Back to the Fishies (penguins, turtle, sea lions, etc)

Today, I took Rose and Zora to the Aquarium. I used Zora's family's double stroller that fit through most of the elevator doors on the T. I had to take off a wheel to fit through two of them. Time for a new strategy--a smaller stroller!

Here are the two of them sitting on the sill of the big central tank looking at fish as they swim by.
And looking at penguins.
The other day, I made these puff pastries (I have to learn better rolling technique). This was what I tried to do to make kohlrabi leaves more edible. Not a fan of kale and other dense, leafy greens, kohlrabi leaves had water repellency of a high end raincoat. I blanched them, sauteed them, and added spices before wrapping them up in puff pastry with some Parmesan. The result is moderately edible. I really hope it is high in all kinds of vitamins and such though I suspect all the cooking I did probably lessened their nutritional value. Raw, however, I imagine they would have just passed straight through impervious to any digestive attempts made on their integrity.

Summer adventuers with Rose

Rose and I have been going out on adventures. I decided to walk from Park Street to the Aquarium because from Park, one has to transfer twice to only go two stations. The time waiting for trains and spent locating and riding unpleasant smelling elevators is not worth it, especially when there are exciting fountains to be found on the way.At the aquarium, Rose was fascinated by the turtle rescue tank. The turtle in this tank was recovering from cold shock. I think all of Boston is still recovering from cold shock, and lazing around in a tanks would probably help me, though I wouldn't want thousands of folks walking by and peering at me.
Penguins were a favorite. We returned to these Plexiglas portals regularly to see and listen to the swimming birds. Rose loved following their trails of bubbles in the water.
At the top of the massive central column of water about which a walkway spirals, there is a surface reef ecosystem. Rose was fascinated by the huge turtle, the rays, and the divers who submerged to feed the large fish and sharks below.
Outside, the sea lions were swimming and one was scratching itself. Rose was transfixed.
But of course, it is the boats that are the real attraction. Even while inside (except for penguin watching) Rose would repeat, "Boat?" So we went outside and walked the waterfront to look at all the boats. The sun shade is off only for the sake of the photos. This stroller is one of the only ones we found with a real sun shade that actually shades most of her body. Other strollers had these miniature afterthoughts that required ill-fitting third-party accessories. The one shown in the link is a newer model that has solid tires. We like the soft ride of the air filled ones.
On another day, we stopped by Raymond Park
A happy light near our house.
I've seen this being pedaled around before. Frankenshoppingcycle.
Rose and I went to Chinatown. It is amazing how it is another piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is Boston, and it now clicked into place.
Looking at garden tools at Tags.

Ice Cream Castles in the Air

Bows and flows of angel hair and ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere, I've looked at cloud that way.
But now they only block the sun, they rain and snow on everyone.
So many things I would have done but clouds got in my way.

I've looked at clouds from both sides now,
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall.
I really don't know clouds at all.

Taken from "Both Sides, Now" by Joni Mitchell

Glorious sunsets are not confined to the American Southwest and other equally amazing places, though they are pretty spectacular there. It just takes looking up and noticing they are there amongst the buildings and wires. On the day I took this picture, I was walking down to Porter Square to get some groceries. I had a great view of the clouds pulled from N. C. Wyeth illustrations or other books from that era. These clouds invited Bostonians to enjoy their sense of wonder if they would just look up.
During one of our many powerful rainstorms, worthy even of Midwestern thunderstorms, about a third of our tree fell down. I wrote about it in a previous post. Here are the photos.Neatly chopped pieces
The very big stack of limbs awaiting chipping.The previous owners of the house set up the black composter in the middle of an ivy patch, added lots of non-compostable items, and left it to sit there. I have cleared thorn bushes and other things, including a mosquito breading pit known as a pond, from next to the garage and set up both the drum composter for kitchen waste and the black one for yard waste and finishing the kitchen waste. Yardwork continues. I just managed to convince the bushes in front to not encroach on the sidewalk. Had to use the hedge trimmers to do the convincing!

Transition

Today is the last day I sit in my classroom at the Atrium school. I have returned my key, wiped computers, organized files on DVDs for teachers following me, and organized materials in the class as well as the storage room. Everything is neat, organized, and ready for a new teacher to step in. This does not mean that she has to use what I have left behind; she has the choice. At the beginning of every teaching job I have started, I have walked into a less that useful chaos of old files, random materials, and often a very dirty space. It feels good to not be adding to that trend.

Impressed!

During dinner, Reena saw a third of our tree in front slowly fall to the side. Because I was facing the side of the house, I missed the show and heard only the quiet sound of a branch cracking. The limb, if a third of a tree can be called that, miraculously landed on the sidewalk missing several cars, the house, and anything else valuable. It did dent the hedge, but that is easily remedied. However, the whole thing was hanging from the wires both to the house and between the two poles on the street. We called NSTAR, the local power company, and a friendly but distant representative said that people were on the way. I then called the City of Cambridge Dept of Public Works. Wow! They got someone out here right away, got the cogs moving to get the NSTAR crew out quickly, and are about to show up with a chipper to clear away the debris. Everyone involved was very polite and professional. I am thoroughly impressed. I think I hear the chipper pulling up right now!


Yep, chipped and gone in about 20 minutes.

Super Duper job.