A Fond Farewell to a Strange January

Fondly saying "goodbye" to the month of January is not something I've often done over the course of my lifetime but, today, Mrs. Trashpaddler and I did just that.  In fact, as far as we're concerned, this type of January is more than welcome to return in the future.  As Jed Clampett would say "y'all come back now, ya hear".
We wrapped up the month by walking through our local conservation area, Pratt's Brook, this afternoon.  Pictured at left is a tributary, Tenney Brook.
About midway through our walk, an eagle-eyed Mrs. Trashpaddler spotted this barred owl...

The owl was actually being harrassed by a small bird.

Further along the trail, we came upon this deceased garter snake that shouldn't have been out and about at this time of year...

Surprisingly, we encountered a fair amount of trash on our walk with about half coming from within the conservation area...

There were 15 recyclable containers (12 redeemable) and 5 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish. 

YTD = 469   The points keep coming ahead of the Superbowl!

Terrestrial Patrol on the Banks of the Assabet

Mrs. Trashpaddler and I combined for another 51 points while walking along Knox Trail where it hugs the Assabet River in Acton, this afternoon.  Lots of easy layups and a pair of foul shots.  Plastic bags were, once again, hanging around in the brambles just waiting to be put to use.  All we needed to provide were gloves and some stooping.
There were 16 recyclable containers (4 redeemable) and 35 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish consisting of plastic bags and food packaging.
YTD = 449

Don't know if I was dreaming but, the other day, I could have sworn I heard Governor Patrick say that plans to update the state's bottle bill are still very much alive.  I believe he said that every poll conducted showed popular support among voters as well as city and town administrators for updating the bottle bill to include non-carbonated beverages.  Here's hoping common sense finally prevails.  
 

Sudbury River - Passage through Fairhaven Bay?

Another unseasonably nice day and the question needing an answer was: Would Fairhaven Bay be iced-over, or would paddling across be possible?  At 1 pm my boat and I pushed away from land at Lowell Road in Concord and headed up the Sudbury River to find out.
The late January sun was in my face until I passed the Sudbury Road bridge where the view of Fairhaven Hill (at left) came into view.
At Martha's Point, it was still open water.  However, as Brooke Island came into view, so too did ice...

My boat easily cut a swath through the ice and after only about 100 feet or so, open water was reached allowing me to continue to Lee's Bridge and the small landing there...

The trip back downriver had the southwest breeze at my back giving my engine a rest. 

Three mute swans took to the sky which is always an impressive sight...

  At Route 2, motorists were blissfully unaware of this beaver's tree work...

Hope Mr. Beaver has it fall away from the busy highway.

By the time I reached the Elm Street bridge, clouds were displacing the blue skies...

Once landed at Lowell Road the day's catch gathered hullside...

There were 31 in all: 14 recyclable containers (8 redeemable) and 17 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish.  YTD = 398

Most of the trash was found close to the bridges.

Sure was a nice January!

Danvers River at a Higher Tide

My getting off work in Danvers, this afternoon, coincided with today's rainstorm winding down and a high tide to boot.  The photo at left shows things getting peaceful just before sundown.  The Kernwood Bridge is in the distance.
I launched at Pope's Landing and hoped to explore the upper reaches of the Waters River but the Water Street (Rt 35) bridge was only allowing ducks passage at this tide level...

Speaking of waterfowl, there were many to be seen today.  Buffleheads, mergansers and these loons...

Belted kingfishers and Canada geese were also seen.

Once back in the Danvers River, I checked out the tidal basin just upriver from the Kernwood Country Club.  When I reached the tides limit I came upon this pile of ornate granite work...

At first I thought I was seeing the ruins of an old building, but later saw on a map that this pile is behind the St. Mary's cemetery.

On the other side of the Kernwood peninsula a brief shore raid in a small pocket cove resulted in the majority of today's haul...

There were 48 in all: 15 recyclable containers (3 redeemable) and 33 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, styrofoam cups, a propane cylinder, water gun, and the ever present nip bottles.
YTD = 367

The return to Pope's Landing provided a good little workout against an outgoing tide that seemed to be trying to reach the open sea before dark.
Considering it is late January, today was rather nice out on the water.



Blownabout Litter from the Powdermill

While walking along the Assabet River today with Mrs. Trashpaddler, I thought of Bernie Paquette's blog and his "Litter is an All-Season Sport" series of posts.  It's a simple sport: Drop a piece of litter, you lose a point.  Pickup a piece of litter, you gain a point.
So we quickly had 3 points with these 3 items from along the river.  However, as we neared the Powdermill Plaza at the Acton/Concord town line, we noted considerable litter being held captive by the brambles at the top of the river's bank...

That's when I recalled Ellen's recent post on her blog The House Behind the Other Houses and how she often uses littered plastic bags to contain what she picks up.  Because of the adjacent shopping plaza, a wide variety of littered plastic bags were available.  By the time we finished our walk, we'd upped our point total to 20 without expending all that much time or effort...

YTD total = 319


 

Riding the Assabet River - Acton to Concord

When Old Man Winter winked this morning, I was ready to take advantage.  Mrs. Trashpaddler dropped my boat and me off at the completely ice-free Acton Canoe Launch and we were soon making good progress riding the Assabet River towards Damonmill.  Stops were only made for flagging patrons such as plastic bags, bottles, styrofoam cups, etc.
Upon reaching the broken dam at Damonmill, a quick decision was made to go with the flow and slip on through.  This time I started towards the left, then went to the right of the large rocks.  The Maynard gauge height was 2.67' and this is what the dam looks like at that height (from downstream)...

The day was warming nicely and it seemed surreal considering the winterlike conditions of the past 2 weeks.
Wildlife were also enjoying the springlike conditions.  There were Canada geese, mallards, American coots, a merganser or two, Muscovy ducks, and a belted kingfisher.
Following a lunch break in West Concord, I journeyed a bit up Nashoba Brook to within site of the bakery bearing the brook's name...

Turning around here I headed downstream passing under the Old Colony RR's Framingham to Lowell line...

This bridge may someday carry bicyclists traversing the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

Once back on the river, this lone duck was hanging with a group of mallards...

The white patch behind its eyes has me wondering if it may be a juvenile merganser or bufflehead?

Next, it was under the Route 2 bridge and a bright blue sky...

Approaching the Leaning Hemlocks the ice was noted to extend out from the banks more so than upriver.  This American coot took advantage of the ice shelf...

Arriving at the Sudbury, Assabet, Concord confluence, things were looking good...

Ice was only an issue at the Lowell Road boat launch where it extended out a little too far for my liking.  I paddled back to the Calf Pasture where terra firma was more easily attained and then dragged my boat to the boat launch and a waiting Mrs. Trashpaddler.

Trash taking a taxi ride today are pictured alongside my boat's hull...

The 45 passengers were comprised of 13 recyclable containers (2 redeemable) and 32 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic bags, styrofoam cups, cardboard, etc.  YTD total = 299

For a winter-hater such as I, today was like a tonic and greatly enjoyed!  It took me away from recent reading of long ago "Puritan good times" hanging Quakers, witches, Native Americans, pirates,...  

I Hate It When This Happens

This is how Pratt's Brook looked yesterday when I ventured away from my hot stove.  It's just not right!

Good Weekend to be near a Hot Stove

Listening to the wind starting to howl and seeing the temps beginning to plummet has me content to be near my hot stove for this upcoming weekend.   Some quality time will be spent perusing maps and books.  In my preparation, I came across this gem of an article which I thought others might enjoy.  It was published in the July 1956 Vermont Historical Society Journal and was written by John C. Huden of the University of Vermont.  I can't help thinking that this story would have made a great movie.  Someday, I hope to retrace the route many displaced Native Americans from New England followed to refuge in Odanak on the St. Francis River in Quebec.
 

Paddling to Rock Bottom (aka Gleasondale)

With Old Man Winter still sleeping-in, it seemed a good opportunity to get in another outing on the Assabet River.  I launched at Sudbury Road and headed upriver to the area pictured at left which was once known as Rock Bottom.  Today it is called Gleasondale, but I'm left to wonder if there might have been a connection between the name Rock Bottom and the meaning of the Native American word for the river "Assabet" (possibly "rocky place").
As I paddled upriver, numerous ducks, Canada geese, and a belted kingfisher were encountered.  I was a little surprised, however, to see this eastern bluebird...

A short detour was taken into Fort Meadow Brook and I returned to its exit sporting a newly found plastic milk crate...

