After seeing the movie Food, Inc. (highly recommended) Jeanine only serves beef from range fed cattle. She found a local source and purchased one quarter of an entire cow which now occupies the majority of our freezer. Anytime meat is served the kids ask if it is from our cow and such was the case for our Easter dinner which featured this delicious roast. After dinner we had a bocce tournament. Hannah and I teamed up and quickly eliminated Kyle and Nicolai despite their bravado and trash talking. Jeanine and Maya proved more difficult adversaries but they too were no match for Hannah’s short game finesse and my long distance accuracy. The boys are demanding a rematch but I have told them they will need to work on their game before I can be bothered with defeating them again.

Anticipating a big Easter lunch with my parents and an even bigger Easter dinner with the family back in Concord, I set off this morning on a 2 hour walk. I started out at Union College where I was determined to come up with a new photographic take on the iconic Nott Memorial. I then walked down to the historic Schenectady Stockade area where I learned much about the city’s past that was unknown to me while growing up here. I discovered Riverside Park and enjoyed views of the Mohawk and distant Scotia. Next I made my way to the downtown area which has undergone significant redevelopment in recent years. Jay Street now features a boutique lined shopping area at one end and Little Italy on the other. I spent the remainder of the morning talking with my parents at length, something which is rarely possible when visiting with the entire family. We were joined by my sister Alissa and her family for lunch before I made the 3 hour drive back to Massachusetts.

After a Boys Breakfast with Kyle and Nicolai and a subsequent landscape plan review with Jeanine, I drove to Schenectady, NY to spend some time with my parents. My father is looking much better after his recent hospitalization and stay at a rehabilitation center. It was a gorgeous day so I elected to take Route 2, the longer but much more scenic route. I stopped for lunch and photography in Shelburne Falls and took a little nap afterwards. The trip took six hours in total.

When I returned from work this evening I found Nicolai and Kyle in the backyard with a bunch of their friends playing bocce. It should be noted that the last bocce match between brothers resulted in a broken window on the side of our home. It is not at all clear to me how a bocce ball can be thrown in such a way as to crash through a window that is 5 feet above the ground. Nicolai earned the $50 repair bill to help him contemplate that question.,

Cyclists in our area are hardcore. This woman did not pause for a moment as she pedaled through the foot-deep water. I imagine it is hard to see a pothole in the road when it is underwater. Each of the last photos is of a different closed road. I checked six different routes before finding one that was passable.

This driver thought he would ignore the high water road closure, and I watched as he came to a grinding halt in the swollen river. With only one road open and clogged with traffic, it is very tempting to risk a high water crossing. In this case, the gamble did not pay off.

This morning, my normal 20-minute commute was closer to an hour. Rainfall during the month has set an all-time record, and all but one road in and out of the area where we live was closed due to high water.  Drivers of SUVs seem to revel in the opportunity to take advantage of their high clearance. I believe this is the adult form of jumping in puddles.

There was little opportunity for photography today after a 12-hour day in the office. I did notice this rather interesting light fixture and reflection in the stairwell as I left the building this evening. It has been raining all day like you would not believe, and I am guessing tomorrow’s post will feature a submerged road or bridge.

I was too busy with the new job today to find time for a single photo. Instead I am posting from my archives. Exactly two years ago I had just started construction of my kayak and as the spring paddling season rapidly approaches I am looking forward to getting out on the water again. Yesterday I played in an outdoor soccer scrimmage and tweaked my knee again. I am hoping to heal in time for the season opener in two weeks. There is a nice gym at work and I plan to do some rehab there as soon as I can.

Today’s photo is a scanned black and white print that was taken and developed by Kyle for his photography class. I am very impressed by the composition he selected. He has a distinct foreground, midground and background. He has captured two leading lines, made use of complimentary diagonals and included reflections. Most importantly, the photo tells a compelling story. I do not know if Kyle intentionally composed around these design elements but he has certainly demonstrated a keen photographic eye. I absolutely love this photo and was thrilled when he shared it with me.

This morning Nicolai, Jeanine and I drove to Franklin, MA to attend a wrestling clinic conducted by Anthony Robles. A junior at Arizona State University, Anthony is a two time All-American ranked third in the nation at 125 pounds. He was born without a right leg just like Nicolai and spent time after the clinic giving Nico some private coaching. Beyond his wrestling prowess we were all impressed by Anthony’s demeanor. A nicer man you will not meet and we were delighted when he accepted our invitation to drive him to the airport for his flight back to Arizona. We will look forward to attending the NCAA Nationals next year and watching Anthony go all the way.

The Abby Fund was created in memory of the former CCHS student Abdirauf Abdullahi. “Abby,” as his friends called him, graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School in June 2006, having received a full scholarship to college. Two months before attending his first semester, he was shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity and urban violence. This evening Maya performed an African dance to drum music during the fundraiser and will dance two more times this weekend.

Eye of the Storm is a Massachusetts equine rescue center dedicated to saving the lives of horses who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. Jeanine, Maya and her Girl Scout troop visited the Stow center today where Jeanine took this photo.

My new office is very reminiscent of the one I had at Truevision. It is only day two but I feel very at home in my new surroundings which is good as I have spent 30 hours here in my first two days.