Today I managed to wrangle my boss into a portrait session for a new headshot to go on the updated Superpedestrian website. He has been super busy lately so I had to work quickly.  Although I could have dialed the concept in a little better, I am pleased with the results. Now I need some help from his wife and my colleagues to convince him that the picture above is the best in the series.  He favors a version with a more serious expression. Anyone who knows him, however, will tell you this is the guy we work for.

Today at work we had a celebration for one of our colleagues who is beginning a phase of semi-retirement.  An early employee and key contributor to the company, we have convinced him to continue with us on a half-time basis before fully retiring. We toasted him with Champagne and regaled him with stories from the early days. A nicer man and smarter engineer you will not meet.

The mating ritual of wild turkeys is an interesting dance. It begins with the gobbler displaying for hens. Out of the mix, a receptive hen will parade close to her suitor. She will circle him, get his attention and once he becomes interested the two become locked in a beautiful ballet. It is the hen that initiates the actual breeding act. She will seductively wiggle her tail in front of the old boy and then lay down on her tummy. That’s when the gobbler approaches from the back, climbs on her, and begins breeding. On my drive into work this morning, I noticed a rafter of turkeys just off the road and pulled over for a few quick photographs. Unfortunately, the turkeys did not appreciate this invasion of their privacy and quickly moved off to the nearby woods.

The amount of effort necessary to get me involved with a photography project at work is next to zero.  Today I fashioned a makeshift studio in the hallway outside my office where I took headshots of a number of Superpedestrian employees.  They will be used to update the TEAM page of our corporate website. Our CEO has one of the least flattering portraits of all and I have set myself the goal of rectifying that situation.  The second least attractive portrait is my own, something that will be more difficult to address.

Last season I played my first season in the over-56 division for the Lexington Eagles because my former team, Concord United, had not yet formed an over-56 squad. That situation has been rectified and this season I will be playing for the Concord United Veterans. Two-thirds of my teammates are former Concord United players with whom I have played for the past 14 years. New teams are automatically placed in Division 2 which means our objective for the season is to secure promotion by finishing in first place. We got off to a good start with a 4-0 win over Sudbury. I had one shot on goal, a rocket from distance, but it was just wide of the net. More impressive, I managed to survive the match without sustaining any injuries, a goal not achieved by four of my teammates who all went down with various muscle pulls. Sad to say but soccer at my age is as much about survival as it is skill.

Jeanine and I decided to do a little house hunting today. We looked primarily in Belmont, Arlington, Lexington, and Lincoln. The current plan does not have us selling our home until next year provided we find someplace that suits our needs. We are looking for a small footprint, premium quality home situated in a natural setting. This is proving rather hard to find but such outings help us refine what we are looking for and where we might find it. During our excursion we happened upon what appeared to be a sailing regatta on Upper Mystic Lake.

With the first decent weather, since he arrived in Massachusetts, my nephew Rory got his first chance to try a Copenhagen Wheel.  It is very satisfying to work on a product that invariably produces smiles on the faces of those who sample it. With spring around the corner, it is time to have my CW transferred to a more sporty frame.  The one that was given to me by Superpedestrian is far too pedestrian for my style.

Famed cyclist Tim Johnson was in the office today reviewing data from his Copenhagen Wheel with members of our staff.  He had with him a sweet Cannondale racing bike bearing his name. Tim’s bio and major career accomplishments can be found here.

Although difficult to do it justice in photographs, at least for me, fog can be exceptionally beautiful.  Such was the case this morning on my commute to work. I stopped briefly to capture this scene of the highly swollen Sudbury River.  In another few weeks, there will be no water whatsoever in this scene.

Every weekday I drive to work ahead of rush hour traffic and park my car at the office before setting off on foot for Central Square.  There I enjoy a simple breakfast sandwich at the Clover restaurant.  It is a single soft-boiled egg nestled in freshly baked pita bread with tomatoes and cheese.  I could eat one every day.  In point of fact, I do eat one every day. The one-mile roundtrip walk provides a great opportunity to center myself and plan my day.

Visiting us for the week from Minnesota is my nephew Rory.  My brother’s second oldest, he and Kyle plan to do some sight seeing in between twice a day workouts.  Both are into fitness and healthy eating.  Perhaps some of their virtuous habits will rub off on me.  Jeanine returned from Florida having enjoyed her time there thoroughly.

Jeanine and Kris enjoying Easter Sunday in Palm Beach, Florida. Friends for nearly five decades it sounds like the two are having a grand time.  On the home front, my lack of conditioning was apparent at the first soccer practice of the season this morning. I have a lot of work to do to get back in shape and not much time. Every year the challenge seems to grow.

