A neighbor saw me out with my walking stick last week and asked me about it. She's a smart woman and she wanted one.
I'm usually asked if I've been injured or had a fall. I wonder why it's cool to use a stick when hiking in the woods but not when walking on icy sidewalks or climbing over snowbanks?
No one would ask this woman if she's been injured. They just think that she has outfitted herself for the conditions she expects.
I don't use the stick because I've had an injury or because I'm unstable, but because I want to prevent falls by walking safely. I walk everywhere. It's my principal means of transportation and my main exercise. With icy sidewalks, unshoveled corners, and snow banks to navigate, I love the secure step that hiking sticks give me.
This post has been updated on 02/11/15 with the newest versions of this product.
My favorite stick for city walking is a Hammers Hiking Pole like the one shown in the photos here. I find this type of stick very useful. It can be opened to a full five feet, if that is what you need, and then telescoped down to 27.5 inches. That's small enough to stow in a suitcase, backpack, or shopping bag.
Mine came with tips for smooth ground, ice, snow, and even has a camera mount hidden under the knob at the top. Turning a walking stick into a monopod is useful when both hiking and photography are on the agenda. I've used it, successfully, with my compact Canon pocket camera and heavy Nikon D600. The current models may be a bit different but this has been a reliable company.
I've also thought about getting this Hammers Shooting Stick/Monopod since it would always have a rest for my camera open and ready to use.
Over the years, I've built a small collection of sticks.
I also have a simple hickory hiking pole with a rawhide strap. The strap on a walking stick is not just there to keep you from dropping the pole. It is an integral part of the tool.
A neighbor saw me out with my walking stick last week and asked me about it. She's a smart woman and she wanted one.
I'm usually asked if I've been injured or had a fall. I wonder why it's cool to use a stick when hiking in the woods but not when walking on icy sidewalks or climbing over snowbanks?
No one would ask this woman if she's been injured. They just think that she has outfitted herself for the conditions she expects.
I don't use the stick because I've had an injury or because I'm unstable, but because I want to prevent falls by walking safely. I walk everywhere. It's my principal means of transportation and my main exercise. With icy sidewalks, unshoveled corners, and snow banks to navigate, I love the secure step that hiking sticks give me.
This post has been updated on 02/11/15 with the newest versions of this product.
My favorite stick for city walking is a Hammers Hiking Pole like the one shown in the photos here. I find this type of stick very useful. It can be opened to a full five feet, if that is what you need, and then telescoped down to 27.5 inches. That's small enough to stow in a suitcase, backpack, or shopping bag.
Mine came with tips for smooth ground, ice, snow, and even has a camera mount hidden under the knob at the top. Turning a walking stick into a monopod is useful when both hiking and photography are on the agenda. I've used it, successfully, with my compact Canon pocket camera and heavy Nikon D600. The current models may be a bit different but this has been a reliable company.
I've also thought about getting this Hammers Shooting Stick/Monopod since it would always have a rest for my camera open and ready to use.
Over the years, I've built a small collection of sticks.
I also have a simple hickory hiking pole with a rawhide strap. The strap on a walking stick is not just there to keep you from dropping the pole. It is an integral part of the tool.
A neighbor saw me out with my walking stick last week and asked me about it. She's a smart woman and she wanted one.
I'm usually asked if I've been injured or had a fall. I wonder why it's cool to use a stick when hiking in the woods but not when walking on icy sidewalks or climbing over snowbanks?
No one would ask this woman if she's been injured. They just think that she has outfitted herself for the conditions she expects.
I don't use the stick because I've had an injury or because I'm unstable, but because I want to prevent falls by walking safely. I walk everywhere. It's my principal means of transportation and my main exercise. With icy sidewalks, unshoveled corners, and snow banks to navigate, I love the secure step that hiking sticks give me.
This post has been updated on 02/11/15 with the newest versions of this product.
My favorite stick for city walking is a Hammers Hiking Pole like the one shown in the photos here. I find this type of stick very useful. It can be opened to a full five feet, if that is what you need, and then telescoped down to 27.5 inches. That's small enough to stow in a suitcase, backpack, or shopping bag.
Mine came with tips for smooth ground, ice, snow, and even has a camera mount hidden under the knob at the top. Turning a walking stick into a monopod is useful when both hiking and photography are on the agenda. I've used it, successfully, with my compact Canon pocket camera and heavy Nikon D600. The current models may be a bit different but this has been a reliable company.
I've also thought about getting this Hammers Shooting Stick/Monopod since it would always have a rest for my camera open and ready to use.
Over the years, I've built a small collection of sticks.
I also have a simple hickory hiking pole with a rawhide strap. The strap on a walking stick is not just there to keep you from dropping the pole. It is an integral part of the tool.
Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!
This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:
We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.
Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration?
Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?
We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like.
We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.
You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.
The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.
And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.
There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.
Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list.
Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves.
La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting.
Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.
To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates.
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!
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com
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.
Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!
This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:
We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.
Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration?
Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?
We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like.
We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.
You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.
The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.
And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.
There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.
Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list.
Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves.
La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting.
Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.
To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates.
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!
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com
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.
Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!
This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:
We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.
Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration?
Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?
We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like.
We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.
You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.
The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.
And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.
There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.
Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list.
Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves.
La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting.
Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.
To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates.
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!
Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photography: Photo: iStockphoto.com
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.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a holiday gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
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.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a holiday gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
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.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a holiday gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
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.
