Fun in the Sun

I was hanging out on the Common yesterday (with half of the cities population) taking advantage of the beautiful weather. This couple was with a friend and hanging out - first taking pictures, then dancing to music from a laptop, then talking on the phone. I don't think there was a moment where these two were not touching - hugging, holding hands, leaning against each other. It was very sweet as opposed to being disgustingly inappropriate, and I couldn't help but take their photo.

Peeling

Peeling paint at the Ashmont T stop. Good thing their renovating, as this is a very small sampling of all there is to see!

ETA: I'm sorry to say that we've been getting spam comments on our last few posts, so I've had to start moderating comments. If you comment and don't see it appear immediately, it's because I'm not glued to my computer at the moment.

The leaves they are a changin'

Despite what this past weeks 80+ and humid weather would lead you to believe, fall really has come.

Childrens Museum

The Boston Children's Museum is a much-loved destination for kids of all ages. Originally founded in 1913 by a group of teachers from Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood, the museum is designed to help children understand their environment, the nature of disabilities, science, and cultural diversity.

The Hood Milk Bottle out front is a concession stand (although rumor has it they are still doing some renovations, so no ice cream right now!). It's been there for 30 years, and I remember going to get ice cream there when we were kids. Fun fact: if it could hold milk, it would hold 50,000 gallons!

Shiver me timbers!

Because nothing says 'welcome' more than a flag with a skull and crossbones! In honor of National Talk Like a Pirate Day last Wednesday (19th), I figured I'd go ahead and post this photo of a pirate flag on a building on Commonwealth Avenue.

Golden Hour

I love nothing more than walking out of a building (and especially one with no windows, boo to my office!) and seeing the golden dusk/dawn light bouncing off of a building.

This is South Station.

Day Trip: New Hampshire

Leyre and I are (very sadly) back from our vacation in NH, but we wanted to share some of the beautiful views! If you drive 2.5 hours north on I-93 you'll end up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We woke up at 5:30 on Wednesday and hiked up Mount Chocorua. We were told by a map at the rental house that we were going to be doing a rambling, 4.5 miles, 1,500 ft elevation hike. Our Fearless Leader had assured us that on a scale of one to death, this hike was way closer to a one. A few hours later, Leyre and I were pretty sure that this hike was actually closer to Death (with a capital D) than to one, and we had struggled to get 3/4 of the way to the top to enjoy the view above. Our FL was saying "this trail seems worse than the 3,200 ft hike we did yesterday!" He continued up the mountain and we relaxed and enjoyed the view. On the way home we bought a hiking map and discovered that Chocorua is actually 3,475 ft of elevation (3,490 according to Wikipedia!). Guess the map at the house was out-dated, huh?!

It had been a really foggy morning, so we didn't get to see the lakes, but we think the fog made for a pretty awesome view. Click on the photo to enlarge and really enjoy!

Ouch! It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog!

An old billboard near the USS Constitution at the end of the Freedom Trail. I don't know the story behind this one (if you do, please share!) but thought it was amusing in the ridiculous way. :)

Harbor View

A view of Boston at sunset from Boston Harbor.

Early Riser

This guy has the right idea! I've seen him several mornings doing tai chi on the rooftop opposite our place in Back Bay.

A Different Perspective

I took this photo at an outdoor concert in Copley Square last month and forgot to post it. This dog needed a lift so that it could see the concert like everyone else there. :)

Take me out to...Trader Joe's?

Trader Joe's in Back Bay adds some local flavor to its entrance with a mural of Fenway Park showing the Red Sox beating the Yankees.

Pretty in Purple

I couldn't resist taking this photo when i walked by this plant/bush thing on my way to the T last weekend.

Southie

Carson Beach, South Boston


The Harborwalk runs along the coast for 46.9 miles from Dorchester to Charlestown and East Boston.

JFK/UMass

Whit is a way for the weekend and Leyre and I have escaped to NH for a week of fun with some of our closest friends...but we won't let you down! This is a shot from yesterday while I was waiting for the T.

Coastal Cleanup 2007

Today was the International Coastal Cleanup, and my company put together a team of volunteers to help out. We found all kinds of things - enough that there was clearly some partying - beer cans, liquor bottles, condom wrappers, LOTS of cigarette butts. Our most interesting finds of the day? The toothbrush (modeled by Maria), and the shower curtain rod!

