Friday, January 31, 2014

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Illuminated Wreath House

Boxford, MA

Sixteen degrees this morning felt cold on my cycling commute.  Temps rose to a much more pleasant nineteen degrees for the time of this picture.  I haven't been riding my bicycle on cold days this winter - and the reason why is coming back to me- painfully cold toes and fingers.  Put the Little Hotties to work  http://www.amazon.com/Little-Hotties-Hand-Warmers-Pairs/dp/B001G6SQMG  - a guilty pleasure. 



Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Backyard Trees at Night

West Boxford, MA

weird lighting effect provided by camera

Monday, January 27, 2014

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Hollow Tree

West Boxford, MA

What lives in the tree?

Friday, January 24, 2014

Sun and Numerals

Pfizer Campus, Andover, MA

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Tracks and Shadows

West Boxford, MA

Listened to this wonderful podcast today.  

http://www.onbeing.org/program/last-quiet-places/feature/selected-reading-one-square-inch-silence/4561

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Lichen on Tree

Pfizer Campus, Andover, MA

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Seeing Trees





Brought this book back from my trip.

Monday, January 20, 2014

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Madonna on Ice


Quincy, IL

This picture of my aunt and uncle's pet goats is entirely outside of the scope of the project, but they are so cute that I put them up anyway.




Saturday, January 18, 2014

Friday, January 17, 2014

Thursday, January 16, 2014

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Sergio's Grove



Andover, MA


I find this place interesting because it challenges my ideas about land use.  The town of Andover has put up a sign here at a little parking area and posted a trail map which includes campsites.  This is a small area which is bordered by an interstate and industrial development.  In addition to the trail map, there is a very detailed sign about the dangers of ticks here, and a warning about bow hunting.   I can’t imagine who would camp here.  When I saw the camping sign, I started to consider camping here as part of this project in local exploration.  Patrick suggested that it looks like a place homeless people would camp and has advised that I am not to camp there alone.

To wrap this up, I googled Serio’s Grove – and found this article of the exact type of bad behavior which Patrick speculated was going on back there.  Which leads me to conclude that instead of challenging my ideas about land use I now will let this news article feed my stereotypes.

http://www.eagletribune.com/latestnews/x585464505/Bad-trip


Monday, January 13, 2014

IOWA VALVE CO OSKALOOSA IOWA



North Andover, MA

 Good example today of how this photo journal project brings me to see details I have overlooked.  This mailbox of the Water Treatment Plant is on my commute and I have never paused to look at it.  Today I  noticed the word Iowa on the red valve.  Given my open mindset of the morning, I came to find a number of personal connections with the valves.

I spent 6 semesters and one summer of my undergraduate time in Iowa.  I'm very familiar with the stretch of I-80 north of Oskaloosa.
My first job after college was working as a jr engineer on the design of a water distribution system.
My favorite aspect of working on industrial utilities is colored piping.
I have driven through Oskaloosa once. Perhaps I would recognize a stretch of road if I were to visit again.  Hard to say for sure, but I think I remember the industrial area which I presume birthed this valve.  What I do clearly recall from the trip was taking a wrong turn and buying sack of kettlecorn from a man that popped corn in a large kettle at an intersection in open country. 

I read somewhere that Iowa has more small towns than any other state.  According to the internet, Oskaloosa has about 10,000 people - which is decent size for a town in Iowa.  In our economy of global supply chains, this marking of a product with a hometown name seems old fashion.  I checked the internet and found that some people in Oskaloosa are still working in the valve company  - now under the name of Clow Valve.

http://www.clowvalve.com/about-us/company-history/




Sunday, January 12, 2014

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Pie Sign and Wagons at Smolak Farms




North Andover, MA

Need to get faster.  I stopped to take this picture and never caught back up to my running group.  Slick, sloppy, and foggy here this morning.

Friday, January 10, 2014

Gulls and Tree


Pfizer Campus, Andover, MA

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Ice in the Leaves, Bare Stick Morning

West Boxford, MA


This is a fascinating article regarding a man who built a hospital centrifuge from bike parts. 

http://www.pri.org/stories/2014-01-09/nigerian-doctor-runs-his-hospital-corn-cobs-and-used-bike-parts

 Today is an incredible one for stories.  This is a skip to the end version of the post by Paul Salopek today, one of the most moving he has written on his trip.

“Solvatur ambulando,” Diogenes proclaimed: “It is resolved by walking.” But do you actually believe that grief can be walked away? It is like these goddamned tomatoes. Given the hands that picked them for $11 a day, you would think they would be inedible—too bitter to swallow. Toxic with pain. But they aren’t. They are good tomatoes. They taste just fine.

http://outofedenwalk.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/09/tomatoes/

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Cold Morning Birds on the Pond

Pfizer Campus, Andover, MA

I have to admit that this was taken on a walk from the parking lot to my office, not exactly what I'd consider an outdoor adventure, but a celebration of the birds in any case.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Leaves Under Ice

Pfizer Campus, Andover, MA


Monday, January 6, 2014

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Trail Junction Monument at Grass Rides

Appleton Farms, Ipswich, MA

Stone was an ornament on Gore Hall at Harvard, now standing at the trail junction.

Didn't have my camera when I encountered an entire flock of wild turkeys on a run up water tower hill at dusk.  They were a sight!  Large and numerous, they filled the yard of a ranch house, and flew up over the house across the street when I jogged by.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Friday, January 3, 2014

Snow Day




West Boxford, MA

I'm really enjoying watching birds at the feeder.  Today we started identifying the common birds we are seeing.  This was a nice view for me, as the next 12 hours was views of industrial equipment again.  Patrick had a more pleasant afternoon, exploring in the deep snow with Mocha.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Second Shift Weather

Pfizer, MA

snow blown to our door

My work team has had a confluence of events this week.  New Year's Eve, a winter storm, and an urgent technical challenge.  It was a beautiful snowy day today and I had some wonderful glimpses of snow, trees, birds in the pond, and an assembly of plows in the parking lot - all viewed through the window of the manufacturing suite or our wall of windows at the door.  The rest of the day was spent viewing industrial equipment, drawings of our strategic plan of attack, and faces of  colleagues.  It was the first day back to work for my friend who was on maternity leave since September.  What a day to return. 

My guess is that at least some of these footsteps are from 2nd shifters venturing out for food.  We typically have a limited dinner service at the cafeteria of premade sandwiches and a hearty yet simple cafeteria entree.  Today the cafeteria staff left early so there was no dinner.  Our plant is a 10 min drive from the closest place to buy sandwiches.  If that is closed, the next sandwich place is another 5 min away.  If that is closed, another 5 min to town.  Tonight it appeared that everything in town was closed.  I worked with a mechanic this evening who had arrived provisioned with Campbells soup and a sleeping bag, planning to work through Saturday. 


Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Sky between walkways at Crane Beach

Ipswich, MA

If you are looking for a new book to read, I think this one would be a good choice.  I listened to most of this podcast this morning and really enjoyed it. 

http://www.onbeing.org/program/a-second-wind/6050
If I met Eve Ensler, I'd show her my favorite trees.