Santa Afloat in the River

 

While paddling on the Assabet River this past Tuesday, a week before Christmas Eve, I came across this plastic Santa Claus and Reindeer near Assabet Ave in Concord, MA...

Santa's windswept beard made the piece a keeper.  A quick search later on Google suggested the ornament was most likely made by Rosbro Plastics Co. in Pawtucket RI in the 1950s or 60s.  This  Santa and his reindeer looked to have been in the river for a long time.

The day was a beauty for mid-December with temps in the upper 50s F and sunshine.

Two days later, on Thursday, I took advantage of temps in the 40s F. and a mostly ice-free Warner's Pond in Concord, MA...

Paddled over to the pond's west side where Nashoba Brook enters...

...and ventured upstream to the confluence of Nashoba and Fort Pond brooks...

With each paddle these days possibly being the year's last, I took advantage of the opportunity to paddle beneath Route 2 and the elevated Bruce Freeman Rail Trail before heading up Fort Pond Brook to the old abandoned bridge (near the Acton town line) that leads to nowhere...

The old road is shown on a 1943 map leading alongside Fort Pond Brook to a spot hard between the brook and a steep ridge.  Its purpose?

A fast-sinking sun and this beaver dam suggested it was time to turn back...

Then it was downstream with the low-angle sun at my back...

...possibly bringing my 2024 paddling season to an end.

Trash on Tuesday included the plastic Santa, a "Sip of Sunshine" beer can, and 11 "nips"...

 Thursday's trash was minimal...

If only for a fleeting moment, Santa got to decorate a Christmas Tree once again...

...or perhaps with a bit of paint restoration he could hang around!  Mrs. Trashpaddler will need to be convinced.  

Happy Holidays!