Our dog barely fits in the dog house I improvised for her. Still, Maya seems to feel there is enough space to hang out together. I am sure I have posted a similar scene in the past but took the time today to make a more attractive composition. The balance of my day was spent completing income tax filings for the family and my father’s estate.
Although most of the snow on the ground has melted with the rain and higher temperatures this week, there remains a 4-foot high snow mound on our deck. I am guessing it will be with us for quite some time still. Our own little glacier.
While in San Antonio with Nicolai the week before last, I was asked to capture headshots for each member of the US national amputee soccer team. I should have anticipated that I would be asked to do this and brought my portable lighting setup. Regrettably, I did not and had to make do with crappy available light. This evening I did some post-processing to make the best of the situation and this is the final image for Nicolai.
I think it is safe to say that Jeanine really needed to get away from the pressures of work and family to unwind for a bit. From all reports, she is having a fabulous time in West Palm Beach. Apparently, the sun there is extremely intense. On the home front, I am pleased to say that all children and one dog remain alive with an increased appreciation for their mother’s fine cooking.
I published another new photo book, this one documenting my 2011 trekking vacation in Peru. I am on something of a roll now and think I will tackle Alaska next.
It sweeps to the sea cliff and will travel through time.
Simple deep and pure.
Stream growing, pools shimmer light blue.
Water sewn to the Earth,
it wraps around life and again begins.
Water bends to the spirit
and dances back to explore the fire.
Jeanine and Maya were guest speakers at the First Parish Sunday Forum where they shared pictures and their accounts of Maya’s Coming of Age adventure in India. Dressed in the clothes they wore while in India, they talked about the school for tribal girls where they volunteered, the people that they met, and the highlights of their visit. Also presenting was Derek Mitchell, Director of the Unitarian Universalist Holdeen India Program which helped to create and funds the school.
Immediately after the forum, I whisked Jeanine off to the airport. She is bound for West Palm Beach to visit with childhood friend Kris Earle and her mother. I will be holding down the fort until she returns on Thursday. I have promised to keep the children fed but made no representations about nutritional quality. The dog is at the mercy of the kids for her sustenance.
Maya and I took turns flying a quadcopter that I have on loan for the weekend. On more than one occasion during her early training, I found myself running for life and limb. Laughter during these episodes did nothing to improve her skill. Amazingly, despite rather strong winds, we managed to avoid any crash landings. With a little more practice I may attempt an aerial photograph of the house.
In a recent phone call with Kyle we sensed he was under some pressure in the face of approaching exams. Jeanine decided to send him a care package which included home baked raisin oatmeal cookies, a Captain Underpants hat, and fresh pumpkin bread. Maya added several personal messages to the outside of the box and I added a copy of the photo book I recently completed which documents the adventure Kyle and I shared in Patagonia. The book can be perused by clicking below.
When under stress, some people grind their teeth during sleep. I am one of them and managed to fracture a tooth and pop out an existing restoration last week, a fairly good indicator of my anxiety at work over a product quality issue. I have a night guard to help protect my teeth but find it to be incompatible with romantic aspirations. This morning I paid the price during a two-hour session with my dentist. I had the restoration replaced without Novacane but wisely opted to use it for the tooth receiving a new crown. That tooth still hurts a day later as I am typing this entry.
Today I am going to let the photos speak for themselves. What is your version of the story?
While Nicolai and I were in Texas, Jeanine and Maya spent the weekend in Indianapolis visiting with our niece Erica who was celebrating her 30th birthday. Now a mother of two (Will and Lilly) herself, I have known Erica since she was 2 years old and was the photographer for her wedding.
Nicolai and talented new recruit, Noah Grove, head out to the practice field for a final two hour training session before members of the team begin departing for the airport. It is damn tough to build a cohesive national team when every practice requires every member to board a plane. Despite this challenge, the squad was looking very sharp at the end of the long weekend. Two more training camps are planned before the World Cup tournament in late November.