Shrinking Hours of Daylight

 

This past week I took advantage of water retained behind dams for insuring adequate depth.  The above photo shows the wide expanse of the Assabet River near Crow Island thanks to the Ben Smith Dam in Maynard, MA.  Best to take advantage of these impounded waters now as they're usually the first to ice-over.  

On Wednesday I visited the Nashua River in Harvard, MA. where the road leading down to Oxbow, N.W.R. offers this view of Mt. Wachusett...

After launching I paddled upriver...

...with hopes of finding a way around a bunch of downed trees near the stone chapel.  Couldn't find a work-around but did encounter some frozen moisture in a slough...

...so it was a down and back up trip instead.

Temperatures on both days rose from the 20's to the low to mid 40's F.  Both days also had a busy breeze out of the north and northeast.  By waiting for things to warm up a bit in the morning I was left with only a few hours before the sun started sinking low in the sky.   

On Thursday I paddled the Assabet River above the Ben Smith Dam (Rt. 117 seen in distance)...

A hawk enjoyed the bright and sunny conditions...

Also seen at water's edge soakin' up some rays...

Thoughts of paddling into Thanksgiving Pond and Taylor Brook were dashed by a blocked culvert...

Most of the fall color is gone but this winterberry did provide a bit...

The expanse of shallow water alongside Crow Island looking downriver...

Wednesday's trash from the Nashua River included 31 "nip" bottles...

Thursday's trash from the Assabet  River...

Noticed that my bag of fishing bobbers found over the years was reaching its limit so I strung them up...

...for the upcoming Holidays :)