On Sunday morning, the Boston Public Garden and the Boston Common were calm, clean, and quiet. Here the Japanese lantern and its tree companions were reflected in the lagoon. It was a good place to pause and reflect on the weekend happenings.
"Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action." Peter Drucker
About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
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Does your dog hit his “four-paw-braking” button when you open the door to a rainstorm? Or do you have one of those canines who doesn’t mind being wet? So far, our Poppy doesn't seem to mind a rainy day. But, with some rain in the forecast, this is a good time to discuss rainy day dogs.
A dog's attitude to rain is a case where breed, age, and size may make a difference. A tiny, short-haired dog may be cold and miserable in the rain, while a hardy water dog may love a dripping wet walk.
What’s the Problem?
Mary Fuller, DVM, writing about this topic for www.vetstreet.com, points out that for some dogs rain brings on their fear of thunderstorms, “It’s not always clear what brings on the fearful behavior. It may be changes in barometric pressure, static electricity, the crack of lightning bolts or just the sound of wind and rain.”
Dr. Fuller warns that you should never punish your dog for this fear or force her into the rain, but rather use rewards like exuberant praise or treats to coax him outside. She adds that you should see your veterinarian if this behavior is becoming a real problem. A vet may be able to help with guidance or medications.
Poppy figures a good shake solves her rainy day issues.
Our last Westie Maggie Mae did not mind light rain but hated downpours. Try to see if this is the case with your dog and, when possible, watch local radar and pick a break in the storm to go out.
You could also bring along a favorite squeaky toy and a high-value treat. We suggest that the treat be something special that the dog only gets for rainy walks. This is the time for smelly treats that your dog loves. Try a piece of dried cod skin or a stinky cheese that will set your pup drooling.
Finally, try to hide your own distaste for a rainy walk because those feelings may be traveling down the leash to your dog.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Does your dog hit his “four-paw-braking” button when you open the door to a rainstorm? Or do you have one of those canines who doesn’t mind being wet? So far, our Poppy doesn't seem to mind a rainy day. But, with some rain in the forecast, this is a good time to discuss rainy day dogs.
A dog's attitude to rain is a case where breed, age, and size may make a difference. A tiny, short-haired dog may be cold and miserable in the rain, while a hardy water dog may love a dripping wet walk.
What’s the Problem?
Mary Fuller, DVM, writing about this topic for www.vetstreet.com, points out that for some dogs rain brings on their fear of thunderstorms, “It’s not always clear what brings on the fearful behavior. It may be changes in barometric pressure, static electricity, the crack of lightning bolts or just the sound of wind and rain.”
Dr. Fuller warns that you should never punish your dog for this fear or force her into the rain, but rather use rewards like exuberant praise or treats to coax him outside. She adds that you should see your veterinarian if this behavior is becoming a real problem. A vet may be able to help with guidance or medications.
Poppy figures a good shake solves her rainy day issues.
Our last Westie Maggie Mae did not mind light rain but hated downpours. Try to see if this is the case with your dog and, when possible, watch local radar and pick a break in the storm to go out.
You could also bring along a favorite squeaky toy and a high-value treat. We suggest that the treat be something special that the dog only gets for rainy walks. This is the time for smelly treats that your dog loves. Try a piece of dried cod skin or a stinky cheese that will set your pup drooling.
Finally, try to hide your own distaste for a rainy walk because those feelings may be traveling down the leash to your dog.
Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.
Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.
Our daily walks often take a group of friends and their dogs on a loop around the lagoon in the Boston Public Garden. Over the past couple of weeks with the freeze/thaw cycles, we've all noticed a growing number of ice fragments scattered across the lagoon and wondered about their origin.
As the ice sparkled in the sun, another garden visitor speculated it might be a beautiful art installation. He had a point. It was stunning in this light.
There were areas of the lagoon that had a lot of these ice fragments and other sections that were free of them.
This area near the wall seemed to have some new fragments being pushed out from the ice sheet.
Theories were discussed each time we circled the pond. Was someone tossing these chunks onto the ice? We all agreed there were far too many for that explanation. Spray from duck and geese landings? Aliens?
We came home and set to researching this phenomenon. In the process, we found the site Lake Ice and learned more about ice on lakes and ponds than we could have ever imagined.
Our ice mystery might be brash ice. The ice glossary at Lake Ice describes this as, "… loose small pieces of ice floating in water or the same in refrozen form. The term is normally used with arctic ice but it applies to lake ice. It is common to see isolated pieces of thicker ice in a new, ice sheet. Usually these pieces are reasonably close to an ice edge."
Any ideas? Let us know.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Our daily walks often take a group of friends and their dogs on a loop around the lagoon in the Boston Public Garden. Over the past couple of weeks with the freeze/thaw cycles, we've all noticed a growing number of ice fragments scattered across the lagoon and wondered about their origin.
As the ice sparkled in the sun, another garden visitor speculated it might be a beautiful art installation. He had a point. It was stunning in this light.
There were areas of the lagoon that had a lot of these ice fragments and other sections that were free of them.
