Views From the Back Porch...

Not to be outdone, the sunsets at the house were pretty good too...

Cape Cod Sunsets...

 As I spent my morning with the birds, so too did I spend the evenings with friends, watching the sun disappear over the water... 

Native Birds of Cape Cod

Every day of that week I spent in Cape Cod began the same: sitting on the back deck of the house, sometimes with a coffee, sometimes a beer, once a glass of Jameson 12 year, staring out at the lake, waiting for the various wildlife to come out of hiding. Particularly the birds.

 Ruby-throated hummingbird - Female (females lack red throat patch)

Northern Blue Jay

 American Goldfinch - Male 

Going Home.

The plane was full of promise. It carried men from ten different nations, joined together to celebrate the opening game of a new season. For some, it was a fresh start. There was one of the first Russians to have his name etched on the Stanley Cup, almost 20 years ago, sitting with a Czech whose name was added twelve years later. For others, it was a last stop. A three-time NHL all-star who thought this would be his final pro season before retirement. There was a Swede who took home Olympic Gold in 2006, sitting with players from the Russian and Czech National squads, now all one team. A 1,000 game NHL veteran, now a coach, joined with teenage prospects whose careers had yet to begin.

In one fell swoop, three generations of hockey were lost, leaving a void that will remain in the sport indefinitely. While the tragedy struck on the far side of the world, the painful reach of such an event is long and stinging. It’s been a long and rough summer for hockey, and now, the day after the unofficial end of summer, it has been hit with the darkest day in the history of the sport.

Along with all of the upstarts and veterans there was 23 year-old Alexander Vasyunov, who spent the bulk of last season playing in my hometown for the Albany Devils of the AHL. In 50 games this season, his third in the Devils organization, he amassed a respectable 25 points. More importantly though, he was called up to play with the New Jersey Devils as a replacement for injured players on several occasions, scoring a goal and tallying four assists in his 18 games with the parent club.