Birthday in Boston

Although it was raining hard at the start of the day, we had a leisurely breakfast and packed up and by the time we walked out of the hotel and off to Boston Common and the park, it was fine and sunny.  The dome of the Massachusetts State House (the model for the design of Washington DC's Capitol building) was very bright in the sun.

A sculpture opposite the State House commemorates the first black regiment of the Civil War, featured in the film 'Glory'.

Rather more frivolously these handsome creatures were relaxing beside Frog Pond and in another corner of the park this bronze sculpture was apparently inspired by a well known US children's book 'Make way for ducklings'.

By the lake, the book that came to my mind (going back just a few years...) was an old favourite 'Andy Pandy and the Willow Tree'!..

The view of the Boston skyline across the lake was quite spectacular.

Leaving the park we walked on to Copley Square to visit the Trinity Church.

It is as impressive and ornate inside as it is outside..

Adjacent to the church is New England's tallest building - the Hancock Tower.

Which reflects its surroundings..

We went on to visit the Boston Public Library which I will write about tomorrow..

This evening we moved to a hotel in Cambridge, close to MIT.  Our room is on the 21st floor and the view of the river and Back Bay in the evening light was impressive.

Boston, under Grey Skies

We brought our flight to Boston forward today due to concerns about thunderstorms on the East Coast.  It was a smooth flight, even though the view was like a geography lesson in cloud formations as we descended into Logan airport.

The rain came quite soon after we arrived but, armed with a ticket for a bus and river tour, kindly passed on by some guests who were leaving the hotel as we arrived, we were able to do some sightseeing from relatively dry seats.  

Our bus was not one of these 'duck tours' but it was interesting to see the amphibious vehicles both around the streets and on the water!

For pictures of Boston's main monuments my photos back in November are better than today - it was cold then, but clear!  However most locations were much busier today.

David took some good pics of the old State House, contrasting with its modern neighbours in the Financial District.

Also the old Custom House, now a Marriott hotel..

We visited the Rose Kennedy Memorial Garden near the waterfront and admired the wisteria tunnel with its long hanging seed pods - like runner beans - and the roses too - all decorated with raindrops..

We enjoyed our harbour tour, despite the rain showers..

On arriving at the hotel,  the Omni Parker House, dating back to 1855, we had a little pre- birthday surprise in the shape of Boston Cream Pies (invented in the hotel) and celebratory wine..

Thunderstorms are forecast for tomorrow but we shall see..

What? In this heat?

Everyone keeps telling me that the current weather is very cool for July and that it is normally much hotter (and will be so in August).  For me it is warm enough right now and I didn't feel the need to join in with this open air Zumba class which was running in the middle of Reston town centre this morning.

Apparently this is a free class, each Saturday and anyone can join in ..

On Sunday morning there is a 'bring your own mat and join in' yoga class.  Perhaps that would be more like it..

Friday at the Bargain Loft

I went to the Bargain Loft today, firstly to price some of the many pictures that have been donated since I was last there and then to do my regular Friday afternoon cashier duty.

The whole place is very full at present 

I was quite taken with these wooden 'lighthouse' ornaments, each of which has a little black cat somewhere in its design.

These vintage sundae glasses featured Elsie the Cow.  As ever there was an extraordinary mix of items for sale.

And finally..just one more variety of toadstool, growing in the mulch around a tree by the road.

Flowers, fungi and a fairy

This very fragrant shrub has started to flower in the garden.  

It is quite a large bush, each spike of flower is about three inches long and smells very sweet.

Having found so many toadstools and mushrooms in the garden yesterday we watched out for them this evening when we walked around the block and also checked for new ones in the garden.  A few had appeared or changed.

Some of these are very large - 6 inches or more across.

These very colourful toadstools are tiny and look as if they belong in a fairy story..

I have photographed this little 'tree house',  in a front garden just a few doors up the road up from us, before.  The fairy though is new.  A pity that none of the little orange spotty toadstools were growing here as they would have fitted in rather well!

Mushrooms and Toadstools

The last few days have been very hot and humid and we had noticed that a number of mushrooms of various types have appeared on lawns and under trees around our road.

This evening I looked in our garden and the woods behind and found quite a variety of different fungi.

Many of them are in quite poor condition either due to the heat or because they have been nibbled.

These white ones were quite fresh..

Whereas these were definitely not.

Earrings

An at-home day today - so once the ironing and other chores were done I spent some time 'playing' with some new beads and findings to create some new summer earring designs for sale at the Bargain Loft.