Paddling Towards Thanksgiving

 

Started my Thanksgiving week with a Sunday paddle on the Charles River in Waltham where this plump bird held court on a floating dock.  Paddled that day with a group of canoeists on a section of the Charles called the Lakes District between Moody Street and Norumbega.  We landed at a spot once known as Fort Norumbega where some old floating platforms served as a reminder of a time when vessels ferried folks over from Norumbega Park for a tour of the site's stone tower.  What's left of the landing...

 All of us climbed the spiral stone steps to the tower's lookout and then back down...

Some paddlers were seeing the riverside's whimsical animal sculptures for the first time...

On Monday the Sudbury River was paddled in the Wayland, Lincoln, and Concord area.  A statue graced the Sherman's Bridge boat launch...

According to info found on Britannica I believe the statue is a representation of "Ganesha the god of beginnings, who is worshipped before any major enterprise".  Unfortunately the statue has been damaged.  While my enterprise was far from being a major one, I was gifted with this sighting of a pair of bald eagles (real ones)...

...thanks Ganesha.

Water levels have dropped a bit but still remain on the high side as can be seen at Lee's Bridge...

On Thanksgiving Eve the Assabet River was paddled in West Concord...

...where some of the season's first ice was encountered in a slough...

Hope we all have a meaningful Thanksgiving before heading into the winter season.

Trash from the week, Sunday...

Monday...

Wednesday...