When I get up in the wee hours of the morning, here at the cottage on the banks of the river bordering our neighbors in Canada, the night is black and the river invisible. Across the wide expanse, a spattering of lights bleakly dot the night horizon. Occasionally the quiet is interrupted by a series of 10 to15 waves washing the shore. And we know a ship has passed in the night. If said ship be under diesel power it telegraphs it's coming and passing by the steady drumming of it's pistons throbbing through the night air.


Regularly a freight train whistles it's passing, through the countryside across the way; it's sound effortlessly traversing the open space above the river and lets us feel that is nearer to our door.

Tonight, I stand at the window to peer at the blackness and my gaze is greeted by the lights of a great lakes "laker" anchored just down river a 1/2 mile or so. It is lit up so brightly as to make me think that a city has materialized magically from the depths of our majestic river. From past experience I know that with the dawning of the morn. this city will churn up river and be gone from the sight of those arising too late to witness the magic of their river in the night.

COCKSCOMB

Magpietales #80

Their feathers shorn

he leaves the shop

Cockscomb bright.

The night is young

Rain washed clean.

A different shearing

Awaits. The

 rubber shod figure

will soon crow.

Magpie # 78

Photo by Tess Kincaid

Boys room,

Wall paper

Hangs

Brittle, tattered

Forlorn.

underneath;

pellets,

Shotgun blast?

BOSTON

Aug 2011



We spent this past week in Boston, Massachusetts.  In the six days that we inhabited a space in the Colonnade hotel’s 9^th floor we did a number of things, but not nearly as much as was available.  The New York Yankees were in town for a series which is always a big deal in Boston and this weekend the Red Sox came out on top so that made it an even bigger deal.  We did not avail ourselves of that particular Boston attraction.  We did however witness the jubilation of fans in the street and hallway adjacent to our room in the wee hours of the morning.  It wasn’t a distraction only an observation.

USS Constitution & Bunker Hill monument; rel

Boston was the venue for my professional association’s annual meeting this year and I chose this meeting for the particular reason that it was in Boston.  We’ve been to Boston before and taken in many of the sights including all the places along the Freedom Trail and always find ourselves passing a few hours at the Quincy Market.  This trip was different.  It rained all week; not all day everyday but on the day I chose to skip the meeting activities and partake of the Boston Trolley tour it did rain throughout the tour including the included harbor tour boat ride.  Even so, the running patter from the Trolley drivers was an enjoyable recap of age old history lessons and included some events that I’d never heard of before; like the 2,300,000 US gallon molasses flood in January 1919.  So, aside from attending the meeting at the Hynes Convention Center, the few things we did enjoy this trip were different from any of our previous trips to Boston.

Twice before we’ve driven the entire 7 ½ hour trip from home to Boston and believe me once was too many times when you include driving in the city of Boston.  I’d rather drive in NYC than in Boston.  Another time we stayed outside Boston and took the train in to the city; very good choice!  Once we drove to Albany and left our car at our daughter’s home and proceeded on via Amtrak which is also a nice way to do the excursion.  This time air service was available from home to Boston by way of Albany: a two hour trip, in the air, is inexpensive and very convenient.  The 9 passenger plane flies between 4 and 10 thousand feet and truly gives one the birds-eye-view of the landscape.

Boston Harbor, photo by Google

MTA tickets, Google photo

Our hotel’s restaurant, Brasserie JO, is done in authentic French design both décor and menu; so much so that we ate three different meals there: bkfst, lunch and dinner.  Other dining establishments we visited were Cheese Cake Factory, Chart House, Legal Seafood’s, California Pizza Kitchen, and Limoncello’s.  Limoncello is a family owned restaurant in the North end of Boston; Little Italy.  They make their own Limoncello.  Dining is expensive in Boston but you do get great quality for your money.

 Chart House, Google photo

 Hynes convention cntr, Google photo

 

The big highlights of this trip was getting together with an old friend who was inclined to tell everyone we met that I had a great influence on his choosing Nurse anesthesia as a career.  Also at this meeting I met the two current student nurse anesthetists whom I had sponsored, enabling them to attend the national convention.  Passing the torch to the younger generation is as fulfilling as success at the head of the bed.



Boston Trolley, google photo

D. and I will be hopping on board the puddle jumper out of the 'burg this afternoon for a 2 hour transit to the great city of Boston, Mass.  Looking forward to revisiting my favorite U.S. city.  It's been too long since we've been there.

The occasion is the annual meeting of my professional organization; AANA.

I'm not a big fan of the Annual mtg. because the emphasis is on the politics and business of the association.  And while I think these things important, I prefer meetings where the emphasis is on clinical acumen.  But the mtg is in Boston and therein lies my motivation.  I've attended a handful of Annual meetings in my 39 years of living my dream and administering anesthesia in the clinical setting.  There is always an ulterior motive when I choose the Annual mtg for my yearly continuing education conference.  The mtg is moved to cities around the country to make it convenient for the membership to attend when it is scheduled in their area.

Boston being my favorite city to visit means that whenever the mtg is held there I will attend.  I went to the meeting in San Francisco for the sole purpose of meeting our middle sons in-laws.  We attended the mtg. in New Orleans to meet up with old anesthesia school classmates.  We did go to a Chicago mtg back in the days before they stared moving the mtg. around the country and it was always there in Chicago.  That's when I was young and new to the profession.  Gung ho and wanting to participate in the political process, so I took in my first annual meeting in Chicago.

I prefer to attend the meetings of Dannemiller in Texas and the NAFA mtg in Williamsburg, but since I already have my required continuing education credits I'll avail myself of the opportunity to walk the "Freedom Trail" and scope out Newberry st. and  well just get reacquainted with Boston.