Rain does not deter Boston's history buffs. A bit of rain on Tuesday morning brought out umbrellas over some of the visitors to the Old Granary Burying Ground.
Tours with costumed guides continued.
Jazzy red umbrellas added a bit of color to the scene.
In addition to the tour groups, there were people strolling in pairs and solo visitors.
With the help of a friend, this woman stayed dry while she took a closer look at one of the grave markers.
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!
Rain does not deter Boston's history buffs. A bit of rain on Tuesday morning brought out umbrellas over some of the visitors to the Old Granary Burying Ground.
Tours with costumed guides continued.
Jazzy red umbrellas added a bit of color to the scene.
In addition to the tour groups, there were people strolling in pairs and solo visitors.
With the help of a friend, this woman stayed dry while she took a closer look at one of the grave markers.
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 an updated (on 09/18/17) rundown of what's open and closed in Boston on Columbus Day and changes to MBTA schedules for October 9, 2017. Should additional information become available, we'll also update you on parking, street sweeping, traffic alerts, road closures, parades, and trash collection.
A few items are highlighted in yellow because the updated information has not been published as of yet. Follow us on Twitter or bookmark this page and return to check for more updates.
We feature these reminders before each holiday to help our readers make plans and then feature the information on the holiday. This is a permanent resource page that will be updated annually.
This is one of those holidays when, for a lot of people, it's "business as usual." Even the stock market is open. But, if you have the day off, you might enjoy a visit to Opening Our Doors 2017 in the Fenway Cultural District.
What's Open?
Restaurants, bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open
Supermarkets: Open
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 most Banks closed. But each year more banks decide to keep a few branches open. Check with your own bank.
Stock market: Open, as are international markets.
Boston Parking:City website says, "Free parking at all city meters. All other rules apply.
Street Sweeping:City website says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."
Boston Trash Collection:
The city of Boston no longer provides a simple paragraph that explains the trash schedule. Now everyone has to go to this page and enter their address in a box to find out when their trash will be picked up during holiday weeks.
Traffic Alerts/Road Closures: More will be added as we find them:
The MBTA schedule changes for Columbus Day, Monday, October 9, 2017, has not been published. The new website does not have a link to find that information. ( We did send a request for an update to the T. We never received a reply.)
Last year the system ran pretty much on a Weekday Schedule.
Here's an updated (on 09/18/17) rundown of what's open and closed in Boston on Columbus Day and changes to MBTA schedules for October 9, 2017. Should additional information become available, we'll also update you on parking, street sweeping, traffic alerts, road closures, parades, and trash collection.
A few items are highlighted in yellow because the updated information has not been published as of yet. Follow us on Twitter or bookmark this page and return to check for more updates.
We feature these reminders before each holiday to help our readers make plans and then feature the information on the holiday. This is a permanent resource page that will be updated annually.
This is one of those holidays when, for a lot of people, it's "business as usual." Even the stock market is open. But, if you have the day off, you might enjoy a visit to Opening Our Doors 2017 in the Fenway Cultural District.
What's Open?
Restaurants, bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open
Supermarkets: Open
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 most Banks closed. But each year more banks decide to keep a few branches open. Check with your own bank.
Stock market: Open, as are international markets.
Boston Parking:City website says, "Free parking at all city meters. All other rules apply.
Street Sweeping:City website says, "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night."
Boston Trash Collection:
The city of Boston no longer provides a simple paragraph that explains the trash schedule. Now everyone has to go to this page and enter their address in a box to find out when their trash will be picked up during holiday weeks.
Traffic Alerts/Road Closures: More will be added as we find them:
The MBTA schedule changes for Columbus Day, Monday, October 9, 2017, has not been published. The new website does not have a link to find that information. ( We did send a request for an update to the T. We never received a reply.)
Last year the system ran pretty much on a Weekday Schedule.
Our recommended sparkling wine for October 1st is Alice "Tajad" Glera. We met this delightful prosecco at Coppa Enoteca in the South End. It's been on the menu for a while and we've enjoyed it on our past few visits. Please join us as we toast a Happy New Month!
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It is the perfect sip for a lazy afternoon on the patio. And, it's a great selection to match the Coppa menu.
We enjoyed it with a variety of dishes from a plate of mixed crostini to the semolina pasta with Ligurian veal ragu and salsa verde.
A beautiful glass of bubbles adds a touch of festive to any meal.
If you are joining our Sparkling Resolution and have decided to start each month with a glass of sparkling wine, we highly recommend a trip to Coppa. You can toast the new month with a glass of Alice and some wonderful small plates. It's one of our favorite ways to spend any afternoon!
