Another Sunny & Dry Day!

Conditions as of 8:56 a.m.:

75.4 degrees F and rising;
35% humidity and falling;
29.23" of Hg pressure and steady;
0.00" of rain;
no reading on the brook stream gauge;
slow gentle breeze but no reading on the anemometer;
out of date USFS Fire Danger posted, but it has to be at least MODERATE.

Another dry day, even drier than the last.
Fireworks up on the hill in the woods last night and amazingly no brush fires.
The birds are in good spirits.

Tuesday through Wednesday night we have slight chances of thunderstorms, and that is our best chance for any precipitation.

Enjoy the day, especially those of you with the day off!

BTW: Yesterday we drove up the path and there was a big ole' groundhog sitting on the pile of granite rocks out front. Both he and we were stunned and stared at each other for a bit before he ducked down under the pile.

Beautiful Morning!

8:30 a.m. weather conditions:

72.3 degrees F and rising;
40% humidity and steady;
29.23" of Hg of pressure;
0.00" of rain;
no reading in the Cascades Brook;
breeze gusting to 2.5 mph;
USFS Fire Danger appears to be MODERATE.
Blue skies, nice breeze, makes for a nice day outside.

Dry. Things are pretty dang dry. For Cascading Waters to hit 40%, and I tend to call it "the swamp" because of humidity and shade. The leaf litter is dry. The dirt is dry. There is no rain for the foreseeable future in the National Weather Service update.

It has been a great time for painting though! Especially here where painting conditions are nominal at best. Yesterday we painted wood preservative on the front face of the GWLT shed. One full gallon was soaked in. On to the next side while the painting is good!

Variable Cloudy, Yet Nice

2:45 p.m. Observations:

67.5 degrees F and steady;
33% humidity and steady;
29.26"of Hg pressure and steady;
0.00" of rainfall;
no reading in the brook;
the USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW;
there is an occasional breeze, but nothing registering a wind speed;
the skies alternate between clouds and sun with regularity;
the ground is dry and dusty.

I fully expect the USFS Fire Danger Class to begin to rise in the next few days if we get no rain.

Great Greater Worcester Land Trust event last night at the Amphitheater at Cascades West!
Some 73 +/- folks were up there listening to music, hanging out, talking, and eating BBQ.
The weather couldn't have been better and there were almost no bugs (I wonder if the 8 citronella torches and the 2 BBQ grills had anything to do with that? or if it was just the lack of rain of late.)

Cool and Hazy Start

8:25 a.m. weather readings:

72.5 degrees F and steady;
61% humidity and steady;
29.00" of Hg pressure and steady;
0 MPH wind reading with an occasional light breeze;
No reading on the stream gauge in the Cascades Brook;
LOW Fire Danger Class from the USFS;
hazy skies.

Hikers moving through while it is still cooler and more pleasant out there.

The National Weather Service is taunting us with the slight chance that we might get thunderstorms after 3pm.

Tomorrow is set to be a fantastic night for BBQ, Bluegrass, by the Brook up in Cascades West by the Amphitheater. This is a GWLT event and RSVP's would be to mary@gwlt.org.

A Nice Sunday

9:58 a.m. observations:

29.00" of Hg pressure and steady;
71.2 degrees F and rising;
50% humidity and steady;
0.00" of rain;
0 MPH wind, with an occasional breeze;
No reading on the Cascades Brook (the trickle is too far away from the stream gauge);
Blue skies with clouds and sun mixed;
The USFS Forest Fire Danger is NONE.

The brook is pretty low, reduced to just a trickle. Lots of bare angular rock sitting there waiting for more water.

Lots of flowers and wild flowers around the lodge. Small yellow flowers on stalks, daisy like flowers, pink/purple clover, darker purple tiny low level flowers, a red rose bud on the way.

Also out back the ancient apple tree is responding well to all the other tree branches that broke off in the ice storm a year ago. We have a number of apples in process.

There are plenty of chattering noises out there, with birds and squirrels and such.

A few hikers have gone by that I have noticed, who knows how many I haven't.

Nice now...

...but the National Weather Service has a hazardous weather watch up for this evening, with thunderstorms coming in. If you want to get something outside into your day, you'd want to do that earlier rather than later!
At 9 am, it is 58.8 degrees and steady
50% humidity and steady
29.32 inches of mercury and steady
We've had no rain since midnight, and the stream level has fallen to 4 inches.
No wind.
The fire danger level is LOW.

Sunny

At 10:44 am, it is 67.1 degrees and rising, under clear, sunny skies.
The barometer is at 29.26 inches and rising.
Humidity has dropped significantly to 43% and steady
The stream is at 4.4 inches; we've had no rain in the last 24 hours.
No wind at the moment (measured) 'though we've had a light breeze on and off this morning.

We've got a chipmunk out exploring the platform of what was the old shed.

Clearing?

Maybe?
The forecast still has us as "chance of showers, mostly cloudy," but we're seeing some patches of actual sun here at the Lodge, and we've had no rain since yesterday, and little then.
The stream has fallen back down to 4.8 inches; the Cascades are running but less.
We've had no rain since midnight; we had 0.04 inches yesterday.
74% humidity and steady
62.2 degrees and rising
No wind right now
The trails are wet but passable.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

At 8:20, it is 59.7 degrees F and steady,
80% humidity and steady,
27.12 mercury and steady,
0.04 inches of rain today,
1.18 inches of rain yesterday, and
5.8 inches for the brook, sometimes rising to six.
If you are planing on hiking today wear rain gear.

Overcast

At 9 am it is 56.3 degrees and steady
74% humidity (not currently raining; it's hanging in the air and dripping off the trees)
29.32 inches of mercury and rising (clearing skies)
We have had no rain since midnight, but a total of 0.43 inches yesterday, which has brought the stream, burbling merrily, up to 4.8 inches this morning.
The radar looks fairly clear right now, 'though it's due to be a cloudy weekend.

Roses

Rain, rain

We have rain today: 0.4 inches since midnight on top of 0.43 inches yesterday. That has raised the stream level back up to 4.4 inches. The secondary stream channel is also running, and there is a good flow down the falls.
At 8:45 am it is 54.3 degrees and steady. Not very June-like!
72% humidity (not raining right now)
No wind recordable
29.03 inches of mercury and steady

Chilly and cloudy

It's getting more overcast out there as there are some storms coming up the coast due in tonight. In fact, the temperature at noon is currently falling.
It is 64.2 degrees and heading down
34% humidity and steady
29.26 inches of mercury and steady
Fire danger is LOW
We've had no rain here in the past 24 hours.

