So long, farewell...

Between moving to a different country, work, travel, training for fundraiser walks, going back to school, etc... we've got so much on our plates that it's time to take something off, and unfortunately this project is it. It's been really fun doing this, and I'll still be watching the City Daily Photo community. And who knows, maybe things will slow down and BDP will be back up and running someday!

In the meantime, thank you for all the past watching, commenting, lurking, and supporting. If you can't live without a beautiful photo of Boston every day, please head over to Clueless in Boston. If you want to keep up with me, you can visit my personal photo blog (and if you want to donate to help me reach my $2,500 fundraising goal for the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk that's taking up so much of my time now, head here.)

Technical Difficulties....

I'm having trouble uploading photos to Blogger, so cross your fingers I can get it straightened out tomorrow....

Tower Rehab

This is Holy Trinity (German) Church, which is in the South End on Shawmut Ave. There was a sign out front about the Tower rehab project, which stated that the church was built in 1877, and the steeple was lost in a hurricane in 1938. It didn't look like there was any current construction going on when I took the photo (which was a few months back), so perhaps the sign was left from a previous project.

I'm rushing off to the airport (Wisconsin for an extra long weekend!), so you'll have to click through to the church's page if you'd like to read more of the history.

Have Car, Will Move Tree

This cracked me up when I saw it parked outside a flower shop in Roslindale. Good thing they've got a convertible, it would have been tricky to fit that tree into a sedan!

I heart these guys, too.

These two houses are adorbale, and impecibly maintained. Also, I don't know if they took each other's house color into consideration when they were choosing, but I think that these two colors look awesome side by side.

Also on Fairview Street in Roslindale, which seems to have an abundance of cute houses.

I heart this house.

This house isn't anything spectacular, and I'm pretty sure it could use a new coat of paint (and new windows, and some yard work), but when I was walking down the street and saw it framed by this tree, I fell in love.

Fairview Strett, Roslindale.

Click to enlarge and really appreciate it!

Same Subject

Just a different point of view on the Bank of America Pavillion.

Waterfront

This is the Bank of America Pavillion, which is on the waterfront in South Boston and is a very fun place to see a show in the summer. There are tables set up along the water, so you can grab a drink and check out the downtown skyline in between sets or before the show starts. I'll try to get back there sometime this summer and get a picture of that view, but in the meantime you'll have to enjoy this one.

Aerial View of Coastline

Here's an aerial view of the Massachusetts coastline, south of Boston.

Aerial View of Boston

I gave Ed a flying lesson for his Christmas present and he finally had a beautiful day to use it. The best, and unexpected, part of this gift was that I got to go up with him! We took off from Hanscom Field in a Piper Warrior and headed towards Cape Cod. This is a picture of the Boston skyline on our way south.

*Click to enlarge and check out the detail!

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

This dog found a great spot to rest in a doorway on Newbury Street. We spent a few minutes staring at him and he at us...nothing seemed to bother him!

Newbies in Boston

Some Canadian Geese and their goslings seemed to be enjoying themselves in the Charles River despite the incessant rain.

Model Madness

I've walked by plenty of movie sets in Boston but not once have I walked past a photo shoot. This model had a throng of observers as she posed for a photographer in front of the Taj Hotel on Newbury Street.

Sign-tology

The Boston Scientology headquarters are around the corner from our apartment. This sign is on the corner of our block and I never noticed the graffiti on it until a friend pointed it out to me this weekend.

Oh look! I saw a pretty flowering tree, and I took pictures of it's flowers! I'm sure you're all shocked. ;)

Leyre and I took a walk through Arnold Arboretum this morning, where they were celebrating the 100th anniversary of their Lilac Sunday festival. The weather was beautiful, despite the forecast earlier this week predicting a horrible, rainy weekend. There were families and dogs everywhere, which is no good for me since I've got serious doggy fever right now (but can't have a dog in my apartment).

New (to me) Tree

I probably need to try and get a better photo of these trees, but I noticed them for the first time the other day leaving work! They have these itty bitty blossoms on them, in a bright fuchsia color. They're gorgeous! I had never noticed the one in front of my office until this week, and then of course I noticed that I rid the train right past a whole row of them every day. But what are they?!?

Do It For The Boobs.

I have taken on an incredible challenge...on Oct 3rd-5th, my sisters (find one of them here) and I will be walking 60 miles over the course of three days. We must be crazy!

But we're not that crazy! It’s for the boobs! We're walking in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, which benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant. They are working hard to build a future without breast cancer, and I plan on raising $2,500 to help bring us closer to that goal!

Please consider making a donation. You can donate online by clicking on the link in the right hand menu bar. Or you can call (in the US!) 800.996.3DAY to donate over the phone. And don't forget to check with your employer to see if they will match your gift!

