A Few of My Favorite Things...

No, this is not a picture from last weekend's Snowmaggedon... turns out the storm was all a bunch of phooey anyway here in the city! Prepared to face the storm with shovels and bags of salt, we were instead blessed with about 1/2 inch of powder! But they closed the office at 2pm just the same! Flash back to mid-October when I took this shot from the highway approaching MA from the south... This was the first snow of the season and I truly didn't believe that what we were seeing pummeling the windshield was snow until it turned into the size of golf balls. This New England weather certainly keeps you on your toes!

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A coworker of mine recently compared the New England spring to falling in love with the wrong guy. You get a sort of insane thrill when you see the crocuses appearing for the first time in the season, and you're so happy you're almost dancing in anticipation. Then a 'Noreaster comes and the whole thing blows over and freezes... that is, until you see those delighful buds resurface one day as you're trudging down the sidewalk and fall into the same tizzy all over again! For some reason it comparison really got me - there's such a sense of false hope for Spring around here with the winters sometimes leaking all the way into May! And yet I personally con myself into believing it will be different this year. There is something pretty about it all though. Especially through the brand-spanking-new windows of the MGH station.

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Wasn't this worth waiting for?

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On our first day arriving, this unfairly fit couple put us to work! We were dropped at the base of a mountain in Stowe and forced by temptation of fresh Vermont apples to the summit! The good news is we made it; the better news is that we didn't lose Eden. Quite the opposite, actually. Although it was markedly colder at the top of the climb, we were rewarded with an astonishing view of the tops of millions of trees turned gold and the sun just starting to burn pinks and purples into the sky. And the best news of all is that we undid all of our great work by stopping for cider doughnuts on the way home. That's exercise I can work with.

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My friend Jessica tells me there's a church in nearly every neighborhood here. It's unbelievable how quickly neighborhoods are springing up too. I remember this from my last visit to Utah a few years ago where we drove into Park City for a hot air balloon wedding, of all things! I remember seeing all the housing developments under construction while driving in and out of the mountains then too. When we dropped into a local supermarket the cashier asked us if we were visiting or if we were new residents... I thought it was an unusual question, but I guess they get that a lot!

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So there we were, two Bostonians sky high in Utah - I've never seen so many white mountains in my life. Growing up in New England, you don't realize that mountains like this really exist. It is so strange to be in a city driven by compass points instead of rights and lefts, where every side of every highway is flanked with steep cliffs and you can re-orient yourself at every red light. After 80 inches of recent snow, the white is so bright it burns your eyes a little and you wish you had sunglasses in February. I'd think I were on a polar ice cap if there weren't so many bars.

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Panic was palpable at the office today, as everyone tried to get their work done quickly to get out of the building and 'beat the snow.' The whole time I was thinking of Groundhog Day and "we'll have to leave now if we're going to stay ahead of the weather!" Which would have been possible, had the snow not arrived at noon. Evening plans were cancelled, backup sitters were called in to stand in for parents of kids being sent home early from school, and the day pretty much became a wash. It continued falling all day, and after an hour and a half of shoveling after work, I still felt we'd made no progress... or maybe that's my shoveling arm! I am somewhat proud to say that Boston is weathered enough (no pun intended) not to get in a fuss about an inch or two, but only get to this level of alert when it's expecting a full foot. But the logic behind actually living in a place that gets a full foot of snow on occasion might be the haziest part of all.

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Today, we unintentionally found ourselves "leaf-peeping," as my friend Michael calls it. We went off on a mission to find a wooden spoon at a great kitchen store in Concord and then got lost in the quest. All the apple picking orchards and farm stands are in full-bloom for the season. When the leaves first start to turn, they're the most striking against the dark, lush greens of summer. Thanks for the idea, Mike; this shot is for you!

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I almost straightened out this image in my photo editor, but decided against it at the last minute. I like the way that the barn straightens itself out horizontally with the movement of the frame, and how the barn is relatively well articulated against the shuddering house on the left and the cylindrical mass of greenery streaming downward to the right. The sky is still and there's something beautifully peaceful about this moment, contrary to all the movement you can see.

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Don't worry - the hazy street scene is just an effect - and not my blurred vision driving home after a few glasses of wine! Nevertheless, probably a good thing I wasn't the one driving. We went out for a celebratory meal to a fantastic restaurant in the South End that I can't say enough good things about. Particularly since it's one of those places with the fancy names that you worry will ooze pretentiousness from the moment you enter. We hit the tail end of restaurant week at Icarus, where they paired each course with a "half" glass of wine - not half (or half bad) by my judgment - and got the proportions just right. Unfortunately, I was not quite willing enough to embarrass Jason fully by snapping a shot of the meal itself, flash and all - but I did drive him crazy taking long exposure shots all the way home. You can just make out the CITGO sign in its blurry glory off in the distance.