Clear and nearly crisp

We have it on good authority that there was some exciting weather over the weekend (we had some Clark students riding it out in a tent in the backyard!). Suffice to say that we've recorded 0.87 inches of rain for Sunday, 0.39 inches of rain for Saturday. And the Cascades are running!


At 10 am, it is 61.3 degrees and rising
28.97 inches of mercury and rising
43% humidity and steady
1 mph of wind
Fire danger is LOW

And you may have noticed the fruits of the Clark students' labor: there is no longer a red shed in the backyard. Progress!

Changeable Weather

11:07 Weather Conditions:

73.6 degrees F and rising;
53% humidity and falling;
29.03" of Hg Pressure and steady;
0.0" of measurable rainfall in the last 24 hours;
3.4" of flow in the Cascades Brook;
Overcast skies;
1.5 MPH of fairly steady breeze (with a peak at 2.0 MPH);
LOW USFS Fire Danger Class.

It was weird. I got up and the rain gauge was reading zero, so I figured it lost the signal. When I went out to the road it was already dry, with few damp patches. Hmmm.... maybe it didn't rain that much. When I returned I went to the old fashioned rain water tube and it had a drop or two at the bottom but nothing measurable. So... despite the wind, the lightning, and the fury of last night's storm, in the end, pretty much no rain! Go figure!

As of 7:30 it was pleasant, at 10:30 a passing dark cloud and some hints of rain, then lighter at 11:00, and now dark and ominous again. All with the wind blowing. Anything is possible today!

A Shift of the Wind

So...
The wind began to shift.

This isn't the sort of thing you ignore, even if there isn't a cloud to be seen overhead.

The barometer calls for rain, the National Weather Service calls for heavy rain in three waves overnight, but it was the wind that begged the question.

And so, despite the brilliant big dipper, directly overhead, and a bright flash arcing across it (fire fly), it was time to take in the laundry, in the dark.

Beautiful Memorial Day w/ Butterflies!

Conditions at the Lodge as of 10:00 a.m.:

65.8 degrees F and rising;
35% humidity and steady;
29.32" of Hg pressure and rising;
0" of rainfall in the last 24 hours;
3.6" of flow in the ever decreasing Cascades Brook;
1MPH occasional breezes;
Blue skies;
LOW USFS Fire Danger Class.

For the last several days I have been watching yellow butterflies here in the glen around the Lodge.

They move up and down along the face of the trees that outline the edge of the opening. Were I to try to interpret butterflies I would say that they were mostly just having a good time and not particularly looking for anything in particular.

It would appear that the white and purple flowers we posted on about a week ago are the reason for their spending time here in the first place.

Their presence is appreciated.

Clear, Bright, yet Cool

12:12 p.m. weather observations:

71.6 degrees F and steady;
32%humidity and steady;
29.09" HG of pressure and steady;
o.o" of rain registered here yesterday, which isn't to say that we didn't get a little rain;
4.0" of flow in the Cascades Brook, which is sorta sluggish right now;
2.0 MPH of breeze fairly steady;
Blue skies;
LOW USFS Fire Danger Class appears to still be in effect.

What a great combo!
Cool, bright, low humidity!
Idyllic New England weather.

Enjoy a hike and the Memorial Day weekend!

Overcast, Cooler, with a Breeze

Conditions at the Lodge at Cascading Waters as of 9:25 a.m.:

65.5 degrees F and rising;
51% humidity and steady;
29.12" Hg of pressure and steady;
0.0" of rainfall in the last 24 hours;
4.0" of flow in the Cascades Brook;
1.0 MPH wind fairly steady;
Overcast (was brighter earlier);
USFS Fire Danger is LOW.

So we roll into Memorial Day weekend with a bunch of trail maps, and some cooler weather.

The construction of the subdivision nearby continues to push the envelope by firing up the equipment before the 7 a.m. City Ordinance stated start time. Ah, but victory will be ours! Sunday is verbotten as is the Monday holiday!

Have a hike and a great weekend!

Operation DEMO

So, back, way back, in 2005, when the Trust protected Cascading Waters, the idea was to set aside a zone that wouldn't be built on or built up along the Cascades Brook between Olean Street and Cataract Street. There was a small set-aside for the Lodge, but it was pretty tight, and the rest would be natural. To enshrine this we partnered with the Worcester Conservation Commission and they hold the Conservation Restriction to that belt between the streets along the brook.

Well, over the years we have "un-built" the Conservation Restriction belt to make it more natural.

Utility poles have been removed.
Overhead power, telephone, and cable lines were removed.

The one piece that has remained is the olde red shed.


Now, to the red shed's defense, it has been there a good long time, long before we ever showed up, and it has housed GWLT tools, equipment and projects.

BUT, the red shed is rotting at the bottom, rotting at the top, has broken windows, and has holes in the roof. Two or three times we have covered the shed's roof with plastic to keep it a safe storage spot. We even gave her a fresh coat of red. Now, that we have a new, larger, more solid shed on the build-able envelope
it is time to retire the olde red shed.

Today the first piece of that puzzle arrived.


Next week the second piece arrives: The Clark University Summer of Solutions Crew!

Another Beautiful Day

9:03 a.m. conditions:

61.5 degrees F and rising;

47% humidity and steady;

29.18" of Hg pressure and steady;

0.0" of rainfall in the last 24 hours;

4.5" of flow in the Cascades Brook;

Occasionally stirring wind 0.0 - 0.5 MPH;

Blue skies;

USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW.

Last night's work party did a fantastic job clearing a moderately graded switchback from the base of the Cascades to the plateau above. We had a great crew with bow saws, loppers, chainsaws, and brute strength to remove ice storm damage, drag limbs and logs, and make the path clear. There was a poor mountain biker who was descending the trail while we were in the process of rerouting it and that was sort of comical.

If you stop and think to yourself... "wait, but wasn't it like a year and a half ago that the ice storm happened?" you would be entirely correct. Last year we spent our time digging out the Cascades Trails from being totally impassible, as well as the Southwick Pond Trail. That took most of our effort to manage, and we were still doing ALB surveys on the side. Folks had managed to carve out a rough path up the Cascades, or just scrambled straight up the steep eroded side, and it wasn't pretty, it wasn't a good long term solution, but hey, it worked. This was our effort to go back to the days of a rational and walkable switchback up that the rest of the world could use without danger to themselves of the hillside. It is good that it is finally up and running. If we get fancy and have a little time we might place a stair or water bar in here or there in the future to make it more erosion resilient.

