Assabet's Melted Musings

Introduced my new boat to a shortened version of the Egg Rock inscription yesterday where the Assabet River was delivering generous amounts of snow-melt to the above mentioned "meeting of the rivers".

My trip up said river to Nashoba Brook was against a strong and steady current which kept headway speed below 3 mph.  Conversely, the almost effortless return trip included brief stretches where 7 mph was easily attained.

Stopped for a break about halfway up and, after taking a few steps up the riverbank, found myself looking at this old farm house...
If I'd been standing here on the morning of April 19th, 1775 I would have seen a contingent of British soldiers (aka Red Coats or Lobster-backs) entering the home of Colonel James Barrett intent on seizing artillery and ammunition they believed the Massachusetts Militia had stored inside.  They left empty-handed as the weapons couldn't be found.  It's said some of the weapons they sought may have been buried in the pictured field.  The historic home was saved and restored to its 1775 look by the group Save Our Heritage.  Presently it's managed by the National Parks Service.

Further upriver I entered Nashoba Brook and found it flowing high and wide at the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail bridge...
...allowing me to reach the earthen dam at Warner's Pond...
...where it looked like a wooden eagle had landed...

Gathered up enough trash to fill my dry bag.  Pretty much the usual stuff...

This morning's Boston Globe has an article by Michael Corkery concerning the sad state of recycling due to decreasing values for recycled materials.  I can't help thinking that our shift to single-stream recycling played a large role in reducing the value of recyclables.  Yes, it's easier for us, but results in too much contamination.  Before single-stream the 2 amber glass bottles would have gone into a bin for colored glass and the P.E.T. bottles into another bin...aluminum can to another.  The rest, including the plastic bags, Styrofoam, nip bottles, and aerosol mosquito repellent would have gone to the trash (incinerator).  With single-stream recycling the single bin's contents too often contain all of the items seen in the photo.  I think we can handle the small amount of extra effort to separate-out like items at the point of collection.  Am I wrong?
   

 

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