This friendly fellow greeted us bright and early in the morning when we stayed over at the Herban Living B&B for the 2008 Fall Ball. A cheery fellow, to be sure, even with the season’s first hard frost on the grass!
This is really just an excuse to test the latest-and-greatest WordPress 2.6.5, which I finally got around to installing. (I think I had 2.4.something, and was definitely a little long in the tooth compared to 2.6.5.)
The black gate is barely latched, practically inviting the observant visitor to come and sit among the quiet stones…
Rehoboth, MA
Go, go, go, go, go, go
Go, shorty
It’s your birthday
We gon’ party like it’s your birthday!
We gon’ sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday!
…
Picture taken on February 16, looking up Wildcat Mountain. Skiers are anonymous (I don’t know them).
When did dancing become something the adults did? You can’t bring kids to a hip-hop club, you’d be turned away at the door! But a contra dance? They are warmly welcomed.
Where dance has cultural importance, the whole family goes dancing. Grandpa, dad, mom, the kids, and even the babies. The kids are good dancers before they hit 12.
Somehow, we started this weird concept of dance “clubs” where children aren’t allowed. They grow up not dancing, and then dancing dies out of the culture when they grow up.
Do your kids a favor, and bring them dancing from the time they can barely walk. They might not be dancing when they turn 14, but you better believe they’ll remember it when they dance with their sweetheart under a warm summer moon.
Never forget the importance of touch. Brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and grandparents and grandchildren and neighbors and visitors and guests and the occasional international transfer student all dancing together; that is dance, and it is very wonderfully human.
Do it in remembrance of the generations before you who created your culture, and brought your family and you into this world.
Dance!
We had our very first sticking snow of the season! This was a cause worth celebrating, which would explain why the roads were unsalted, trackless expanses of ice.
These pictures were taken on my way home from work (yesterday — a Sunday!) before the snow started. The light was a stupendous warm snow glow, which is somewhat reflected in the pictures.
The day is long, the night longer still.
Yellow lines slide beneath me,
Abruptly hyphenating my force of will,
Changing, shifting, do I trust what I see?
Pop top aluminum can in my cupholder;
A quick thumb, a gentle sip,
Slow swallows, sugar and fizz.
Nothing yet, wait, wait for it.
Here it comes. Caffeine! Bliss!
Tired bones straighten, loose hands tighten.
Reality greets my eyes with a kiss,
Focus! Sounds sharpen, colors brighten.
The day is long, the night longer still.
Yellow lines slide beneath me,
Gently steady, quiet in the mist.
Straight, calm, I trust what I see!
My soul feels very quiet,
Still and listening.
Shhhh, there’s a moment coming,
And it is now.
Paths open, doors close.
My path? God knows.
Shh, there’s a moment coming,
And it is now.
Choices to make, some blind,
Some requiring only spine.
Shh, there’s a moment coming,
And it is now.
The wind in my heart blows,
I wonder, where does it go?
Shh, there’s a moment coming,
And it is now.
Shhhhhh, be still before the Lord.
Photograph is of the first snow of the season. Five minutes of snow, none stuck, but it was beautiful while it lasted!
Tonight, the dojo held their first “Black Belt Congress.” Due to some changes in the board membership, they have changed the initial test for Shodan. Before, a candidate needed to appear before the Board of Yudansha for review. If the Board passed the candidate, he or she would then participate in the next Shodan testing.
Now, all black belts have one vote. If no, an explanation is required. It’s a completely different system.
Tonight was the first use of this system. I took over 150 pictures, but here are the best.
Sweaty palms, pounding heart. There’s even a little bit of fear in there, too. It’s painfully obvious I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m fumbling, even silly things.
It’s dark, and the air is cool. I’m ready. Let’s do this.
Ready.
Ready. My heart won’t slow down.
….and go! My engine roars under my feet, the tires chatter as I pull away. First to red, second to red, third to red…85 miles per hour, 16.6 seconds to a quarter mile.
It’s done. What a rush!
It’s Halloween, and I’m car 407, stock 2001 Jetta 1.8T, drag racing for the first time.
Best reaction time was 0.123, best quarter-mile was 16.401. No weight reduction, no MAF.
…and then my oil temperature sensor went on the fritz going home, so I was driving in limp mode with the temperature showing redline hot…I knew it was going, but that’s impeccable timing.
The Fall Ball is a contra dance held annually at the Town House in Peterborough, New Hampshire. It runs 12 hours, from noon to midnight, with four bands and callers in turn. The hall is huge, and has a wonderful balcony. It’s a real pleasure to dance in, and the dancers are incredibly good.
I’d 
never been, before yesterday. The experience was wonderful, and I would go back in a heartbeat.
The balcony allows a large number of people to sit out, watch, and socialize. There are diners and cafes around, and it feels more like a festival. In contrast, the Dawn Dance is almost a religious experience.
For those so interested, I’ve posted a gallery of the best photos from Fall Ball 07.
Last week, we had a grand plan to hike up into the white mountains for three days over the weekend. The weather, always fickle, seemed to give us space to hike Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
Rain and snow showers were predicted with a mild probability, and we decided to go anyway.
It was absolutely spectacular. I took over 400 pictures.
As we started to approach the peak, other hikers said the trail was extremely slick near the top. It was very warm, in the mid 50s, and where we were, everything was soaking, dripping wet. After a while, we discovered that the wetness was melting ice, ice that covered the tops of the trees in a thick layer.
In the mountains, freezing temperatures mean freezing fog.
When we reached the top, the wind was stunningly cold. We took a group photo of us in t-shirts, and turned around. If we had continued, we would have had a 3-hour hike along a completely exposed ridge. If that ridge iced over the following day, we would probably not have been able to hike out on Monday.
