For the first time in a week, the sun was out, demanding that I jump in the car for a road trip in search of fall color. Unfortunately, the 400 miles I covered driving through three states provided few scenes that lived up to my expectations. Instead, I turned my attention to waterfalls, making stops at Moss Glen Falls, Warren Falls, and Bartlett Falls.
Work on our front walkway was completed today after a few days of rain delay. We are delighted with the results. It would have been far easier to make the curves had we chosen smaller bluestones, but I am pleased we held out for the larger ones. I think the scale is a perfect match for the house.
The two river rock streams are there to carry rainwater away from the house. The one on the left-hand side of the photo captures a substantial amount of water from our downhill-sloping 300-foot driveway. The one that crosses the new walkway collects the relatively small volume that falls from the four leftmost panels of the 2nd-floor metal roof. Not shown in this photo is one additional river rock stream that collects water from the garage roof and carries it down to the Sudbury River.
While the new walkway has added some formality to the “front yard,” we are looking forward to when all the plantings we have installed develop into the more natural oasis we are hoping for.
Conditions this year are conspiring against my efforts to photograph the spectacular fall foliage we usually get in New England. It has been raining nonstop for the past 72 hours, and today, by the time I reached Shelburne Falls, the clear skies above Concord gave way to heavy cloud cover. On the positive side, all that rain made for spectacular flow over the falls.
No doubt, I will continue to make leaf peeping excursions over the next two weeks, but most observers are reporting muted colors this year, likely the result of a rainy spring and summer drought.
I found this photo of me taken by my cousin Vincent while perusing my archive this afternoon. Initially, I thought it was taken in Montana while on a road trip from Indianapolis to California. When I reached out to him for confirmation, his memory proved to be substantially better than mine, and he provided a full accounting of the adventure. He flew out to California to help me drive my Alfa Romeo Spider from Palo Alto, where I had just completed my Master’s Degree at Stanford, to Indianapolis, where I was expected to report for work at Bell Labs a week later. In the photo below, I am seen servicing the car in advance of our departure. I believe I changed the plugs, oil, and front brake pads, the latter of which will be significant to the end of the story.
After bidding farewell to my California friends, we drove up the California and Oregon coast, stopping to see giant redwood trees and the ocean rocks of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Then we started heading east through Idaho and into Wyoming, where the handstand photo was taken in front of the Grand Tetons. As we were running short of time and money, the remainder of the trip was something of a high-speed blur through Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. Vincent drove the final overnight shift through dense fog while I slept. He did this without the benefit of working brakes. Apparently, while hanging the calipers to change pads, I damaged one of the brake line hoses which led to the eventual loss of all brake fluid. Vincent used the mechanical emergency brake to complete the journey without incident.
Looking back, it was probably the most epic road trip of my life and a fond memory I will share with my cousin (now that we have collectively recalled it). I have omitted several details such that my children (and wife) will continue to hold me in high regard. Suffice it to say that we narrowly avoided confrontations with the police, collisions with wildlife, and other general consequences of debauchery.
I just discovered an Instagram post that Nico made for the Bionic Project.
You can watch the full video at https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPwTZ2wALT0/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Another video I found on his site can be found at
Pink Martini is an American band renowned for its eclectic, cosmopolitan style, blending classic pop, jazz, Latin, big band, and international influences. The group describes itself as a “little orchestra” that emphasizes multicultural connection and inclusion through a glamorous, accessible sound. Founded in 1994 by pianist and bandleader Thomas Lauderdale in Portland, Oregon, Pink Martini has enjoyed global popularity for over 30 years, performing at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Sydney Opera House. This evening, Jeanine and I were invited to join our good friend, Aliza, and another couple to attend their concert in Lexington’s intimate Cary Memorial Hall.
Lauderdale is a flamboyant pianist who, in the photo above, performed briefly in a chicken suit, a nod to recent ICE protests in Portland. Leftmost in the photo is Ari Shapiro, acclaimed radio journalist, cabaret performer, and author, most widely known as a host of NPR’s “All Things Considered.”
