Assabet River in Flux

Today saw the first serious cold front of the season pass through my home waters in eastern Massachusetts.  The skies cleared rapidly in its wake and there seemed a lull before the temperatures began to drop.  The Assabet River in Stow, being close at hand, provided a nice afternoon sojurn on the water.
The river level has risen a couple of inches and the clarity of the water is about as good as it gets.
About a mile above Sudbury Road, these ducks seemed unreal...

and were just that, decoys, serving to remind me that duck hunting season has started.  Now to find my blaze orange hat and gloves.

Real wildlife seen today were osprey, turkey vultures, ducks, and belted kingfishers.

Reaching the mouth of Fort Meadow Brook, any thoughts of ascending the lower brook were dashed by the combination of a beaver built dam across the box culvert and this fallen tree just below the same culvert which didn'r appear to be the work of beavers ...

Enroute back to Russell's Bridge, where I'd earlier launched, today's trash posed alongside my boat's hull...

There were 13 recyclable containers (5 redeemable) and 14 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as balloons, styrofoam food container, and 2 plastic bags.  YTD = 5791