Not a Kindergartener Anymore

Today was the start of First Grade. Most kids dread the end of summer and going back to school, but luckily for us he is just like his big brother and he actually looks forward to it. I was the same at their age… I liked the summer… but by the end of it I was ready and excited to be going back to school. The temperature at 7:30am this morning was already hitting the high 70’s, and despite the muggy and uncomfortable conditions, he was a real trooper as we got back into the routine of breakfast, getting dressed, and on this occasion, posing for the obligatory first day back-to-school photographs. There were lots of hugs for Lori as she left for work, and I think the only thing unusual was how as the morning unfolded we all kind of noticed at some point that Sam wasn’t there. No worries about making the adjustment today for Jack though, and we were even early as we started our quarter mile or so walk down the street to Jill’s house for before school care and to catch the bus.

As we made our way down past the park, I could sense that he was starting to get a little bit nervous. We talked about how excited Mrs Jones was going to be to see him (Mrs Jones was Sam’s first grade teacher too), and we talked about how he could help the new little kindergarteners who would be getting on the school bus for the first time and would likely be petrified. He remembered how scared he felt this time last year, and promised to help them out by smiling and sharing his seat. Bus driver Bob is apparently seriously lacking in basic social skills, and his presence can be far from welcoming. As you can see, Jack is starting to really grow up. He is definitely getting taller, and with the “Lori special” haircut from the night before – and the missing two front teeth – I can’t help feeling that he is growing up way too fast. Lori met the bus at school and was there to ease his entry into the school building and down to the wing that houses the first graders. No tears on this morning for him… in fact, when I first dropped him off at Jill’s, I got a big hug and a quick goodbye from a very happy and confident little man who I just new was going to be kind to the new kids on the bus.

Race for the Cure, 2010

The 2010 Bangor version of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure will be held on Sunday, September 19th starting at the Bangor waterfront at 10:00am. The 5K run or 3K walk will probably attract somewhere in the region of 4,000+ runners and walkers, all there to do their part to support the fight against a terrible disease.

As coach of the Boys Soccer team at Bangor HS, and I am extremely proud of the fact that just about every member of the team ran in the race last year. This year we are hoping to again have the entire varsity team involved, along with our junior varsity and freshman teams. With all players and coaches from the program participating, we should be able to add more than 70 runners to the event.

What makes this even more special is that even though participation is absolutely optional, I know we will have an impressive turn out from the boys for what is a very worthy cause. I believe it is important that they get an opportunity to be a part of something relevant – something that isn’t necessarily about them – and what could be more important than supporting the fight against breast cancer. It is gratifying to know that they have once again taken it upon themselves to organize the group’s participation in the race, and as a coach and educator, to know that you have such leadership and social responsibility within your team is heartwarming to say the least.

If interested in donating to the cause, please support the event and the efforts of our program by visiting our team page. Thanks, and Go Rams!

French Fries, Dough Boys, and Cotton Candy

It felt like fall as we walked from the car to the gate of the Bangor State Fair, but the wall of sights, sounds and smells that hit us on entry immediately took our mind off the slight chill in the air. I always look forward to the last week of July when the fair comes to Bangor, though truth be told for me it is more about the picnic table of artery clogging delights that you can’t get anywhere else but here. Delicious and irresistible… yes… between the four of us we did eat just about one of everything available!

We all rode on the Ferris Wheel together for the first time. Jack had always been too little – or maybe it was my fear of heights – but either way, we eagerly climbed on board and held on tight as we were winched high above the crowds. As the sun got lower in the sky it bathed what was a rainbow-colored scene below us in a magical warm glow, and Jack took advantage of the unique view to survey the scene and look for our house off in the distance. When dangling 200 feet up in the air in a swinging metal bucket, combining the mouthwatering smells of traditional fair food with the shrieks of delight from thrill seeking teenagers on rides below provides an assault to the senses the likes of which can’t be found anywhere else.