Lead singer Storm Large, pictured below, exudes a magnetic stage presence, mixing raw emotional energy, glamor, humor, and vulnerability. She delivered a captivating, uninhibited performance that combined vocal power with theatrical charisma. Each of the other singers and band members, to a person, was an exceptional artist in their own right. We had a great time at the concert, which ended with us on stage dancing in a Conga line.
Earlier in the day (8 am), I had a soccer match in Haverhill, which proved to be a very close match. Although we dominated the run of play and despite numerous opportunities, we struggled to find the back of the net. Our defense held them scoreless, which allowed the one goal we did score to secure the win. I played well despite lingering symptoms from the cold I caught while on vacation.
Initially, Jeanine and I thought we would be happy with a stone dust walkway to our front door. It imparted the casual feel we were after. Having lived with it through four seasons now, we have decided it is not really the right material. When wet, two problems emerge. First, the sand-like stone dust sticks to the bottom of shoes, which then tracks it into the house. Second, it becomes soft and particularly prone to denting from point loads such as a high-heeled shoe or crutch tip. Finally, when using a snowblower to clear the walk, it is very difficult to avoid scraping up material into the augers, bad for the machine and the walkway.
Yesterday, the installation of a bluestone slab walkway started. The large stone slab “bridge” over the river rock river drainage channel remains in place. With any luck, the job will be completed before the forecasted Nor’easter hits us on Sunday afternoon.
Every once in a while, I take an unintentional photograph that holds my interest. This morning, a mystical fog was lifting over the river in front of our house. I decided to photograph it from above with the drone and set out to launch it from a bistro table on the patio. I accidentally snapped the photo above before takeoff and have decided I like it better than the aerial photos I took once airborne.
I have been to Canada several times in my life, but this past week has been the longest stretch of time I have spent in the country. It is said that Canadians are polite, friendly, humble, and community-oriented, with a strong emphasis on respect for others, fairness, and multiculturalism. Based on my experiences here over the past week, I can confirm these generalizations to be correct. I found myself constantly compelled to apologize for the manner in which our administration has been characterizing the country. It is so insulting to suggest that Canada would be better off if they became our 51st state. In fact, we could stand to learn a lot from them. Canada may not be a perfect country, but it is full of truly wonderful people who we are lucky to have as neighbors.
Pictured above is the boarding area inside the Calgary Airport where we waited for our departure. Unlike our flights to get here, our return was uneventful, and we enjoyed sharing stories of our adventure with Maya, who picked us up at Logan Airport.
Thus far on our vacation, we have been fortunate to dodge inclement weather, if not, more than our fair share of cloudy skies. Today, on our drive from Jasper to Calgary, we experienced an hour of rain, an hour of snow, and three hours of clear skies. We stopped in Banff for lunch and to enjoy the Vermilion Lakes area. It has been a wonderful vacation during which we celebrated my 67th birthday and our 35th wedding anniversary. Having both caught colds, we did not do quite as much hiking as we had originally planned but were able to reach more than 90% of our planned destinations. I return with a treasure trove of photographs, only a small fraction of which I have posted here, and the satisfaction of finally visiting a part of the world I have wanted to see forever.
The drive from Banff to Jasper took us about 5 hours with stops at the Sunwapta Falls (above), Athabasca Falls (below), a second visit to Herbert Lake, and an unnamed horseshoe bend in the Athabasca River. Forecasted rain never materialized, and we were bathed in sun for most of the day. Should we get percipitation this evening, it may take the form of snow which could slow us down tomorrow as we make the long trek back to Calgary.
Thirty-five years ago, I had the good sense to marry Jeanine. Some men talk about their “better half” when referring to their wife. Jeanine is my better two-thirds. She is a genuinely kind and wonderful human being, a loving mother, and still a sexy dish. She puts up with me because I am good at fixing things. I consider myself a lucky man and look forward to the many adventures we have yet to share.
We departed our hotel in Banff at 5 am to arrive at Lake Moraine in time for sunrise. Waiting in the bitter cold for the sun to kiss the mountain tops was totally worth it. A light snowfall last night had left the mountains and trees covered with a dusting that made the scene even more magical. What is not shown in this photo are the several hundred other people interested in capturing the exact same moment. I was able to use my tripod on top of a retaining wall to shoot over all the distractions.
