Tree Hugger

This damaged copper beech tree on Wollaston Hill was turned into wood chips this week.  It seems that it was a victim of one of the numerous gas leaks in the area.  Tree specialists tried to save it but it was not to be.  John Quincy Adams, known as the "tree-planting Mr. Adams," planted numerous copper beech trees around the city ... perhaps this was one of them?

Travel Tuesday: Snoopy II

Taking advantage of a "Downeast" low tide, this hull gets a coat of red.

Author Talk

Meet Christopher Klein, author of Discovering The Boston Harbor Islands, who gave a superb book presentation this week at the Thomas Crane Public Library.  This program was sponsored by the Friends of the Library.  It gave me an opportunity to express my gratitude to the author for his well researched book.  It has been one of my "go to" resources for my blog posts about the islands.

There are 34 islands in the Boston Harbor Island National Park system; I have been fortunate to have visited 15 of them over the years and am always ready to go "island hopping".

I will be sharing some of my Bumpkin Island images later this week.

Thursday is "This Old House Day"

I am taking you inside a hundred-year-old house this week (mine) for some blue-board and plaster work.  Have you ever run into peeling ceilings?  Calcimine paint is the culprit in this case.  You can't paint over it with latex paint or it will eventually peel. 


I like the shadow cast by the work light here and check out the stilts.

Worker Series

This is my fitness guru, Tracy D'Arpino, training a client at her studio called The Fitness Factor located at 94 Franklin Street. Tracy works with all ages and all levels of fit. I couldn't resist capturing her profile against the backdrop of late afternoon shadows on the wall of the Pilates studio.

Worker Series

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Meet business owner and operator, Margaret Burke at Burke's Seafood in North Quincy. Margaret, and her husband Richard, have been providing some of the freshest seafood to Quincy and the South Shore for 30 years.
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Burke's Seafood, on Billings Road, has both eat-in and takeout seafood. Eat in and enjoy the ambiance of this eatery with original tin ceilings and schoolhouse lights.

Worker Series

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Last time I met with Quincy's Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Richard Decristofaro, he graciously agreed to let me take his picture for my Quincy "workers series". He has the challenging job of seeing that 8500 students enrolled in Quincy's 18 schools, receive the best education possible on a budget of $82,000,000. Quincy spends about $12,500 on each student per year. We are in the process of building a new high school which is very exciting for our community.

What are the schools like in your community?

Worker Series

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Therese Abouzeid is an interior designer and along with her husband, Joe, have owned and operated Hancock Upholstering on Washington Street in Quincy Point for 38 years. Therese came to America from Lebanon as a bride, speaking very little or no English. She raised her family here, pursued an education in interior design and runs a very successful business along with her husband. Therese graciously agreed to let me take her picture for my Quincy workers series . . . doesn't she have a beautiful smile?

A Dozen Delectables

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I just had to finish my donut series with a picture of the very personable worker named Dre, pictured here, at Dunkin Donuts on the Southern Artery, boxing a dozen of those calorie laden, cholesterol clogging pastries to go. I want that coconut one . . .

Labor Day

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I discovered this beautiful bronze relief on the side of a monument in the Mount Wollaston Cemetery. The monument is inscribed with the following: "The International HCB&C Laborers' Union of America to D. D'Alessandro". After doing a little research, I learned that D.D'Alessandro was a AFL leader for "hod carriers" in 1920, and had an office listed at 25 School Street.

Quincy has had a history of supporting labor unions that goes back to their inception in the late 1800s.

See other black and white images from around the world at the home of Monochrome Monday.

Worker Series

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This is Dave Forsyth, one of the friendliest and most helpful bike shop owners I have had the pleasure to know over the last couple of decades. Dave has owned and operated Dave's Bike Infirmary on Granite Ave. for 32 years; he has added two sons to his team of bike experts. You can see his web site here. I wish the roads were safer for bicyclists around here.

Do you bicycle much?

Worker Series

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Meet Bryan Egan, who along with his brother Greg, owns and operates Egan's Sunoco on Adams Street. Bryan and Greg took over the family business when their father retired in 1982. They are a full service gas station, state inspection station and will fix and maintain your car. They have employed many young people over the years including their own children.

Bryan noted that there used to be 9 gas stations located along Adams Street between Lakin Square and Furnace Brook Parkway; now there are 3. One of the reasons Egan's Service Station survives is because of the friendly, honest, top quality service they render to customers like me who keeps a car for many years beyond its warranty. One of my family cars is 13 years old . . . what year car do you drive?

Worker Series

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This is Jerry, the night butcher at Roche Bros. Supermarket. This image is part of a series I'm doing on working people in Quincy. The man below is the daytime meat person. They'll both be pretty busy using their sharp knives this weekend because it's a holiday weekend and a traditional one for cookouts. What's your favorite grilled food?

Worker Series

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I am adding Susan, a AAA travel counselor, to my "Worker series". Susan helps people with all sorts of travel plans. The last couple of days she has been very busy helping those whose travel plans have been affected by the swine flu problem. Do you have any travel adventures on tap?

Worker series

Clueless In Boston is contributing this picture of George Moody, Owner of Harmon Oil Company in Quincy. George has kept our burner and hot water heater working for many years. I think the monochrome works beautifully for this portrait taken in the dim lighting of our basement. Click here to view more Monochrome Monday images.

Mark "The Paint Guy"

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I like painting the interior of my house. Mark is one of the paint guys at Curry Hardware, that has helped me to achieve successful painting results over the years.

Window Cleaner

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I wouldn't want to be that window washer on a windy day.

Fresh Coat

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The handicap spaces are getting a fresh coat of paint so they will be clearly marked for those who need them.

A zippy smile

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These two postal workers at Wollaston Post Office, help make this a cheerful, friendly place. Does anyone else like using the "special issue" stamps like those sunflower ones in the picture?

Saturday is Hair Day

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Young has been coiffing hair for women for close to 40 years in Quincy. She was born in Korea and was a newlywed when she arrived in America. It took her 4 days to get to her new home in Boston by train from Seattle. She arrived in Boston to meet her father-in-law on St. Patricks Day. Young didn't understand why everyone was wearing green and knew then that she had a lot to learn. Learn she did, not only English but Chinese as well so she would be able to communicate with her husband and his family. After working a couple years in her father-in-law's laundramat, Young went to hairdressing school and eventually owned her own Hair Salon. She is not only a good hair stylist and colorist but an excellent communicator who is kind to everyone she meets. Pictured with Young is my dear friend, Chris, who graciously let me photograph her in Young's hands.