Probably for the last time – since Jack is getting so grown up now – we did the Crazy Bus ride, likely the exact same one that Sam first rode many years ago. Jack and Lori rode the giant slide, while Sam and I enjoyed another round of exceptionally tasty – just like my mother made – salt and vinegar covered hand cut fries. The cotton candy was as sweet and gooey as always, and it’s hard to beat a right-out-of-the-fryer doughboy that has been dusted (heavily) with brown and white sugar… classic Americana.

Lori and Sam wandered over to check out the local farm animals while Jack and I marveled at the alligator-wrestling, Steve Irwin-type showman who gave us an up-close education about a critter that we don’t normally see around these parts. Even though my legendary streak of winning an oversized cuddly animal at the water gun game was inexplicably snapped this year, nothing could dampen our spirits on this evening as we all agreed that time spent together at the state fair is hard to beat.

This was probably the latest we have ever stayed into the evening at the fair, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere as the night closed in. The rides lit up with intense and spectacular colors, the crowd seemed to swell to double the size, and the thump, thump, thump of the music designed to attract young people to each ride seemed to get louder and louder. As we reluctantly started to think about heading home, we looked around to make sure there wasn’t anything we had missed. Hmmm… sausage and peppers… don’t think we had one of those yet 🙂

Sunflowers!

Back home in Maine again. Our garden of wildflowers did just fine while we were away on our trip out west. I guess as is implied by their name, they don’t need a lot of care. Since we left on our trip, several new varieties of have bloomed and the array of color is quite striking.

The taller flowers that were threatening to bloom before we left have now actually done so, and yes… they are indeed sunflowers! Yellow is a favorite color of mine, and the buttery, flowery petals and oversized head have always fascinated me. Although our sunflowers only stand about four feet tall, I am thrilled to have them growing right here in our own back yard.

Where the Clouds Rest in Yosemite

Soaring high above Yosemite Valley floor, Clouds Rest is a large granite ridge left over from when glaciers moved through the high country and carved out Tenaya Canyon. The top of Clouds Rest is 9,930 feet above sea level, and when Sam and I hiked to the top of it today, it felt like we climbed every one of those feet! In reality, the elevation gain was more like only 3,000 feet, but at this altitude, and in 80 degree weather, these two flatlanders from Maine were certainly challenged.

We started the hike at 8:30am, and were able to reach the summit by noon. The first 1.5 miles or so of the hike lulls you into thinking this isn’t going to be so bad. After wading knee deep across Tenaya Creek, we followed a wooded path alongside the water, but soon we started to climb, and climb quickly. The next mile had us navigating uphill switchbacks that despite the generous staired trail, absolutely tear at your legs and lungs. Things flattened out a little after that, and we were treated to a wide variety of beautiful wildflowers in bloom, the ever majestic and sometimes gigantic Yosemite trees, and a lovely quiet pond nestled in amongst the landscape.

The final push to the summit of Clouds Rest was long, hot, and dusty as the remainder of the 7.1 mile trail steadily climbed to where we were exposed above the trees on the granite that is synonymous with Yosemite. At the summit, we enjoyed the expansive views of the park, especially of the valley floor some 5,000 feet below – we also had an amazing view of the back side of half-dome. As you can see, Sam had no qualms about getting to the very summit, but with my fear of heights, I was quite content to admire the view from the wider “summit” part of Clouds Rest.

After a brief rest and a chance to refuel, we reversed direction and started the descent, confident in the knowledge that going down couldn’t possibly be as hard as coming up. Though we certainly moved along at a better pace going down, the length and elevation difference in this hike made for one of the more challenging experiences I certainly have had hiking. On our return to our starting point, the cool water in Tenaya Creek felt sooooo good on our feet and legs, and we were quite relieved to have finished this hike. It took us a total of 7 hours to complete, and that includes a 45 minute rest on the summit… not bad for two boys from Bangor, Maine.

Fire on the Block

We had a little excitement this evening on our block.

I was putting Jack to bed when we heard a commotion going on outside. Apparently an SUV pulling a horse trailer got a flat tire just across the street from our house, and after the owner left the vehicle presumably to go get help, the trailer started spewing smoke. Luckily Sam and a couple of his teenage friends were outside when this all happened and they called 911.

A couple of hours later and the fire crews are still here cleaning up what turned out to be a big old mess. Somehow the trailer – which was filled with hay – had caught fire, and the firemen had to break into it and douse the flames that were starting to intensify. After cracking open the trailer, they waded on in and started to remove the still burning hay from the trailer. Jack enjoyed the show – what 6 year old wouldn’t – though luckily no-one was injured.

All the same… a nice reminder of how brave our local heroes are, dealing admirably with what could have been a much trickier situation. Kudos to the Bangor Fire Department!

A White Picket Fence

There is something timeless and classic about a white picket fence.

Over the past couple of weeks we have been steadily chipping away at several curb appeal projects around the house. Between my new steps to the front porch, Lori’s completely re-done flower garden on the side of the house, Sam’s lawn restoration projects, and our latest backyard makeover… let’s just say we have been quite busy.

There used to be a big, grey, and dilapidated wooden stockade fence running the length of our backyard, but over the years its condition had slowly deteriorated to the point where we recently decided it had to come down. While it certainly provided us with some privacy in the back yard, it had most definitely become an eyesore. A few weeks ago everyone pitched in and with great pleasure – and not a little sweat – we went to work and completely tore it down. The difference in the back yard atmosphere was instant – there was so much added light streaming in that it felt like a whole new yard. All that new light came with a price though… it was certainly not so private back there any more!

After the fence came down we did get a couple of estimates to replace it, but finding them quite pricey, our motivation quickly changed to where we wanted to “go green” rather than installing a high white plastic fence that would be on the earth forever. So, instead of replacing the fence, we decided to fill in some of the spaces between the existing arborvitae with new plants and bushes. It was invigorating to add to the garden in such a substantial way, and we all agreed that our “green” plan was the right thing to do. We still get all of the new light, and over time much of the lost privacy will return.

We have also added a new white trellis with a beautiful Clematis already planted and ready to climb, and we installed a single piece of white wooden picket fence to help accent and define the space. The fence looks like it has been there for years, and it subtly helps give us the sense of being in a lush and traditional flower garden. We have always loved our cute little back yard patio area enjoying many hours out there during the warm summer months, but now that it has been updated and transformed, we could not be more proud of our own little private oasis.

Bike rider update: Wow!

 

Update: Wow!

Only day two of learning to ride without training wheels and look at Jack go!

Apparently this bike riding thing isn’t so hard after all! After a few more guided tries from a nervous parent he proclaimed himself ready to go solo. With a huge grin he even managed to master the all-important starting and stopping parts – sort of.

When Lori told him how proud she was of him, it was cute to hear him tell her she was, “The best bike rider teacher ever.”

“It’s just like riding a bike…”

Jack took advantage of the nice weather this weekend by breaking out the scooter and zooming up and down the sidewalk like a pro. Even though he hasn’t been on his scooter since last fall, he was able to pick up right where he left off. It was just like riding a bike…

Speaking of riding a bike, this seemed like an opportune moment to actually make that little phrase come to life. Jack is almost six, but since our winters here in Maine offer relatively short windows of time to practice bike riding, to this point he has still been using his training wheels. After a brief discussion with Lori where he pleaded to be allowed to ditch them, it was decided that today was going to be the day to start the “training wheel” weaning process.

Boy does time fly… it seems like only yesterday that Sam was doing the same thing, and it was nice to have him here to share in this important moment for his little brother. Our local Fairmount Park has a couple of “softer” trails to practice on, though there was no need to worry about Jack falling! Although he hasn’t quite figured out the starting and stopping part, he is definitely getting more comfortable with balancing, steering and pedaling without training wheels. Lori, Sam and I took turns guiding him along the path, and the more he practiced, the more confident he became.

We were all pretty excited to see him go solo first time out… even if it was just for a little bit. He is growing up so fast…

Prentiss Woods

Prentiss Woods is a relatively small parcel of wooded land that lies directly behind our local high school here in Bangor. It is easily accessed from a three-car parking lot on Grandview Avenue, and although it may not cover a huge area, it more than makes up for that in how it makes you feel like you could be elsewhere in more grand surroundings. The trail meanders between some tall, tall trees, and the gentle undulations in elevation give the impression of a more mountainous place.

We enjoyed the unseasonably warmer weather this weekend, spending some time on Sunday morning together wandering along this short but pretty trail. The sun was trying its best to reach into the shadows to melt the remaining snow, and as it did so it warmed us all in a manner that promised springtime was on its way. Some nice light made its way onto the tree trunks and forest floor, and as it did so I played with it a little, simplifying the scene by moving the camera vertically while the shutter was open.

A Walk in the Woods

The whole family enjoyed a long walk together in the woods this weekend. The Bangor Forest is a place we visit often, and on this morning we decided to explore a different part of the area. We parked in the less popular southern lot, bundled up against the cold and headed out on the trail. The sun was bright and almost warm when we started out, but by the time we made it back to the car it had clouded over. We covered about 2.5 miles in total, with Jack handling the distance and conditions with ease. Even though the trails were icy, the forest is a place that is refreshingly beautiful at any time of the year, and time spent together is always a good thing. Moving the camera through the scene, this image is from along the trail (added two more):

Northern Lights

As I was going through some older images…

I don’t like to call it a “bucket list” – but rather I call it my “things to do in life” list. Everyone has one right? Well… on mine always right up near the top was to see one of the most famous sights in nature… the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.

I came a cross this image as I was doing some editing – it is from the one and only time I have ever witnessed the Aurora Borealis. About 7 years or so ago we had gone out to dinner one fall evening, and as we pulled into the driveway at home I stepped out of the car and was absolutely mesmerized by an intense and unique pinkish/red glow in the sky overhead.

It took me a while before I realized exactly what was going on, but when my brain clicked into gear I grabbed my camera and tripod and scurried down to the local golf course in an attempt to try to escape the light pollution from being in-town and get to a place that was relatively dark. The colors I witnessed in that night sky were stunning and unforgettable. I saw the most intense reds, oranges, pinks, yellows and greens. The skies overhead were on fire, and I even had to de-saturate the colors here.

Without any kind of interesting foreground to frame the scene, I struggled to do justice with the camera to what my eyes were seeing. I ended up pretty much forgetting about trying to take photographs and just stared at the sky for what seemed like ages. It is very hard to put into words what I was seeing, and I was in absolute awe of the phenomenon I was witnessing all across the night skies above me.

The light show lasted about 45 minutes, and sometime during that span I set up the self-timer and walked around in front of the camera hoping that I might be able to create a silhouette of my shape to at least try to add something of interest to the foreground. I remember the shutter was open for something like 30 seconds or so, and that I had to guess where to stand with my back to the camera so as to be in the frame, and I also had to stand perfectly still during the exposure so that my outline would be relatively sharp. I kind of like how this turned out… but unfortunately other than that one occasion, I have yet to see the northern lights again.

Impressionism in the forest

Another wonderful Sunday morning spent wandering along the “Deer Trail” in the Bangor Forest, and a couple more impressionistic images captured moving the camera while the shutter was open.

Most of my images in this genre to date have been landscape oriented, but when I saw this scene I knew it was a prime candidate for applying this technique in a portrait orientation.

The leaves strewn across the forest floor added an element of color to the scene that I hoped would provide an interesting foreground, and the lines offered by the tree trunks would hopefully hold the viewer’s interest compositionally. The vertical shape of the image I think also accentuates the lines.

Though I realize that not everyone will like this type of image, I personally enjoy the color palette and find it very pleasing to the eye.

In the second image, I was drawn not only to the large tree in the foreground with the vertical patterns on the bark, but also to the layers of trees that you can see in the background.

As we wandered along the trail, the light would periodically break through the canopy of the forest, and at this time of year the sun is fairly low in the sky offering pretty dramatic side-lighting on the tree trunks. The shadows and highlights on the tree trunks add depth to this image that is crucial to its impact.