Thanks to the whole crew who went out there, worked really hard, and made things right again!

Cascades Trail Project Tonight!

Oh!
Right!

And there is going to be a volunteer trail event tonight for fixing up the switchback trail up the Cascades starting at 5:00 p.m.
Feel free to park in the lot on Olean Street, or along the end of Cataract Street.
We have the tools, we have some food, we need your exertion of force!

Much Cooler! Much Nicer!

8:40 a.m. -->> 11:00 a.m. readings:
(fun compare and contrast!)

59.4 degrees F and steady -->> 65.7 degrees F and rising;
61% humidity and steady -->> 45% humidity and steady;
29.12" Hg pressure and steady -->> 29.12" Hg pressure and steady;
0.2" of rain last night all after midnight (sounded like more, didn't it?);
[[Weird Exception: Cascades Brook at 11 a.m. was 4.6" and was up to 4.8" by 2:30 p.m.]];
Occasional light wind no readings -->> Occasional light wind no readings;
Overcast skies -->> Overcast skies;
Fire Danger Class is LOW [[they only post daily]].

So.... the real interesting part is that some 12+ hours after the rainfall event the stream flow is still rising!
I knew there was a delay, but that is interesting to see!

Very much enjoyed last nights lightning and thunder show!
Very dramatic, and for a little while it was a pretty good downpour.

Another scorcher

It's supposed to be another hot one today with thunderstorms rolling in this afternoon. I've seen a lot of people out getting their walks in this morning.
At 9 am, it is 76 degrees and rising
44% humidity and rising
The barometer is 29.18 and steady
We have 1 mph of wind right now
The fire danger is LOW
The stream is down to 4 inches even.

Cascades Trail Sign

The small "Cascades Trail" Sign that was out on Olean Street was taken down some year or so back.

The problem was that the polyurethane protective coating was flaking away and the painted portions of the sign were badly fading, while the wood itself was darkening.

A double conundrum is that when a project enters the queue it may take a good long while for it to be done.

Nevertheless, the sign was taken in, sanded down, repainted, resealed, and as of this afternoon remounted.

A minor victory, of note to few, but a victory nonetheless.

Flowers

There have been a lot of purple and white flowers of the same species coming into bloom around the Lodge.

They are quite nice and surprisingly tall.

Yet More Good Weather

As of 8:01 a.m.:

67.1 degrees F and rising;
65% humidity and steady;
29.44" of Hg for pressure and steady;
0.0" of rainfall (light dew overnight);
4.4" of flow in the brook (which is now burbling);
there is a light breeze, but nothing that registers;
blue skies;
LOW USFS Fire Danger Class.

There has been such a streak of nice weather for so long that it is almost getting boring.
Lucky for us, tomorrow there is a chance of showers, and Thursday a chance of Thunderstorms.
Maybe that will spice things up a bit!

Fantastic day for a hike.

Did a little bit of poison ivy management around the public access spots last evening.

More Sunny Days!

As of 8:02 a.m.:

62.6 degrees F and rising;
70% humidity and steady;
29.50" pressure and steady;
0.0" of rainfall (though there was definitely a dew last night!);
4.6" of flow in the Cascades Brook (she is slowing down notably);
Occasional wind shifts but no real persistent breeze;
Blue sky;
USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE.

Bear Update: The 60-80 lb. male bear didn't make it on its trip north. The state is going to try to figure out why.

It's another great day out there folks. The more "exciting" weather is likely to be a Wednesday chance of Thunderstorm, and Thursday chance of shower, subject to change without notice of course.

Bear on Moreland

Looks like someone followed the forestline south today.
Really, you want to bring the birdfeeders and cat food in. Not kidding.

Another Nice Day

9:45 a.m.

60.6 degrees F and rising;
46% humidity and steady;
Barometric Pressure of 29.50" of Hg and steady;
0.0" of rainfall;
4.8" of flow in the Cascades Brook;
No wind;
Sunny with a hazy look to the sky;
The USFS Forest Fire Danger Class is LOW.

Beautiful day out there.
Great day for a hike.
Rain is in the forecast for tonight and tomorrow, so get out there and make the most of the sunny and dry part of the weekend!

Chilly overnight, Sunny warm Day

As of 7:45 a.m.:
60.3 degrees F and rising;
65% humidity and steady;
29.32" barometric pressure and steady;
0" rainfall;
5.0" Cascades Brook;
No wind;
Sunny;
USFS Fire Danger is LOW.

Of course... the first day after the installation of the anemometer there would be no wind.

Should be a beautiful day out there.

Spoke with a neighbor on Cook's Pond and learned about the muskrats, the baby beavers, and various fish that have been active this spring.

Anemometer!

Anemometer!
At dusk. Still.

MOOSE SIGHTING REPORT!!!

MOOSE SIGHTING REPORT:

In late April a Worcester State College Prof. and student sighted a female adult moose in the Cascades. We will pass along more info as we get it from them!

A tiny bit dated, but no less exciting!

Sunny with a Breeze

8:05 am
56.1 degrees F and rising;
68% humidity and steady;
29.15" of Hg and steady;
Cascades Brook is at 5.8";
Rainfall yesterday was 0.51" (thus it rained an additional 0.16" last evening and night);
Sunny with a breeze (and sun predicted for the next few days too!);
USFS Fire Danger is LOW.

We have hit another milestone this morning in our seasonal march!
It is clear and sunny YET the leaf cover is dense enough where we needed to turn on the kitchen lights in the Lodge because it was too dark to be able to execute the morning routine.

After yesterday's rains things are beautiful.
The rocks and soil are a dark dark covered in moisture,
The leaves are a dense green, and
The sunlight dapples through the leaves.

Nearly an inch of rain

We've gotten nearly an inch (0.90) since it started raining yesterday afternoon: 0.55 yesterday and another 0.35 since yesterday. That adds two inches since yesterday to the brook, which is running at 6 inches even this morning.
Yes, we've got the rain gauge fixed; did you miss it?
The Cascades are running!
It is 52 degrees and rising, but not much.
The fire danger is LOW.
The barometer stands at 29.06 inches of mercury and falling.