Knowing that Jeanine would have prepared a delicious homemade feast if she were here, I decided to try and honor that tradition in my own way. Kyle and I picked up a rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, cornbread, and salad which we then took to Olin College where we joined Maya for an Easter Sunday (partial) family dinner.

I returned to the Conowingo Dam a half hour before sunrise just to be sure I did not miss any of the action. It was a bright sunny morning and temperatures quickly rose into the low 50s. Most of the activity was beyond the reach of my lens and into the sun.  Once again I focused on birds flying to and from the trees on my side of the river.

By 9 am I was ready to start heading towards home.  I decided I would make a quick stop in Philadelphia to take in some of the sights. It is really a delightful city.  I visited the Magic Garden, Independence Hall, and waterfront where I put up the drone for a very nice cityscape.

As much as I would have liked to spend the entire day in Philly, I had to be back in Concord for soccer practice tomorrow morning. I got back on the road stopping one more time at the New Croton Dam for a little more aerial photography.  Sixteen hours of driving over the course of two and a half days was a little much but I could not be happier with my brief road trip.

I arrived at the Conowingo Dam by 9 am.  It was raining lightly and the sky was overcast.  More importantly, a few eagles were still fishing.  I captured a dozen or so really nice images making the entire trip worthwhile.  My only regret is that I sold my 800mm telephoto lens a few years back.  It would have been a far better choice than my 400mm given how far from shore the eagles were.  Some would return to the tree tops on my side of the river to enjoy their breakfast giving me a chance to photograph them at a reasonable distance as they flew past.

By 11 am the action was over so I ventured upriver to visit the site of Lock 12, the most well preserved of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal.

The countryside here and in Pennsylvania is just beautiful. I could have easily spent the entire day roaming about but decided I would head back to Conowingo for another check on the action and then on to Havre de Grace where I spent the night. I managed to reach the Concord Point lighthouse on Chesapeake Bay just as the sun was setting.

The Conowingo Dam on the lower Susquehanna River in Maryland provides hydroelectric power and a drinking water reservoir for the area.  It may not be much to look at unless you are a Bald Eagle.  Hundreds migrate here during the winter months for the buffet-style restaurant.  Fish coming over the spillways or through the turbines are temporarily disoriented making them easy prey. The optimal time to visit is November but I read a report this morning suggesting that as many as eighty Bald Eagles were still present.  After work, I jumped in the car and began the 7-hour journey. With Jeanine in Florida, Kyle working on his final data science project and the beginning of spring soccer just over a week away, I decided this would be my last chance this year to make the journey.  I made it as far as Philadelphia where I stopped for the evening.

Jeanine is off to Del Ray Beach, Florida for a short vacation and visit with her lifelong friend, Kris Earle. I dropped her off at the airport very early this morning before joining a former colleague for breakfast in Boston.  Jeanine has been working like crazy for months now and really deserves a relaxing getaway.  We have reached a point in our lives where we enjoy vacationing together sometimes, with the family sometimes, and by ourselves sometimes. She has already sent some photos suggesting she is well on the path to deep relaxation and has sworn she will not respond to work e-mails while away.

Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox since 1912, is just 2 miles from my office and was my destination today for my morning walk.  I have been here a few times to see the Sox play but never have I had a chance to walk around the entire park absent the throngs of fans that normally clog the streets on game days. I understand that tours of the park are quite good and must make sure to join one in the near future. In 2004, the year we moved to the Boston area, the Curse of the Bambino was reversed ending an 86-year dry spell without a World Series win. Since then the team has won two more world championships. I believe, the Calabria family, can make a pretty good claim for having brought good luck to the team.

Today’s images must be viewed at higher resolution to be fully appreciated. Click on each to open a separate window and then click again to zoom in.  I stopped on my commute home about a mile from our house to capture the very swollen Sudbury River in golden light. What appear to be lakes now will shrink to a narrow river not more than 30 feet in width in a matter of months.

Located less than 30 feet from our property line, we rarely have an opportunity to look upon this pond. Shortly after moving here, our neighbors planted a tree which now blocks the sightline from the back of our house to the water. Just across the street from us is a horse farm which includes several fields, a barn, stables and an indoor riding arena. It is quite amazing to see unobscured aerial views of these immediately adjacent areas which reveal many details not known to us previously.

