Lily the Cat in a Bag

March 23, 2008

Lily the Siamese in a Whole Foods Bag, St. Botolph District, Boston

I was over at Matt and Mel's this afternoon baking hot cross buns (a Kiwi tradition for Easter). Amanda came over with a Whole Foods bag full of things, and as she was emptying it, she felt that it had suddenly become heavier. It turned out that her noisy Siamese cat Lily had sneaked inside.

Pillow Fight at Copley Square

March 22, 2008

Pillow Fight, Copley Square, Boston

Saturday was International Pillow Fight Day, and the Banditos Misteriosos, a public spontaneity society in Boston, organized one at Copley Square in the center of Boston at 2PM. Over 900 people came out for the event.

'Sorry for the lack of posts lately...I've been pretty busy at work, but I'm going to try my best to keep this blog moving (should be easier once the weather improves for the season).

Heavy Surf at Brant Rock

March 16, 2008

Brant Rock, Marshfield, MA

I took a drive down to the South Shore this afternoon and walked around on the deserted beach at Brant Rock, one of my favorite small summering villages on the South Shore of Massachusetts. This location, not far from Plymouth and about 20 miles from Cape Cod Canal (as well is 22 miles over the water to Provincetown, the tip of Cape Cod), is named for a large, natural rock outcropping just beyond the surf that is accessible by walking on a man-made rock jetty to the end. From here, one is surrounded by large waves on either side as they rapidly make their way to the shore.

Brant Rock is also the location of two significant points in early 20th century history. Just south of this beach, now in a trailer park, stands the base of a 420-foot radio tower constructed in 1905. From here, Reginald Fessenden achieved two-way trans-Atlantic radio contact by Morse Code with Machrihanish, Scotland, in January 0f 2006. Just before the end of that year, he also
conducted the first audio broadcast over radio...playing "O Holy Night" on a violin and reciting a verse from the Bible to ships crossing the Atlantic. Prior to this, Guglielmo Marconi had achieved the first one-way radio contact from Cape Cod, near Wellfleet. While Marconi's efforts are perhaps more celebrated today (through the establishment of Marconi Beach and historical sites on Cape Cod National Seashore), it was here, from Brant Rock, that true back-and-forth communication across the Atlantic was established. Sadly, the tower was dismantled in 1917, yet many photographic images and postcard views of it remain.

Today, the beach was desolate...I was the only one on the sand at the time. Most of the cottages facing the shore are boarded up for the winter...3 months from now, however, the place will be full of beachgoers. The only sign of life at this time of year is some light traffic and the smell of crabcakes and lobster cooking in some of the area's small restaurants, undoubtedly to keep some lingering locals satisfied through the winter.

Cardinal

March 15, 2008

Cardinal in the Back Bay Fens, Boston

I was walking through the neighborhood this afternoon and spotted this male cardinal in a tree. Apparently the chilly weather and morning snow hasn't caused this little bird to avoid the elements.

Friday Night on the E Line

March 14, 2008

MBTA E Line, Longwood Medical Station, Boston

Another week has ended, and tired passengers on the T's E Line make their way home. Pictured above are my friends Matt and Mel (Matt's father wrote the haiku that is the title of this blog)...they had me at their place last night for some wine, late-night omelets, and TV.

Congrats to Matt and Mel on their recent 1st Anniversary (March 9)!

First Sign of Spring...

March 13, 2008

Park Drive, Fenway Neighborhood, Boston

I was walking back to my apartment from dinner and noticed a subtle yet significant sign that Spring is near...look closely.

Yep...along with some tenacious dead leaves from the previous autumn, those are tree buds!

Real Estate Treasure...

March 11, 2008

Abandoned Apartment in Fenway, Park Drive, Boston

I was peeping around the basement while waiting for a load of laundry to finish its spin cycle the other day, and I found this abandoned apartment in my building. It has a piece of masking tape on the door identifying it as "Apt B2". Above, you can see my shadow as I snap a picture of the bathroom. At least the unit has bars in the windows to keep out trespassers....

Apparently, this was once a studio with alcove, much like my own apartment on the 4th floor above. Who knows how long it has been vacant...all that remains is a drop ceiling (obviously a later addition after the building's construction, since no other space, except for the superintendent's 1-BR nearby in the basement, has this sort of ceiling). Instant concrete bags and maintenance equipment is now strewn about the space. The toilet looks as if it hasn't been cleaned in decades, yet it appears that it has been used (given the lack of an odor, it hasn't been used in quite a while).

A nearby vintage sprinkler system valve is dated 1916. I have seen ward maps depicting the building's absence in 1912, and its sudden appearance in 1917. So, I have been able to date the building to 1916, which makes it one of the first buildings in the West Fenway neighborhood, before the building boom there in the late teens and early 1920s, to house soldiers and their families upon returning from service in WWI.