Rain

We've got rain here this morning, after a night of some rain as well. The stream is up to 4.10 inches and rising out there. The Cascades are trickling a bit faster.
At 9 am it is 45 degrees and rising
The barometer is at 29.47 and steady under cloudy skies
US Fire danger is LOW

We've got a wet hiker coming through now.

And for those interested, you can find the treatment map for this week for the ALB quarantine zone online.

Brrr...

I hope you didn't put all of your fleece away; you're going to need it today!
At 9 am, it is 45 degrees and rising.
VERY breezy (so, yes, it does feel colder)
The barometer is at 29.29 and steady under clear skies
The stream is up a bit from the weekend's rain, to 4.8 inches (and that water is COLD this morning!).

Service Project in Process!

A service team from Girl Scout Troop 30235 is here at the Lodge working on this rainy morning.

They are in the shed polyurethaning, painting, sanding, and tracing signs for the Trust.

Luckily they are under cover and staying dry even as it rains with occasional thunder and lightning.

Rain coming in

We're under overcast skies here at the Lodge, with rain forecast for most of today.
The barometer reading is 28.91 inches and falling.
The current temperature is 61 degrees and rising a bit with some wind.
The stream is at 4.4 inches, trickling over the stones.
And a walk down the street reminds us that it's lilac season! Enjoy it while we have it.

Cooler and Darker

Out for an evening walk and enjoying the cool and dark of the cloud cover. Sure it sprinkled a bit on us, but it never really rained. We walked the Holden cart path up and back.

It is wonderful to have the pleasant weather and all the green bursting forth everywhere.

The Cascades Brook is running at 4.6";
The barometric pressure is 28.97" of Hg and steady;
The temperature is 59 degrees F;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW;
The breeze is blowing and the sky is overcast, and from time to time it gently sprinkles.

Also got a chance to check out conditions at Coes Reservoir Park CR today. Really quite wonderful!

Enjoy it while it's here

We seem to be between two storm fronts this morning: yesterday's violent wind and sudden downpours, with rain forecast for this afternoon again.
Right now, at 9 am, it is sunny, 68 and rising, dry air, light wind
Barometer is at 29.00 and steady under clear blue skies
With the wind, the trails have dried out fast.

We've been told that there are some limbs down on various Cascades trails due to the wind yesterday and over the weekend. If you can give us a specific location (GPS is great, but even just a general description is a help) for anything you see, that would be helpful. Thanks!

Warm Headed to Hot and Damp

It is getting funky here at the Lodge.

Things cooled off, but didn't get cold.
The Lodge is cooler, but didn't bleed off all of the heat built up yesterday.
And already, there is a sense in the air that the temperature will climb back up again.
Not enough to be hot, but definitely enough to be muggy.

So the leaves are crowding in, the humidity is climbing up, and the temperature is headed up.
That's right folks!
Summers pretty much here.

As of 8:45 am:
The Cascades Brook is at 5.4";
The Barometric Pressure is 28.82" Hg and gently falling;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE;
The temperature is 71 degrees F (76 inside);
and while it rained enough to crank up the height of the Brook the ground isn't really all that wet in terms of the trail and hiking.

The Cascade Brook's mosquito larvae appear to have graduated!

Warm here!

6:00 pm

It is warm here at Cascading Waters.
The Lodge is a toasty 85 degrees indoors!
We So need the trees (particularly the ash) to fully leaf out and air condition things for us.
Go tree go!

Presently it is 84 degrees F outside the Lodge;
The barometric pressure is 28.97" and steady;
There is a persistent gentle breeze;
There is a mix of high haziness in the sky, some clouds and some blue skies;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE;
The Cascades Brook is at 4.6" with decent flow.

General notes:

* Pulling up invasive plants in the glen such as garlic mustard, Norway maple, Multiflora rose, barberry, etc. (I am beginning to believe I am becoming part goat as I do this. There must be a fairy tale in this somewhere.)

* Today there were a small tribe of boys walking the length of the Cascades Brook. That part is cool. The part that is tricky is that they were ripping apart the banks of the brook in order to throw rocks into the water. They are not alone. Lots of folks who come here to hike come and rip up the ground to pull stones to throw in the brook. Clearly directly and physically engaging nature is very very good. Yet, doing so in a fashion that leaves the site continually and progressively degraded is not. How to help folks think this through in a sentence is my current quandary. Suggestions are welcome. I toy with ideas like: "Each rock torn from this small parcel leaves less for the next person and nothing for the next generation" but I am not entirely happy with that. If only they all wanted to find a small stick and a cue from Winnie the Pooh and chased them as they went down stream instead. Alas, not so much.

* Last night there was a party up at the top of the Cascades. I haven't been up there to see the damage. I did hear them spinning out of here on Cataract Street at 2am with the headlights off though. I am hopeful, until it is proven otherwise, that they wish to not spoil the site and enjoying it for others and that they took their stuff with them. It is funny, as a land manager I am not averse to some level of mischief, but part of the bargain I wish to strike would be if folks left no trace, and thus no reason for anyone to chase them off in the future. (If you must have a beer party bring cups and a keg or cans, it takes hours and hours to deal with broken glass that can hurt toddlers.)

Well, enough of that.
Off to tend grill.

Apple tree in bloom

EVENTS!!!

Upcoming Events!

1. Tomorrow,

8:30 am (9am for slower risers) GWLT will be gathering just off of Harrington Way across from North High School for an EPIC EARTH DAY CLEANUP!!

This Earth Day Cleanup is so EPIC that it took an entire day just to open up the site in order to be able to get the trash out!
This Earth Day Cleanup is so EPIC that it isn't clear if we could get all the debris out with a small military detachment!
This Earth Day Cleanup is so EPIC that it took last year's efforts just to get us far enough into the site to mount this offensive!

Come see the trash funiculaire (aka The Cable Car of debris!) Constructed of bit and pieces by Allen Fletcher and Colin Novick to hoist the trash up the slope to the pick up spot. (Or watch them desperately try!)

There will be food served to the loyal folk who mount this effort at its conclusion (the work ends when the trash truck leaves (approx. 11:30 am) as there is no second pick up.)



And then, what better way to kick back after a weekend of Earth Day cleanups than a following weekend fishing derby! Right here in our own watershed!

2. Next week:

May 8 – Coes Pond Fishing Derby at Coes Pond in Worcester -- 8:00am - 11:00am. If you have fishing equipment, bring it along. This event is sponsored by the Worcester Fish and Game Association. Contact Jim Lagacy at (508) 389-6309 or jim.lagacy@state.ma.us

Cool but pleasant!