Maya is home for spring break having just returned from a trip to Montreal with friends. She continues to enjoy Olin and is beginning to prepare for a summer internship with the jet engine division of Rolls Royce in Indianapolis.  Jeanine orchestrated a turkey dinner this evening pressing the kids into service in preparation of the mashed potatoes.  It was a wonderful meal enjoyed by all including Nala who rarely if ever gets to sample table scraps. We also connected with Nicolai via FaceTime and heard all about his week-long canoeing adventure on the Green and Colorado Rivers. Meanwhile, Kyle is starting work on his final data science capstone project and is beginning to look ahead to a job in the industry.

The Bunker Hill Monument is not far from where I work in Cambridge. Today I decided to use my lunch hour for a quick visit and aerial photograph.  Drones are not permitted in any national parks or monuments so I had to launch and shoot from outside the park boundaries.  I was not satisfied with either the lighting or background and therefore will return at some point in the future for another attempt.  I think morning light shot from the back side of the monument with the Boston skyline in the background will produce a much more compelling image.

I am afraid my trekking shoes met their match in Nicaragua.  I managed to wear off the outside portion of both heels while using my feet to steer and brake on my boarding descent of Cerro Negro.  Even though the entire run was probably just over a minute, the scree was so abrasive that it removed a major chunk of Vibram sole from each shoe. This pair of trekkers has served me well and I will be sad to retire them.  By my estimate, they have visited more than half the US states and well over a dozen countries.

About half way through my visit to Nicaragua, I discovered that it is illegal to bring a drone into the country without a permit (which is rarely approved) from their equivalent of the FAA. Had my quadcopter been discovered at customs, it would have been confiscated and impounded for the duration of my stay.  Getting it back would have involved some serious paperwork and fines.  For a moment I considered packing up my kit and mailing it back to the states. I opted instead to continue shooting and take my chances getting back out through customs.  In a country where bicycles do not require lights or reflectors, where you can stop your vehicle in the middle of the road to chat with a friend, and where you can walk up to the edge of an active volcanic crater with no barrier, I am not prepared to respect any arguments about restricting drones for safety reasons. While it may get me in trouble at some point in the future, I intend to continue to operate my drone according to the following principles regardless of applicable overly constrained regulations. (1) Do not create a safety hazard for people, animals, or property. (2) Do not invade anyone’s privacy. (3) Do not diminish other people’s enjoyment of a place or event.

With a major Nor’easter forecasted to coincide with my scheduled arrival in Boston tomorrow, l decided to return a day early and avoid the inevitable canceled flight and night spent sleeping in the Miami airport. En route to the Managua airport, I stopped briefly in the capitol to take in a few of the sights. Pictured above is the Santiago of Managua Cathedral and below one of the Trees of Life (a virtual mini-forest can be found throughout the city, commissioned by Rosario Murillo, the omniscient and omnipotent wife of President Daniel Ortega.)

More than any other photo I have taken in Nicaragua, the one above best captures the essence of the country for me.  Happy, proud, and friendly people with close family bonds and strong work ethic. Dusty and rock-strewn dirt roads traveled by more horses than cars.  This mother and her daughters seemed to be chasing to catch up with the truck I was riding in on the way to the Telica Volcano for a sunset crater ascent.  From the top, you can see a dozen or so of the volcanic peaks that form the Ring of Fire within Nicaragua. I actually found the moonrise to be more photogenic than the sunset and the view of the magma to be less than impressive. Still, I enjoyed the climb and the company of a family from Sweden who made up the rest of our group.

The descent by flashlight was trying on my knees but otherwise uneventful until our guide spotted a scorpion.  The first I have ever encountered in the wild you know I had to stop for a photo.

Earlier in the day I drove to the coastal towns of Poneloya and Las Peñitas where I found beautiful beaches, abundant birdlife, and laid-back beach bars and beachgoers (all 5 of them).

Cerro Negro is an active volcano that has erupted 23 times since it was formed in 1850 and most recently in 1999.  It is basically a steep black mountain (sides are a mixture of burnt sand and stones that give it a dark tone) with no vegetation. The climb to the top took about an hour revealing a spectacular view of the crater and nearby volcanoes Telica and San Cristóbal.  Scrape away a half inch of the surface and you can feel an enormous amount of heat emanating from below leaving no doubt that this mountain is very much alive.  Click on the wide-angle panorama to best appreciate the beauty of the surroundings.