Alice note from the importer:
"Tajad means “blend” in local Veneto dialect, and this kind of blend of local varieties used to be the daily drinker in the Veneto. Tasting it makes one question the wisdom of abandoning those antique varieties for a single-minded, conformist focus on Glera. (Wine now must be at least 85% Glera to be labeled Prosecco.) Tajad shows a little spiciness, a touch of rusticity, and a lot of character. It makes you wish you could be standing at Nonna Alice’s bar, asking her for another glass."
Our recommended sparkling wine for October 1st is Alice "Tajad" Glera. We met this delightful prosecco at Coppa Enoteca in the South End. It's been on the menu for a while and we've enjoyed it on our past few visits. Please join us as we toast a Happy New Month!
\
It is the perfect sip for a lazy afternoon on the patio. And, it's a great selection to match the Coppa menu.
We enjoyed it with a variety of dishes from a plate of mixed crostini to the semolina pasta with Ligurian veal ragu and salsa verde.
A beautiful glass of bubbles adds a touch of festive to any meal.
If you are joining our Sparkling Resolution and have decided to start each month with a glass of sparkling wine, we highly recommend a trip to Coppa. You can toast the new month with a glass of Alice and some wonderful small plates. It's one of our favorite ways to spend any afternoon!
Alice note from the importer:
"Tajad means “blend” in local Veneto dialect, and this kind of blend of local varieties used to be the daily drinker in the Veneto. Tasting it makes one question the wisdom of abandoning those antique varieties for a single-minded, conformist focus on Glera. (Wine now must be at least 85% Glera to be labeled Prosecco.) Tajad shows a little spiciness, a touch of rusticity, and a lot of character. It makes you wish you could be standing at Nonna Alice’s bar, asking her for another glass."
As we stroll around the city, we often see workers cleaning windows. And, so it was one day last week.
Two men on their swings cleaning windows above us on the sidewalk.
Until one of them, with a sense of fun, noticed Penny's camera. He gave a wave but couldn't resist showing what he could do.
He gave a mighty push and sailed over to the street tree behind him. Of course, Penny couldn't resist taking his picture as he reached the tree, even if it meant shooting straight into the sun.
You never know when a bit of fun may come your way on a walk through Boston.
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 the latest Flu Shot information. We've compiled a list of sources to help you search for and better understand this season's vaccination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us, “There are several flu vaccine options for the 2015-2016 flu season,” including a specific vaccine designed for seniors. Besides the usual trivalent vaccines made to protect against three different flu viruses, there are quadrivalent vaccines to protect against four different flu viruses. >>Here's What You Need to Know.
In this post, you'll also find assistance from federal, state, and local authorities – including medical institutions and retail stores. There are sites to track flu activity, plus suggestions that could help save you time and money.
As always, check with your doctor or other healthcare professionals for any flu-related advice.
Do federal, state, and city health officials have any updates on flu or flu vaccinations?
Whether you're waiting in line for a flu shot or taking an easy day with a headcold, an Amazon Kindle makes a great companion. Buy new books on the fly, dig into your archive to re-read old favorites. And, thank you to everyone who supports the compiling of information like this by beginning all their Amazon shopping from BostonZest. It doesn't cost you a penny more, but it does put a few pennies in our pockets.
What's the level of flu activity in our area?
Google flu trends will give you the current level of flu activity in Massachusetts.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
Here's the latest Flu Shot information. We've compiled a list of sources to help you search for and better understand this season's vaccination.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reminds us, “There are several flu vaccine options for the 2015-2016 flu season,” including a specific vaccine designed for seniors. Besides the usual trivalent vaccines made to protect against three different flu viruses, there are quadrivalent vaccines to protect against four different flu viruses. >>Here's What You Need to Know.
In this post, you'll also find assistance from federal, state, and local authorities – including medical institutions and retail stores. There are sites to track flu activity, plus suggestions that could help save you time and money.
As always, check with your doctor or other healthcare professionals for any flu-related advice.
Do federal, state, and city health officials have any updates on flu or flu vaccinations?
Whether you're waiting in line for a flu shot or taking an easy day with a headcold, an Amazon Kindle makes a great companion. Buy new books on the fly, dig into your archive to re-read old favorites. And, thank you to everyone who supports the compiling of information like this by beginning all their Amazon shopping from BostonZest. It doesn't cost you a penny more, but it does put a few pennies in our pockets.
What's the level of flu activity in our area?
Google flu trends will give you the current level of flu activity in Massachusetts.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
Waiting for a traffic light to change, I turned and looked up to see this glowing morning light, filtering through leafy branches and painting the stones of the Church Court tower with golden hues.
I was out doing news photography at the time. So the lesson here is to stop, look up, look down, look across, and take a moment to see what's around you. You could be rewarded with a lovely memory or a photo that pleases you.
This and other favorite photos from our work here and for other publications are available on our gallery site.