If I remember right, Icarus was the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology who crafted wings made of wax and feathers and burned up or came crashing down after flying too close to the sun. If the restaurant Icarus is shooting for godliness, I'll wager its wings are made of tougher stuff than wax.

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We took a walk along a bridge in Gloucester, at a junction where seaweed grows rampant and fish are easily lured as they get pushed down the river, but not so easily reeled in! I liked the contrast of colors and textures in this shot - the rusty rail against the mossy green shoreline and turbulent blue water below. This place is idyllic. It was my most relaxing weekend away of the summer!

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Whenever I drive into New York, it feels enormous, industrial, chaotic, crowded, commercial, frantic, and incessant. But each time I visit, I also realize more and more the reality of this multitude of villages cobbled together: that it's logical, friendly, awake, and neighborly - despite its scale. A friend we'd never met personally was kind enough to let us stay at his place for the weekend. Believe it or not, this is the second time I've been loaned an apartment for the night in New York City. Never in any other city has this happened to me - particularly not with the hosts out of town. Another woman I met this weekend explained that if you move from borough to borough in this city, it's easy to feel that you are somehow betraying your local dry cleaner or grocer when you trade locations. People rely on their relationships here. There's something touching and alluring about that, even if it does take an hour to get from Brooklyn to Queens.

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A view from the party. I am savoring these summer nights. You can feel the rareness of them - like you're afraid to leave the balcony in case the next time you go out, it will be snowing or something! Granted, it's still only July, but one day I'd love to live in a place that allows you to enjoy the outside like this most days of the year. Boston just keeps you guessing.

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What weird and wonderful weather! All day, the forcasts predicted thunderstorms, and when they finally hit in the afternoon, they only lasted about half an hour before the sun came pummeling through and the day was converted. This kind of light always makes me feel like I'm wearing sunglasses, and the wet streets only enhanced the light.

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Here's a "fire road" in among the dunes of Provincetown. We were stopped here, waiting for a few other vehicles to come over the mountain before we blindly ventured up the sand embankment ourselves, with a regular bleating of the horn as our only defense against oncoming traffic.

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Later in the afternoon we drove up into the Hollywood Hills to get a glimpse of what all the fuss is about at the top. It was just starting to get dark and the clouds were settling over the city, getting ready for rain. A storm brewing on Mount Olympus... seriously, that's what it's called.

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Fancy cars, palm trees, sand, sea, and the Stop sign, typical symptoms of L.A. We drove south to find the beaches... and success! Here we found Manhattan Beach, which features a beautiful promenade walkway that takes you alongside volleyball courts the beach is famed for and modern heavily windowed houses too rich for my blood. While the West coast wasn't quite the warm break I'd expected from the Northeast, it was perfect driving weather - sunny with a good breeze and wide open roads and coastline.

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Here's a shot taken on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas (named in England for the tradition of royalty, or Lords, boxing up leftover food from the celebrations of Christmas and passing it along to the less wealthy peasants or serfs of their domains). The rainy weather made for a pretty gloomy day, which we cheered up by taking lots of scenic walks in the fog.

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A view of Park Street in Boston - the blessing in disguise behind the last-minute hoilday shopping bustle. This particular shot marked my "I'm done!" moment for this year's Christmas list.

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A view of one of Harvard's domed buildings overlooking the Charles - with some color modification done, of course. The dome is red in actual color, but I thought it might look cool to bring the sky to a similar tone in the picture - particularly as the buildings and chimneys were all a dull red brick color already.

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Stacie was dying to take an unplanned stop at this old farmhouse, whose claim to fame is being on the estate where the Massachusetts State Police's horses are stabled. The old wooden windows head irregular heavy glass panes and those that were still there offered an impressive reflection!

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Corn stalk up against a crisp blue sky. The weather this weekend was distinctly colder than it has yet been this fall. Although wrapped up in sweaters, we were pretty comfortable running around in the corn fields. A perfect weekend for hanging out on a farm.

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From this angle, in this light, New York City looks like a calm place. None of the whizzing yellow cabs, $350 honks, police sirens, sidewalk pigeons, socialites, or street market crowds. Although, that's New York, and if you don't like it, get the %@*! out. 

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Here's a sky view (almost) of Boston from the North End. This was actually taken early on July 4th, but I was digging through the archives, since I haven't been taking too many photos this week. It makes me think of summer, which is what's important! Just think: almost August!!

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Grass coming up through the pier.

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I went all the way to Chicago, and all I got was this lousy dumpster.

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