The one good thing about the rapidly shortening days in September and October is that it you can be up for the sunrise without having to wake up at some ungodly hour, like you do in the summer. With that in mind, this morning I took the kayak out for an early morning trip. I was hoping for either a sunrise or early morning fog; I got fog.

I got to the parking lot opposite the Newton Boathouse around quarter to seven; the fog was pretty thick in spots; and felt cold and raw at times on my bare head. I decided to head upstream.

As I passed the golf course, the fog thickened.

I continued on past the wooden foot bridge, where the fog was starting to thin.

Continuing upstream, I made it just past the old railroad bridge, then ran aground before reaching the Route 16 shoals. With the drought, the water level is quite low, but also quite clear. At one point, I looked over the side, and saw a fairly large fish swimming just below me.

I turned around and headed back down stream. By the time I reached the Riverside area, the sun was starting to try to break through the fog. I got back to the landing, and decided to continue on downstream, to the Moody Street bridge. It was the first time I did the whole stretch (or close to it).

I turned around by the Charles River Canoe and Kayak dock, and said hello to the friendly dockhand there. Heading back under the Prospect Street bridge, I noticed the keystone had the date on it.

The bridge is typical of a lot of the bridges over the Charles – a granite bridge built in the 1800’s, and then expanded at some point with a cantilevered deck.

Heading back, the shore just upstream of the Prospect street bridge was lined with these pink flowers.

Just as I turned the corner by the Mount Feake cemetery, I saw these two ducks hanging out on a log. They didn’t appear to be bothered by me at all – at one point, the duck on the left started scratching its back.

By this point, the fog had burned off almost completely, and it was bright and sunny.