Two Bridges to the Past

My water travels this past week brought me to two old bridges, both about to celebrate anniversaries this month.  The first bridge was Wayland's Old Town Bridge visited on Wednesday where I found an ample amount of water in the old by-passed stretch of the Sudbury River...

Left my boat and walked to the historical marker at the bridge's east end and found the area around it having been cleaned up a bit...

On the other side of the stone are the names of 8 Concord men who died there on April 21, 1676 when they tried to help other colonists under siege in a nearby garrison house.  According to the marker they're buried nearby.

The bridge's deck as it looks these days...

It was closed to automobile traffic in 1955.

Yesterday, on a bright and beautiful Easter morning, I paddled under Concord River's well-known Old North Bridge...

Its big moment came almost exactly 99 years after the aforementioned Old Town Bridge...on April 19, 1775.  The Minuteman standing at the ready...

Further downriver I encountered this old snapping turtle that didn't make it through this past winter...

Saw this weeping willow that seems to have gotten a jump on the season...

Egg Rock looks ready to get another season underway...

The inscription at its base could, once again, be seen in its entirety...

Given the stretch of dry weather forecasted for the upcoming week I'm thinking our healthy water levels of late will be short-lived.

Wednesday trash from around the River Road area...

Sunday's trash from the upper Concord River...

The week produced 3 dozen miniature alcohol bottles.