October 22

As fall approaches and the birds have had all summer to fatten up, these fat little birds -- house sparrows, perhaps? -- are all over Boston. They're a little comical to watch, as they hop around the ground looking for bits and bobs to snack on. They look so rotund that they shouldn't be able to get airborne. It makes sense that they fatten up for their journey south, I suppose. It's a long flight and they burn a lot of calories.

Last summer, a family of house sparrows took up residence in our front porch light. I was a little concerned that the eggs might be hard boiled, but the light acted more like an incubator than oven coil. My landladies moved them, nest and all, to a purpose-built little box high up on the corner of the porch, as they worried that the naked bulb might set the nest on fire.

I know, intellectually, that house sparrows are an invasive species in North America, and that they smash eggs and steal nests from other birds. Still, after the little family shared our home last summer, I feel some affection for the little pests.

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October 21

Surprisingly, it wasn't the foliage that caught my eye when I decided to take this photo; it was all the birds on the surface of Jamaica Pond. Alas, little birds on the big pond from a car hundreds of feet from said waterfowl doesn't lend itself to brilliant shooting, so this is the best of the bunch.

On the plus side, it was a great day to go for a ride with the windows down, even if I was rushing madly to get everywhere I needed to get and do everything I needed to do. I managed to travel distances in the city that I wouldn't have believed possible in an hour, and still made it to work on time despite having to make a detour to West Roxbury -- the precise opposite direction from work.

Yesterday was busy but felt unproductive. Today was busy but very productive -- I got a lot done -- and it feels really good!

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October 20

Today was inexplicably frustrating for me. I was working on stuff all day, I got stuff done, and I was on schedule, more or less, but I'm still behind and it feels like I haven't accomplished jack-@*$!.

(I noticed that my speech today has become approximately five times more scatological than usual as well.)

I felt a little better after accomplishing something concrete. We're giving away NaNoBoston 2009 stickers in goody bags this year, but we had to create them ourselves. This involved cutting them out of the label paper. It was laborious, but it felt good to just slice the crap out of these things -- and was productive as well.

I have about two dozen more things to accomplish before we assemble the goody bags on Friday -- not least of which is designing the ML nametags -- so I will be plenty busy. I'm living by the calendar, and it's working (more or less), but I don't have to like it!

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October 19

This little urban oasis is located near the Longwood Medical Area on my route to work. It's a little amazing to me that I have lived as long as I have and never realized that vines turned colors like other deciduous broadleaf plants.

It was such a beautiful day today; it's hard to believe that 24 hours before this photo was taken, Boston was getting a wintry mix of freezing rain, sleet, and snow. With the temperatures tomorrow getting into the high 50s/low 60s, it should be another lovely autumn day. Which is both pleasant and welcome -- I'll take all the respites I can get before winter sets in.

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October 18

My friend Keith and I had our dinner at New York System in Providence tonight. Even if we had only gone for this, it probably would have been worth the drive in the rain, and the drive back in the snow. I don't recall snow in October before. Once in May, sure, but never in October.

But I digress.

Keith needed the lift to visit a unique craft store in Warwick, and his lure was to offer me dinner for driving him. He introduced me to Coneys in Fall River earlier this summer, and New York System weinies -- don't call them hot dogs! -- are similar. They come topped with meat sauce, mustard, onions, and celery salt -- and I think the toppings outweigh the pork in the hot dogs.

Still, they're delicious, and there is a tradition -- a mythos, even -- around their consumption. Since they're small, they're often consumed in multiple units; six is not unheard of, though that's usually a weinie-only meal. As I only had two weinies, I also got a small order of truly outstanding french fries. (Note: a small order of french fries at New York System is a dinner plate full).

And then there was Norman, the loquacious and colorful weenie cook. He was entertainment all on his own, telling stories of his 20-plus years there.

All in all, it was a great day, despite the weather. I'm going to have to haul my photo walk cronies down there some weekend next spring.

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October 17

It was a brisk but pretty day in Roslindale today. I took a little walk, camera in hand, to run a few errands. I had the idea of getting photos of the foliage -- it's becoming a hobby of mine -- though this photo of the flag hanging from the pole caught my eye. (American Flags have been another thing I've been noticing of late.)