First up!

Thank God we don't have a broken oil rig in the middle of Cook's Pond spilling tens of thousands of gallons of crude every day into the Tatnuck watershed. (And now a moment of silence for the poor folks on the Gulf Coast...)

The Cascades Brook is at 4.8" with a gentle enough flow where mosquito larvae could been seen dancing in front of the stream gauge. I wouldn't have thought the flow to have allowed this, but then, there it was.

As of 9:22 am:
the temperature is 55.5 degrees F;
the pressure is 29.03" of Hg and steady;
the sky is overcast and there is a fairly steady breeze;
the USFS Fire Danger Class is MODERATE; and
the trail conditions are good.

A shout out to Mark Tozer and the 4th and 5th grades from Tatnuck Magnet who hiked over to the Cascades yesterday (looked like about a hundred of them in all!) to explore the Cascades and learn a little. An enthusiastic bravo to the teachers as the students were really well behaved and having a great time! We look forward to their return!

No, thank you

To whomever saw fit to dump a crib mattress and bag of trash next to the end of the trail: no, thank you. We don't have some sort of free deal for getting rid of other people's stuff, and we'd much prefer you took care of it yourself.
To the rest of the universe: should you see someone dumping on GWLT lands, please let us know. Photos, license plate numbers, and any other identifying info is especially good. Just don't get yourself hurt doing so.

As for the rest of the report:
Digging continues on apace at the development next door. We're pretty sure they've got the water line in, so what they're up to now, who knows? They start up the excavator every day at 7:30, however, so clearly they feel there is work to do.
At 9:30, it is overcast and 52 degrees.
Temperature is rising, 'though not much.
The barometer is at 28.61 inches of mercury and steady.
I'm having some trouble tracking down the fire danger for today, but keep in mind that we have not gotten much actual rain, so it's pretty dry out there.
The stream is running at 4.8 inches.

April!

A lovely day for a walk in the woods ('though we suspect the pollen count is up).
At 9:30 am, it is 62 degrees and rising
Sunny skies
The barometer is at 29.06 inches of mercury and steady
The brook is down quite a bit, 'though the Cascades are still trickling.

Lovely

It's another lovely day: the daffodils are up, the hyacinths are blooming, and under the trees, the trout lilies are starting to come up!
At 10 am it is 60 degrees and rising
Sunny skies
The barometer stands at 29.44 inches and steady
Clear blue skies

More spring!

It is still windy out there, so I'm really hoping that the hiker who just came through with a cigarette didn't subsequently toss it in a pile of leaves.

At 10 am, it is 65 degrees and still rising under sunny skies
The barometer is at 29.03 inches and steady
The fire danger today is MODERATE

OLEAN STREET CLOSED TO THROUGH TRAFFIC

Olean Street at the beginning (at Mower) is now CLOSED to all but local traffic.
I can only assume that this has to do with the human remains found on Reservoir Street. Someone who went through there this morning (before it closed) said it was very busy.

Spring is springing! UPDATED

First of all, yes, this find is right down the road from us, and no, we don't know anything about it, either.

Here at the Lodge, it is just hitting 60 at 9 am; the forecast says it could hit the mid-80's today!

The fire danger is back down to LOW with yesterday's rain (it will dry out quickly in this weather). UPDATE: Yes, in fact there is a RED FLAG WARNING posted for today, due mostly to the wind.
The stream continues at 5.2 inches.
The barometer is at 28.88 inches of mercury and steady under light blue skies.

The trails didn't get all that wet yesterday. I don't have the measurement, but that wasn't a lot of rain. There should be no problems on the trails today (well, assuming you don't run into investigators, I guess).

Green everywhere!

Suddenly the woods aren't looking nearly so brown. While most of the trees are not yet budding, the bloodwort and lots of other sorts of groundcover are popping up!

Hat tip to the fun albino robin spotting in Athol!

The stream is down to 5.2 inches.
The fire danger remains HIGH (VERY HIGH to our north).
At 9:30 am, it is 60 degrees
Overcast right now with the barometer at 29.15
The Cascades are still running, but they have slowed down considerably.

Beautiful Morning

The Cascades Brook has returned to a more normal 5.5" (with no feet being recorded!)

Green bulb based plants are popping up everywhere and there is a virtual carpet of Bloodwort in the back.
As you look at the twin brook channels (with one now unused) you can see where the storms scoured away all the leaves with clear evidence of where the waters once flowed.

Presently there is an occasional light breeze, blue skies, with some whispy high altitude clouds.
The temperature is just poking over 52 degrees at 7:34 am;
The pressure is 29.38" and stead;

And things have dried out, and there is leaf litter everywhere, and a gentle breeze....

Now this is going to seem mind bending BUT...

TODAY's USFS FIRE DANGER CLASS IS VERY HIGH!!!

Be very careful with sparks, heat, fire, when out in the woods. Bad day for a brush pile burning folks.

We may have only recently had flooding, but yesterday we were at HIGH and since then we have only gotten drier. ALSO there are winds predicted for later in the day that would not help were there a fire in progress.

Trout Stocking

The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife have been out stocking the ponds and lakes of Massachusetts with fish!

Last week they stocked Bell Pond in Worcester.
This week they are stocking Lake Quinsigamond.

They list places stocked in Central Mass. each week at:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/recreation/fishing/trout/trout_stocking_cd.htm

For this month's MassWildlife Newsletter go to:
http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/mwnews/2010/mwnews_0410.htm

Clearing

Clearing out for what looks like an excellent weekend. There isn't a cloud between here and Wisconsin!
At 10:30 am, it is 50 degrees and rising.
Cloudy skies
The barometer stands at 29.29 and rising
The fire danger is back up to LOW
The Cascades are still rushing, so as it gets sunny, it'll be a great chance to come out and see them!

Running high

The stream is down a bit from yesterday, to one foot even this morning. We've had a break from the heavy rain for a bit this morning.
Cook's Pond is quite high, having taken over much of our neighbor's backyard (across Olean Street).
Currently it is misting a bit.
The Cascades are roaring.
It is 40 degrees (down a bit) at 9 am.
The barometer is 28.91 and rising.

Also, Bill Randall's got a nice photo of the Cascades up today.

Seriously drenched!