By the time we left Lake Moraine, the parking lot at Lake Louise was completely full, so I used my drone to get an aerial view, including the famous Fairmont Chateau.
We decided to spend most of the remainder of the day in Yoho National Park, stopping at Takakkaw Falls and Natural Bridge.
By late afternoon, the light on the Icefields Parkway was not very flattering, so our drive there was mostly a scouting mission for tomorrow’s outing.
Jeanine has been feeling a little under the weather and slept in this morning while I drove from Banff to Calgary to pick up a new drone. When I returned, we enjoyed a leisurely walk about the town, which is nestled between massive peaks and the confluence of the Bow and Spray Rivers.
Later we drove to the Surprise Corner Viewpoint for views of the stunning Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and Bow Falls.
When your drone lands on a highway, there is a good chance it will get run over by a car. Lately, I have gotten lazy and allowed my drone to self-navigate back to its home point, which gets established during take-off. Provided you wait until the drone gets a GPS satellite fix on its location this results in pinpoint accuracy (within inches). Apparently, during my last flight of the day, I did not allow enough time to get the fix before launching. Rather than landing directly in front of our rental car parked on the side of the highway, it landed on the roadway. Even the micro SD memory card was cracked in half and I lost all my aerial photos for the day (adding insult to injury).
Fortunately, I took several land-based photographs during our 6-hour drive from Whitefish, Montana, to Banff, Alberta by way of the Kootenay National Park. We made several stops, including Olive Lake, the Paint Pots, and the Stanley Glacier viewpoint.
For the third time in as many days, I drove to Many Glacier, hoping for clear skies. I timed my arrival for sunrise and captured the image above during a window that lasted 3-4 minutes. Pictured below is Grinnell Lake with just a tiny bit of Grinnell Glacier and the Garden Wall showing beneath the clouds. Jeanine, who seems to have picked up a cold, slept in this morning.
Pictured below, as the sun was rising, is Swiftcurrent Lake in the foreground and Lake Sherbourne in the background
Our plan for the morning was to hike the Hidden Lake Overlook Trail. When we arrived at the Logan Pass trailhead, returning hikers reported zero visibility due to the clouds, so we opted to hike the Trail of the Cedars and the Avalanche Lake Trail instead. All in, we covered 6 miles with 750 feet of elevation gain; worth every step for the idyllic views.
Virginia Falls is a striking 50-foot waterfall located along one of the park’s most scenic trails, a 3.8-mile round-trip, with roughly 500 feet of elevation gain. It also passes Saint Mary Falls and several smaller cascades. It was the perfect destination for another cloudy, drizzly day.
While picking up food supplies, we encountered a group of four tricked-out Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based RVs that we have been crossing paths with around the park.
Sometimes when traveling, you just have to roll with the punches. When planning this trip, I optimized the timing for fall foliage, missing only one soccer game, and allowing us to attend the Conantum Harvest Supper, the latter pushing us back a week more than what would have been optimal. What I did not realize is that on October 1st almost everything in this part of the world shuts down for the winter season. This includes the hotel where we just spent the night, the Carway Border Crossing we are relying on to get back into the States for our visit to Glacier National Park, the Many Glacier Hotel, access to the Two Medicine Lake area, and the restaurant where we had dinner. Although we just squeaked under the bar today, the outlook for tomorrow is questionable, especially in light of the likely government shutdown which could potentially close all national parks.
Uncertainty notwithstanding, we made the best of the day despite overcast skies and intermittent drizzle. We drove to Many Glacier and hiked around Swiftcurrent Lake and Lake Josephine and then drove to Logan Pass on the Going to the Sun Road, which on this day would have been more aptly named Driving In Clouds Road. We found slightly better weather as we ventured further south to the Two Medicine Lake area where we hiked to Paradise Point.
