The headlines- Boy are we fat! Turkey Terror in Rockport! Plus selected short subjects.

Today is quite windy and chilly. In the teens. Tomorrow I am going into town (Boston as if you didn't know) to see the Broadway play "Jersey Boys". It won't be quite as cold as it is today but it will be cold. I thought, "I am going to prepared." I'm going into town with public transportation. It's about about 8 miles to my destination but the last thing I want to do is drive. Who needs the hassle or the expense? Public transportation means I will be spending a good deal of time outside waiting and walking. It's supposed to be a nicer day tomorrow. Less wind. About 30. Still cold. My extra preparation. Purchase some long underwear. I went out early in the afternoon. It was about 17 and windy. I ran a few errands and set off to the local mall. To tie all this all together. Since I lost the weight I have been able fit into the small size on some items. Some t-shirts, shirts, even boxers. There! I admit it! I'm a boxer kind of guy! But I have digressed. I search out the underwear section of the men's department finding a big mess first of all. I could not find a small or a medium matching top or bottom. There were no smalls. No medium bottoms, but plenty of L and XL! I suppose I could read this two ways. Either all the small or medium size guys have shopped early for undergarments to keep their nether regions warm and I'm too late, or most of the guys who buy long underwear are of the weighty variety. I looked at some t-shirts and found mostly L or XL.
I went to another store in the mall and found pretty much the same thing. You have read about how overweight we are as a country but I am finding this reflected in the how stores are merchandised.

This next little tid bit happened in Rockport Ma. Here are a few paragraphs from The Gloucester Times.

   

Turkey terror in Rockport

"ROCKPORT — Through rain, sleet and snow, Rockport mail carriers deliver — until now, anyway.

And it wasn't the rain, sleet or snow that stopped some of them.

Nearly every day over the last five months, an average of 10 turkeys — led by a pair of male "ring leaders" — have been chasing and attempting to peck a postal worker on his route along Marmion Way and South Street.

"They chase the truck down the street — two males in particular — it's just unbelievable."

The local post office stopped delivering mail to several South Street homes after an incident Jan. 15 when a number of passers-by stopped to help the postal worker as he was being chased by the quick-trotting turkeys.

"Last week, people had to intervene so (the mail carrier) could get back to his truck," Russell said yesterday. "He was trying to wave a bag full of mail at the turkeys as he ran when some folks pulled over to shoo the turkeys away."

For weeks prior to the incident, Russell said the mail carrier had tried to park the truck out of sight or change the time of day he was delivering the mail to that area, but nothing worked.

"They chase the truck down the street — two males in particular — it's just unbelievable."

The local post office stopped delivering mail to several South Street homes after an incident Jan. 15 when a number of passers-by stopped to help the postal worker as he was being chased by the quick-trotting turkeys.

"Last week, people had to intervene so (the mail carrier) could get back to his truck," Russell said yesterday. "He was trying to wave a bag full of mail at the turkeys as he ran when some folks pulled over to shoo the turkeys away."

For weeks prior to the incident, Russell said the mail carrier had tried to park the truck out of sight or change the time of day he was delivering the mail to that area, but nothing worked."

So we have a marauding gang of turkey's attacking postal workers and their vehicles. What's more incredible is that there are "ring leaders" to this gang. What they gobble goes!

One frightened postal worker managed to get this picture with his phone.



Turkey gang leader known as "Rico".



Also reported in the story, and this is what was written, the environmental police no longer relocate wild turkeys. I wonder if it was some sort of witness  protection program for the turkeys. If one turkey rats out another gang member the government will relocate them and give them new identities. "From now on Tom, you will be known as Phil." 

They have come up with a possible solution. The mail carriers will be given umbrellas. When they are approached by one of these turkey thugs they are to open the umbrella pointed at the turkey so that the turkey will think you are a much larger bird who is puffing up it's feathers. They are trying to outsmart the bird. And that bird is a turkey! One of the stupidest birds around. This is nuts. Either you just trap and move them or well, shoot them. Are they endangered? Maybe you could hire a hit man type turkey to bump them off.

OK. As I said above I'm going into town. Here's a very unimportant but interesting fact about Boston. It's the only place where you can go into an establishment and enjoy a Samuel Adams then cross the street and see his grave.











This is my first Broadway style show. The theater district in Boston is very close to the Boston Common. Both the Common and the adjacent Boston Public Gardens are all decorated for Christmas. I am bringing a camera with me. Not my usual but a smaller, older point and shot which is much less bulkier and can be carried in a pocket. I hope to get shots of all the Christmas lights.



This is part of the Common facing the state house. This and the next 2 pictures were taken in early April, 2007. It was a picture book day with temperatures around 73 The Common is basically a big open park with baseball diamonds, area's for concerts and just wide open spaces in the middle of a congested city.

The Boston Public Gardens is a beautifully maintained park across the street from the commons. This is completely landscaped. If it's not too cold, because it will be dark, I should be able to get some shots.





      

I lightened the second shot though now it looks washed out. The sprinkler was spraying as I shot. The original was a bit darker. A problem with shooting into the light. The third shot is of the Swan Boats on the man made pond. If you ever come to Boston you've got to stroll through the Commons and the Public Gardens. An oasis in the middle of city hustle bustle.

Considering the 1:30 pm start of the show it would be best if we had dinner in town and avoid the rush hour crush. I haven't a clue where but I'm sure of one thing. It won't be cheap. Too bad we weren't near the North End! There's about 80 restaurants there!

I'm outta here.