After the Bluster

 

The sense of calm I found on the Assabet River in Stow, MA yesterday was more than a little strange given just how wild things had been the previous afternoon and evening.  November got booted out to the north by a storm sporting heavy rain and strong southerly gusts up to 50 miles per hour.  This resulted in my awaking to morning temperatures in the upper 50s F and a balmy feel in the air...perfect conditions to kick off the month of December with an Assabet paddle.  The above photo is looking toward Stow's Gardner Hill/Town Forest.

Reaching the river's confluence with Fort Meadow Brook the box culvert looked busy handling the brook's additional flow...

A little further upriver this hawk held his wings in a distended position...

...perhaps trying to dry them out.

Past the second crossing of the river by the abandoned Boston and Maine Railroad's Marlborough Branch I noticed a section of woods having recently been cleared on the river's north side, probably for new homes.

The sun began to prevail more and more as the day progressed.  Temperatures stayed mild though the wind did pick up a bit.  The area between Crow Island and Stow's Gardner Hill/Town Forest...  

December greeting us in this fashion is AOK with me, and may we all experience the same sense of calm after the 'bluster' is gone.

Trash gathered up, some of which may have floated out of the weeds thanks to the storm...