Jeff Baumgart 9/29/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/29/10

Free to Roam the World

My passport renewal came in today, I'm good for another 10 years. Apparently, the new passports have a small chip embedded that can be scanned with special readers. According to the U.S. Department of State, the electronic passport provides automated photo verification, faster and more accurate immigration inspections, and greater border protection and security. Tech is everywhere, I love it! As cool as this is, it's kind of sad to say goodbye to all the international stamps collected over the years. Now I'll have to start from scratch. Oh well, time to plan a trip!

Jeff Baumgart 9/28/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/28/10

French Press

Jeff Baumgart 9/27/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/27/10

Stritzeln

My wife made a trial run of one of her Oma's recipes. Stritzeln (Stempen; slang) is a traditional German recipe made from mashed potato, flour, egg, and butter. The outside has a slightly crispy crust, while the inside stays warm and doughy. Typically, the dough is formed into sticks before baking. Dipped in a bowl of sugar and served with a cup of coffee, this makes for a great little dessert.

Jeff Baumgart 9/26/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/26/10

Bored at Anthropologie

Jeff Baumgart 9/25/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/25/10

Sterling Firefighters Duck BBQ

Today was the annual Sterling, MA Firefighters Duck and Chicken BBQ. I have to say that nobody does BBQ like the firefighters! The meat was smokey, succulent, and perfectly cooked. The whole process started on Wednesday with the construction of the massive cinderblock BBQ pit. By Saturday morning, the downtown air was filled with the enticing aroma everyone in town looks forward to. All the food and supplies were donated and the proceeds from the $14 meal ticket went to help the Sterling, MA fire department. It was well worth it. The food was excellent and it helped a great cause. Thanks guys!

Jeff Baumgart 9/24/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/24/10

Target

Jeff Baumgart 9/23/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/23/10

Autumn Begins

Today is the first day of Autumn, my favorite time of year here in New England.

Jeff Baumgart 9/22/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/22/10

Trellis

Jeff Baumgart 9/21/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/21/10

Grillin'

Jeff Baumgart 9/20/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/20/10

Hot Chips

Believe me, this is going to be big! What is "Hot Chips"? I don't think anyone even knows, but soon it will be a household name. Keep your eye out, they're coming soon. And remember, you heard it here first.

Jeff Baumgart 9/19/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/19/10

Asics

Jeff Baumgart 9/18/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/18/10

Baggage

Jeff Baumgart 9/17/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/17/10

Hot Stuff

Jeff Baumgart 9/16/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/16/10

Cranberry Pecan Tart

Jeff Baumgart 9/15/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/15/10

Watering Hole

Jeff Baumgart 9/14/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/14/10

Blue Rocker

Jeff Baumgart 9/13/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/13/10

Hoegaarden

I love how the late afternoon sun made these empties kind of glow. Pretty soon these bottles will be recycled into drinking glasses. More on that project later.

Jeff Baumgart 9/12/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/12/10

Sunday Afternoon

Football and cooler temps. Fall is just around the corner!

Jeff Baumgart 9/11/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/11/10

Sterling Fair

This weekend was the annual Sterling Fair. In addition to rides, games, and fattening food, farm animals from surrounding towns were on display. Many of them like this hopeful little sheep spent some time with the judges in hopes of bringing home a ribbon.

Jeff Baumgart 9/10/10 Jeff Baumgart 9/10/10

New Lens!

After a long wait, I finally got the new Nikon lens I have been dreaming about. The Nikkor 17-55 f/2.8. I can definitely tell a difference in this pro quality lens. It is all metal, sealed, and built like a tank! It's pretty heavy, but I like that.

I really love having a "fast" lens with a constant f/2.8 aperture for isolating the subject and blurring the background into a creamy "bokeh".

Here is the first image I shot with it. There will definitely be more to come. I doubt this lens will spend much time off my camera.