I love how the colors and shapes blend together while still maintaining enough of their original form to allow the viewer to understand what they are looking at. I enjoy how what are often complex and cluttered scenes become simplified and distilled to basic elements.

Soccer season

My favorite time of year.

We lost a ton of seniors from last year’s State Championship runner-up team, and as with the start of any new season, it is always interesting to see how a young team will evolve and develop their own personality. Despite losing so many starters from last season, we knew we were going to be good again this year. Little did we know just how good though.

We cruised through the regular season with a record of 14-0-0, scoring 60+ goals and conceding only one goal… that’s right, one goal all season long. We played some of the best high school soccer I have seen in a long time, dominating opponents in every aspect of the game and all over the field.

Coaching this group was an absolute pleasure, and as we moved from the regular season into the playoffs, we were very focused on making it back to the state championship game. We figured if we could make it that far we would likely get a shot at the team that beat us in overtime last year, Scarborough.

After convincing playoff wins against both Lawrence and Erskine, we ran into old foe Brunswick in the Eastern Maine Final. The game that decides who goes to the state championship from Eastern Maine has been between Bangor and Brunswick 3 of the last 4 years, and a healthy rivalry has developed along the way. Two good teams squared off this time around, both with the utmost of respect for each other.

Great game. Lots of action and drama. We went 1-0 up early and carried the game to Brunswick for most of the first half. The Brunswick defense bent but didn’t break, and as the first half wound down it was they who came storming back to grab the momentum. They came out in the second half determined to maintain their grip on the game, and only 7 minutes in they tied the score at 1-1 after a goalmouth scramble.

This seemed to wake our team up, and for the remainder of the game we reversed the flow and put Brunswick back on their heels. Despite some relentless pressure, we could not break through to get what would surely have been the winner.

The game went into overtime, where the first team to score wins the game… golden goal rule. We talked about how this was our home field, and how we wanted to be positive going forward in trying to continue to wear our opponent down. Chance after chance came our way during overtime, but with five minutes left and somewhat against the run of play it was Brunswick who scored the winning goal. On another goalmouth scramble, the ball bounced around in front of our goal for what seemed like an eternity before one of their players reached out a leg and poked the ball through the crowd and into the goal.

All season long we had never been behind to another team, and now that we were, we would not have a chance to respond. Golden goal… the game was over. The season was over. For our seniors, their high school soccer careers were over. Just like that.

We were all stunned. We knew that Brunswick was a great team, and that they were very capable of beating us, but up to this point we had been invincible. Not tonight. Our season ended quickly, painfully, and unexpectedly. Great fans, great atmosphere, and even a great performance by our team… but unfortunately for us, the wrong result. Brunswick left Bangor that night with our best wishes, but were not able to overcome Scarborough, falling by a score of 2-1 to the reigning state champions.

This was an especially tough one to take. I woke up the morning after feeling very empty inside. Just a game I know, but at the same time everyone had worked so hard for so long, and just like that it was all over. Weird feeling.

We are preparing for our end of season celebration this week. It will be great to see all of the kids again. The last time I saw them they were dealing with the disappointment that losing a big game brings. It will be good to see them smiling again as we remember those awesome moments from the season that make playing sports so much fun. I am sure that there will be lots of laughs and stories to be told.

Once again we will be losing an incredible group of dedicated and charismatic seniors. We are very proud of the accomplishments, the leadership, and the legacy of the group pictured below, and they will be sorely missed. However, I can’t help wondering what next year’s team will look like?

Bangor Forest

The Bangor Forest is a really neat 650 acre parcel of land located right here in my own backyard. A short drive gets us here to enjoy the many paths and trails that intertwine all across what is still a vibrant working forest. We try to get out here as often as we can, and today was a perfect day to explore the area and admire the changing fall foliage.

We headed left out of the main parking lot, and eventually ended up on the Deer Trail, a pretty, winding pathway that meandered through the forest. Even though the foliage in the greater Bangor area is probably right about peak color this weekend, the leaves within much of the forest had already turned. Much of the forest landscape is swampy and low lying, and most of the brighter colors look to already have been and gone.

