Roundup of June 2023 Posts

And just like that, we have completed the first six months of 2023. Those months went by fast—real fast.

Extreme Weather Events

Perched up here in the Northeast, we have watched the extreme weather events striking the rest of the country with some amazement. From atmospheric rivers and ginormous snowfalls to early tornadoes and severe heat, the country has been suffering the effects of climate change.

Extreme heat, heat map, 2023

Regardless of whether you believe the human causes of global warming, you can’t deny the change in weather patterns. Fortunately, for us up here, it has meant only a cool wet spring moving smoothly into a cool wet summer. That’s no guarantee of resistance to climate change, of course. This year we have favorable climate conditions but next year, we could all be sweltering in a drought. Sometimes, though, I watch the news and feel like we live in a different country.

Tour Guide Season

With the arrival of June, the tour-guide season has gone into operation. More ships will dock in Boston this year than last and visits started earlier at the Flynn Cruiseport. That means I have gotten busy and I’m not writing blog posts while I’m giving tours.

But I love my retirement job; it’s fun to ride those big buses and share my knowledge of the city with visitors who are enjoying their vacation. I get to work in the fresh air and (sometimes) sunshine, meeting wonderful friendly folks. It sure beats sitting in a cubicle writing a new press release, working on yet another trade show, or revising my department’s budget for the 10th time.

Roundup of June 2023 Posts

That takes me to the monthly roundup of posts on The Next Phase Blog. The June 2023 posts make up a short list because, well, not enough time. But that means it’s all the easier to catch up.

Animals

Boston and History

Business and Technology

Health and Safety

Summer’s a Poppin’

Blue Marlin Grille, lobster roll. Essex, MassachusettsNow we have reached July and the core of summer 2023. In New England we cherish our summers because they last only a few weeks from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

We like to eat lobster rolls but, this year at least, the lobster prices are so high I’ve given up on them. Of course, summer is the worst time to eat lobster because that’s when they molt and you get a lot more shell than meat. But folks want their summer lobster and will pay any price to get it.

We All Scream for Ice Cream

Ice cream, however, is another story. All the local creameries dish out hand-made ice cream from local cows and seasonal fruit. Unlike supermarket ice cream, this product doesn’t get stuffed with fillers and stabilizers, artificial colors and sweeteners. Who can resist such a wonderful treat? Not me.

I rate the creameries on the quality of their maple walnut flavor. If that is rich and filled with nuts, the shop that scoops it goes to the top of my list. I know they will do justice to the other flavors they serve. Right now, Trombetta’s Farm and Creamery in Marlborough, MA, holds the top distinction.

The Corn is Ready!

Farm Fresh Sweet Corn, One Mile, Summer, June 2023 PostsThe other big summer treat is local sweet corn. Thanks to our rainy weather, the corn has grown high and fast, although I doubt it’s reached an elephant’s eye. Soon, it will tassel and then the signs go up to alert us that fresh sweet corn is ready. Yum.

Enjoy your holiday weekend, take some time to catch up on recent posts, and have a wonderful Fourth of July!

This entry was posted in Animals, Boston, Business, Environment, Food and Cooking, History and tagged , , , , by Aline Kaplan. Bookmark the permalink.

About Aline Kaplan

Aline Kaplan is a published author, a blogger, and a tour guide in Boston. She formerly had a career as a high-tech marketing and communications director. Aline writes and edits The Next Phase Blog, a social commentary blog that appears multiple times a week at aknextphase.com. She has published over 1,000 posts on a variety of subjects, from Boston history to science fiction movies, astronomical events to art museums. Under the name Aline Boucher Kaplan, she has had two science fiction novels (Khyren and World Spirits) published by Baen Books. Her short stories have appeared in anthologies published in the United States, Ireland, and Australia. She is a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston and lives in Hudson, MA.

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