Without a cure, one in eight women in the U.S. will continue to be diagnosed with breast cancer. How many women do you know? Divide that number by eight. Makes you want to donate, doesn't it?

Thank you in advance for your support! The CDP community has continually amazed me - from teaching me why people leave small stones on top of grave markers and what flowers I've come across recently, to seeing folks reach out when one of our community members suffers a horrible tragedy...I know that those of you who can will donate generously, and those that can't will be sending me lots of positive thoughts and vibes throughout my training and the walk itself. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fresh Fruit

This fruit/veggie stand is at Dewey Square year round. Even in the snow. Even in the rain. Even in the freezing, freezing cold. It's handy if you have no idea what to do for dinner...got some rice at home? Pick up some veggies and make a stir fry?! Forget your breakfast? Grab a few pieces of fruit and nosh away!

The most interesting bit? Inflation hits here, too! Prices have gone up from $1/3 pieces of fruit to $1.25/3 pieces. It's no Haymarket, but it's there all week and it's right in between the T and the office.

Squeegee

Ha! How often do you get to use the word squeegee and have it be in context?! I love that word. I also love squeegee's, which once prompted my mother to buy one for our house in the hopes that it would make me more willing to wash the outside of the hard to reach kitchen windows. Pretty sure that loving squeegee's didn't work to her advantage that time. Sorry, Mom!

Anyway, back to the point here...I went out for a stroll (and maybe some ice cream) at lunch today, and saw this guy cleaning the windows. He was only about 3 floors up. He had a guy down on the sidewalk that lowered him when he was done and ready to go down a floor. These guys were also the THIRD window washers I saw while I was out...I guess they wanted to get it in so everyone would have a nice clear view of tomorrow's rain from their office?!

Drip

This was on the side of one of the buildings by Haymarket.

Fur Seals

Back to the Aquarium for another cute creature! I had forgotten even taking pictures of the fur seals until I was looking back at my photos today. The fur seals are actually in a tank that is just outside of the entrance to the aquarium, so you can stop by and check them out even if you don't want to buy a ticket and go into the building. They're super cute, and they totally show off for a crowd! This guy was my favorite - he was hanging out in the corner like that for a bit, then flipped over and poked his head out to gargle and make some noise, and then he dove down, spun upside down, and swam away...still upside down!

7 for $1

On my way home from the Aquarium yesterday I walked through Haymarket. I haven't been since last summer, and after how well I did yesterday I'll be sure to get back more often. I got 10 oranges, 5 blood oranges, 2 mangos, and 6 bananas for $4!!!

Click the photo to enlarge and check out all the details.

PS - we're almost caught up (I need to put together one more post), so make sure that you look back at the last week's photos!

Myrtle the Turtle

I went to the New England Aquarium with a friend that was in town today, and we loved this lady, Myrtle the Turtle. Myrtle is 75 years old and weighs 500 pounds. She has been at the aquarium since it opened in 1969.

Goslings?

This goose has been sitting on her (his? I know they take turns, I just have no idea how you tell them apart?) nest for a few weeks. I'm dying to see the fuzzy little goslings when they come, and I think that should be in the next week or two! I check on her every morning on my way to work and every evening on my way home.

Sorry!!!

Sorry folks, I've been wanting to update with our trip to CA and with our theme day but technology has been conspiring against me. I think that I got things straightened out last night and I'll have time to get back on track tomorrow morning. Check back tomorrow for all the backposts!

Please Stand By

Sorry folks - turns out that our internet access wasn't very reliable out in California, so we've got PLENTY of photos to share, but weren't able to upload out there. Then we spent yesterday sad and depressed because we flew back into a cold, rainy Boston.

I'm heading out of the office and will update this evening!

Sunshine on a Rainy Day?

It's been rainy and grey and cold the last few days in Boston, so I thought I'd take a look back at last week, when it was warm and sunny and absolutely glorious!

Welcome Will!

While we're on a string of personal photos, let's say welcome to Will! Will was born on April 22nd around 12:30 AM to Mark and Amy, who Leyre and I have known since high school. He's their second little monster, I mean....angel, and his big sister Loula has been a wonderful big sister since he's been home! I hadn't gotten a change to meet him before we left for California, so I took advantage of having the day off from work to spend some time with him.

By The Sea

We spent Sunday in the sleepy village of Capitola (By The Sea is tacked on to the name according to the welcome sign, but I don't believe it's the official name). Our GPS unit, Guadalupe, had taken us through Capitola Friday morning on our way to Starbucks, and we had fallen in love with the little village without even getting out of the car. Monday we had a lot of time before we had to get to the airport (booo!) so we spent some time wandering through Capitola before heading up to Santa Cruz.