SoWa

Harrison Ave used to be all warehouses, but has been slowly but surely turning around. SoWa stands for South of Washington, and has become an artists' enclave. On Sundays from May to October the South End Open Market is held in the parking lot next to this building, which now houses a Boston Sports Club and a cafe.

aaahhh.....ahhhhhh....ahhhhhhh...CHOO!

This car was parked along a side street in the South End the other day. There were three people sitting in the backseat and one in the front passenger seat, and there was no conversation or anything. Just four people sitting in a car, not talking. I should add that this was outside of a larger Catholic Church building that also housed a charity and had a high school adjacent, but it seemed out of place as a car painted like this seemed a little more...well, hippie than Catholic. (yeah, sweeping generalization, I know, but I couldn't think of a better way to explain my thought around it)

Baker's Chocolate

I was looking for these to bake brownies, because how cool is it to bake brownies using chocolate that used to be made in the building you live in, right? Well, it's even cooler when you can buy the chocolate in a building that used to be part of the first Baker
Chocolate Factory, and then to home and make the brownies in another building that used to be part of the factory!

Lady Liberty

On the streetlight control box - corner of Congress & Franklin Streets

The Hancock

The John Hancock tower was completed in 1976. As of 2007, it is the tallest building in not only Boston, but also the whole of New England. The reflective window pains are tinted blue which means on a clear day, the tower almost blends into the sky. Well, that's how it is now at least! Due to a major design flaw the 500lb windows (measuring 4 ft x 11 ft) would detach from the building and crash to the sidewalk far below. As a result, surrounding streets were often shut down by police whenever winds reached 45 mph. The exact cause of the malfunction was never made public, but the windows were replaced in 1973 so there's no need to worry about walking the surrounding streets now!

Psstt....over here!

I searched all over for the name of the restaurant that this points to (there really is a bar and restaurant if you follow the arrow), but I couldn't find it. So this is all you get:

Harrison Blvd, South End

Charles St Display

This cute display (all in motion, although not well captured!) in in the window of a bottle shop on Cahrles St.

Get ya Bawston T-shirt

Cheers? Harvard? Boston? MIT? Red Sox? This t-shirt vendor by Government Center seems to have any Boston-related t-shirt that your heart desires.

In Memory of...

the individuals who've lost their lives in the Iraq and Afghan wars. This war memorial is located at the Old North Church, the site of the famed "one if by land, and two if by sea" phrase (on April 18, 1775, Robert Newman climbed the steeple of the church and held two lanterns as a signal from Paul Revere that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord by sea and not by land).

Sunset on the Charles

We had visitors in town this past weekend and took them to the top of the Prudential building for a view of Boston at sunset. Top right is the Hood Blimp, while down below the Red Sox were playing Toronto at Fenway Park.

Back to School

With freshmen moving to Boston, other students returning to town, and the majority of leases terminating/beginning on September 1st, it's no wonder that Boston turns into crazy town at this time of year. There was a general feeling of chaos this weekend due to the onslaught of moving trucks and students in Beantown. Smart thinking Ikea parked this display truck in Back Bay opposite a popular mattress store. For the record, I've never seen so many people casually carrying mattresses on the streets of Boston!

Teddy Ballgame

Just outside Fenway is the Ted Williams statue. You can also visit the Teddy Ballgame tunnel, but...well, it's not quite as fun. This is a handy spot for gathering if you're meeting up at the park - especially if you're meeting your boyfriend who refused to get a cell phone for nearly 3 years. Not that my boyfriend did that. ;) The statue is around the backside of the park, so if you're there and you haven't seen it yet, head all the way down Landsdowne St and hook a right so you can take your picture with Teddy Ballgame!

Sorry, rough weekend!

Sorry for backposting a day AGAIN! Whit's got visitors in town (for something like the 5th straight weekend, poor thing!), Leyre is moving into her new apartment and unpacking, and I've been plagued with a migraine for the last 36ish hours.

Enough complaining...I was walking over to Leyre's new place in Roslindale (yeah! Back in the city again!) and came across this house, who had planted flowers between the curb and the sidewalk as well as along the edge of their yard. It doesn't take much to cheer up a city sidewalk, and this certainly did the job!

Oldie but a goodie

This is an old shot I found again today - we were sitting in the station waiting for the train to leave and turned and saw this guy trying to hitch a ride! He waddled off the train long before they closed the doors, but he certainly turned a few heads before his exit!