UPDATE 3:30 p.m.
Brook at 1'4" surging to over 1'5"!
END UPDATE

Yesterday, before the present rains came in earnest, there were already places where dozens of earth worms were trying to escape the water saturated soil to avoid drowning. That was BEFORE last night and this morning.
Presently the glen out in front of the lodge is standing puddles everywhere.
The Cascades Brook has transcended the one channel, and the two, and the whole of the land between them is like a delta.
The Brook is presently running at 1'2" surging to 1'3" every couple of seconds. We have seen higher, even this spring, but it is still an admirable quantity of water.

The Cascades are white and frothy and the overflow channel is running as well.

By the way.... The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE (Ha!)
Presently at 2:36 p.m.:The pressure is 28.73" and declining;
The temperature is 43 degrees;There is a strong wind with occasional gusts;
It is raining!

The trails are beyond muddy, and there are large portions with standing water.

There is an upside to all of this as well!The rains have brought with them the greening of the dominant mosses and few grasses;
The rains have coaxed two croci out of the ground (purple and purple and white);The rains have also coaxed the native Bloodwort up, particularly where the flood occurred three odd weeks back.The rains are also swelling the buds on the bushes and trees.
So bear up! Spring is coming, just let the rains do their magic!

Rainy

...and the DPW truck just went by, checking the culverts.
There is a flood watch in effect: the forecasts say that we could have as much water heading downstream as we did for the storms two weeks ago. Make sure your culverts and storm drains are clear!

The stream is back up (I haven't checked today, but I can see it's running higher) and the Cascades are gushing.
At 2:30 pm, the temperature is 54 degrees
Barometer stands at 29.03 inches of mercury and steady
The fire danger is NONE; the entire East coast is clear.

Chilly!

The temperature has dropped back down today, 'though it does not appear to have slowed down the robins all over the lawn!
I woke up to them singing this morning.

At 9 am, it is 38 degrees (hey, it's too warm to snow, at least!)
The barometer is 29 inches even and rising (!)
Light rain
The stream is at 7.2 inches
The Cascades are flowing
The fire danger is MODERATE, but should be falling over the course of the day

Squirrel

And in loading this up, I missed a photo, straight outside the window, of a groundhog. He's up!

Worcester State class coming through

...and don't you think they're all glad to be outside today, rather than in a classroom? A Landscape class, looking at neighborhoods, taking a walk on the property today.

The stream is at 7.8 inches, still running fast.
The Cascades are rushing.
At 10 am, it has just hit 50 degrees and rising.
Light wind
The fire danger locally remains low, 'though western Mass is creeping into moderate
The barometer is at 29.18 inches and steady

For those of you interested in the development next door, you might want to know that the owners are going before the Planning Board next Wednesday. The meeting starts at 5:30 pm in the Levi Lincoln room at City Hall, and the plan for 125 Olean is 7th on the agenda. They're asking for an extension on their approval for a subdivision, as their current one has expired.

Cooler, Overcast but Still Dry!

USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW;
The Cascades are still flowing lightly;
Pressure is 29.29" and steady;
Temperature is 44 degrees;
Overcast with a light breeze;
trails are continuing to dry out... just in time for some more rain!

That is right rain is headed out way for the next few days folks.
Savor the memories of the warmth and the sun.

Heading up

The forecast calls for close to 70 degrees here today; at 9:30 am, it is 60 degrees and rising.
The barometer stands at 29.15 inches and steady.
Clear blue skies
Fire danger continues to be high; this is NOT a good day to have a campfire!
ENJOY!

More of spring!

Another nice spring day here (nearly makes up for that cold driving rain last week).
Consequently, the fire danger is now HIGH, however.

At 9 am it is 52 degrees and rising
29.03 inches of mercury and steady
The stream is at 7.4 inches and the Cascades are rushing.

Better walking than riding

And a mom has just discovered what so many have about the upper end of the trail on Cascading Waters; it's easier with an empty stroller than a full one. That kid is walking!

It is a lovely day out again today. I heard a robin singing yesterday morning at the bus stop, and no doubt they will be out again today.

The stream is at 8.4 inches. The Cascade are rushing (and are attracting lots of attention; thanks for the link, Jeff!).

At 9:30 it is just hitting 50 degrees and still rising.
Sunny and cloudless
The barometer is at 29.21 degrees.
Fire danger is LOW

Busy!

A backup of cars on Cataract Street, the lower parking area is full, there are kids in the brook...it must really be spring!

The stream is now down a bit around 9 inches.
At 4:30 it is still sunny and just 60 degrees
Barometer reading is 29.15 inches and steady
The Cascades are still rushing down the hill!

Rainy

There continues to be a flood warning in effect today.
The Cascades are continuing to roar; I think we've got an official spring thaw!
The stream is surging between 1 foot and 1.06 feet!

The barometer stands at 28.91 inches of mercury and steady under rainy skies
There is quite a bit of wind.
The fire danger is LOW
At 8:44 am, it has just hit 40 degrees

Good Flow

The Cascades Brook is running heavy.
The Brook is at 1'3" surging to 1'4" every few seconds.

Both channels are open on the property with strong flow.

Presently at 1 p.m. the weather is:
Light but persistent mist;
strong wind;
40 degrees F;
the pressure is 28.97" and steady;
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE (surprise!)

And attached is a video of the running Cascades!

More on flooding!

1. The second stream channel is open at Cascading Waters;

2. We found the source of the flooding under the Lodge 2 weeks ago as the storm drain grate on Olean Street was 100% plugged and all the water from the minor falls ran across and down through Cascading Waters taking out a chunk of the driveway. (I have since peeled all of the debris out of the grate by hand.)

3. The stream flow is good and the Cascades are white.

Flood Watch!

The NOAA Weather Service has issued a flood watch for tonight through Monday Morning:


FROM 7 PM EST THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING

* ONE OF THE HEAVIEST WIDESPREAD SINGLE STORM LONG-DURATION RAIN
EVENTS SINCE SPRING 2006 APPEARS IMMINENT...ESPECIALLY FOR EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS...THE EAST SLOPES OF BOTH THE WORCESTER HILLS AND
BERKSHIRES INTO PARTS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.

* RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES BY MONDAY MORNING...WITH 2 TO 4
INCHES OF RAINFALL TOWARD SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE. THERE IS HIGH
PROBABILITY OF RAINFALL EXCEEDING 4 INCHES ALONG THE INTERSTATE 95
CORRIDOR OF MASSACHUSETTS AND RHODE ISLAND. RUNOFF FROM THE RAIN
MAY DELAY RIVERS THREATENING TO EXCEED FLOOD STAGES TILL LATE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EVEN EARLY MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON
CURRENT FORECASTS.