Leyre's father-in-law tells us that these adorable houses along the beach were built by Al Capone, who used to vacation in Capitola. I can find absolutely nothing on the internet that can either confirm or deny this claim, so I'll just put it out there. Regardless of who built them, they're totally adorable and I would like to live in one.

Los Gigantes

Sunday we met up with Leyre's parents in San Francisco and spent the day checking out all it had to offer - Chinatown, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Park, Union Square, In-N-Out Burger. We also went to AT&T Park to watch the Giants lose to Cincinnati and get a little sunburn. ;)

PCH

Saturday morning we drove a few hours down the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur, then headed back home and with a detour through the 17 mile drive to check out Pebble Beach and it's surrounding neighborhood.

Also on Saturday, we went to Andrea & Dave's wedding - the reason we were in California!



Andrea and Dave were married on Saturday at the Monterey Plaza Hotel. It was gorgeous weather, and a fun wedding. Congrats Andrea & Dave!

This must be heaven where the ocean meets the sand...

As promised, we're coming to you live from (very) sunny and warm California! We spent most of the day in Carmel today, visiting the Mission there. We then headed down very steep Ocean Avenue to Carmel Beach. The two little girls to the left of the signs were rolling down the hill and giggling the whole time, there were a group of dogs playing fetch in the water and rolling around on the sand, and the sun was out in full force while a nice breeze off the water kept us from overheating. After such a long winter, sunshine like we had today feels like it's healing your body. You can almost forget about all the snow and bitter cold. Boston, you'd better be nice and sunny for us when we get back!

Pack Your Bags!

We're going to California! Since 1/2 of us are headed West for a long weekend, we thought it would be fun to bring you along. Where are we going? Monterrey, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco (for a Giants game!). Hope you're packed...and don't forget the sunblock!

Commuter Rail

I took the commuter rail out to Roslindale to Leyre's house last week, and the outside of the car had been tagged with very pretty colors. I wanted to take a photo but was rushing to get on the train before it left. Turns out, I wasn't out of luck - this is what the graffiti looked like from the inside of the window it covered.

Common Colors

I've been admiring the flowers outside of work lately, and realized that they're the same combination as my sister's garden. She liked the way that the white tulips lead your eye back toward the tree in her photo...in mine, the white of the tulip draws your eye back toward the banker leaving work for the day! ;) Click to enlarge and check out the detail!

Northern Ave

This is the Northern Ave Bridge, which crosses Fort Point Channel from Atlantic Ave to the South Boston Waterfront. The Northern Ave Bridge is a swing bridge that was built in 1908 and was originally used as a roadway and I believe at one point as a rail bridge. Now it's a pedestrian bridge, and looks very pretty when you take long exposure pictures of it in the freezing cold (not today, today was nice...this photo is from sometime in March). I would give you more intellectually stimulating information on the bridge, but I'm not having much luck finding any!

Table for Two

This is actually from about a week and a half ago, when we went from the 40s to the 70s for one day, then back to the 40s and rainy for the following weekend. We're loving up the warm weather lately. Even if it isn't technically true, I think every winter feels longer and colder than the past. I know that this winter was relatively mild, but it didn't stop me from complaining about it incessantly, and I was ready for spring about three weeks before it actually came.

Over My Shoulder

Here's another one from the Red Sox game last night. I've been playing with "cross processing" photos in Photoshop, and this was one one of my victims. I like the vintagey colors with it.

I love how this guys jersey is so well loved that it's starting to fray. And I may have mentioned it before, but don't we all love Varitek and his cute butt?! At the game Pete turned to me and said "what is it about Varitek, why do all the girls like him?" and I explained to him that the catchers always have the best butt on the team, and besides, he's a good looking guy! For some reason, he still seemed confused. If that's why the girls like him, why do the guys like him? What true Red Sox fan doesn't love a guy that gives A-Rod what he deserves! ;)

I'll ease up on the Red Sox photos for a bit, but as the billboard says "We celebrate New Years' in April"!

Happy April!

I got really lucky and got some Red Sox tickets for the game tonight. It's the third April in a row that Pete and I have gotten our hands on Sox tickets for an April game, so I'm hoping that means that the trend will continue and we'll get to see another 4-5 games this summer! These seats were directly under the press boxes - a pretty nice view!

That pitch you're seeing above, by the way, is the pitch that Papi turned into a grand slam in the 3rd inning. The Sox won 11-3, woohoo!

Click to enlarge.

South End Mural

I saw this on the side of a row of Brownstones near the corner of Columbus and Braddock Park in the South End. I'm not having any luck finding any info on it, so I may need to go back and see if I can find any info on/near the building if I look closer.

