Jeanine and I set aside some time this evening to organize our bedroom and walk-in closet. Ready to throw away a plaster cast of her hands she made at age four (1967), I felt compelled to capture an image of it for posterity. It was a gift to her mother which she delivered in block printed gift wrap that she made herself in nursery school.
I have previously published turkey sightings in Cambridge. Today, however, these seemingly fearless birds were responsible for a traffic jam as they confronted cars in pursuit of an apple. The one pictured below would not give ground even though the car kept inching forward with its horn blaring. The video of this standoff is very funny and I hope to add it to this post at some point.
I pass this scene every day on my way to work. This morning the cloud-diffused dawn light and slight dusting of snow just added to the serenity. As much as I hate my commute, I must admit that portions of it are quite beautiful.
After dropping off a small package at the Lincoln post office, I noticed that I had left a nice set of tracks in the virgin snow. I liked the pattern as well as the single-lit window and decided it was worth pausing for a quick photograph.
I was just contacted by a gentleman in Germany who noticed my retired collection of quick release clamps in a posting I made late last year. He was interested in purchasing a set which makes this the first time I have made a sale as a direct result of a posting on this blog.
I took the time today to write a letter to the CEO and members of the Board of Directors of Dick’s Sporting Goods regarding their decision to no longer sell assault style rifles, high capacity magazines or firearms to anyone under 21 years of age.
As leaders within your organization, I am sure the decision to change your policy on gun sales was a difficult one. No doubt you struggled with the potential negative impact on your business as a result of those who would seek financial retaliation as a means to intimidate others from following in your footsteps. I for one will go out of my way to shop at your stores as a way of showing solidarity with your brave and common sense decision to help limit the carnage caused by assault-style weapons. No one can say with certainty whether your decision will save a single life. I believe it will and I am writing to thank you on behalf of the parents who will never have to grieve over the death of a child at the hands of another.
When your own time on Earth comes to an end, despite all other success you may have enjoyed, I believe you will be most proud of this moment in your careers. Thank you for standing up. Thank you for your courage. Thank you for your true leadership.
Inspired by another sunny start to the day, I decided to swing by the Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge on my way into work. According to the Concord Journal, a juvenile Bald Eagle was spotted there last week. A rare sighting to be sure, I was not overly disappointed to find only swans, geese, ducks and red-winged black birds on this morning. I had only planned for a brief visit but when attempting to exit the parking area, I found the only way out blocked by a utility truck that did not finish its work for a good hour.
The Weld Boathouse is home to the heavyweight and lightweight squads of Radcliffe Women’s Crew (representing Harvard University). It is the second of two boathouses created on this spot by George Walker Weld, son of William Weld, a shipping and real estate magnate who lived in the 1800s. The first was built in 1889. The second, grander structure was built in 1906. It is pictured above with Harvard’s Eliot House in the background and below in the distance with the John W. Weeks footbridge in the foreground. Welds was also a founding member of the Boston Athletics Association, organizer of the Boston Marathon.
Warm weather has liberated the Charles from ice and opened the door for crew practice. Given the proximity of Superpedestrian to the river, you are likely to find many future posts dedicated to this sport. I would love to get an overhead shot of a pair of eights side by side but that will take some time and luck to capture.
Few things annoy Nala more than a small herd of deer dining in her backyard. Few things annoy me more than Nala barking at the top of her lungs at said intruders. I am giving serious thought as to which source of annoyance would be easier to shoot.
Steady rain for virtually the entire day had mefocusedd on indoor activities including the installation of two more Nest thermostats bringing the total in the house to four. I also started doing research for my next travel adventure which will be centered around volcanoes.
The Boston Museum of Fine Arts was the destination for mystery date night (afternoon, actually) with Jeanine. We enjoyed special exhibits featuring the work of M. C. Escher and a gallery of some eighty portraits of “(un)expected families” by various American photographers. We also visited my favorite painting in the museum, Renoir’s Dance at Bougival, which has always reminded me of a young Jeanine. Can’t say I care for the fellow she is dancing with.
Dedicated for use in 2000, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Boston Massachusetts Temple had to wait another year until the Supreme Court of Massachusetts ruled that it would be permitted to add a steeple which violated local zoning height restrictions.
Despite the drudgery of my work commute, it is not without moments of veritable serenity. Such is the case each time I traverse the Cambridge Reservoir which is the source of water when I open the tap at the office. Due to a very shallow basin, small changes in water level dramatically impact the appearance of the reservoir as do the changing seasons making it a photographic subject of constant interest.
This afternoon, the city of Boston hit 71 degrees, smashing the previous high for February 21st of 63 degrees set back in 1906. Concord reached 75 degrees; three years ago we had a record low of -9 degrees on this day! Is anyone still doubting global climate change? If this little guy can survive until tomorrow afternoon he will enjoy a forecasted shower of snow and sleet.