Presently at the Lodge it is 1:20 p.m. EDT;
The temperature is 37.5 degrees F;
The barometric pressure is 29.26" of Hg and falling;
It is overcast with a wind and raining;
the USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW.

The trails are wet and are only going to get wetter and muddier.
Several trails with stream crossings are going to get more complicated to cross as the heavy persistent rain settles in.

Keep your eyes out for flooding in the brooks and streams around the Cascades!

(Since a little over a week ago we had flooding here at the Lodge, we will have to scout around and see what preparations we need to make.)

Thawing

And we don't, incidentally, recommend this.

Wetter

Cloudy and much chiller today...at 9 am, it's just hitting 40 degrees.
The barometer stands at 29.44 inches and steady.
Fire danger is MODERATE

The stream is running briskly at 6.6 inches.

There's a forecast for rain on and off today and rain over the weekend. Expect it to be muddy on the trails.

Spring?

Are we keeping this nice weather?
It's another sunny morning!
At 11am, it is creeping up to 50 degrees
The barometer is at 29.26 inches of mercury
The Cascades are running.

You should find trails a bit less muddy than they have been, at least in the spots where they get some sun.

Bright...

A bit chillier than yesterday, but still lovely.
At 11 am, it is 48 degrees and rising
Barometer reading: 29.09 inches of mercury and steady
The stream is still above six inches, 'though most of the snow has melted, except for what's under trees in the higher elevations.

More Sun!

The Cascades Brook is at 6.8" with strong flow still!
The USFS Fire Danger Class is LOW;
The temperature is 43.5 degrees F and rising;
The pressure is 29.03" Hg and steady;
The sky is clear blue and cloudless;
There is a light breeze;
The skunks are active.

Enjoy this week now, by Thursday we have rain coming in.

The trails are muddy, wear boots and hold off on the mountain bikes.
The height of the Cascades has good snow cover still, while the base of the Cascades have fairly snow free ground litter.

Much activity in and around the Lodge as we break out from the winter slumber and pickup the storm debris, the litter by Olean Street, and get things moving again outside.

What are you doing on here?

Get outside!
Beautiful spring day out there, mid-50's!
Sunny and the barometer is at 29.09 and steady
The Cascades are running, the trails are muddy (still icy in spots, particularly on the Silver Spring Trail), and full of dogs (or so we're told).

Get out there in the sunshine!

Hope you enjoyed it

...because that was apparently it for spring for now!
What I had thought was supposed to be flurries shows every sign of sticking here at the bottom of Asnebumskit Hill, and it's still merrily coming down.
The Cascades are running through the snow.
Overnight, it dropped low enough where yesterday's mud is largely frozen, so the going is a bit easier on the trails.
At 9:30 am, it is 32 degrees and steady.
Snowing.
The barometer stands at 28.91 inches of mercury and steady.

Spring!

At least for now!
It was 40 already at 7 am this morning; it barely fell at all last night. That means the snow is continuing to melt. Today the stream is at 6.6 inches and the Cascades are RUSHING.
The trails, consequently, are very muddy. That is, they're very muddy where they aren't covered in packed-snow-which-is-now-ice. Hey, it's spring hiking in New England!
The barometer is steady at 29.05.
Cloudy skies.

Water, water

Last night's storm + melting on top of the snow and ice led to the exciting discovery this morning that, yes, the driveway to the Lodge washed out last night. Should you come by, you'll see that this leads directly to the lower parking area (as well as what's usually damp around it) being a pond. Unless you have a tall truck, consider the parking area CLOSED.

All the 400 acres of meltwater to the north and west are merrily running down the hill: the Cascades are ROARING today! Currently, the Cascades Brook stands at a foot even; from leaf wash, it looks like it was at least 1 foot 4 inches last night, possibly higher. The secondary stream is open.

Since daylight, we've had snow here, which is accumulating enough to give a bit of a grip on the trails, which otherwise are an uneasy mix of ground and ice-covered. Proceed with care!

At 9 am it is just over freezing: 34 degrees and rising slowly.
The barometer stands at 28.47 and rising.
Fire danger is LOW.

Slushy

It is very soggy out there today. Should you go out, we recommend waterproof footwear. In most cases, there is a thin snowcover that is completely water saturated. In spots, it will suddenly go up to your ankles, however.

At 9 am, it is 40 degrees and rising a bit.
Drizzling rain
The barometer is at 29.82 inches of mercury and steady
The stream is rushing past at 6 inches.
The Cascades are frozen still, but there's plenty of water coming down them, nonetheless.

Keeping an eye west

I should point out that if the weather stays this warm, the Cascades will open up and roar. So far, they're frozen, though they've definitely got water flowing through. That should only increase overnight, with this slushy stuff we've gotten today.

And one of the junior rangers fell in the brook today. Glad it was so warm!

Lovely!

It's a lovely Sunday afternoon out there; we just had a group including at least three dogs, one child in a backpack, and several adults head up the trail. The trails are SLICK, however, as yesterday's melting all froze last night! Proceed with care!
At 2 pm, it is SUNNY and breezy, just hitting 40 degrees.
The barometer is steady at 28.97.
The Cascades are trickling through the snow.

A bit of a photo

If you know what you're looking for...
He's behind the rock, heading away from you.

FOX!

And we were all so thunderstruck that we did not get a photo.
It just now (at 9:30 am) headed up the trail from the Olean Street direction, crossed the brook by the house, and headed north across the neighbor's lot.
It was acting normally, too.

Brrr...continues

The human barometers of the family can already feel the storm coming, 'though the actual barometer here is 29.15 inches of mercury and steady under bright sunny skies.
It remains frigid--20 degrees at 9 am--and looks to stay that way for much of the week.
The Cascades are an ice pile (pretty!); the brook is frozen along the edges, but still running through the center of the brook.

Fire danger is LOW.

Will we break freezing?

Possibly...
At 10:30, it's just breaking 30 degrees.
The barometer stands at 29.44 and RISING
Sunny blue skies
Fire danger is LOW
The snowfall from Wednesday night has been packed, but not yet to the slippery point, so the trails should continue to be in okay shape ('though there isn't enough cover for skies or snowshoes).

Snow?

Somehow I missed that we were getting snow last night, so the half inch or so that we got came as a surprise.
Colder today; we'll be lucky if it breaks freezing.

