Sunday, July 31, 2016

Some Old Timey Litter

 
On this last day of July I enjoyed the novelty of paddling in a light rain...

...and for a refreshing change the temperature wasn't 90 degrees plus. 

The Concord River flowing through its namesake town is at drought levels, and the receding water exposed a good-sized cluster of glass bottles near Ball's Hill.  Amidst bottles of Coca-Cola, Pepsi, White Rock, Schlitz, and Pabst Blue Ribbon (dating from the 40s,50s, and 60s) were 3 much older bottles (each perhaps more than one hundred years old)...
The one on the left is an old French Bros. soda bottle made in the neighboring town of Lexington (perhaps 1913).  In the middle is a square-shaped full pint bottle embossed as Oates and Shaw Family Wine Store 769 and 771 Washington St. Boston.  Only listing found for Oates and Shaw Co. was in 1905.  The smaller 8-ounce bottle to the right is embossed M.A. Seed Dry Plate Co. St Louis MO.  M.A. Seed was named for founder Miles Ainscough Seed who was a pioneer in dry-plate photography.  His company existed from 1882 to 1902.  The bottle most likely contained Seed's Ready Developer.  In Ron McAdow's guide The Concord, Sudbury, and Assabet Rivers, it's mentioned that naturalist William Brewster purchased Ball's Hill in 1891. This would coincide with the period of time in which Seed's developer was being manufactured.

While I checked out the bottles a fawn checked me out...
   This has been quite a summer for deer encounters.

In addition to bottles an old car tire was left exposed...
...the owner had gotten his money's worth as it was bald with considerable cord showing.

The rest of the day's haul...

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Seeking the Shady Glade

Finished my workday near Wayland's Rt. 20 boat launch late this morning and decided to see if the Sudbury River would allow my paddling the 2.6 miles upriver to a favorite shady glade on such a hot day.

Turned out there was just barely enough water depth, and, while I never had to exit my boat, some hand-pulling was required to slide my boat along the river bottom.

While doing some of that pulling, I spotted a doe and her two fawns up ahead...
 
The fawns seemed to be enjoying their time at the river...

One got squawked at by a blue heron...
...and went back to its sibling...

As I paddled around the bend one fawn took a closer look...

With the water only inches deep and very clear, fish such as this carp were more visible than usual...

Saw my first Cardinal flower of the season...
And the pink hibiscus are in bloom...

The shady glade was ultimately reached and proved to be a cool and inviting spot.  Proceeding further upriver would've required a short dragging of my boat over the stones...
Instead I just wading in the knee-deep water where the bottom is lined with stones and watched a family of ducks proceed past my boat...
 ...and waddle through the glade.

On my way back to Rt. 20 a blue heron took flight from its perch in a tree...

Once back ashore a tired haul of trash gathered hullside...
The haul included a couple of old bottles and a Two Roads Lil' Heaven IPA beer can with the slogan "Here's to taking the road less traveled in life and in beer!"  I concur.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Lowdown on the Sudbury

I had what little water there was remaining at the Lincoln Canoe Launch all to myself late yesterday afternoon.  Without some badly needed rain this slough leading to the Sudbury River may become unusable.

Further upriver Pantry Brook is contributing next to nothing in the way of water...


Of course wading birds like the killdeers and sand pipers are enjoying the additional real estate along the shore...
 

This blue heron blended in nicely amidst the pickerelweed...

Perhaps owing to the low water levels, the river was found to be a quiet and serene place to spend a July afternoon...

Only a small amount of trash, recently left high and dry by the receding river, was recovered...



Monday, July 25, 2016

Connecticut River Cooldown

Hoyt's Landing on the Connecticut River in Springfield, Vermont was a popular spot yesterday.  High summer had drawn folks to the place for a plethora of reasons.  Some attended an outdoor riverside church service as others prepared for a day's fishing, tubing, water-skiing, standup paddle-boarding, canoeing, or kayaking.  Still others relaxed in their cars, swam from the shore, or picked berries.  One guy actually stood atop the Chesire Bridge's highest girder, silhouetted against nothing but sky, and dropped vertically, feet-first, into the river.  I'd have taken a picture of him if I wasn't in the river myself enjoying a post-paddle dip (by the way, he did survive the dive).