 Proceeding upriver I came upon this recently deceased musquash...

Couldn't see any obvious reason for his demise.

My boat and I went ashore at Rock Bottom for a cocoa break and took this photo of the day's cargo...

With a few more added on the downriver run, the day's total was 97.  There were 58 recyclable containers (18 redeemable) and 39 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish such as plastic, styrofoam, etc.  YTD total = 254

Once everyone was back onboard we began the return trip and approached this spot which looks to be a natural place to ford the river...

For the remainder of the trip downriver the sun had emerged from the clouds and backlit the scenery ahead...

Coming upon 3 mute swans, this fellow was the odd man out and was gaining altitude as he approached...

Back at Whitman's Bridge (aka Sudbury Road) it sure didn't look or feel like January...



Pedalling Along the Assabet in January

Taking advantage of yet another pleasant day in January, Mrs. Trashpaddler and I pedalled our local waterlevel bicycle route through Assabet Village, Pompositticut, and South Acton.
The photo at left was taken in Maynard from the pedestrian bridge which once carried the rails of the Boston and Maine RR's Marlborough Branch.  It shows the river flowing under Main Street at a gauge height of 2.6'.
Further upriver, at Mill Street, the river looked like this...

This is the spot where the river comes closest to the base of Pompositticut Hill and may be the stretch of water described in its Native American name Assabet.  Note: Only my two cents.

Just downstream of the bridge things looked a bit bony...

Speaking of Maynard (aka Assabet Village), I've recently been enjoying a good read.  The book is Maynard, History and Life Outdoors by Beacon-Villager columnist David A. Mark.


After a short detour to White Pond Road, where the boat launch was noted to be iced over, we reached Pompositticut's Lower Village and stopped for refueling.  Now, having left the river,  we rode by Pilot Grove Farm where we picked up the road to South Acton.  Running through that village is Fort Pond Brook and we crossed it 4 times on our way home.  At the brook's confluence with Pratt's Brook (in the distance) we stopped to admire the unwinterlike scene...

Our trash haul was a modest 10 pieces.  There were 8 recyclable containers (1 redeemable) and 2 pieces of styrofoam trash.  YTD total 157.

Interesting Globe Article on Sudbury River

In Sunday's Boston Globe Regional section there was an article Shaping Proposal to Restore Watershed by James O'Brien in which he provides details of a proposed watershed restoration plan designed by state and federal officials.   The plan is a response to many years of chemical contamination which emanated from the Nyanza chemical facility in Ashland.  That contamination is the reason for all the signage we see warning against eating fish from the Sudbury River.
A link to the article.

Danvers and Bass Rivers

Work brought me to Danvers once again, today, and upon completion of the day's tasks, my boat and I somehow ended up at Pope's Landing with thoughts of watching tonight's full "Wolf" moon rise in the eastern sky.  We rode the outgoing tide down to and under the Kernwood Bridge where we attempted to hang a left into the Bass River but ran short of water about 100 yards from the river's entrance.  After using my reverse gear and turning about, a new course was plotted following the navigational bouys around the mud flats.  Once in the Bass River, we were out of the wind and noted the sun trying to gain some ground late in the day.  This tug, the Emily Anne, was putting quite a few old tires to good use (at left).  Large numbers of bufflehead ducks were seen along with other ducks, gulls, geese, and loons such as this one...

The Bass River was followed up to where Rt. 62 could be seen before turning around and heading back towards Danvers.

The sunset occurred on schedule...

If the "Wolf" moon rose on schedule, it was well hidden by clouds.  It was only upon reaching my driveway, that I finally saw it through my windshield...

And then, as I approached my house, it loomed bright above the trees...

Once again, not a single piece of trash was encountered along the way.
A novel winter so far, but I'm not complaining!

Skunked on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

There were nothing but smiles to be found on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail this afternoon with sunny skies and temperatures approaching 60 degrees. It seemed everyone, including Mrs. Trashpaddler (in photo), was sporting one.  Not a single piece of trash was seen on the 5-mile section of the trail between Carlisle Depot and Chelmsford Center.  I'm left to wonder if, perhaps, this is the way it could be if folks stopped littering, or if our legislators got a little brave and updated our 1983 Bottle Bill.  Hopefully it was an omen, and a happy coincidence that it would become my 500th post to this blog. 

Here's to more trash goose eggs!