it looked to be a seriously busy day, the sort of day when there isn't enough hours to do everything i needed to do. with multiple deadlines for tomorrow, i was in crunch mode. however, after i got in touch with my various clients, turns out some of the deadlines weren't actually tomorrow so suddenly my stress level went back down to zero. since it was already close to lunch and i was going to take a break, i called bruce who earlier asked if i wanted to take a stroll around fresh pond.

the temperature was in the 50's but still a bit of a nip in the air. cherry blossoms were blooming and magnolia flowers would soon follow. around the pond there was a mixture of joggers and dog walkers, the first wave of people to take advantage of this sudden warm turn in the weather for the next few days. when we got around the country club there were some people golfing.

all in all there wasn't anything new to see, but fresh pond isn't exactly a hotbed of nature. in the center of the pond was a flock of seagulls and along the shoreline behind the chain-linked fence we spotted a cormorant. a red-tailed hawk briefly flew across overhead, chased by a much smaller bird. singing sparrows, grackles, red-winged blackbirds, bluejays. by one of the smaller inland ponds (where people were using it as a dog pool) migrating tree swallows were swooping across the sky, flashes of crescent wings competing for mates and nesting locations. a single swallow landed on a bird box, all glimmering blue in the midday sun, but it flew away before i could get a telephoto fix. i may go back again, just to get that shot.

leaving the pond we paid a visit to the nearby strip mall. i made my way to the liquor store while bruce went to get some bread from whole foods (you'll remember that i'm boycotting that place). i got a bottle of spanish wine for the game night tomorrow evening with a hint of mexican flare.

i wasn't entirely free of work: i came home and fixed a few bugs. in between bouts of coding inspiration, i'd hang out in my living room and take random photos of people walking around my street. after about 7pm i finally took a break. the work due tomorrow wasn't entirely done but consistent with a recurring pattern, i promised myself i'd finish the rest later tonight (and by later i mean after midnight, when most people are off to bed). i fell asleep in my cold bedroom, sticking my feet underneath the comforter to feel slightly warmer. to get to my meeting tomorrow i needed the car so my father was supposed to come and pick me up after he got out of work (8pm) but didn't show up until well after 9pm. after i dropped him off in belmont i returned to cambridge, where i heated some chicken strips in the toaster oven for dinner.

i got to video chat with john miller, who showed me his new baby william. he left to give william his first at-home bath.