More Springing!

I was in the South End at a friend's house last night and stopped to take photos of some of the beautiful trees that have started blossoming. It spurred a conversation with a woman walking by about what type of trees they are. I know that these guys above are Magnolias, but there were other trees on the same block that may or may not be Dogwoods. Or are they just white Magnolias? I have no idea! That's why I have all of you, because you guys are so knowledgeable and I know that if I put it out here, someone will help me out!

Spring!

It's actually sprung! Remember when I wasn't sure it was ever coming?

MFA: III

This is one of the statues in the Buddhist Temple Room I showed you back on Saturday. That scary guy is Bishamonten - the God of War and Warriors. He holds a pagoda in his hand, and here is why:

The small pagoda he often carries symbolizes the divine treasure house. He is both a protector of and dispenser of its treasure -- he shares the pagoda's vast treasures with only "the worthy." In Japan, as a member of the Four Heavenly Kings, he is called Tamonten (Listens to Many Teachings), and in this capacity he protects the places where Buddha preaches and listens always to Buddha's teachings.

Learn more here, and don't let this guy's grumpy face scare you - make sure you stop in and say hi to him next time you're at the MFA!

MFA: II

Cute scene from the MFA yesterday!

MFA

This is my favorite place in the Museum of Fine Arts. It's the Buddhist Temple Room, and I could sit there for hours. The MFA is currently under construction, so a number of their collections are not being shown in their entirety...but not in the Asian collection! The Buddhas haven't gone anywhere, so head on up there and check them out.

Danger: Falling Floors

I was walking past the construction on the old Filene's building the other day, and they had some kind of crazy machine that was reaching in and tearing down the floors. I couldn't find an angle I liked, until I gave up and went shoe shopping. I took this photo out the window of DSW across the street, so you'll have to excuse the lights that are reflected.

Skies were grey but they're not grey anymore

Today was absolutely beautiful - high 60's, sunny, and no wind. It's the first really springy day we've had, and you better believe that all us office dwellers snuck out of our caves at lunch time to enjoy it!

I've shown you this building before, but today it's a bit of a different angle. I actually saw these window washers from out of the office window and knew I'd be taking their photo later. I can't help it, I'm fascinated with the job!

Setting

I took this on my way home from work a few weeks ago. I love how the setting sun reflects off the walls of the underpass.

Where I'd Rather Be....

You know how some days you just wish you were somewhere else? It doesn't have to be a particularly bad day or anything, you just would rather not be where you are. Today this is where I would rather be...back in Madrid, on vacation with my parents and some of my closest friends. Eating well, exploring a new city, and taking over 500 photos in a week!


That's the Catedral de la Almudena, which is located next the Palacio Real. This picture was taken from the Templo de Debod - an Egyptian temple located near Plaza España.

*This photo was actually taken by my father - thanks Dad!
**Click to enlarge!
***We'll be back in Boston tomorrow, I'm just daydreaming today. :)

Ill Passenger

There were delays on the Red Line one day last week when I was headed home from work, "due to an ill passenger at South Station". This train sat at the platform for about 5 minutes, and I had fun watching people start running when they caught sight of it at the bottom of the stairs, then run from door to door as they realized that each one was already jam packed with people.

Click to enlarge and check out the detail.

Sunday Supper

Okay, this is not what had for supper tonight, nor is it in Boston. I had to share anyway! Friday night a few friends of mine went out to The Melting Pot in Framingham (just next to Jordan's Furniture, in the same building as the jewelry store, in case you're looking for it...we made a few U-turns because we didn't see the sign the first two times...), about 25 minutes West of Boston. Talk about a fun time! The food was delicious and it's fun to go out to dinner and have it be such an interactive experience instead of just someone putting a plate in front of you. Our waiter, Tiago, was awesome, and the food was tasty. We decided that next time we'll do two different cheese fondues, salad, and skip straight to the chocolate fondue. The entree (shown in the photo) was yummy, too, but really...we LOVED the cheese and the chocolate!

We had the Spinach Artichoke Cheese Fondue to start, salads, the monthly special Fondue Feast for the entree, and the Cookies 'n Cream Marshmallow Dream to finish it up. We've all been thinking and talking about this meal all weekend and telling our respective SOs that we have to go back!

Milton

This is where I catch the trolley every day. Only I'm usually not this low to the ground - I was just trying to make it more interesting for you guys since I haven't been straying from my usual route lately. Next weekend I promise to go on a photo adventure so I'll have lots of new things to show you!

Starbucks

I walked into One Financial Center to get my daily addiction (grande soy chai, please! Only today it was a venti - early morning to start a l-o-n-g day), and the shadow from the Starbucks door caught my eye.