Occasionally Jeanine asks me to help out with photography for Open Table. Today’s assignment was for their upcoming annual fundraising campaign. I don’t know if any of the images I captured are going to work but “boy meets kale” and “boy meets chicken” are two of my favorites. In addition to the photos for Open Table, I shot several portraits for the family that was kind enough to model for us. They are Crimean refugees and have made use of Open Table to help get back on their feet.
Earlier in the day the regulation portion of my fall soccer season came to an end. We defeated Lexington summarily by a score of 8-0 bringing Concord United’s undefeated streak to 40 games. I managed 3 assists and to avoid injury despite playing far more minutes than normal. Next week we face Peabody in the post season semi-finals and will do so without one of our top defenders who was red carded during today’s match and one of our top wing midfielders who re-injured his calf muscle during practice earlier this week. Hopefully our opponent is also succumbing to the late season loss of numbers that is quite common in our over-56 age group.
This squirrel thought it would enjoy a banana which was set out to attract local tocanets to a restaurant where I enjoyed lunch while traveling in Costa Rica. The tocanet dealt with the interloper in a very effective, if undignified manner.
I photographed both of these birds in captivity which is less satisfying than doing so in the wild. None the less they are quite beautiful and I thought I would share them.
I encountered this tarantula while walking in the Juan Castro Blanco National Park the week before last. It was slightly larger than my outstretched hand. I would have liked to photograph this fellow at a lower angle but I remembered that they are quite quick and have serious fangs. Their bite is said to be similar to that of a wasp. I thought best not to conduct any experiments.
I had an occasion to speak with a colleague last week about our mutual appreciation for the Indianapolis 500. I recalled getting my hands on a press pass one year (2003 to be precise) and the opportunity to photograph the Eddie Cheever Red Bull racing team when they won the pit stop competition that year. Since I did not start my blog until 2005, I thought I would add this entry for future reference.
Back to the present, my soccer team won our match today against a team of Russians by a margin of 5-0. I had one nice shot from distance that I lofted over the goalie who was way too far off his line but it sailed an inch or two over the crossbar. I also managed a nice defensive play that deprived their wing midfielder of a very dangerous shot on our goal.
The Japanese Maple we planted when we first moved to Concord some 16 years ago has grown to be a spectacular addition to our backyard. It is also the last tree to turn color and shed its leaves each year. When I think back on all the improvements we have made to our home, few are as satisfying and important as the trees we have planted. You can renovate a house or find a new one in short order but only time can provide you with the splendor of a magnificent tree.
This brings to mind an old Chinese proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
For years, students from the Fenn School have volunteered at Open Table. Today, Jeanine spoke at an assembly about the value of this work and thanking the school and students for their participation. Some parts of her job are not very satisfying and can put a strain on her but speaking to young people about the realities of food insecurity and the importance of the Open Table mission makes up for all of that.
I had a few minutes this morning before it started raining again to photograph the house with our landscaping foliage at peak color (perhaps a day or two past). If the weekend weather is accommodating, I may head south on Saturday to capture the last of this year’s color in what has been a most spectacular year.
The rising success of the US National Amputee Soccer program would not be possible without the dedication of the all volunteer staff of the American Amputee Soccer Association (AASA). Pictured above from left to right are the Head Coach, Massage Therapist, Assistant Coach, and Athletic Trainer. Without their contributions to the team, it would not have been possible to secure the victories we did in Costa Rica last week.
Today my team held a half day offsite program retrospective for the Form 3. The idea is to identify what went well and what could have gone better so as to learn how to improve on future programs. As is the culture at Formlabs, we spent 99% of our time focused on our mistakes. Also in keeping with our culture we spent the second half of the afternoon enjoying ourselves in each other’s company.
I took a red-eye from San Jose to Boston today and was back in the office by noon. As is usually the case when I take a “vacation,” I returned entirely spent but spiritually recharged. I experienced the natural beauty of Costa Rican volcanoes, waterfalls, and wildlife. I had the pleasure of watching Nicolai playing the game he loves so much while wearing the colors of his country. Perhaps most gratifying, however, was witnessing the inspirational impact that our amputee athletes had on all who watched them compete. Able bodied observers walked away with a new appreciation for the determination and adaptability of differently-abled people. Those facing their own physical challenges were lifted in the knowledge of what is possible.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
