Tuesday -- November 2, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.4     Water Temperature: 57

Beavers, beavers, beavers, they just cut down a nice sassafras tree we had here. I guess the chicken wire wasn't high enough.

Wednesday -- November 3, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.5     Water Temperature: 59

The character of the island really changes when the leaves are off the trees. The light is different and my veil of privacy is replaced by veiws of the river.

Thursday -- November 4, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.5     Water Temperature: 59

Friday -- November 5, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.7     Water Temperature: 54

Today the river is a deep amber color, stained by the tannin of the fallen leaves. This "black water" is reminiscent of the river's beginnings way up in the hills of Garrett Co. where the banks are framed in rhododendron and the water is loud as it falls over the rocks.

There are giant floating islands of deciduous leaves going past the island. Two inches of rain has washed all of the recently fallen leaves down into the streams and into the river. I'm guessing that the leaves passing me now are the same leaves that were washed from the cabin john creek valley. There were sycamores, oaks, maples, hickory, paw paw, birch and a wide variety of other trees telling a story of natural history as they swirl downstream.

Monday -- November 8, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.9     Water Temperature: 53

They replaced the odor filter at the sewer vent that is near the ferry landing. Every two years or so they replace the filter to help lessen the smell of the fumes eminating from that giant sewer pipe that runs along the canal.

Starting to see a lot of seagulls now.

Tuesday -- November 9, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 4.0     Water Temperature: 50

The new odor filter only helps a little.

We're getting ready for the big workfest coming up on Sunday.

Wednesday -- November 10, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.9     Water Temperature: 50

It's that time of year when you can see deer walking around in broad daylight. Last week we saw a buck carelessly walking down the towpath, and someone said they saw a doe swimming onto Rupperts on Sunday. Yesterday on my bicycle I passed a buck near lock seven, it was a partial elbino and had markings like the bark of a sycamore tree. I passed a number of cardinals too, twelve of them were on the towpath, bright red and lined up like traffic cones.

Thursday -- November 11, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.7     Water Temperature: 49

Friday -- November 12, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.8     Water Temperature: 49

The power went out on us during the night. We woke up to a dark, cold house with no stove to make the coffee. It seems that all of MacArthur Blvd. was wthout power, 7-11 didn't have any coffee either.

They've been working on the storm drains where Walhounding creek goes under the Blvd. There was extensive erosion from the rainwater pouring down from Mohican hills.

George Maluski just brought down a big, beautiful, brand new grill. As entertainment supervisor, I guess he decided it was time to have the right tool for the job, and this grill should help George keep the members well supplied with chicken and burgers at the workfest.

Monday -- November 15 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 4.2     Water Temperature: 47

It was perfect weather for the workfest yesterday. Thanks to everyone who came down and made it a success.

Wednesday -- November 16, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 4.3     Water Temperature: 46

There's a small construction job going on across the canal from us. It looks like they're patching the concrete below the manhole cover there.

Wednesday -- November 17, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 4.1     Water Temperature: 47

I was disappointed, at first, when all the leaves began to fall, I guess I was sad to see the summer season end. But every season has it's own beauty and now that the leaves are on the ground the brilliant autumn sun can shine through. The sun sinks behind the trees directly across from the captains float now and it's golden light casting long silhouettes of naked trees is truly spectacular.

I paddled around the island last evening, The island looks different without all the floats in the river, primitive and unsettled.

Friday -- November 19, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.9     Water Temperature: 48

I saw our young red-shoulded hawk yesterday. I was waiting in traffic at the stop sign and spied it perched on a branch with a mocking bird pestering it.

The decks are finally done. Thanks to Dave Winer and his power washer we now have beautifully stained decks in front and back. Before the workfest Dave and I cleaned the decks and Dave led a team at the workfest applying the redwood stain that he brought. Unfortunately the stain ran out before they could finish and it was left to me to finish the job which I'll finish today. I've also been busy putting up a new gutter and I painted and replaced the screen on the door to the screen porch.

A roofer came down to look at our leaking roof.

They are almost done fixing the man hole across the canal. There is a six-foot brick structure upon which sits the man-hole cover. The workmen dug all around this and applied a layer of concrete to the whole thing. Maybe this patching will help with the sulfur-dioxide fumes we smell on the trail.

Monday -- November 22, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.7     Water Temperature: 48

Quiet weekend. Yesterday a member/artist came down and painted an oil-on-canvas of the canoe shed, and Jim Drew worked on patching his favorite canoe.

The beaver have a new project going on. They felled a silver maple,(a good sized one with a diameter of about eight inches) and now they are busy chopping it up into perfect one-foot logs. I found one out there last night at about 8:00, it seemed annoyed that I would interrupt it's work.

Wednesday -- November 24, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 3.8     Water Temperature: 51

There were snow geese flying over the island yesterday. Huge V's of birds honking overhead, probably 3oo total.

Friday -- November 26, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 4.2     Water Temperature: 50

Monday -- November 29, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 4.9     Water Temperature: 49

Saturday morning we saw a large buck on the island. We were strolling up to the swimminmg area when we heard the loud splash as the majestic beast leaped into the river to avoid us. Without any hesitation and seemingly little effort the deer swam over to Ruppert's island. It looked like a scene from some widerness documentary as the deer emerged from the water and proudly looked back at us.

Monday -- November 30, 2004
Water Level at Little Falls: 5.5     Water Temperature: 48

The ferry is closed today because of the high water.

A lot of beaver activity, I watch three of them in the slough yesterday morning.

I saw the buck again. This time it swam all the way to the Virginia shore.