Despite unseasonably lovely weather, a nasty cold, perhaps enhanced by allergies, has sapped all of my energy lately and filled me with nightmare visions of pollen battering my eyes and nose if I get on a bike. I think things may finally be improving, and may have had more to do with illness than allergies anyway, so I may just brave it tomorrow, nightmares and all.
It’s hard to believe it was just a week ago that I took these pictures after a long ride from Somerville to South Boston at the end of a gorgeous weekend. I’m going to ignore the wind and rain outside for now and just stare at these until it goes away.
photo courtesy nuanc via flickr
Spring (or maybe just a temporary reprieve) has come early to Boston this year. Yesterday marked my first day of gloveless riding, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Along with warm sun and snow-free streets, another sign that winter is wrapping up: maple sugaring. Tapping maple trees may be associated more with the backwoods of Quebec than with metro Boston, but there’s plenty of it around here. I’ve heard about several towns in the nearby suburbs that have been tapping their trees, but I’m most excited about the Somerville Maple Syrup Project right in my backyard. This is a great project that brings together Groundwork Somerville, the Friends of the Somerville Community Growing Center, Somerville Public Schools, and Tufts University. The sap has been flowing since early in February, and will be turned into maple syrup next Saturday, March 13 at a Boil Down at the Somerville Community Growing Center.
If you can’t make it to the boil down, keep an eye out for the syrup this summer at the Union Square Farmer’s Market, where it will be sold at the Grown in Somerville booth.
Maybe I’m getting ahead of myself talking about farmer’s markets. I’m sure we’ll have more snow before winter is really over, but for now I’ll enjoy the sunshine.
one city two wheels 