Bustin’ out bricks, originally uploaded by packetrat.

You can’t wall over Baltimore’s red-brick soul, apparently.

The mists of soccer-tryout, originally uploaded by packetrat.

Arriving just before 7 am at Hereford School (after getting up at gods hour in Hampden) to drop off my son for soccer tryouts, we discovered tryouts didn’t start until 8– and the field was barely visible.

Hyrax, originally uploaded by packetrat.

We got brief relief from the sun at the zoo in the Small Mammal House, where this hyrax was demonstrating the leg-dangle chill with the 100-yard stare. I often wonder how even small mammals can deal with the boredom and stress of being in the same space all day long, every day. And then I look around my office….