Today began with a delightful 6th birthday party for the daughter of our dear friends Zubair and Momina. It was colorful and aromatic, as people from several cultures mingled in easy conversation sampling spicy foods. The party had been delayed several weeks from her actual birthday to ensure good weather, and as you can see it was elaborately designed as a garden party.
9396 Garden Party
You may also notice that although there are many cars that each brought a load of people, the brightly decorated tables are empty. The series of intense unseasonal thunderstorms found most people gathered in lively dialog in the garage and two rented party tents. It was one of the most fun parties we’ve attended in years, and I’m going to send some photos to the proud parents who did so much to ensure that it went well while adapting to the wild weather. This included Zubair insisting on driving us into Boston rather than letting us take a train, which we were glad of because it gave us some time to catch up on each other’s lives. He’s the man who nudged me to get a pilot license five years ago, so we owe him much happiness.
9430 Hoofing Boston
To spare him the thick traffic, we got out and walked the last few blocks to our hotel next to Tuft’s in the heart of the city. The rain was already abating, and minutes after we started walking the traffic eased too. After checking into the room we went for a stroll, and hearing a small plane I glanced up to see this hopeful glimpse of a plane like ours.
9431 Happy Sight
Hopeful because we’d like to fly over the city as we have in other states, to take in the view and snap a few pix to share. When we were last here, the air traffic controllers gave no sign they ever allow it. As we talked about what this glimpse might mean, it came by again. Then again. Eventually it dawned on me that this was no tourist, but most likely police or TV crews circling a sporting event. sigh…
We wound up a few blocks from the hotel in Chinatown, and I like how it complements the State Street building (whose name of course reminded us of Santa Barbara’s main drag).
9432 State Street MA
We paused to enjoy the sliver of moon mingling with the aromas of yet another culture, savoring the great strength our nation derives from diversity.
9437 Thin Moon Over Boston
John & Anne Wiley 
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