These photos are not as good as some in the past, primarily because I didnít have enough natural light. However, because it was early morning and still about 54 degrees, I was able to get within a couple inches of the nest. I went back in the afternoon, when the sun was out, and I couldnít get near them.

I like the full-on eye contact.
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Dan Downing

Val and her new husband Mike — in Mickey Mouse ears to add levity to the occasion — appreciating parents and closest friends at their rehearsal dinner.

The wedding of my niece brought together 175 people — separated by two degrees or less — in Austin last weekend.

For me it was three days of connecting, reflecting, laughing, learning.

I learned about my son’s partner, JimK, and his new model yacht racing hobby.
I connected with my childhood friend MaryAnn, whose mother, Nancy, was my second mother, as I wrestled with growing up in Mexico City.

I met Madeleine, the strong and beautiful daughter of my sister’s best friend, Elena, about to begin her career as an art teacher at the same French elementary school I attended 50 years ago.

I listened to comments of admiration about how easy my two daughters, Sarah and Rebecca, are to talk with, from a new friend, Mike’s best man, Matt.

I had breakfast with my 85 year-old-mother Bertha, and my just-turned-37 son Jim, and reflected on three learnings from my father that have shaped who I am.

I read a book my son Greg gave me, whose author he identifies with, and gained insights about his own personal dreams and inner struggles.

Weddings and funerals have a natural way of getting us in touch with the parts of ourselves we see reflected in people we’ve known and loved. We need more events like this, less momentous or terminal, to appreciate each other and learn about ourselves.

Poker at Rob’s house in Boxborough.

Rob’s father-in-law, Ernie, with the second, natural, straight flush of the night. I had the first.
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Just cash.
Peeking at Rob’s cards.
The players. || Ernie, Mark, Stu, Dwight, Mark’s brother-in-law, Al, and Rob.

Adam and Lukas’s new office space.
Lukas (but a blurrrr), Adam and Mark.
We worked all day on Sunday, and Adam claims we exceeded his expectations, but it seemed to me we (maybe it was just moi) were frozen in amber.
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Miraflor

Peter and Patti gave Matt their 1989 Honda, which is good shape except for some minor body rust. Matt, Daryl and Robby worked yesterday to fill, sand and prime those rust holes before driving it to the Mobil Station for inspection.
Theyíve also been customizing the interior. When I arrived home from work, Matt said, ìDad, we need another screw for the license plate. We added one of Darylís speakers and the bass shakes the plate.î

I thought, they added a speaker and the license plate rattles, what sense does that make? Click here to view the speaker.

Coalhouse Walker & Sarah
Molly was the Company Stage Manager for the Newton Summer Stage production of Ragtime. Newton Summer Stage is a summer musical theatre intensive program for high school teens with a mission to create a professional quality show. In past years it was called The Drama Training Institute but they changed the name to break off from the morning program that does non musical theatre training. Here are Dan’s and my photos.

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Mark created the problem when he drew that white door into his garage plans. The door asks for a platform with stairs. Jan thought why not a full width deck maybe wrapping around the back side, Adam wanted parabolic curves and I, a staircase that lands on the driveway. Mark ended the discussion when he pronounced it would be an eighteen by ten foot rectangle with a short set of stairs landing near a cobbled path that snaked through the woods.

At lunch, after weíd erected the posts and the bearing beam, Jan asked me, ìDonít you think a two level deck would be great?î

Looking out for Mark and my own limited free time, I stopped Jan with, ìI hate wood.î

ìBut youíre a carpenter.î

ìAnd I hate wood. If you want another level, make it out of stone. Something, anything that doesnít require maintenance.î

As requested, more photos of Bertha .

Chris Radulski is reading Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss, the best seller about punctuation, and the same book I thought Iíd get from my local library, except that I was the four hundredth in line. I hope Iím next in line for Chrisís copy. Here, however, is a contrarian view which inspired this defense from the Guardian.

Bertha

One more from the airport. Maley hugs Hil, Robby watches.
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The first day on the job, I taught Chris the fastest way to pass anything is through the air. Ask for a hammer and you better look up because itíll be sailing in your direction. Need a hand saw? Are your hands free? They better be. Monday we needed to clear one of those upper decks of piles of household junk in order to stain it. I stood above and to the back of the deck, while Chris was below on the ground. Perched on the railing between us were flower pots full of blooming impatiens, which made it impossible to know exactly what was coming before it had sailed over the railing.

ìAre you ready?î I donít always give a warning.

ìYes.î

Into the air I launched a stream of stuff : a rake, a broom, a shovel, a plastic plant container, garden hand tools, towels, two coolers, everything but the chairs and the gas grill. I couldnít see what was happening down below, but other than one shout of, ìDonít throw the pointy end at me,î I think he caught most of it.

That was not my retribution, oh no.

With the deck clear, and needing to stain the outside railing, we set our long plank on the tops of two ladders – that place with the warning sign, THIS IS NOT A STEP. We climbed up on opposite sides and I spied a long, brown, fat, juicy slug slinking along my end. I picked it up, looked at Chris who had not seen it, and winged it at him. Like a pitcher protecting himself from a line drive he snagged it, hard, at chest height.

Then he opened his hand.

Egdelina
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Iíve received many emails from fans of the blog (fobís) asking why I continue to tell stories about Chris, now that Matthew is home. ìSure, we like Chris,î they write, ìbut letís hear more about Mattís trip. ëMatt on horseback, Mattís house in Esteli, Mattís classroom, Mattís teacher,í boring, boring, boring. WE NEED MORE DETAILS!í î Iíd be happy to comply, but here is the deal. I saw Matt on Friday night when he deplaned, I saw him once on Saturday, not at all on Sunday, and briefly on Monday. And that is how it is. Today, he and Daryl are going to Joeís house in NH, and I wonít see him again until this coming Saturday….maybe. If you want more Matt stories, you have to write and tell him to stay home.