I carried my camera with me knowing that I might not get to see much in the way of bright, fall colors, but I did hope to come across some scenes where I could include movement in the composition. This technique involves opening the shutter for a longer period of time and dragging the camera across or through the scene. Depending on the light, the shapes, the colors and the elements… sometimes an image of interest can be captured.

I like how this type of scene can be created by anyone, and also how it can be created just about anywhere. The remaining fall color certainly added to these two images, and they are a reminder of what was an enjoyable fall family walk together… though as I write this it is snowing here in the mid-Maine area… way too early to be thinking about winter!

Technical data: both images were shot at f16 at iso 100 with 17-40mm Canon L lens and a shutter speed of 4/10ths of a second. The camera was panned in a vertical direction each time to try to accentuate the lines and shapes of the trees.

Wrapping up from Death Valley

Thanks to everyone who followed me on this trip. I appreciate your support, and have enjoyed interacting and sharing the preparations, experiences and photographs from what was an awesome trip. I had a wonderful time both in person in California, and virtually here in the blogosphere.

I am probably going to self-publish a book from this blog to help remind me of the experiences I had. A print run of one – aren’t Web 2.0 tools amazing! Not entirely sure what online publisher to use, so if anyone has any recommendations, they’d be appreciated.

Thanks again to everyone who viewed and commented on this blog. I had a great time and am looking forward to the next big trip… the 17-day family vacation this summer to California to see the Owens Valley, Yosemite National Park, San Fancisco, and Big Sur… should be a blast, and of course I will be bringing my camera gear.

In the meantime, most of my images can be found over on Flickr. I will be adding to the collection there as I make new ones. Here’s one last image from the trip to California. This is Mobius Arch, or Galen’s Arch – from the Alabama Hills area. This version is composed at a little wider angle than the one I already posted, and it was made earlier that same morning, this time before the sun had risen. Later…

On The Road

Well actually… I am going to be in the air first, and then on the road. I leave bright and early tomorrow morning for California, and am very excited for this day to have finally arrived. I have been thinking – and blogging – about this trip for quite a while… I started in the depths of our Maine winter, and now it is time to leave.

The image below is an example of the remoteness and uniqueness of the landscape I am going to experience. Death Valley National Park is a vast and sometimes inhospitable place, but that is why it intrigues me so much. My next post should be from somewhere other than Bangor, Maine.

More from the Bangor Forest

OK… I have to admit, I am really intrigued by the images I was able to make last weekend at the Bangor Forest. There is something – at least to me – ethereal and extremely interesting about these blurred images. Not everyone’s cup of tea I know, but for me… they are intriguing.

Here are a couple more images from the day. In all, I think I tried this maybe five times… and each time I was successful in capturing an image that I liked. That is actually a pretty high success rate, especially considering the subject matter… and am looking forward to trying this technique when I head out West next week.

Finally… I made a photograph!

It has been a long, long time since I have taken a landscape photograph. Recently I have been using a point and shoot for the convenience that it offers, and I haven’t really taken the time to make any images other than shooting the family etc. With my trip out West coming up shortly, I figured that I had better get back into the swing of things.

There is still a ton of snow on the ground around here, but with the sun shining and temperature rising into the mid 40’s, I brought my camera with me as we went for a walk through the Bangor Forest this morning.

Unfortunately the terrain was pretty scrubby, with dirty snow and broken branches all over the place. I didn’t see much in the way of potential traditional landscape scenes, and so I decided to try something different.

I have long admired the impressionistic images created by William Neill. He has been known to use a technique where he moves the camera while the shutter is open, resulting in what are some absolutely stunning artistic creations. William Neill has venues such as Yosemite, Sequoia and Death Valley to work with… this morning I had the Bangor Forest!

I was thrilled to see right on the LCD as I tripped the shutter that this experiment seemed to be working. With the shutter left open for around half a second, I explored moving the camera either up or down across the scene. With minimal post-processing, the results can be seen below. All shot with a Canon 20D and 17-40mm lens, I am interested in thoughts and opinions…