At 9 am, it is 26 degrees and slowly rising
The barometer stands at 29.23 inches of mercury and steady
Cloudy skies; there's still a chance for more snow
The stream is frozen in solid at 9 inches, but running through the center at more like 4 or so.

A bit of snow on the trails today, but nothing that will slow you down. Enjoy!

Bundle up!

An intrepid dog walker just came by, bundled up as far as possible. You'll need it today. The temperature at 9:30 am is 12, but with the windchill, we're well below zero.
The barometer is 29.26 inches and steady under bright sunny skies
Quite an amazing wind out there!
The Cascades are still running a bit through the snow that came down yesterday, but they're freezing fast!
The snow cover has largely taken care of the icy spots on the trails for now.

Snowing!

AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CROSS SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. THIS WILL BRING SNOW SHOWERS AND LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW
SQUALLS WITH STRONG WIND GUSTS AND POOR VISIBILITIES. THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF NORTHWEST MASSACHUSETTS AND SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE
WILL BE MOST PRONE TO THESE SQUALLS WITH ISOLATED SNOW AMOUNTS UP TO
3 INCHES POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN.

Snowing...a bit

We've got a storm front moving in, so those spots that have cleared might just possibly be white by this afternoon.
The stream, which was up to 8.2 inches on Tuesday, has fallen back down again. The Cascades are running nicely, though; come by!

The trails in the higher traffic areas are slick, as the trampled snow has frozen solid. If we get some substantial snow cover, it should take care of that, but in the meantime, take care out there.

At 9:30 it is 34 degrees and rising
The barometer is at 29.18 and steady under cloudy skies
The fire danger is LOW

Sorry for the lack of posting this week: we've had stomach flu compounded by a failing water heater!

Snowing like the dickens!

Snow, sleet and freezing rain all day!
At 9 am it is 38 degrees and barely rising.
Snowing.
The brook is running, but it's frozen at the edges.
Barometer is at 29.15 inches and steady under cloudy skies.

And it's ELECTION DAY in Massachusetts!

Warmer again

(well, relatively speaking!)

At 9 am, it is 38 degrees and rising
The barometer is at 29.23 and steady under cloudy skies
The radar looks clear out to the west, though.
The fire danger is LOW

The stream is still frozen.

Warmer?

You know it's been cold when you look at the thermometer at 8:30, it says 25, and you think, "Hey, it's warming up!"

It is!

At 9 am, it is 28 degrees and rising; we may break freezing today!
The brook is, well, frozen, though still running down the middle.
The barometer stands at 29.44 inches and steady under sunny skies.

Trail conditions are good, if you want to get out there today. Trails are snow-covered and broken, but not so packed as to be slippery in most parts of the Cascades. It also looks like it's going to be a nice couple of days for it (might be up to 40 by Saturday).

Brook is freezing!

I think Monday's post will be the last brook measure for awhile; when we checked this morning, it was frozen hard enough to walk on, right at 4 inches. It isn't frozen all the way across (it usually doesn't), but it is frozen well around the edges!
And the Cascades look like a big snowpile.

At 9am it was 18 degrees and rising, barely.
Barometer is 29.26 under cloudy skies.
We aren't seeing too much trail activity beyond dog walkers. It is COLD.
It doesn't appear to have slowed down the juncos, sparrows, chickadees, mourning doves, and blue jays, however!

It is COLD!

11 degrees here at the Lodge at 7:30 a.m.
Luckily the air is still.
This is not the sort of day where you want to have to think about windchill!
The last few days the fireplace was warmed the Lodge supplementing the furnace.

Presently:
the pressure is 29.26" of Hg and steady;
the temperature is 11 degrees;
the USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE;
there is no wind and the sky is clear;
the trails are all snow covered, with many being tracked with animal and human prints;
the Cascades Brook is running at 4.6" (after I broke through the thick ice to get to the measuring meter.)

Come on sun!
Warm it up for us!

Eagle Count Approaching!

2008 and 2009 have seen a visiting Blad Eagle in our parts.
Along the Tatnuck Brook near Cook's Pond to be precise.
(One eagle was eating an unidentifiable bird out on the ice a year back!)

The state is doing an Eagle count, so keep your eyes peeled!

HELP COUNT EAGLES

A target date of January 8, 2010 will be used for a concentrated survey of major rivers, lakes, reservoirs and the coast by staff from the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and volunteers across the state. This event is part of a nationwide Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey that is held every year in early January. “Our long time partner, National Grid, will be assisting in the survey by providing a helicopter for surveying the Quabbin Reservoir area and the Connecticut River,” said Dr. Tom French. Ground teams will also be covering known eagle territories statewide during the day. In 2009, a record 81 bald eagles were documented in Massachusetts during the one-day event. Anyone spotting an eagle from December 30, 2009 – January 14, 2010 is encouraged to report the sighting by email at Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us or by postal mail to "Eagle Survey", MassWildlife, Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581. Please provide date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, juvenile or adult, and observer contact information.

Brrr...

It's back to work and school today (and here's hoping the sidewalks were shoveled!), and it's a cold day for it. Pretty out there, though.
At 9:45 am it is 25 degrees and rising slowly
Sunny with a barometer reading of 28.73 inches
The brook is at 4.4 inches and running.

Much of the Cascades are frozen (very pretty!), but it is running under the ice.
The resident squirrels are very busy this morning.

Report from the trails!

Intrepid hiker Tina Zlody (and her furry companions) have been out on the trails this afternoon, and sent in a report.
While we've seen people up and down our little section of the Cascades (blue circles) trail, they mostly have been breaking off to head up or down Cataract Street. Tina continued up the hill on Cascades, breaking the trail (go, Tina!). From there she followed the Silver Spring trail (yellow rectangles) up to where it heads up the hill in Boyton Park, then turned around and retraced back down.
She reports that the snow has covered the parts where it had gotten icy, so it's much less slippery going than it was earlier in the week.
It is possible, by the way, to pull into the lower lot right now, 'though it has not been cleared.
Thanks, Tina! And know that we always appreciate hearing from those out on the trails!

More Snow!!!!

There has to be between 3 and 4" out there and it is still falling and the National Weather Service doesn't see it stopping until tonight sometime!


The brook is presently running at 5";
The temperature is presently 32 degrees F;
The barometric pressure is 28.79";
The USFS Fire Danger Class is NONE;
There is only a stirring breeze at present.

While the lower lot is not plowed or shoveled out, the snows are not too deep where it couldn't be used anyway.