I managed to get a couple of frames from the Treasure Chest for a song today -- I guess I'm going to do some printing soon to find something to go into them. It's something to keep me busy on these cold autumn days.

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October 16

It's gotten chilly in Boston recently, with lows in the 30s and highs barely getting into the high 40s. I'm doing my level best not to complain about the weather -- really, I am -- but when it's this cold and this wet, it's difficult.

That's why this one lone rose hanging on to a scrawny rose bush made me smile. I was putting away the garbage can and spotted it there -- that bright color really stand out. It's kind of inspiring to see a little bit of summer hanging on.

If this little flower can tough it out, so can I. I think that's a good enough life lesson for today.

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October 15

The Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals runs the Angell Animal Medical Center in Jamaica Plain.

I drive by this sign almost every day. The iconography is great on it, and was what originally caught my eye. I found it surprising that an animal hospital rates the "hospital" sign (H in square), but when I thought about it, realized it made sense. It's easily the largest animal hospital in Massachusetts, as well as the best emergency medical option for a sick pet.

At work, I've referred residents with sick pets here often. When Pogo, our dog, became very ill at the end of his life, we brought him here, where the vet on call was thoughtful and treated us with great sensitivity, helping us to make the difficult choice to have him put to sleep.

Dealing with a sick pet is very difficult. They can't tell you what hurts or what's wrong, yet you want to help them and make them better. The folks at Angell are wonderful at guiding pet owners through very difficult procedures and options, and helping you to make the right decision. That is invaluable.

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October 14

Cumberland Street in Boston's Back Bay is a tony little side street of single-family homes near the Christian Science Center. Being a dead-end street means that there isn't much traffic either.

I drive down Cumberland between Huntington Ave. and St. Botolph St. almost every weekday en route to work. With the foliage really coming into its own in the cooler weather, the scene is very picturesque. Since tomorrow there will likely be an overcast sky, I thought this might be my best chance to capture a pretty scene before the leaves turn brown and get blown away.

I'm usually not fond of autumn, as it heralds the end of summer and the inevitable winter storms that befall New England. This year, though, I have to admit that the beautiful foliage (following a sopping wet spring) has been remarkable.

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October 13

Lt. Charles M. Toole once lived at 68 Weld Hill Street in Jamaica Plain. He died October 1, 1918, 42 days before the Armistice. I can't find a lot more information about him, but knowing that explains why he has this nice memorial marker near Forest Hills Station.

This marker is right on the main drag. I can't find information on when the marker was placed, though the geographic proximity to his home makes sense. I suspect -- but can't confirm -- that the marker was placed by the local American Legion Post 76, which is about 50 yards away.

Lt. Toole must have been quite a remarkable person to have somebody go to the expense of raising this monument. I hope that the remarkable young men fighting today are remembered equally respectfully when they give their lives.

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October 12

So the sumptuous scene above was shot at the site of one of NaNoBoston09's write-ins next month.

Juiceboxartists is a writing group in Somerville. The founder, Deborah, has kindly agreed to let us use their studio as a write-in location. The studio, in a former industrial building, is richly decorated; I could only think to describe it as a salon, and honestly, what better place to foster creativity?

The space is both beautiful and functional. Plugs are abundant and easily accessible, for instance, and there's wireless access available for the wrimos so inclined. I'm very excited that we're getting to use such a beautiful -- and unique -- location for a write-in. It's certainly very different from a library or a fast food shop!

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October 11

With National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) coming up soon, and our participation (our region is called NaNoBoston), and since we were shopping for door prizes for our events, finding "Nano Glue" just seemed kind of prophetic. After all, when things are falling apart, you can use glue to hold it all together.

We have managed -- finally! -- to get everything we need to host write-ins, along with most of our door prizes.

Alas, venues aren't coming along as smoothly. We have one pesky write-in night that is proving tough to fill. Today's trip to Cambridge was unproductive -- our hoped-for location at B.Good near Harvard is just too small. Tomorrow we visit a dedicated writing studio in Somerville; this location is practically scheduled already, so the visit is mostly a formality. We have until Friday, when we announce our schedule. We have a plan ... it's just a case of that plan working out.

