I never use this blog as any kind of bully pulpit.  I barely ever express my opinion up here about anything and that is on purpose.  First, this is a picture blog.  If I wanted to express my opinion, I would have a non picture blog on some kind of theme where I expressed my opinion.  Instead I post pictures of dogs, mountains and whatever else appears in front of my camera worth photographing.

Recently though, I read something that I feel the need to respond to.  I’ve read another blog called Gawker for years and up there was an essay by a person whose been living in Boston for a couple of years.  In it she detailed how she actually lives in Cambridge and basically saw her time here as a clock punching exercise while in law school.  The people were cold, the atmosphere of the city uninviting, the author said.

I found myself wondering what city she was talking about.  I knew what she meant with her words.  I had a similar sentiment when I lived in Washington, a place I struggled to connect with.  However, Washington is a place that a lot of people struggle to connect with.  Expressing the same sentiment about Boston doesn’t ring true to me.

I write a lot up here about how surprised I am about how much I like Boston.  I love the haze over Downtown Crossing in the morning.  I love how walking through Harvard Square means you will find something weird there.  I love how compact the city is.  I can leave work, board a boat and go to Harbor island in less than an hour.  Or a beach.  Or a ski slope in the winter.

This is the only place I have ever lived that I have liked more and more as the years go on.  I thought initially when I moved here that I would eventually leave.  Maybe another city, back to Europe, etc.  But now I can’t possibly picture leaving.

Speaking of pictures, some aforementioned Boston charm.  Yesterday I was walking through Harvard Square, when I spotted a big group of (what I assume) were Harvard students, in the pouring rain, belting out tunes.  It was fabulous.  I gave these guys $5 for effort alone:

 

As anyone who follows this blog knows, I love to play with images.  Colors, perspectives, etc.  The number of ways to manipulate an image are just unimaginable.  You can take it where ever you want.

But there is one thing I’ve never played with — the macro setting.  On all the cameras I have had over the years, I’ve generally avoided the macro setting.  Photographing something super close doesn’t appeal to me too much, especially since the results are usually blurry and uninteresting.

Well, since I have a new camera, I decided to play with the macro setting.  Where do you usually start with the macro setting?  With flowers.  I know, so boring.

No necessarily:

 

Sideways and featuring a fly whose wings are lit up by the sun.  Different.

And a couple of shots that you usually see when you shoot macros:

 

 

But the back end photographed better:

In the past year or so I have become a walking billboard for the work of the Jimmy Fund.  I like the way this organization operates.  They work quietly and effectively and they do excellent work.

As I wrote on this blog in September, I walked 26.2 miles for them on the path of the marathon.  It was hands down one of the most amazing experiences of my entire life.  It made me realize that amazing things could come just from doing things and helping other people, rather than helping yourself.  I had always thought going to exotic places would bring me exhilaration and joy.  Turns out that walking through Wellesley and Newton and a bunch of other places was much more rewarding.

Since that walk, I support the Jimmy Fund.  Yesterday was Scooper Bowl, where you pay $10 and eat loads of ice cream.  That’s it.    As with most things in Boston, it turned out even better than I thought it would.  There was a big band there called (of all things) Green Line Inbound, playing funny, familiar songs.  It was really hilarious to watch little kids dancing to songs like Shaggy’s “It wasn’t me” about an unrepentant cheater.  Everybody was singing and dancing.

And there were people there.  Like this little boy, who I nominate to be just about the sweetest little kid I have ever seen:

 

And this little girl, who caught my eye.  I just had to wait for her to turn around and pose for the perfect photo:

 

People were dancing, as I had mentioned:

 

And last but not least, this guy.  He was just so amazing looking, I had to photograph him:

Still playing around with the miniaturization effect.  This time at Revere Beach:

And what better place for it to come from than the Burrage House in Back Bay:

The Riot adults bicker.  The Riot kids are cool, calm and collected.  Just don’t deny them a piece of food or take them to see some kind of boring bell: