Autumn is drawing to a close. It turned out to be more colorful than I expected after the summer’s drought. It must have been the rain we got at the end of the summer. And this was also a late year for the foliage. At the end of October most trees still had plenty of leaves. The Red Maples around the Lagoon were beautiful. And once we had a little water back they made some nice reflections. There still is a bit of yellow here and there (hickory, birch & willow) around the Pond and up along the stretch of land between the Woburn Parkway and Water Street as it comes in from Pleasant Street. And up near to Pleasant Street is a Ginkgo tree. As I write this it has not yet shed its golden rainment. Most of the oaks are now brown (some oaks hang on to leaves all winter long) or bare. Last week I came across several small American Beech at the Pond, golden in the late afternoon sun. The leaves start out a rich golden yellow and fade to coppery brown. They are such pretty little trees. These small trees growing along back trails by the water (they love moist soil) are a sign that the area is maturing in its tree growth. Most of this area was freshly “disturbed” almost 50 years ago. That’s when they stopped working the sand pit and when the sewer line was put in alongside of Fowle Brook.
The water is up from what it was during the height of the drought, but still not up to where it should be, at the time I am writing this. The mud flats are now under water and all that bright green vegetation in the Lagoon is now partly submerged and starting to turn red. Although, I hear we are supposed to be getting more rain, I’ll believe it when I see it! All the little shore birds (sandpipers, etc.) that we had over the summer because of all the mud flats (they eat bugs found in the mud) are gone now, headed to warmer climes for the winter. However, we still have our Great Blue Herons! There are 2-3 of them and on any given day a walk around the Lagoon and/or out back to the Cattail Marsh will reward you with the site of at least one or two, and sometimes, even all three! They seem to enjoy our beautiful Horn Pond Recreation Area as much as people do! We also have the usual flocks of migrating Canada Geese and a small flock of Hooded Merganser ducks. And of course our resident Mute Swans are still here!
Now that the leaves have mostly fallen, things like Oriental (sometimes called Asiatic) Bittersweet are a lot more noticeable. Many people use bittersweet vines for fall decorations. My advice is to go to a local craft store and buy the silk version. The berries fall off all over the place and if the berries take root in your yard, you will never get rid of it! It is an extremely invasive plant and not only is it illegal to sell the plants in Massachusetts, but it is also illegal to sell decorations with real Oriental Bittersweet vines. Personally, I prefer to use rose hips for natural decorations!
On a recent Sunday I took a walk around the Lagoon. It was a sunny calm day in the 60’s. There were literally hundreds of people out walking. The parking lot at Ice House Park was filled as was the street along the Park. Arlington Road was packed with cars; the parking lot at the Clapp School and the parking lot at the Water Treatment Plant were also filled to capacity. Maybe it was one last hurrah before the hustle and bustle of the Holiday and then the inevitable change in the weather, and eventual snow.
For those of you who have walked the Lagoon this Autumn, you will have noticed all the articles and messages left at the Red Bridge. This bridge was repaired in the late 90’s as an Eagle Scout project and dedicated to track Coach Bill O’Connor. This was his bridge and when he passed away recently, dozens of members of Woburn’s track teams left memorials at the bridge. Most of them are still there if you care to go and see the outpouring of love for Coach O’Connor.
Hopefully the skies will be clear for December’s full moon, the Full Cold Moon, on December 13th.
May I wish all of my readers a happy and bountiful Thanksgiving!
The water is up from what it was during the height of the drought, but still not up to where it should be, at the time I am writing this. The mud flats are now under water and all that bright green vegetation in the Lagoon is now partly submerged and starting to turn red. Although, I hear we are supposed to be getting more rain, I’ll believe it when I see it! All the little shore birds (sandpipers, etc.) that we had over the summer because of all the mud flats (they eat bugs found in the mud) are gone now, headed to warmer climes for the winter. However, we still have our Great Blue Herons! There are 2-3 of them and on any given day a walk around the Lagoon and/or out back to the Cattail Marsh will reward you with the site of at least one or two, and sometimes, even all three! They seem to enjoy our beautiful Horn Pond Recreation Area as much as people do! We also have the usual flocks of migrating Canada Geese and a small flock of Hooded Merganser ducks. And of course our resident Mute Swans are still here!
Now that the leaves have mostly fallen, things like Oriental (sometimes called Asiatic) Bittersweet are a lot more noticeable. Many people use bittersweet vines for fall decorations. My advice is to go to a local craft store and buy the silk version. The berries fall off all over the place and if the berries take root in your yard, you will never get rid of it! It is an extremely invasive plant and not only is it illegal to sell the plants in Massachusetts, but it is also illegal to sell decorations with real Oriental Bittersweet vines. Personally, I prefer to use rose hips for natural decorations!
On a recent Sunday I took a walk around the Lagoon. It was a sunny calm day in the 60’s. There were literally hundreds of people out walking. The parking lot at Ice House Park was filled as was the street along the Park. Arlington Road was packed with cars; the parking lot at the Clapp School and the parking lot at the Water Treatment Plant were also filled to capacity. Maybe it was one last hurrah before the hustle and bustle of the Holiday and then the inevitable change in the weather, and eventual snow.
For those of you who have walked the Lagoon this Autumn, you will have noticed all the articles and messages left at the Red Bridge. This bridge was repaired in the late 90’s as an Eagle Scout project and dedicated to track Coach Bill O’Connor. This was his bridge and when he passed away recently, dozens of members of Woburn’s track teams left memorials at the bridge. Most of them are still there if you care to go and see the outpouring of love for Coach O’Connor.
Hopefully the skies will be clear for December’s full moon, the Full Cold Moon, on December 13th.
May I wish all of my readers a happy and bountiful Thanksgiving!