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October 10

A resident where I work moved out at the end of September, leaving what can only be described as a monumental desk in our loading dock.

Technically, they gave it to one of my colleagues. She accepted it, with the intention of giving it to a charity or other good cause. It was a laudable goal, though it didn't pan out. So when the boss threatened to bust it into pieces and toss it in the dumpster, I asked for the chance to find somebody to take it.

This desk is big; L-shaped, six feet wide by seven feet long, it would take 42 ft. sq. of floor space. I thought about taking it home myself, but there was no way I could shoehorn the damn thing in. I put it together in the loading dock, photographed it carefully, and set about posting the photos online, planning to advertise the thing on Craigslist and Freecycle. My friend Scott messaged me while I was doing this, so I asked him if he wanted a ginormous desk.

He did.

This is the way the desk looked once we loaded the heavy desk into his father's enormous SUV. I'm sure that we were quite the sight as we drove up I-93. Regardless, we got the desk to Scott's home, unloaded it, and managed to get it inside. I'll be sore tomorrow, but it'll be worth it.

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October 09

It seems a little ironic to me that my two recent "cheats" have both involved jewelry. Since I'm dealing with images that I've taken recently, and this was the most pressing item I had to tackle, I'm using it. (Dreary autumn days are also sucky for photography, for what it's worth.)

Keith (my jeweler friend) needed some edits to designs we did for promotional purposes. We needed to change some information on his business cards and postcards. With my schedule ramping up for National Novel Writing Month, we managed to shoehorn the appointment in today. And -- surprisingly -- the work went very quickly.

So even without a photo of the day, I still feel I've accomplished quite a bit.

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October 08

Here's a photo to warm the hearts of patriots.

Today was an absolutely breathtaking autumn day -- the sun shone, it was cool but not too cold, and the skies were blue with white fluffy clouds. It was also quite windy, which worked to my advantage as I turned left onto Main Street in Watertown near the public library. The bank building across the street has two flagpoles -- one was directly in front of me -- and while I waited for the light to change, I stuck my head out the window and got this shot of the flag, waving proudly, unfurled in the wind.

Pretty nifty.

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October 07

The winds were very brisk in Boston today. While the foliage is looking particularly pretty this year, the wind is threatening to strip the branches bare before the best colors come to the fore.

I caught sight of this pretty little tree near Jamaica Pond today on the way to work. The top leaves have succumbed to the wind, but the bottom leaves are still a pretty (and striking) orange color.

I have the feeling that foliage photos may be to my autumn what flower photos were to my spring and summer. And you know what? I'm OK with that.

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October 06

Mosby, pictured here, is a 12-week-old Wheaten Terrier who lives near the building where I work.

Folks who know me, and probably any regular readers, know that I am a dog person. I like dogs, I like petting them and talking to them and interacting with them, and I photograph them whenever the opportunity presents itself. (Today I got photos of two dogs in my building, Pepe and Jake, having a confab in the lobby, for instance.) So when I met Mosby three weeks ago, he was about half this size though just as sweet.

Mosby's human was kind enough to let me photograph him today. It was a great opportunity; how can you go wrong with a photo of somebody so darn cute?

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October 05

I've always thought that the leaves on a tree changed colors in the fall pretty much simultaneously. When I saw this one branch of yellow leaves on the tree in my front yard, it made me wonder why only one little branch of leaves was colored. (Not enough to actually look it up, mind you. Just enough to wonder.)

Today was a rare day when everything went as planned. I got out, got a photo of the day early on, visited the Dudley Branch Library to pick up a check for my recent workshop, made it to the bank in time to deposit it (mainly because an on-street parking space was open on the right block at the right time), got a couple of chicken turnovers from a street vendor (delicious!), and still got to work on time. So ... well, go me!

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October 04

I had to do a little shopping today, and since it was such a pretty day I grabbed my camera to make the walk to the store a photo walk. It was my only opportunity, since I completely forgot that today was the Roslindale Day Parade, and thus, while the fabulous parade in the beautiful weather went by the Square, mere blocks from my house, I was sitting in my living room watching television.

Wow. That was an unexpected stream of consciousness.

This photo caught my attention because of the textures. The bricks look like they haven't been repointed since the building was built in 1926, though the sign has to be somewhat newer. Still, a very pretty example of textures.