I uploaded several of the best photos from that hike to a separate gallery page.
OK, so I finally purchased an entry-level dSLR after a considerable amount of research and eBay sniping. 
So far, it’s wonderful. I finally get to take pictures that are pretty! No more sun burns! Things I like about this camera a whole lot; fast shutter release, excellent low-light performance, fast power on, small charger, manual zoom lense, independent AE/AF locks, fast autofocus, fast continuous shooting, standard USB-mini connector, excellent battery life, and let’s not forget low cost!
My brothers, practicing floorwork after a hard crossfit workout. Brothers will be brothers!
I finally get to play with proper depth of field! I haven’t been able to really work DoF since I stopped using my DSC-F717 a couple years ago. This is extremely awesome!
Finally, three pictures from home and about;
I listen to underground hip-hop on 90.3 on the way to dance in the evening, and then the folk program on the way home later in the evening, and I note down and find artists from both.
I’ve danced every day since last Monday. Seven straight days. This is in addition to programming full time and maintaining a couple side programming projects.
Peg Hall invited me down to the New Haven advanced contra on Saturday. It was a good group, if small, and a bit older. My pictures didn’t come out at all! New camera was at JFK this morning. I can’t wait to get it!
We went to the Yankee Steam Up on Saturday. It was awesome, as usual. Some excellent pictures, including this one of Bob Merriam. I love that place. Of course, I had to get the t-shirt.
There’s something romantic about steam power. The soft whoosh of the steam billowing through exhaust pipes. Dripping water everywhere, the smell of machine oil permeates the warm air. A touch of coal smoke. The gentle thudding of massive iron moving smoothly in well-oiled tracks. The huge flywheel casts flickering shadows in the steamy light. A thing of beauty, powerful, old, and absolutely, totally, completely awesome!
The alarm goes off at 0450. I reach for it blindly, swatting at the buttons. It’s completely dark as I climb down from my bed and find the light switch. The kayaks are already loaded and tied, and all equipment stowed. Clothes are laid out, and an extra set is bagged. Sweatshirt, hat, gloves. It’s 79 degrees outside, but if I get wet, I might chill dramatically.
It’s a long drive to Third Beach. The police aren’t out, but we take it nice and slow. We’ve got a kayak tied down to the top of the van, and speed isn’t wise. We do, after an eternity, wind our way down Third Beach Road and park. The sun is just coming up.
I’m not fishing today. I’m here to put my kayak out in ocean water. There’s about two inches of surf. I didn’t manage to put together thigh straps before we left, so two inches is about right. By the time we get out on the water, the brilliant sun is starting to climb.
I forgot my sunglasses. I close my eyes and feel the warm sun on my face. I paddle towards the heat. Sun, water, gulls, pull, pull, pull. For a Pisces, this is bliss.
Once we’re out, I lay back on my kayak and feel the water rock. The long ocean swells roll under me, sometimes lapping against my legs.
I hear the surf washing against nearby rocks, and sit up. This is fun! The swell surges and sucks around the rocks. I’m too timid to venture in close, as this is the first time I’ve been out on the ocean in my kayak.
One large rock outcropping has an extensive seaweed garden behind it. The waves are silenced by the green fronds, and it is quite safe to paddle right up to the rocks.
After two hours on the water, my father catches a fish. It’s his very first time kayak fishing. Twenty-three pounds of tender, tasty bass. We’ll eat very well tonight!
My dad is awesome!
The smoke billows as smoldering fires struggle to burn. Flames lick under engines fitfully. Unidentifiable metal chunks litter the ground. Oil is smeared across the raw dirt as the last moving vehicles gasp and smash their way to destruction.
What do you think about when you see this picture?
Taken as a demolition derby wrapped up at a local fair.
Absolutely awesome!
The foliage is starting to turn! Fall is here, and it’s going to be beautiful!
There are several good pictures from this collection, and I wanted to post another. New England is simply awesome!
Also awesome: I’m getting an older DSLR so I can actually take decent dawn and sunset pictures. This will be a momentous occasion.
The water is quiet as the tide slowly pulls towards the sea. Blackbirds are everywhere, and the occasional goose flies overhead as they migrate south.
It’s late afternoon, and the sun shines golden light down through the grass and trees.
We’re drifting slowly downstream, watching, listening, quiet. There’s a cormorant perched on the tree, barely ten feet from us. He’s beautiful, a bit nervous, but stays as we pass. Can you see him?
She’s skittish. All kayaks are, when they’re not properly settled. She’s a real beauty, though; sleek, swift, and low to the water. A tiny, pretty little boat.
The gray water is sprinkled with rain, and everything is wet. I’ve just purchased this kayak, and I can’t wait to put her out on the water.
I put the paddle into the water and pull. She’s fast, and tracks a straight and narrow path. She’s close the water, and warm water around my feet swirls as it circulates through the scupper hole.
Turns are fast, side drift is small. This kayak is an extension of my body. I can feel every little wave and nuance of the water.
A very beautiful and capable boat.
I think her name is Jenny.
The attached picture was taken on my recent trip to Brattleboro for the Labor Day Dawn Dance. We went up a day early by accident, ended up sleeping in my car and outside, and spent the day kayaking. The morning mist was quite magical. Yes, we danced until it ended at 7AM.
I watched S01E19 of Painkiller Jane, and it is placed in Budapest.
Budapest.
Hungary!
Oh my God!
Why it is so powerful to see that place again? I was there, on that bridge. I climbed that hill. I stopped on that balcony and looked out over the Danube. I walked in the shade of Parliament. I sat there, on that street. I ate at that restaurant and worked on my laptop, at the end of the bridge.
I must go back; it is not optional.