My friend Paul and I paddled a few miles downstream and upstream from Hoyt's.

It was a great day to be either on, in, or by the river...


The base of riverside sandbanks (home to bank swallows) made a great spot to land and swim from...

A steady trickle of sand was seen flowing down the bank...like sand through an hourglass.

A very small amount of trash encountered along the way...





Monday, July 18, 2016

Cape Ann Encircled

It's the high point of my summer...4 days and 3 nights camping and paddling on Cape Ann.

Before paddling around the Cape with some 317 other participants in this year's Blackburn Challenge, I spent a few days enjoying the Annisquam River from its namesake lighthouse at one end (photo above) to the Blynman Canal Drawbridge at the other...


The view from my tent at Cape Ann Camp Site looked out upon the Jones River...
...which afforded me access to the Annisquam.
 
Paddling along the Annisquam I encountered this boat...
...proving, as I always suspected, that Josey didn't spend his last days in Texas.

Of course it being Blackburn Challenge weekend, it's only fitting to see dories on the water...

...and even better to see one with two guys pulling hard as they passed Ten Pound Island Lighthouse...


Reaching the finish line at the Greasy Pole was Saturday's major objective for Blackburn rowers and paddlers...

Reminders of Gloucester's past such as the old Tarr and Wonsen Copper Paint (for hulls of boats) factory built in 1863 still stand...

...and the Gloucester Fishermen's Memorial near the Man at the Wheel Statue on Stacey Boulevard...
...which lists the names of fishermen lost at sea during each year since colonial times.  The year of Howard Blackburn's ordeal in 1883 was a particularly bad year with a long list of names.  Included among them was Howard's dorymate Thomas Welch...

Only a short distance away a more modern face of Gloucester has taken shape in the form of the recently opened Beauport Hotel...
...where the old Birdseye refrigerated plant long stood.

Around town banners displaying cast members of the television show "Wicked Tuna" hawk related merchandise...


While paddling the Annisquam a bit of trash in one little cove was gathered up from a spot which seems to have a magnetic attraction for flotsam...
 ...and a few lingering Hookset disks...


Sunday, July 10, 2016

Old and New on the Concord

Found things fairly peaceful on the Concord River in Bedford and Billerica yesterday.  The cloudy skies and occasional drizzle provided ideal conditions for grinding out some double digit miles in preparation for next weekend's Blackburn Challenge.

My focus was less on trash and more on sustaining a respectable speed.
Nonetheless, being the weekend after the Fourth, new trash was there to be found...

Found amongst the newbies was this much more dignified old whisky bottle embossed with the words "Guaranteed, Honest, Measure"...
...simplicity that stood the test of time.  I like it.

Monday, July 4, 2016

Wild Time on the Concord


Got out on the Concord River this beautiful July Fourth morning.  After passing under a very quiet and serene Old North Bridge (at left) I continued downriver and near Saw Mill Brook encountered three wild pups playing on the riverbank...

Hard to tell if they're fox or coyotes.

One stalked me...
...before looking like it might charge...
...then just emerged from the shrubbery and sat-up like a dog...
When it returned to the woods I noted its tail was black-tipped.


Another mile or so downstream this handsome white-tailed buck with velvet antlers stood at water's edge...
...and added some majesty to the holiday.

Once back at Egg Rock I noted the very low water level in relationship to the inscription...
...before ascending the Assabet River as far as Spencer Brook which is down to only a trickle...

With the Assabet seeing very little boat traffic due the shallow water this heron acted like he had the place to himself...


Returning to the confluence at Egg Rock I found a very busy intersection...
Several families were fishing from the Calf Pasture while an endless line of canoes and kayaks passed by.

My trash haul reflects the low water conditions...