Better Headroom on the Assabet

What a fitting quote to walk past en route to the boat launch at Ice House Landing in Maynard late this morning....and it was only appropriate that some ice had to be broken before getting my vessel in the water.

After that it was clear sailing upriver to Fort Meadow Brook thanks to there being ample headroom at both Russell's Bridge (below) and the Sudbury Road bridge further upriver...

...a much better set of circumstances compared to yesterday's lack of headroom at the Sudbury River's Pelham Island Road bridge.

The day was a beauty with clear skies, lighter winds, and temperatures approaching 40 degrees F...

Water levels being high and less vegetation allowed some things to be seen for the first time such as this old 55-gallon drum...

It's located near a former long-standing duck blind.

Reaching Fort Meadow Brook, and not being able to fit through the culvert, I elected to enjoy my hot cocoa from its roof top where the view was splendid...

...water exiting the brook can be seen confronting the Assabet's surplus flow coming towards it from the main stem and forcing it to the right.  On my trip back downriver I went with the brook's flow and surprised this gang of mute swans in a backwater...

Other wildlife seen today were a belted kingfisher, red-tailed hawk, numerous ducks, and a group of eastern bluebirds.


In addition to the flow from Fort Meadow Brook, the Assabet was receiving good flow from Lake Boon, Elizabeth Brook, and Thanksgiving Pond.  While I've been close enough to hear the outfall from Lake Boon before, today was the first time I actually saw it thanks to the lack of vegetation...

...trust me, it's in there.

The flow from Thanksgiving Pond (Taylor Brook) was easier to find and see...

...beavers have raised the pond level significantly.

Trash was on the light side today...

...with only 20 recyclable containers (5 redeemable) and 3 pieces of miscellaneous rubbish. 
YTD = 5789