Reaching the mountain is best done with any one of the tour groups that come here for the “volcano surfing.”  Given that my knees much prefer ascending than descending mountains, the idea of climbing to the top and sliding to the bottom was very appealing.  My tour provided the “surf board”, protective jump suit, googles and gloves. Traveling at speeds of 50km/hr is quite the thrill but not without intrinsic danger.  It is also important to protect your face from the flying stones. I fashioned a buff from a child size tee shirt I purchased in León the day before. While this activity is better suited to the twenty year olds in my group, I managed the fastest run that did not result in a crash.  I followed the directions exactly; legs out for stability, both hands on the handle, lean back for speed and low center of gravity, stay on the course.  The bulge in my midsection is not a result of weight gain but rather where I stored my camera for the descent.

The guy who followed me down was easily doing 70km/hr until he lost control and wiped out.

I was pretty tired by the time we returned to León so I decided to relax and do a little people photography.

León of all the larger cities I have visited thus far seems the least affected by tourism. On this Saturday night the central square was filled with families, young and old, enjoying a festival like atmosphere with no regard or interest in the foreigners. Pictured here are the Iglesia La Recoleccion and the Catedral Basílica de la Asunción two of the most prominent churches.

The drive from San Juan del Sur should have taken 3 hours based on distance and speed.  Numerous construction delays and a mile-long procession of horse and oxen drawn thatch covered wagons (some of which are pictured below) added another two to the journey. 

Along the way, I stopped for some fresh fruit at the stand below. These can be found almost everywhere throughout the countryside. As I enjoyed my snack, I watched two girls riding past on a bicycle.  Bikes are used extensively here but what I found odd about this scene was that the smaller of the two girls was doing the pedaling.

San Juan del Sur is know for its pristine crescent shaped beach and spectacular sunsets. I arrived at about 1PM and was surprised to find the beach absolutely vacant. A short stroll in the sand and I realized that it was simply too hot for anyone in their right mind to be out. I followed suit and decided to visit the 25m tall Cristo de la Misericordia statue which overlooks the bay.

Before departing Ometepe I had about an hour to spare and put the time to good use in a nature reserve near the ferry “terminal.” I managed to capture this pair of butterflies (it took no less than 100 exposures to get one keeper) and a Howler monkey (with baby) which made for a pretty nice way to pass the time.

The town comes alive when the sun goes down and cool breezes blow in from the ocean.

Pictured above is my lodging for the two nights I am spending on Ometepe. It is a horse ranch located at the base of the Maderas Volcano in the town of Merida.  I got an early start on a hike to the San Ramon waterfalls and managed to arrive 40 minutes before anyone else.  This gave me plenty of time for photography before the place was overrun by hikers eager to bask in the cool spring fed waters. On the hike I encountered both Howler and Capuchin monkeys and an amazing variety of birds and butterflies.

The little fellow below is actually one of two parrots that reside at the finca where I am staying.  Each greets me every time I enter the dining area with very polite “holas.” Their wings are clipped so they never leave this tree except to come in for the evening.  They are joined by half a dozen Chihuahuas, three large dogs, several cats, and more than a dozen horses who share the farm with the guests.

My destination for this evening was Ometepe, an island in Lake Cocibolca which was created by two volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas. To say it was a challenging travel day would be an understatement.  My 2:30 PM ferry reservation was bumped (the ferry company said they needed to send one of their own cars to the island).  This forced me onto a later one which did not arrive until the sun was just setting. While this afforded me nice light for the photo above, it also meant that I would make the one-hour drive to my lodging in Merida at night.  It should be noted that there are no street lights, no reflectors or lights on bicycles, unmarked speed bumps, and all manner of animals on the road (small pigs and dogs are the hardest to see but dark-haired horses are a close second.) When I arrived, the electricity lasted just long enough for the friendly staff to make me a fresh fruit smoothie which I enjoyed more than I can say.

For only the second time in my life, I had a chance to photograph molten lava.  The first time was in Costa Rica on Mount Arenal and that photograph leaves much to be desired. Today I visited the Mayasa Volcano. Once early in the morning to scout the best shooting position and again at dusk when the molten lake within its crater would appear the most dramatic. Even more impressive than the sights and smells was the sound. Attempts to describe it with words fail me.  Definitely left me with great respect for the forces of nature which continue to shape our planet.

I spent the rest of the day driving around the area including a lunch stop at a restaurant with a perfect view of Laguana Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake.

There seemed to be no end of interesting subjects to photograph as I completed the journey from Mayasa to Granada. Below is a small sampling.  I particularly like the one of the legs sticking out of a restaurant window.  They belonged to a little girl who was neither trying to crawl in or out but rather just enjoying being in limbo. I showed the picture to the girl and her mother which elicited much laughter. They spoke no English and I just a smidge of Spanish.  The image told the story and needed no words in any language to explain or embellish it.