We had dinner at the Cattle Baron Supper Club in Babb, where I was served a rib-eye steak the size of Montana, one of the few menu items still available on this, their last night of operation for the season. Between Jeanine and me, we ate about half and saved the rest for dinner tomorrow. We are staying at a cozy little cabin near Babb where we slept well after a long day of driving and hiking.
When I booked our travel to Canada several months ago, we had a 5-hour direct flight from Boston to Calgary on WestJet Airlines. When we arrived at Logan yesterday, we discovered that our flight had been cancelled and replaced with a flight to Vancouver, followed by one to Calgary at 5am this morning. There was nothing to be done about the predicament and we wound up sleeping in a waiting area at the Vancouver airport between flights.
Not the best start to my 67th birthday. Fortunately, the rest of the day was wonderful. We drove three hours from Calgary to the Waterton Lakes National Park where we stayed at the Prince of Wales hotel. The hotel is a historic landmark perched on a bluff above Waterton townsite, offering sweeping views of Upper Waterton Lake and the surrounding Rocky Mountains. Opened in 1927, the hotel was built by the Great Northern Railway in a dramatic Swiss-chalet style, and has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada since 1992. We arrived shortly before noon and paused to enjoy a charcuterie board which was more like a full meal.
Between the three-hour time difference and lack of sleep last night, we decided to let our rental car do the “hiking” today. We drove to Cameron Lake on a road that just got better with every turn and returned to town for a visit to Cameron Falls.
In 2017, the Kenow Wildfire, triggered by a lightning strike, consumed 100,000 acres, half of which was within the Waterton Lakes National Park boundary. The fire destroyed the visitor center, campground, staff housing, and much of the hiking trail network, while forcing full evacuation of the Waterton townsite. Although major infrastructure was lost, proactive firefighting measures saved the Prince of Wales Hotel and mitigated even greater damage to the town itself. It may not be apparent at first glance, but all of the trees in the photo below, save a few dozen in the lower left corner were killed in the fire.
This morning, in a rematch of last season’s championship game, my soccer team faced Everett. That game was stopped after 8 minutes when their captain suffered a heart attack on the field and was resuscitated by a doctor who plays for our team. The goodwill generated then lasted all of about two minutes before the intense rivalry between our squads was rekindled. They scored first, but we managed to equalize before halftime. We had the run of play in the second half but couldn’t find the back of the net until stoppage time, when we managed to score twice in the last three minutes. It was an extremely satisfying win. I played well with one very powerful shot on goal but it found the keeper rather than the net. I also managed to blow out one of my soccer cleats and will need to replace it before I return to the pitch in two weeks. Jeanine and I travel to Calgary this evening to begin a 10 day vacation through Glacier National Park (subject to the looming government shutdown), Banff, and Jasper.
For the second year in a row, Jeanine helped organize the Conantum Harvest Supper at Verrill Farm. The new venue has proven to be a great fit for the celebration. With nearly 150 attendees, I decided to focus my photographic interest on the growing crop of youngsters present. The full album can be found here.
Earlier in the day, I prepared a pancake and bacon breakfast for Maya, Kyle, and Jeanine. Nico is at a wedding in Maine. My methods may be unconventional, but all seemed satisfied with the meal.
A large syringe makes for efficient and accurate batter disbursement. High-temperature silicon pinch mitt pot holders keep the flat-bottom griddle from sliding around on the flat cooktop.
This morning, I spotted a King Fisher perched above the river and managed to get two shots off before it set out in search of breakfast. The light was not very good, but I really liked the takeoff shot.
I have been eating lunch at Chipotle 4-5 times a week ever since retiring. What can I say? The food is health and tasty and reasonably priced. Until recently, this has required a 36-minute round-trip excursion to Waltham, often coupled with a visit to Home Depot for project supplies. When a new Chipotle opened here in Concord, I was thrilled by the prospect of saving 20 minutes of driving time for each visit. Regrettably, the efficiency of the new restaurant has been quite poor. Initially, I chalked it up to the new staff learning the ropes. Unfortunately, I have seen no improvements, and now that demand has grown, the slow service has become a real problem. Today, I ordered in advance online hoping to avoid the in-store delay. It took 33 minutes to fill my order! Because I am invested in the success of the Concord location, I wrote an e-mail to Chipotle’s CEO to make him aware of my experiences at the restaurant. He responded within minutes promising to look into the situation and get back to me. I am left hopeful that improvements will be made and impressed by a leader who takes customer feedback so seriously.
