My Water Roots

Got out on the Nashua River yesterday and watched as winter retreated to the north.  It was an amicable breakup.  The southwest winds that helped in persuading its departure also carried the distant rumblings of an approaching freight train.  Following a long build-up CSX locomotive 873 and 2 other locomotives finally appeared and slowly pulled train Q426 across the river and through Still River en route to the Hill Yard in Ayer...   Turkeys were out and about... ...as well as white-tailed deer still wearing their dark coats... A fair amount of plastic trash had accumulated behind some of the snags... My re-purposed blue dry bag served in conveying this portion from the river... ...which hardly made a dent. Anyway, spring has sprung!

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...

Red-winged blackbirds are one of the surest signs of spring around these parts and each year I look forward to my first sighting.  Yesterday, out on the Assabet River in Stow, there were plenty of them to be seen.  Joining them were robins and several varieties of ducks including these mergansers... ...and this lone bufflehead... Wood ducks were also seen in respectable numbers.  A bald eagle leaving a tall pine near the inflow from Lake Boon may have been considering a duck for his next meal. In keeping with the red-winged theme this canoeist, Domenic, was seen making his way downriver... Also in keeping with the red theme was introducing my new red boat to some of my usual haunts.  In the process of our "shakedown cruise" the new boat made its first passage through the portal leading into Fort Meadow Brook... ...and by the time we stopped to visit the Stow Town Forest the shakedown was complete... In addition to sharing the same color and si...

Paddling towards Scout Island across a half frozen Fairhaven Bay seemed a fitting final voyage for a vessel that had never failed me. Of the two boats I paddle, it was the one that did most of the heavy lifting and dirty work. Over the past 13 years it had hauled everything I'd asked it to from all manners of aquatic trash to my camping gear.  Its manufacturer labeled the boat "Squamish", a name which conjured-up images of salmon-filled rivers flowing through cedar forests in the distant Pacific Northwest.  Constructed of rotomolded plastic it was anything but dainty and gladly bounced off rocks, ascended beaver dams, and slid across gravel bars whenever asked to.  However, as is often the case, Father Time eventually extracted his toll and a dignified retirement for this old friend is now called for. So on a sunny late February day with temperatures in the 40's my Squamish and I pushed-off from the shore at Sherman's Bridge one last time and headed down the...

Springlike conditions drew me out for some exploring on the Charles and Stop rivers today.  Paddled upriver from Dwight's Bridge to Shattuck Reservation encountering this curious mink along the way... Then went downriver to the confluence with the Stop River and ascended it towards Noon Hill... ...not knowing if passage beneath Causeway Street would be possible.  Upon reaching the bridge  I found both portals free of debris and open for business... Passed some vertical roots... ...and shortly approached Devilsfoot Island... ...where stone ruins... ...allow one to envision the small cabin that once occupied this idyllic spot. On my return to Dwight's Bridge this bluebird was encountered...  

Yesterday the rain stopped and the clouds parted just as predicted by the weather forecasters.  Some of the cloud formations looked to be rolling away... Then came the predicted lull when temperatures reached into the mid to upper 40's as sunshine gained ground for several precious hours before the winds began to build. Surprisingly I found open water after launching my boat into the Assabet River from Magazu's Landing and heading upriver.  It was open up to Lake Boon's outlet... ...and to Fort Meadow Brook... ...though box-culvert headroom was less than required for passage. I later went downriver and checked the large/shallow area between Gardner Hill and Crow Island... ...and found it mostly free of ice. Wildlife were also enjoying the warm sunshine such as this blue heron... ...and this dining musquash... Taking flight in sync were this pair of swans... ...while a red-tailed hawk enjoyed a sunny perch... Came across a ducky race entran...

The white line across the Merrimack River's surface beyond the Chain Bridge put an end to my thoughts of riding the incoming tide to the Powwow River in Amesbury.  Actually it was a bit surreal seeing so much ice with the air temperature approaching 60 degrees F and bright sunshine (for a second day in a row). Seeing the ice helped to insure I'd have no regrets in being dressed for possible immersion. So I turned towards Eagle Island where I hoped to find a place to land my boat... Along the way I passed what looked to be a rooster sitting on a navigation buoy... A closer look showed it to be some rather thick ice... Landed on Eagle Island at the top of the tide... ...and it made a fine spot for taking my lunch and stretching my legs.  In walking a perhaps 100 foot radius around my boat a fair amount of plastic trash was gathered up.  The more I looked the more I found including 14 Hooksett Disks.  It's almost 8 years since somewhere between 4 and ...