Maya, Jeanine, and I went geochaching this afternoon. We selected a starting point that necessitated bushwhacking through the Lincoln Nature Conservancy Land. As a result of this unusual path we encountered many interesting things along the way. Here Maya has scampered to the top of a deer blind. Fortunately for us she is not armed with any weapons.

 
Maya spent the evening shopping with her friend for a Halloween costume which she models here in character. It is something of a Fred Astaire dance outfit compete with cane and top hat.

 
After eleven hours in the office, I had a two hour dinner with a member of my team before meeting a candidate for an interview that went almost two hours. While waiting to rendezvous for the interview I captured this image of a scene which passes for normal in Santa Barbara.

 
I do not mean to suggest that Santa Barbarbrans are wierdos but there are some very colorful characters on every street corner.

 
Each Tuesday in Santa Barbara there is a Farmer’s Market in the heart of downtown. I purchased a baguette and some fresh fruit and made this my dinner.

 
Today I flew to Santa Barbara for my monthly visit with my team there. The beauty of the Western US from the air never ceases to leave me in awe. I finally located this area on Google Earth. Pictured is the Colorado River traversing the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah.

 
This evening we hosted a party for the group of our friends that recently travelled to Nicaragua as part of a social service project. Kids and their parents watched a video/slide show of their adventure. After the show they finalized plans for a benefit concert to raise money to build a water well for one of the villages they visited. Earlier in the day I was back on the soccer pitch and felt healthy for the first time since the beginning of the season. We were trailing 0 to 2 at the half but were able to tie the game up just as time expired.

 
I started the day with a brief nature walk and my macro lens. After replacing the electric containment fence for the dog (last one was fried by a lightning strike) I went for a 6-mile paddle on the Concord. I put in at the Cow Pasture and travelled down stream beyond the Great Meadows Nature Preserve. The return trip was against the current and wind requiring a lot more effort than I had planned. Later in the day I watched Nico’s soccer game. His team beat a stronger opponent with a single goal in the closing minutes. It was a great victory.

 
Friends from Indianpolis, Peggy Sutphin and daughter Sara (pictured here)stop by for a few hours while touring prep schools in the area.

 
Nala enjoys sitting on the kitchen deck surveying her kingdom. The local mamals seem to have learned that encroachment on her two acres is a life threatening exercise.

 
Today I took a vacation day to attend the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Councils Innovation 2008 unConference. Participants created an agenda in real-time and broke off into small groups to discuss issues of common interest. It was a great networking and learning opportunity. Pictured here is the ad hoc meeting schedule.

 
I am milking my birthday for all it is worth. This evening we enjoy banana splits after dinner. I carefully instruct Maya in the proper sequencing of ingredients and she is soon a master of this creation.

 
With half a century behind me I am thankful for my many blessings and look forward to many more years of health and happiness.

 
With ten minutes to go before reaching the airport, I decided that I needed a picture which included me for posterity. No sooner than the thought occurred to me, so did the perfect location. All in all this was a wonderful way to conclude my first 50 years. I am truly blessed and will return home knowing that and looking forward to sharing stories of my adventures with the people I love.