This area near the wall seemed to have some new fragments being pushed out from the ice sheet.
Theories were discussed each time we circled the pond. Was someone tossing these chunks onto the ice? We all agreed there were far too many for that explanation. Spray from duck and geese landings? Aliens?
We came home and set to researching this phenomenon. In the process, we found the site Lake Ice and learned more about ice on lakes and ponds than we could have ever imagined.
Our ice mystery might be brash ice. The ice glossary at Lake Ice describes this as, "… loose small pieces of ice floating in water or the same in refrozen form. The term is normally used with arctic ice but it applies to lake ice. It is common to see isolated pieces of thicker ice in a new, ice sheet. Usually these pieces are reasonably close to an ice edge."
Any ideas? Let us know.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston, plus Boston trash collection, parking, and MBTA schedules for Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 15, 2018. We are updating these resource pages rather than creating a new one each year.
Retail Stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners choose
Liquor Stores: Open
City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the Stock Markets in the United States closed. International markets are open.
Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
Boston Public Libraries closed.
BCYF Community Centers are closed.
Free Open House at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
If you're looking for something to do on this holiday, the MFA has a full schedule of special events and invites the community to visit for free that day.
Boston Trash and Recycling:
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to thecity site and look up your specific addressin order to get information.
Street Cleaning:
The city says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night. On the weekends, we sweep some streets at night. Please always check posted street sweeping signs for information. If you still have questions, please contact 311."
Parking:
"Monday, January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day City offices closed. Sunday parking rules in effect."
You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
MBTA Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 15, 2018:
The MBTA no longer publishes holiday schedule in an easy to use format. You must now go to their website and click around to find the information.
For more information about MBTA services, routes, schedules, and fares, please call the T’s Customer Communications Department at 617-222-3200, (TTY 617-222-5146) or go to www.mbta.com
Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston, plus Boston trash collection, parking, and MBTA schedules for Martin Luther King Jr. Day – January 15, 2018. We are updating these resource pages rather than creating a new one each year.
Retail Stores: Are allowed to open, if the owners choose
Liquor Stores: Open
City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed: This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the Stock Markets in the United States closed. International markets are open.
Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
Boston Public Libraries closed.
BCYF Community Centers are closed.
Free Open House at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston
If you're looking for something to do on this holiday, the MFA has a full schedule of special events and invites the community to visit for free that day.
Boston Trash and Recycling:
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to thecity site and look up your specific addressin order to get information.
Street Cleaning:
The city says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night. On the weekends, we sweep some streets at night. Please always check posted street sweeping signs for information. If you still have questions, please contact 311."
Parking:
"Monday, January 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day City offices closed. Sunday parking rules in effect."
You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
MBTA Schedule for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 15, 2018:
The MBTA no longer publishes holiday schedule in an easy to use format. You must now go to their website and click around to find the information.
For more information about MBTA services, routes, schedules, and fares, please call the T’s Customer Communications Department at 617-222-3200, (TTY 617-222-5146) or go to www.mbta.com
Most mornings, when I take my first walk of the day, there is a person on this bench feeding the birds and squirrels.
When he takes a day off, the critters still show up and stop to ask everyone passing, "Where he is?"
They seem to feel as this poet did.
"Sometimes, only one person is missing, and the whole world seems depopulated." Alphonse de Lamartine (French Poet 1790-1869)
About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Most mornings, when I take my first walk of the day, there is a person on this bench feeding the birds and squirrels.
When he takes a day off, the critters still show up and stop to ask everyone passing, "Where he is?"
They seem to feel as this poet did.
"Sometimes, only one person is missing, and the whole world seems depopulated." Alphonse de Lamartine (French Poet 1790-1869)
About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Here's a rundown of what's open in Boston on New Year's Day and the MBTA schedules for New Year's Eve, December 31, 2017 and New Year's Day, January 1, 2018.
This page will be our permanent resource of New Year's information and we will update it in future years.
What's closed? Do I have to feed the parking meters? What about street sweeping? Are the liquor stores and packies open? When do I put out my trash? And what changes are there to the MBTA schedules? We have the answers for you, all organized in one post!
Some businesses close early on New Year's Eve but others, especially those in the hospitality business, remain open. Call before you leave if you plan to visit a business on the 31st.
Here's what we've learned about January 1st, 2018 – New Year's Day
Restaurants, bars: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Convenience stores:Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Supermarkets: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Liquor stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
City, Town, State and Federal offices and facilities are closed:This includes Schools, Libraries, and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
More after the ad…
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Make your own holiday wish come true. Find the gift you really want on Amazon! And, by starting from here, you'll be supporting BostonZest and keeping the information flowing your way.
Financial Services: As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the United State closed. Some international markets are open.
Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters. Other parking rules apply.
Boston Trash Collection:
Boston Trash Collection for Christmas
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to thecity site and look up your specific addressin order to get information.
The MBTA no longer publishes schedule information before each holiday
For information, call the T’s Customer Information Center at 617-222-3200 (TTY 617-222-5146) or visit the MBTA website."
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