Swan Boats

Workers were busy today putting disassembled Swan Boats on a flatbed truck for the trip to wherever it is they store them for the winter.

Charlie came to life today, ambling about town to promote Charlie Cards and the new air-conditioned Charlie service center at Downtown Crossing.

At the Public Garden, Charlie posed with tourists and handed out CharlieCards as souvenirs to little kids who had no idea what to do with them. "It's a CharlieCard!" T General Manager Jonathan Davis helpfully told one tot.

Then, once enough tourists had shown up, Charlie got on a Swan Boat and went for a ride. We didn't stick around to see if he ever returned, no, we don't know if he ever returned.

Ed. note: Don't worry: The Mass. Bay Credit Union paid for the suit, which has a built-in fan and a vent in the hat, but which still proved to be wicked hot enough on a day like today to force Charlie to take periodic breaks and take his head off.

Yes, the Swan Boats: Canceled today and tomorrow due to Irene.

Public Garden lagoon in 1907.

Dave Pye can see the Swan Boats from his office window:

... They're having a cool dip, with exotic women from countries all over the world sitting in their laps, and I'm stapled to a desk writing emails about search engine optimization. ...