State Street in Santa Barbara is lined with street musicians and pan handlers who seek to make money from the constant stream of tourists. This gentleman was sporting a very interesting hairdo which seemed very apropos for a beach side community.

Jeanine records the action during a watermelon seed spitting contest among Maya and her friends in the backyard. This will be the last day of summer vacation. Tomorrow it is back to school.

Normally when I travel to Santa Barbara I camp on the beach at Carpenteria State Park. During the summer months the park is often fully reserved. That was the case this time so I stayed at the Fremont Campground in the Santa Ynez Recreation Area on the edge of Los Padres National Forest. This location is much more isolated and quiet but required a 30 minute drive into the very scenic mountains.

This week I will be working out of our Santa Barbara office. My flight to LAX affords me great views of Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. As dramatic, but in an entirely different way, is the Mission Fire burning in the hills above Los Angeles. The city was almost entirely obscured by the smoke which has filled the valley and the magnitude of the fire is apparent from the plumes which resemble an erupting volcano. Between the Kennedy funeral procession and this fire I feel like I was a photojournalist covering the news this week.

Maya attends the birthday party for new friend Eden. The Hanna Montana themed party begins with the creation of a massive banner. After the party Maya and I made a quick stop at the Willard school. The new building seems to be very nearly complete and demolition of the old school appears to be half way done. Maya’s class will be the first to enjoy the brand new school building. Earlier in the day my soccer team opened the fall season with a disappointing loss. I did not get a single shot on goal and nothing came of several very nice crosses and passes to teammates in scoring position.

It took next to no persuasion to convince Jeanine to join in the card games that followed dinner.

A rather large dinner this evening. In addition to the family, we had Jolle plus three of Nicolai’s friends and Kyle’s friend Hanna join us. At times like this, it is nice to have the kitchen island for overflow seating.

Today at work the CEO of Sonos formally announced that he was stepping out of his role as the Conscience of Wi-Fi Performance and passing that responsibility to me. In my monthly departmental newsletter I intend to memorialize this auspicious occasion with the aid of this photo demonstrating my full and total commitment to this crucial role. Our products are distinguished in the market by outstanding wireless performance throughout the home and this is in no small part due to the personal interest my boss has taken in this aspect of our product development.

On the way home from work today I swung by the State House in time to see the Ted Kennedy funeral procession pass by. His body was driven from the Kennedy compound in Hyannisport to the JFK Memorial Library in Boston. The end of the 70 mile journey was through the streets of Boston and the North End which were lined with mourners and respectful onlookers. The crowd erupted in cheers and applause when the hearse, seen here, passed by. Perhaps because I grew up during the years of the Kennedy dynasty (JFK’s assassination is one of my earliest memories), I felt compelled to bear witness and pay my respects to a man who so clearly cared about people and made such a profound impact on social justice. He was not without faults, but no one can deny that he was a great man who will leave behind many great friends and a legacy of legislative leadership that will likely never be matched. Farewell Teddy.

With the lighting worked out last night, Jolle posed for portraits again this evening. She is extremely photogenic, and it was hard to take a bad photo. This was one of my favorites.

I have promised Jolle a nice portrait before she returns to Belgium. This evening, we did a practice session and played around with some different lighting. This was my favorite.

It took almost an hour to get this extreme close-up up but I am glad I put the time in. Doing so made me appreciate the beauty of this flower even more. I do not often speak of God, but admiring the wonders of nature is where I see mine.

A closer view proves even more amazing. If time permits, I may try and get an even closer view of the stamen tips.

Today, I could not help but admire this beautiful flower from Jeanine’s garden. I will ask her what kind it is when I get a chance.