Egg-ceptional symmetry in the city

The Muddy River winds  through the Emerald Necklace inside the Fens and beyond. I always enjoy contemplating the perfection of the oval created by this bridge and its perfect reflection.

Subway? No way! When there's Hubway . . .

This morning as I was returning from my walk, I thought to myself that I hadn't discovered anything today that inspired me enough to create a blogpost about it and then, Wham! I was in front of the Pru surrounded by a fleet of folks in gray and green T-shirts who were wheeling around bikes to introduce us all to Hubway a new service that's coming to Boston this month.

Me (right) in my new Helmet standing with
General Manager of Hubway, Mary McLaughlin 

I signed up for a one year membership right on the spot. Now I can use their bikes for errands or exercise anytime I like. On their official launch day—July 26—Hubway will offer 600 bikes to the Boson area with more arriving soon as plans to expand to Somerville, Cambridge, and Brookline solidify. That's me in the picture above with the general manager of Hubway Mary McLaughlin. For signing up today in front of the Pru, I received a free helmet. When I was in Montreal two summers ago, I noticed bikes for rent were all over that city and was sad that Boston wasn't offering the same. But now we are.

Here's the Montreal version of the same service

Urban cowgirl finds nature in the city quite enough, thank you.

I once told a friend that my preferred Nature was not Mother Nature but Human Nature. That if I had to choose communing with the trees or the sidewalks full of people, there is no contest for me—the city wins out every time. The best of both worlds, however, is a stroll through the Fenway Victory Gardens which brings both Natures together just a few steps from my doorway. Here are some shots I took just a few minutes ago. Wanted to get them out before my day tumbled into all its tightly scheduled slots. Enjoy and be sure to click on top of the photos so you can enjoy greater detail.

Soul food "weather" it's good for you or not . . .

Deep in the cells of my little girl self—the days of the Good Humor Man ice cream trucks, the Creamsicles, and high school years with trips to Brighams in Malden Square, followed these days by pilgrimages to JP Licks wherever I can find them—my craving for that comfort food calls to me especially when the temperature rises.

And in the case of yesterday's indulgence, the sweet ice cream followed the crisp sweet and salty tastes from a new Taiwanese Restaurant (free wi-fi!) —Sweet Potato Bistro—which has just opened in the site of the once popular Chinese restaurant on the corner of Beacon and Walnut Streets in Newton. Give them a try. New owner Freddy is eager to please.

Summer night lights in the city

Every time I exit my front door and head in any direction I'm reminded that Boston is such a walkable town. My condo has been rated 98 out of a possible 100 points by walkscore.com to be a Walker's Paradise.  Here are a couple of shots from tonight's stroll around the reflecting pond and fountain at Christian Science Church World Headquarters.

From the roof . . .

 

Away from the crowds, I was still able to take in the variety of last night's sky writing. I missed grabbing some of my favorites—the gyroscopic formations, the letter B, and even a cube! Still, I captured some of the light then boosted and distorted it with the help of my iPhoto to show some of the visual drama. Enjoy.

Marking territory along the Charles . . .

My annual 4th of July walk along the Charles River was earlier than previous years—a full 12 hours before the fireworks. Some folks had marked their territory as early as 6 a.m. and lines snaked along the path for those waiting for admission to the lawn in front of the Hatch Shell. I enjoyed finding so many different uses and expressions of our stars and stripes. A very patriotic feel today.

Necessity is the mother of . . . no, maybe it's adapt or gasp . . .

Two images that seemed disconnected suddenly suggest a theme: one creature surrounded by its source dies in the middle of it while another creature caught without the usual raincoat and umbrella makes a fashion statement in Whole Foods today as the skies threatened to extinguish our hopes for fireworks a few hours away. The fish was a big one, at least 18" long floating and gasping on the Charles while the fashionista from Estonia shined a great big smile into my camera. So am I grasping for some words to pull it all together? You bet. Help me here, my imaginative readers, and give me your ideas about whether or not the two images can be linked.