The Urban Pantheist

Railroad bridge, Arnold Arboretum.

( more arboretum )

The previous two days were cold. Before this when people would say "it's cold" I would reply, "not yet, but it's getting there!" But this was definitely cold. I know I complain a lot, but it annoys me when people complain about it being cold before the cold actually gets here. It went down near the single digits (Fahrenheit) overnight, and was like 12 degrees when we walked the dogs in the morning yesterday. It's 17 degrees now. I did a lot of outdoor work yesterday morning, and it was plenty uncomfortable.

I don't know if my Muddy River picture from yesterday conveyed "cold" but that's what it was about. The exhaust from the MATEP tower was pouring out as a huge cloud. Likewise, when I went past the BostonEdison plant:




Today we're going to go look at a new (used) car for me. I'm not really looking forward to it, but it's gotta happen. Then we go to g_weir's house for some Rock Band, then the snow comes. They keep updating the snow prediction to be more apocalyptic. States southeast of us are supposed to get whomped, and the Boston area isn't supposed to get out with less than 3 inches, probably much more.
Just in time for the first day of winter (sometime this week).

Needless to say, we've been looking at San Diego real estate on Trulia.

First was the turkeys.

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This past Tuesday Alexis and I had a rare day off work together.  We went to Webb State Park in Weymouth. 

I need to post these pictures before I load the new batch on to Photobucket or I'll go batty! This little guy was stuck to the zoo hospital one early morning. He was gone later when I remembered he was there.

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We like going to Castle Island for a bunch of reasons. It's an interesting place with great views of the city and of the harbor island, there are cool birds there, and there are usually far fewer off-leash dogs there than at other places we walk. Usually. Yesterday was a sunny Sunday in the 50's following a work week that was bitterly cold, so there were tons of people out. More people at Castle Island than are there even in the middle of summer. And more off-leash dogs than ever before. So that meant paying a lot of attention to our dogs (making sure they weren't snuck up on, and that they didn't start freaking out at distant loose dogs) and not so much picture taking. Sadly, Alex has been sick and couldn't join us, and we miss her and hope she feels better soon. So, anyway, only three pictures, not too great, but better than nothing, right?



cottonmanifesto and rockbalancer and Maggie with Deer Island in the background.

( two more )

The last several photos I've posted (from ladybugs on) were all taken on the same day (except the March 31 fens pic) in the same 4 or 5 block stretch of Boston. I took this one for context but couldn't fit it in anywhere. This was our last downpour in a weather pattern that gave us 8 days of straight rain. From left to right on the skyline are Boston's tallest, second tallest, and eighth tallest buildings (3-7 are downtown a couple miles, lost in the grey). Every time my dad has visited me in the past 5 years or so, he's asked me what that third building is. I just finally found out that it has the romantic name of "111 Huntington Avenue," and is part of the Prudential Center complex. I think you can go up to that open dome--maybe I'll take my dad up there next time he visits.

About an hour after this picture was taken, the sun came out for the first full hour in 11 days. I took the dogs for a walk around Leverett Pond to ( celebrate )

It's so rare for cottonmanifesto and I to go out and see the city together, so our filing our taxes was a good excuse. Here's a set of pictures--all hers because my camera seems to be gone. :( But it's not all bad news...( Read more... )