Had I not been walking in Boston, I would have missed this bodacious baboon who was advertising a play near Paul Revere’s house in North Boston.

Ma Duck was all dressed up in her Christmas cap, as were her ducklings.

Quincy Market backs up to Faneuil Hall. The trees in its plaza were beautifully lit for the season.

Built in the early 1800s, Quincy Market is now crammed full of market-stall type restaurants filled with tempting goodies. The people were waiting for performances by a high school band and a high school chorus.

The goodies inside included these candy apples. There is something for everyone, including M&M covered apples. Hmmm.

Peggy and I visited the Market twice since it was close to our hotel: once at night when it was packed and then early in the morning when this photo was taken.

Some kids came by to play this piano while we were sitting in the market drinking coffee. I really like the idea of having a “Play Me, I’m Yours,” piano available. The kids were really good. It turned out they were from the band playing outside.

This is what we saw looking up from our seats.

The band outside warms up. Literally. Soon afterwards it started to snow.

The nearby Commonwealth Bookstore pulled us in with this display.

I knew it was a good bookstore when I found Leo. I am convinced that any bookstore with a cat is a good bookstore. The sign requested that customers please refrain from poking or prodding Leo. “Gentle patting and chin scratching” were fine.

The Boston Public Market was just a few blocks away from the Quincy Market.

Winter squash and turnips were among the vegetables featured.

The turnips…

We found this sculpture by American Sculpture Dimitri Hadzi in front of the John F. Kennedy Federal Building and I confess it had me scratching my head. Research told me that it represented the last man standing at Thermopylae where the Spartans fought the Persians until there was only one Spartan left. I am still scratching my head.

Down on the edge of the Commons we checked out the Park Street Subway System. We had been told that Boston provides excellent mass transit. I found myself wondering whether Charlie was still stuck on the MTA.(Kingston Trio song). “But did he ever return? No he never returned. And his fate is still unlearned.” Sing it if you know it!

We didn’t find Charlie but we did find this ceramic mosaic commemorating the opening of the line. The artist, Lili Ann Rosenberg lived in the Applegate Valley of Oregon where I presently live later in her life. The Ruch Library where Peggy serves as president of the Friends of the Ruch Library features one of her ceramic works.

Meet Doodle (as in cock-o-doodle-do). Doodle resides in our front yard and was created by Jeremy Crisswell, a well-known ceramic artist in our area who worked as an apprentice under Lili Ann.

The back side of Doodle.

Peggy and I hiked down to the New England Genealogical Society on Newbury Street to renew my membership and do a little research.

The Society has been a good source of information about my mother’s ancestors in Windsor, Connecticut (the Marshalls).  This is Eliakim who was born in the early 1700s and was an Elder in the Windsor church. I am hoping that the Society will have information on the Mekemsons as well. Interesting headstone, eh?

Newbury is filled with exclusive shops, such as this one for women who have ‘a pea in the pod.’ Looks like more than a pea to me.

This area was once part of the bay but was filled in by chopping off the tops of Boston’s higher hills. Once filled in, it became a location for very expensive homes competing with Beacon Hill for the wealthy of Boston. This one has been converted to shops.

There are more photos, always, but I will conclude my Boston series with this picture of the old Custom’s Building. The hands on the clock are made of copper covered California redwood.