A Walk along the Connecticut River: Pynchon Point Park

There is a scenic park not far from where I live.  Pynchon Point Park is diamond in the rough. At the entrance from the parking lot, you follow the path down to the river with a lovely view of the South End Bridge. This is a no-frills park with few amenities: it has no playground and there are no portable toilets.  If you plan to canoe or kayak here, you need a cart to transport your boat since there is no vehicle access to the water.  The photos were taking during the spring of 2016.  There was hardly any snow that winter, and no spring high water, so the park was accessible.

People come here to fish during the shad run  mid-May until early June. Occasionally families picnic here on weekends.Fishermen have told me they have caught striped bass in the river, and they can be over three feet long.

There is a stretch of sand along the waterfront.  I have never seen anyone swim there, although I have seen people launch kayaks. I think it has to do with park located a short distance downstream from the Springfield Wastewater Treatment Plant.  The output from the plant is usually clean except during periods of heavy rain, when combined sewer overflows occur. 

Many years ago, the plant, also known as Bondi's Island, used to stink up the entire neighborhood. When the wind blew the wrong way, the odor wafted into downtown Springfield.  The sewage treatment plant has since cleaned up its act (it no longer smells unless you're actually at the plant) and also does a good job cleaning the crap from the five towns in the Springfield area.  Unless there has been a heavy rain, the water is usually clean enough for boating and swimming, according to this website.

It's certainly a lot cleaner than it used to be.  Before the park was created, there was a lot of illegal dumping done here. Unfortunately, the park is often littered with the remains of alcoholic celebrations, even though there is a trash can next to the picnic table.  You name it they drink it: beer, soda and vodka, and none of it is the good stuff. It's the cheap booze from the local convenience store.

This is the sign at the entrance to the park.  It was originally a ferry landing for boats traveling from Agawam to Springfield until the first South End Bridge was built in 1879. You can read about the park's history from the sign if you enlarge the picture.

A sign in the parking lot reminds people that they can be hit with a hefty fine if they dump garbage and other refuse. So far I haven't seen trash bags and household items, although the fishermen who come here often litter the beach with Dunkin' Donuts cups, beer bottles and cans, fishing line and stryrofoam cups, despite the trash bins located in a couple of places in the park. Unfortunately, fishermen have a bad rep for being slobs.

The best vantage point is right before the bridge.  Since there is no picnic table in this part of the park I sometimes bring a folding chair and enjoy the view.  The bridge was built in 1929.

Pynchon Point Park is a great place to take pictures.  Just don't go there during springtime high water (early April when the snow melts).

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Copyright © 2016 Katley Demetria Brown. Site Designed by Katley Demetria Brown. All Rights Reserved. Photos © Katley Demetria Brown.

Why Autumn in New England is Overrated

October 12, 2014 Street Scene, Springfield, MA

I think autumn in New England is overrated.  However, it hasn't stopped a certain species of tourist, the Leaf Peeper.  The Leaf Peeper's goal is to take pictures of as many multicolored trees as possible before all those beautiful red and gold leaves litter the ground (a problem for those of us who have yards full of leaves every October and have to dispose of them). Some years the leaves fall as late as November, making the job even more tedious.

 

Pynchon Point Park, October 25, 2014

Leaf Peepers are responsible for traffic jams on the roads.  They can be recognized by the upward tilt of their heads and the clicking of their cameras or camera phones as they capture fall foliage for posterity. Accommodations around here are booked for a solid month. Why people will travel such long distances to look at leaves is foreign to me.

I suppose I'm jaded because I live here and all I have to do is look out the window at the huge tree behind my house decked out in orange autumn finery before the winds and the rain (or maybe snow!) knock the leaves into my backyard.  They are not so beautiful when its time to rake them.

Fall Foliage, October 25, 2014

The downside of autumn leaves can best be described in one word: Snowtober.

Back in 2011 there was a period of beautiful fall weather at end of October.  A cold front moved up the East Coast and brought snow and cold. The trees had not yet lost all their leaves. When the snow fell, it was heavy and wet.  The combination of heavy wet snow and autumn leaves was a recipe for disaster.  Trees crashed onto roads, cars, homes and power lines.

Many communities were without power for a week or more.  I had no electricity for a week.  Since there was no heat, many people, especially the elderly and families with children, stayed in hotels or shelters.

I chose to stay home (at night anyway) because my house faces south and there was enough sun to warm up the house during the day. I couldn't prepare hot food since my stove runs on electricity.  I lived off ready to eat food (fruit and yogurt) from the cooler, Chinese take out from the restaurant that had electricity, and horrible cafeteria food from the high school which was designated an emergency shelter.  I also used their shower facilities. The public library, fortunately had power and I spent much time there; they had light, heat, books and best of all, computers!

The laundromat was also open.  It was packed with people doing laundry, and it was warm from all the dryers going at the same time. During that week there were electricity haves and have nots, it depended where you lived on the power grid.

That week was an ordeal I wouldn't like to repeat. Towns banned Halloween trick or treaters from making the rounds, it was too dark and dangerous with fallen trees and no lights.

By the way, these beautiful autumn trees can turn into monsters.  During the storm many fell on the roads and crashed onto the roofs of houses, costing homeowners thousands of dollars in roof repairs.

This month's poem is After the Storm.

After the Storm

Monster trees

weighted down

with snow and ice.

Monster trees

are the reason

the power is out.

Monster trees

whose lost branches

smash through roofs.

Monster trees

lie in the road

to crash your car.

Monster trees

in the dark

are out to kill you.

I think that I shall never see

a poem as deadly as a tree.

A tree whose broken arms crash down

and bring the power lines to ground.

© Katley Demetria Brown 2012

If you like Balkan music, please visit my other blog The Alien Diaries.   There's enough to keep you occupied all winter :)

Copyright © 2014 Katley Demetria Brown. Photography is © Katley Demetria Brown 2014 and may not be reproduced without permission.  You can also view these photos on Flickr.com under the name Katley99.
Site Designed by Katley Demetria Brown. All Rights Reserved.