“When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear” — Alfred Eisenstaedt

Thank you for all the new views and likes from last week, it helps keep me inspired.

Sunday, 02/04/2024: Posted photo — New Snow.

New snow fell today with more snow on the way. I was out walking today and took this photo. Nature is wonderful when it covers the world in a new blanket of snow.

Monday, 02/05/2024: Posted photo — On my Walk.

It seems to be a while since I posted a photo of the dam at Round Meadow Pond. Since it was snowing in the morning, I decided to take a 2.5 mile walk into work today. It is always great to break the trail on the way to work.

This photo was taken on my walk home tonight. It was the first night in a while that I hiked home in the blue hour giving me the chance to use the low light setting on my phone.

Tuesday, 02/06/2024: Posted photo — Cold Feet.

I took these photos yesterday to post today. I have an infrared camera and wanted to see how effective the vapor barrier was on my foot. The vapor barrier I am using is a small trash bag. I put on a compression sock, then the vapor barrier, and then a wool sock.

My foot did not get cold last year, the first winter after my surgery. It was getting cold earlier this winter, almost to the point of my big toe changing color. As you can see in the IR photos, the vapor barrier works well. I have not felt my toes getting cold since using the vapor barrier, even after being hiking out in the snow longer that the beginning of the winter.

Wednesday, 02/07/2024: Posted photo — Eggplant.

From the Allrecipes webpage: “Eggplant, also known as aubergine, is a fruit in the nightshade family. Other edible nightshades include tomatoes, potatoes, and bell peppers. Eggplants are typically large, dark purple, kidney bean-shaped fruits with a dark green stem at one end. They usually feel light for their size and have a yielding texture.”

I have eaten eggplant in the past and do not find it to be something that I like. I cannot remember the last time I purchased and eggplant.

Thursday, 02/08/2024: Posted photo — Droplet.

It is getting warmer around here. The temperatures are in the mid to high 30’s. With the temperature rising and the sun beating down on icicles, droplets are formed. Every year I take photos of droplets so that I can practice the high-speed settings on my camera.

Friday, 02/09/2024: Post photo — Collection Time.

Time to tap trees to make maple syrup. This is one of my neighbor’s newly installed and designed setups for collecting sap to make their maple syrup. He taps a few of my sugar maple trees along with his trees. The ratio of sap to syrup for the sugar maple is 40 to 1 (40 gallons of sap yields one gallon of syrup). He will tap the trees until there is too much water in the sap. The sap generally flows for 4 to 6 weeks, with the best sap produced early on in the sap-flowing season.

Saturday, 02/10/2024: Post photo — WPI.

Went to my graduate school alma mater, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), today for a cube competition. My family did the data entry and my son competed in a few events.

The two buildings in the photos are the towers of Boynton Hall and the Washburn Shop, these are in the school logo and buildings I had classes; and of Higgins Lab, a place where I had many more of my classes. In the second story of the student center, there is the Hall of Luminaries.

One of those luminaries is Dr. Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry. Dr. Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882–1945) is considered the father of modern rocket propulsion. A physicist of great insight, Goddard also had a unique genius for invention. It is in memory of this brilliant scientist that NASA established the Goddard Space Flight Center. His family home was down the street from where I grew up in Worcester, and he did most of his experimenting at WPI.

That is all for now. Until next week, be safe.