoyed hearing updates on all the girls.

Earlier in the day, I visited an urgent care center. After using a Q-tip to clean my ear, I noticed that the tip had become separated from the stick. I attempted to remove the cotton swab with tweezers and then with a tool I fashioned from double sticky tape. I decided to seek professional attention after several unsuccessful attempts. When I arrived for treatment, I became irritated when a nurse came in to measure my blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, pulse rate, and temperature. I could not see how this had any bearing on a bit of cotton stuck in my ear. A half-hour later, I saw the doctor. He used an otoscope to look in my ear, only to discover that it was clear. I have yet to figure out this mystery but will no doubt be reminded of my irritation when I see the bill.

Now that we are settled into the new house, I finally had time today to start organizing my photography gear. I started with my tripods. I currently have five full-height versions which is two more than anyone could reasonably need. I have decided to scale that number back to three; one ultra-lightweight compact unit for hiking and air travel, one mid-weight unit for everyday use and car travel, and one heavy-duty unit to support of my large telephoto lenses. During the course of this downsizing effort, I concluded that I should dedicate one tripod to our spotting scope so that it is always deployed and ready for use. I then realized it would be nice to have a tripod dedicated to my shop where I use it in conjunction with my laser level. Before the day ended, I managed to purchase two more tripods. So much for downsizing my collection. In all fairness, I still plan to sell two leaving me with five. In a more productive exercise, I also listed one of my drones for sale.

Jeanine volunteered me to help make photo boards for the Concord 250th Celebration. These are the painted backdrops with head hole cutouts. Others will be doing the artwork, and I will be responsible for building the stands and making the cutouts. I spent a few minutes making a quick and dirty prototype this afternoon. The height of the plywood support and the spread of the legs will be adjusted to ensure that the completed assembly can handle the wind loading.

Nicolai participated in a performance art piece presented at the Harvard Art Museum today commemorating the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Imperceptibly slow movements created an ever-changing tableau that observers were encouraged to explore.

Normally, it is rather difficult to photograph insects, especially if they can fly. I found this moth resting on the outside of a house window and was able to capture this image by placing my camera with a macro lens directly on the other side of the glass. It is not a particularly interesting photograph, but I was otherwise occupied doing yard work for much of the day.

For the first time since moving to the River House, I was able to capture a photo of our River Otters. Jeanine spotted them heading down to Fairhaven Bay. By the time I got my camera, they were out of range. Two hours later, they passed by in the other direction, and I got my first decent shots. Although the second one is blurry, if you look closely, you will see that this otter has a fish in his mouth. The kids and Owen were all here to watch soccer and trim the Christmas tree. They all got to see them for the first time as well.

I am a proponent of the artificial Christmas tree. Jeanine is not. I do not like the idea of cutting down live trees year after year only to dispose of them a month later. Also, I like the fact that they can be pre-wired and set up quickly with little mess. Jeanine likes the beauty and fragrance of a real tree. This year, I acquiesced to her wishes. Consistent with our smaller house, we found a smaller tree, which may be a good compromise for us. It was easy to find, transport, and set up with little fuss. It took less resources to grow and will produce a smaller amount of waste. We are hoping the kids will join us tomorrow to begin decorating it.

Jeanine, Susan, and Jean visited the Concord Museum this morning before traveling to Medford to visit Kyle and see his new house. Upon their return, they launched into a serious dominos tournament. I took advantage of Black Friday sales to do some needed shopping. Of most significance, and after extensive research, I ordered a sectional couch to replace our one-year-old sofa. The latter did not meet with the kids’ approval because it was too formal and not conducive to sprawling out. Jeanine was not a fan either, as it did not provide adequate seating for larger gatherings. The new couch is a custom order and is expected to arrive in early April.

We celebrated our first Thanksgiving in the new house with much to be thankful for. We were joined by the kids, Aunt Susan and Jean, Maya’s boyfriend, Owen, and Kyle’s flatmate, Heloisa. Maya and Owen caught a quick nap after competing in a 5K turkey trot this morning.

Nico had a visit from Robin, a close friend from Colorado College while Maya invited her high school friends Grace, Claire, and Zoe over for coffee after the race.

We also received wonderful news that my nephew, Mario, will be getting married on July 20th in Ireland. We are already starting to plan for the nuptial and family reunion.

Jeanine baked a pumpkin cheesecake for our Thanksgiving meal tomorrow. She used one of the steam modes available on our oven for the first time for this recipe. Based on appearance alone the results were excellent. The proof will be in the pudding.