We'll update that article with news items as we receive them throughout the season. To find out when we've updated this information, follow us on Twitter.
General information you need to know about any snow emergency.
"Use public transportation when possible and avoid driving vehicles on slippery roads to keep roadways clear for plowing equipment and emergency vehicles.
Property owners are reminded to salt and sand sidewalks, stairs and pedestrian ramps to prevent slippery surfaces.
Residents are encouraged to shovel out hydrants and catch basins near or abutting their property to assist our public safety agencies and protect against flooding.
Please check on elderly or vulnerable neighbors who may need help.
Use caution when walking near buildings that may have falling snow or ice
Parking rules are strictly enforced during snow storms. Do not block driveways, crosswalks or ramps, and do not park within 20 feet of an intersection"
Winter storms have an impact on our lives and the city distributed "Boston Winter Weather Guide 2013-2014" brochures to households a few weeks ago to help us learn what to do. The city says,
Adopt a Hydrant: Really great neighbors will locate and note the landmarks to find their nearest fire hydrant and work with one another to dig around it and keep it clear for the entire winter season. This community action can save lives and homes. Sign up here!
If the storm drain near your home is blocked with leaves and debris, you can clear it to prevent flooding when the snow melts.
Find your winter boots, shovels, windshield scrapers, sand, salt, and ice melt. (For the sake of dogs who walk barefoot on sidewalks, please choose a "Paw Safe" option when buying de-icing products.)
And, if you have a car, you may want to park it somewhere that is not signed as a "Snow Emergency Route." Here is a list of the major arteries for the Downtown Boston area with parking restrictions.
* Remove disabled cars blocking roadways as soon as possible. * Make your resident parking sticker visible within 24 hours after the end of a storm. * Park in discount garages in your neighborhood with valid resident parking sticker visible. Arrive up to two hours prior to the start of the snow emergency and leave two hours after the emergency is lifted; otherwise you will be subject to standard parking rates. * Follow all other parking regulations during snow emergencies; they will be strictly enforced. Parking meters remain in effect. * Follow winter weather driving tips.
DON'T
* Park on a posted snow emergency artery during a declared emergency. You will be ticketed and towed. * Use space savers more than 48 hours after a snow emergency has been lifted. * Park within 20 feet of an intersection or further than 1 foot from the curb. * Park in crosswalks or in front of fire hydrants or ramps. * Park in front of driveways or extend your car from the driveway over the sidewalk or street."
There are off street parking spaces available to residents during the storm.
Go to this page, choose your neighborhood, and you'll see a list of available parking lots and garages and what they charge under this program for those with designated resident stickers.
Prices in garages range from $2 (Boston Common Garage) to $14.00 for 24 hours. In some sections of the city, municipal lots are free for those with resident stickers. All of these are on a first come, first serve basis.
Digging Out
Once snow falls, you see how seldom some cars in Boston are moved. We walk by cars that sit, snow-covered, for weeks on end. If you do dig out your car, you are not supposed to put the snow onto the street or a cleared sidewalk. That adds to the fun of the job.
If you live in a section of the city with a tradition of space savers, the city says those must be and will be removed 48 hours after a snow emergency has been lifted. For those new to this game, "space savers" are chairs, trash cans, and other objects that are placed in cleared and empty parking spaces to save the spot for the person who shoveled it.
Once snow, slush, or ice is on the ground, someone has to remove it from sidewalks. In the city of Boston and in most surrounding communities, that someone is you or the people you hire to do it for you.
There was a Supreme Court Ruling in the state. The Boston Globe says this means, "property owners now can be held liable for injuries that are linked to any snow and ice on their land, regardless of whether the conditions were caused by nature or a city plow."Here's a link to the full story on that ruling.
In Boston, regulations for Snow Removal from Sidewalks are available on this page.
If you're new to the area or haven't been paying attention, you may not know this term. French Toast Alert comes from the rush to grocery stores for basic provisions (milk, bread, and eggs) when storms are predicted. Here's a link to the master page of the official French Toast Alert system for this area.
Keep information like this coming your way by supporting BostonZest when you shop at Amazon. Click on any link to Amazon on this site and shop for what you want. BostonZest will receive credit for your purchase. That's what keeps sites like this up and running.
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!
"Snow Emergency/Parking Ban: In Effect at 12:00PM Friday 2/8
Schools: CLOSED Friday 2/8
Trash/Recycling: Collection will begin at 6AM on Friday 2/8. Please place trash & recycling out by 6AM. Crew will begin working early and shutdown when it is no longer safe to be on the roads.
Community Centers: All BCYF Community Centers & Buildings are closed Friday 2/8, Saturday 2/9 and Sunday 2/10.
Libraries: All libraries will be closed Friday 2/8, Saturday 2/9 and Sunday 2/10.
City Hall/Municipal Offices: Will close to the public at 12:00PM Friday 2/8.
City Employees: Essential Personnel only
Parking Meters: Normal rules apply
Tow Lot: Normal Hours
Street Cleaning: Normal Schedule
City Cemeteries: Closed until Monday 2/11
City Golf Courses: Closed until Monday 2/11
MBTA: All service will be suspended effective 3:30PM on 2/8. Visit www.mbta.comfor details.
Courts: Check with the individual courthouse for more information.
Other/Special Events*: N/A
*The City of Boston is not responsible for the cancellation or scheduling of private entertainment events or venues."
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