In our hometown of Schenectady, NY, my sister received a Proclamation from the Office of the Mayor declaring September 24, 2025, Alissa Calabria Quinn Day.
WHEREAS, Alissa Calabria Quinn was born in Albany, New York, the daughter of Dr. Frank and Angela Calabria, and moved to Schenectady at the age of four when her father joined Union College as a professor in the psychology department; and
WHEREAS, Alissa attended Zoller Elementary School, Oneida Middle School, and graduated as the salutatorian of the Mont Pleasant High School Class of 1980, later earning a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Economics from Union College; and
WHEREAS, Alissa blazed a trail in the field of wealth management in the Capital District, achieving the role of Senior Vice President – Wealth Management and Financial Advisor of the Quinn Wealth Management Group, all while raising her son John and daughter Rachel; and
WHEREAS, Alissa is an international award-winning ballroom dancer, having first developed her passion for dance in Schenectady while watching her parents dance, and she has continued to share that love of ballroom dancing with others; and
WHEREAS, Alissa is also a published author and a recognized community leader, crediting her education in Schenectady and her development through the Schenectady Business and Professional Women’s Club Individual Development Program, which empowered her personal and professional growth; and
WHEREAS, through her leadership and community involvement, Alissa has supported children’s dance programs, the nonprofit Girls Inc., and numerous initiatives in business and finance, inspiring and uplifting countless individuals throughout Schenectady and beyond.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GARY MCCARTHY, Mayor of the City of Schenectady,
do hereby proclaim September 24, 2025, as Alissa Calabria Quinn Day in the City of Schenectady. On behalf of our community, we celebrate her achievements, her dedication, and her many contributions that have enriched the lives of so many.
As we finished a walk of the neighborhood, Jeanine spotted this mushroom emerging from the wood chips I spread earlier this summer. I am hoping it will be the first of many.
My day revolved around getting the updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines and then sitting down with Jeanine to plan hikes for our upcoming trip to Glacier National Park, Banff, and Jasper. After New Zealand, we are taking a realistic view of how much time we want to spend hiking each day.
For years, I owned Canon cameras. When Sony introduced the first professional mirrorless cameras, I switched brands wholesale and have never looked back. I own both a Sony Alpha 1 and an A7R4, which are currently meeting my needs in every way. The former is ideal for sports and wildlife photography, while the latter excels in landscapes, portraiture, and product photography. For all of Sony’s hardware prowess, they truly suck at software and user interface. The entirety of my day was consumed performing a software update to my Alpha’s firmware and then restoring the infinite number of settings in the menu system.
Step 1: Download Sony Driver system extension for Mac. (10m)
Step 2: Restart my MacBook in Safe mode, disable a security feature that prevents malicious software from being installed, reboot, install the Sony extension, reboot, reboot again in Safe mode, renable security settings, reboot. (20m)
Step 3: Download and install Ver. 1.31 → Ver. 1.35 updater. (40m)
Step 4: Download and install Ver. 1.35 → Ver. 2.01 updater. (40m)
Step 5: Download and install Ver. 2.01 → Ver. 3.01 updater. (10m)
<I should mention that if any of the prior three steps get interrupted for any reason, it is possible to render the camera a total brick>
Step 6: Program several hundred settings, recustomize the controls and menus to restore the camera to its last configured state (half of the time is spent looking up and deciphering what many of the menu items do). (180m)
Suffice it to say that this was not a very enjoyable day, save for the fact that Jeanine returned from Vermont.
My soccer team traveled to Raynham this morning, where we inflicted a 5-0 drubbing of an opponent that had a few dirty players. One intentionally cleated the top of my right foot, provoking me to subsequently knock him off his feet. Fortunately, the referee saw the lead-up and did not issue me a card for my infraction.