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October 03

True confession time: This photo was not taken today, but yesterday. The resulting image was created today, however, so I'm using it as my photo of the day. (The nice thing about making the rules -- you know just how far they will bend.)

The necklace and earring set here were created by Roslindale jeweler Keith Monsour, and were recently featured in the Parkway Fall Fashion Fiesta. I photograph all of Keith's work, so I got the chance to shoot this on Friday.

It was tough to light this image; when the necklace and all of its beads were properly illuminated, the earrings in the center shone too brightly, completely washing out all of the detail on the long beads. When the earrings were lit properly, the pendant on the necklace was in deep shadow. Rather than continue trying futilely to find the perfect lighting solution with my limited tools, I decided -- reluctantly, as this is always my last resort -- to fix it in post-production. Essentially, that means I photoshopped it to within an inch of its very existence, all in the quest to make the end photograph look like the original items.

Ideally, you get the shot right in the camera. In most situations, you might make a few small changes or enhancements in Photoshop. Resorting to out-and-out photo manipulation to get a good image chafes a bit. In the end, though, it's a good looking photo, and Keith is happy with it.

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October 02

Sometimes I choose photos for this blog that are interesting. Other times I go for humor, and occasionally, I go for the sheer beauty of an image. Today, I chose an image remarkable for the content.

Imagine, if you will, I'm driving to work and am waiting at a light by Jamaica Pond. I looked over to find this jogger stretching before taking her afternoon exercise around the local landmark -- showing off flexibility that is frankly remarkable. I mean, look at her. I know yoga teachers who work years to get that kind of flexibility!

With advancing age and infirmity I know I couldn't do that, even if I did somehow take leave of my senses and decide to go sweat just for the sake of sweating. Still, I'm not so jaded as to be unimpressed by this virtuoso display of dexterity.

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October 01

Today was the first really cool day of the fall -- the high temperature didn't even touch 60 in Boston. I went over to my neighbor D'Anna's house to photograph some of her flowers that bloom late when I noticed this single red maple leaf on her lawn. It was perfect; it's a wonderful visual representation of the arrival of autumn. The photo itself didn't do the original sight justice, so I did a little photoshopping to help make the leaf pop on its drab background.

One of these days, I'm going to make prints of all this stuff and hang it in my front hall, which will then be christened "The Gallery of Pointless Art."

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September 30

Jake here is one happy puppy dog.

He lives in the building where I work, along with his human. Jake is blessed with one of the most pleasant and easygoing personalities I've ever encountered in a dog.

He likes to play ball, but unlike other dogs, who run and leap and chase a thrown ball down, Jake just sort of ambles off in the ball's general direction, knowing it'll stop eventually and he can just pick it up without going to all the trouble to run. And once he has the ball, he's content to chew on it for a minute or two before giving it back to be thrown once more.

I've always said that dogs are some of my favorite people, and Jake is one of my favorite dogs.

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September 29

Here's a bumper sticker of a hat.

Yeah, that's it. It's been a slow day for photography. At least there's a pretty star-shaped highlight in the photo.

I caught this on Huntington Avenue in the Longwood Medical Area while on the way to work this afternoon. I have no idea of the significance of the hat as bumper sticker. Were it a red hat, I could guess the driver was a member of the Red Hat Society.

Only it isn't. (Insert shrug here.)

Once upon a time, I took on a project where I was photographing interesting bumper stickers -- and occasionally, I still do. If only this had been interesting instead of picturesque.

That's it. Here's the Suzanne Somers of bumper stickers.

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September 28

With the imminent arrival of October, it's time to take the sailboats off the water at Jamaica Pond. It's fortunate that they had nice weather to do this in; being on the water, even a pond, in cold weather is unforgiving.

It was a nice day today, though the weather is trending cooler, the leaves are beginning to change, and the official arrival of winter -- and with it snow -- is less than three months distant. I'm doing my damnedest to savor the nice weather, since I plan to bitch, piss, and moan about snow from the first flake falling to the muddy puddled melting of the last shaded snowbank in the spring.

This is one of those photos I'll look at and smile when I see, because it will remind me that no matter how bad the weather gets, the spring and summer will return.

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