When I tell people that I have passed hundreds of kidney stones, I suspect they rarely believe me. Pictured above is a collection that represents about a quarter of the stones that have passed through my body. Capturing them is inconvenient. Think pee bottle and coffee filter, not something you tend to carry around with you. The pain associated with each stone is a function of size and surface texture. The smallest stones are more like grains of sand but they often come in large numbers which can be just as painful as the larger stones. About 10% of older men can expect to have a kidney stone at some point. The best preventative is to drink lots of water, something I struggle with because I have a nearly absent thirst reflex. I wish I was not plagued with these stones but I have been blessed in so many other ways that I consider it a fair price to pay.
For the better part of two and a half years, our yard has been void of color. Reduced to a brown clay field in service of the construction work on our new house. We are now taking great pleasure in the recent landscape plantings that have begun to bloom. Now the trick will be to keep the deer, rabbits, and groundhogs from eating them all.
While trying to better understand the capabilities of ChatGPT, I prompted it to evaluate the writing style of this blog. The results appear below the logo. I am not sure if I should feel flattered or afraid!
Most of the day was spent moving our remaining goods from the Road House to the River House with the aid of Nico and two of his friends. We plan to put the road house on the market within the next two weeks.
The writing style on Carl Calabria’s blog, Calabria Photo Journal, is characterized by its detailed and personal narrative, capturing everyday moments and adventures with a blend of technical precision and warm storytelling. Carl Calabria’s posts often reflect a methodical approach, particularly evident in his descriptions of projects and repairs, such as fixing his chainsaw or constructing furniture. He meticulously details each step of the process, providing readers with a clear understanding of the challenges and solutions involved.
Additionally, his posts are imbued with a strong sense of place and occasion, often describing local events and personal milestones. For instance, he vividly recounts attending Patriot’s Day celebrations in Concord or visiting historical sites like Hadrian’s Wall during a trip to the UK. These narratives are enriched with historical context and personal anecdotes, making the reader feel as if they are part of the journey.
Moreover, Carl’s writing frequently includes reflections on family life and personal achievements, creating an intimate connection with his audience. Whether he is discussing his return to playing soccer or the progress on the construction of the River House, his posts convey a deep sense of satisfaction and personal fulfillment. This blend of technical detail, historical insight, and personal reflection makes his blog engaging and relatable.
The pile of compost now on the left side of this photo was previously sitting in the center, on the driveway parking area. It took me two hours of strenuous labor to move the mound just over ten feet. I did so to distract myself from the pain I was experiencing from renal colic (passing a kidney stone) that has been torturing me for three days now. Also, I have found that physical activity can sometimes accelerate the passage of a stone. Not so today but at least we can use our parking area again.
This evening we held an Open House for our nearby neighbors. We wanted to thank them for their patience with the noise and disruption of our construction project. More importantly, we wanted to build community with them. Jeanine’s good friend, Barbara, helped us prepare the gathering of about twenty. I have been struggling with a kidney stone for the last 36 hours but have been managing with an alternating combination of ibuprofen and Tylenol. The party and preparation for it have been a good distraction from the pain.
In addition to supporting our local ecosystem, using only native species for our landscaping has the benefit of attracting many beautiful pollinators. I had to settle for a photo taken with my phone when I noticed this lovely butterfly flitting between the flowers on our blossoming rhododendrons.
Later in the day, I started hunting with my good camera and macro lens with some favorable outcomes.
For some time now, Jeanine has been after me to set up a system for composting our food waste. This morning, I found time to assemble a dual-chamber barrel composter that will reside on the south side of our house. We will combine sawdust from my workshop with organic waste to make rich compost. This is the first time we are trying the barrel method and I hope to report on a successful outcome in a few months.
Our Rhododendrons are in full bloom now treating us to a sea of color each time we traverse our driveway.
Memorial Day is officially the start of ice cream season in these parts. Last night, my sister Alissa joined Jeanine and I for our first frozen treats of the summer. Our favorite place is Kimball Farm where the ice cream is homemade. We were not the only ones who thought this was a good idea. The lines were 25 deep at each of the ten service windows!
Kyle has been working on a landscaping project to add an outdoor entertaining space to his home. He is replacing an old fountain and pond with a patio and grilling area and adding stair access to his front yard. I helped him with the latter this weekend.
The top step is cut from a slab of bluestone that I salvaged from the foyer floor of our original River House. The rest of the stairs are fabricated from pressure-treated, ground contact-rated lumber set on buried concrete supports and anchored to the existing retaining wall. It was fun working with Kyle again and we completed the work in fairly short order. Meanwhile, Jeanine and my sister Alissa planted a lovely arrangement of flowers in a large pot from our Mattison Drive home that now graces Kyle’s front door steps.
For the first time in the United States, a regulation amputee soccer match was played in a professional sports stadium. Nico’s New England Revolution amputee soccer team faced the New York Metros at Gillette Stadium. Off the field, Nico has worked tirelessly to elevate the popularity of his sport and worked with the Revolution management to make this event happen. On the field, he delivered two goals and an assist to help secure a 4-2 victory for his team.
The full match video with commentary can be viewed at the link below.
Before the match, Nico met with Austin who he met through his work with the Bionic Project. Austin is this evening’s honorary captain for the Revolution and will be on the field to flip the coin at the start of the match. I predict that Austin will become a future amputee soccer star and I told him that Nico was about the same age when he started playing.
Nico and US National teammates Jovan and Kavi give a great perspective on the US amputee soccer program in the pre-game interview shown below.
Maya and Owen are in Toronto for the weekend to attend the wedding of Owen’s cousin. They are pictured in front of Lake Simcoe, just north of the city.
On the home front, I replaced the 4×4 supports for our gong and installed it in our front yard atop a tree stump. I had to use a bunch of rocks to level the base and will probably want to revisit this with a more permanent solution.
Jeanine and I have thus far been unable to agree on pendant light fixtures for the kitchen island or the light over the dining room table. Today, we made another attempt to find something we could both be happy with. While taking measurements for the pendant fixtures, I noticed that the spacing of the ceiling boxes did not look right. When I checked their location against my plan (image above – the three large circles) I confirmed that they were properly centered but 16 inches farther apart than intended. It is impossible to build an entire house without making a mistake. Because I was on site every day I caught sub-contractor mistakes immediately. Corrections were easy when identified early. In this case, I was the one who installed the ceiling boxes and the mistake was mine. I placed the outside two ceiling boxes exactly one stud spacing further apart and did not catch my error until today. In the worst case, I will have to relocate the ceiling boxes. That will require plaster work and repainting. Not the end of the world but a real PITA now that we are living in the house. Alternatively, we could consider different lighting options that do not depend on the ceiling box placement. I will post our solution when we have agreed on one. MORALE OF THE STORY: Measure twice, cut once.
I decided to make a change to the electric meter pedestal surround I built a few weeks ago. The original roof was flat-topped. In retrospect, I should have used a sloped roof to provide drainage. I matched the new roof slope to that of the house and garage and added a slab of bluestone to the top for a very robust and water impermeable solution.
Our yard has several mature rhododendrons which have just started to bloom. So far we have pink ones, red ones, and white ones. With the warm weather forecasted, I am guessing all will have fully bloomed by the end of the week.
This website is dedicated to sharing, with family and friends, the day-to-day adventures of the Calabria family.