Having driven an hour south, I decided to continue south after the match to visit Woods Hole, MA. There, I stopped first at the Nobska Lighthouse, a historic 40-foot cast-iron tower built in 1876. It serves as a landmark, offering views of Vineyard Sound and guiding mariners to safety through the area’s dangerous shoals. The site is now a publicly accessible museum about maritime history.
Eel Pond, pictured below, is a serene coastal pond at the heart of Woods Hole, valued for its scenic beauty and calm waters.
Alvin is a three-person crewed deep-sea titanium-hulled submersible operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, capable of diving to depths of 6,500 meters (21,300 feet) for ocean floor research. Its personnel sphere, forged from titanium and featuring 2.9-inch thick walls, houses the pilot and two scientists and is designed to withstand immense deep-ocean pressures while providing five viewports for observation.
The Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge is a vertical lift bridge completed in 1935, featuring a 544-foot span and 135-foot clearance when raised. It was the longest vertical lift span in the world at the time, and currently is the second-longest in the United States. Engineered for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the bridge serves freight and seasonal tourist trains and operates primarily by keeping its span raised except during train crossings. In the early 2000s, it underwent a major $30 million rehabilitation to update its cables, machinery, and electrical systems
Jeanine left for Burlington, VT, to stay with her sister, Susan, for the weekend. I was not able to join her because of my soccer game tomorrow. Instead, I decided to head down to the Seaport District to watch the Red Bull Cliff Diving competition, which is in Boston this weekend.
Pictured in this sequence is Gary Hunt, arguably the best cliff diver in the world, having won the Red Bull Cliff Diving Series 10 times. He is the current leader in this year’s series and was the winner of today’s event. Men dive from a specially constructed platform that is 90 feet from the water, and women from 70 feet. The athleticism and fearlessness of these competitors were amazing.
While I was near the ocean, I decided to drive down the coast with stops at the Flynn Cruiseport, Castle Island, the JFK Presidential Library, and the Scituate Lighthouse.
The choice of stone dust for our front walkway has proven to be suboptimal. It becomes soft when wet and is easily deformed by Nico’s crutch tips. Wet or dry, the stone dust gets tracked into the house, and it is not very easily cleared with a snowblower in the winter. We have decided to have a bluestone walkway installed over the top. I was asked by one of the contractors bidding on the job to evaluate the thickness of the substrate, leading me to do a small excavation, revealing six inches of stone dust over compacted clay. I have yet to hear back if this will be adequate to build on or if we will have to excavate and fill with a thicker base.
Years ago, I purchased the pictured set of salt and pepper shakers. They feature a very unique top that “pops” open when the center is pressed. The design is quite clever and works perfectly to keep moisture and dust from contaminating the contents. On a recent picnic outing, we left one of these behind and find ourselves missing it dearly. When I searched the internet for a replacement, I discovered that it had been discontinued by the manufacturer. I then spent the better part of an hour searching for a retailer that still had a pair in stock. After visiting dozens of sites, I finally found one that still had inventory and I purchased their last remaining pair. It is odd to become so attached to something as mundane as a salt shaker but it speaks to the value of great industrial design.
My sister departed for New York this morning to meet up with her husband, who is driving up from North Carolina. We enjoyed a lovely long weekend with her, which was centered on the consumption of ice cream. She left us with five Dwarf Hummingbird Mint Kudos (Agastache Hybrid) plants as a housewarming gift, which Jeanine and I planted next to our patio this morning.
Since it was released 2 years ago, the DJI Mini 4 Pro has been my go-to drone. I prefer the small size and weight to the larger, more expensive drones I have since sold. For months now, I have been anticipating the announcement of the follow-on model Mini 5 Pro, which is primarily distinguished by a higher-quality camera among many other significant improvements. Today, it became available for sale worldwide except for the United States. Here, it is now subject to politically motivated import requirements. DJI must prove that its drones are not produced with coerced Uyghur labor or used to spy on Uyghur people. The company believes it can prove that neither of these are true but the relevant US regulatory bodies are making no effort to move the process along. I suspect the situation will not change until the US and China reach a comprehensive trade deal which could take months or years. I may try to purchase one when we travel to Canada later this month.