This evening, Nicolai is being honored by the Free Wheelchair Mission for his fundraising efforts on their behalf. His total now stands at $110,000 which translates into 2500 wheelchairs for the disabled of Tanzania. The banquet is being held at the beautiful Fairmont Copley Hotel and we are treated to this vision of our boys looking quite dignified.

 
This afternoon, Mark and I drove with Kyle to Princeton, MA for his soccer match. I took portratis of all the boys and this team photo before the game started. Kyle has fully recovered from his bout with mono and was in fine form. His team was leading 2-0 at halftime when we had to leave in time to make Nicolai’s award ceremony. I had a slight muscle injury and decided to miss my game to avoid further aggravation but should return to action next weekend.

 
Emmanuel shares the story of his mother, the other source of his inspiration, with the congregation. When he was young, his mother carried Emmanuel on her back for the 6 mile round trip to school. When he became too heavy for her, he hopped the distance on one leg before he eventually got a pair of crutches. Try hopping one block and you will learn what indomitable spirit and unrelenting determination means. Emmanuel proudly showed off the high tech prosthetic he now wears and thanked his supporters in the US for their generosity.

 
This morning begins a big day for Nicolai. At church he joins Emmanuel Efosa Yeboah of Emmanuel’s Gift fame, in front of the congregation to discuss the importance of inspiration. Seeing Emmanuel’s movie inspired Nicolai to raise money to buy wheelchairs for the diabled poor of Tanzania. Emmanuel was inspired by disabled athlete Jim MacLaren who lost his leg in a horrific accident and went on to become a world class triathlete and to overcome even greater challenges. Follow this link to learn more about this amazing human being.

 
Mark has a serious tete-a-tete with his daughter about her eating manners.

 
Mark and Jeanine tag team to feed Rose who wound up with as much food on her face as in her mouth. Verify this claim by clicking on the photo for an enlarged view.

 
Despite the damp and cool conditions today, the older kids enjoyed playing outdoors. Mark and I spent the better part of the day working on the kayak. It was Mark who really got me interested in building one and it was a lot of fun working with him. We were able to fiberglass the inside hull and prepare the inside deck for fiberglassing, two very big tasks.

 
Maya was glued to baby Rose and really seemed to enjoy being the oldest girl amongst these cousins rather than her normal status as the youngest of our family.

 
Mario has gotten very tall and is quite the handsome young man. At age thirteen he looks like he is about ready to start shaving.

 
Mario consoles her sister after she learns that all the ice cream has been devoured before she could get any.

 
Sohpia gets the better of Nicolai in a wrestling contest that erupts spontaneously in the living room.

 
My brother Mark and his family flew out from Minnesota to attend an award ceremony for Nicolai later this weekend. Pictured here is my sister-in-law, Marie, and nieces, Sophia and little Rose.

 
Today, on the way home from work, I decided I deserved an ice cream cone and stopped in at my favorite shop. I rarely feel guilty about anything I do but must admit that I paused in the garage to finish my cone and to dispose of all evidence of my purchase before entering the house. Delaying this post by five days should satisfy the statute of limitations on being pressured by the kids into a return visit.

 
Here is a close up featuring an apple, corn, and fish next to the anatomically correct male and mother with baby gathered around a campfire.

 
Maya is putting the finishing touches on her diorama depicting the Maliseet Indian tribe. She used left over hardened epoxy from the kayak to form a river.

 
Spring in New England is over in the blink of an eye but the reward is spectacular if subdued color. From my morning commute.

 
My art shot for the day. I was drawn to these beaver gnawed and weathered branches which were on the verge of falling into the river.

F

 
While Kyle was warming up, I wandered over to the Oxbow Nature Reserve for a little photography.

 
Kyle was cleated in the ankle during his game. I pointed out that my shin pads include ankle protectors which would have spared him this injury. He told me that I was a baby and that real soccer players don’t wear such bulky protection.

 
Today the Calabria men had to settle for draws. Kyle’s team was down 0-3 at halftime but worked hard to win three goals in the second half to tie the score with minutes left to play. It was a very exciting game to watch and Kyle is shown here winning a header at midfield. My match this morning also ended in a tie. I scored our only goal in the opening minutes and our opponents equalized late in the second half. I played 90 minutes and almost scored a second time on a direct kick which hit the crossbar. In action yesterday, Nicolai’s team won 5-3 (Nico scored on a header and had several assists) and Maya’s team won 2-1.

 
With Jeanine away, I held down the fort and delivered the children to their various sporting events. On the way back from dropping Maya at her game, I came across this mother and baby horse which I know she will be thrilled to see.

 
Jeanine spent Friday and Saturday in Burlington, VT with her sister Susan who was celebrating her birthday. The Roche family chipped in to buy her a bicycle which was put to immediate use on the fine spring day.

 
A bonus Nantucket photo from Jeanine’s camera of me teaching Nico to drive the moped.

 
A quick ride on the moped and I was on the other side of the harbor for a parting shot of the Brant Point lighthouse.

 
This morning I went out before sunrise so I could be in position for this photo at the right time. In a few weeks Nantucket will be crawling with tourists and the beaches will be packed. Our off season visit really gave us a unique opportunity to see the island for what it is most of the time. A quiet and serene home for people drawn to the sea.

 
Jeanine is really in her element when we go to Ferry Beach. She gets to cook in an industrial size kitchen and play games in the evening. This year she introduced a new coffee cake recipe which was a big success.

 
My favorite photo of the weekend. Kyle with friend Chris (who joined our family for the weekend). I took this after sunset and asked the boys to stand motionless while I made the long exposure under a sodium street light.

 
Nicolai loves to play volleyball and demonstrates here his willingness to take on even the most intimidating opponent. Photo courtesy of Stoney.

 
Although I enjoy the challenge of shooting birds, my real passion is for portraiture. I was pleased this year with the results of my efforts which can be found in this web album.

 
Everywhere time you turn around, if you take the time to look, there is sure to be a rabbit near by. I counted dozens of the furry critters and was quick enouh to capture this one before he dashed away.

 
After lunch I returned to the osprey nest with the right lens and am treated to this image which includes what appears to be the tail of a rather large fish.