Charles River

Saul Blumenthal captured the setting sun setting railings afire over the Broad Canal in Cambridge.

Copyright Saul Blumenthal. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Penny Cherubino provides an account of August efforts by the Charles River Cleanup Boat.

Channel 5 reports the two alleged yutzes charged with selling 91,000 pounds of ornamental scrollwork from the Longfellow Bridge as scrap last year are expected to plead guilty.

Mike Mennonno notes somebody was recently critically injured by a rotted-out tree limb that fell from a tree in Central Parks and that the DCR has been ignoring him for more than two years when he calls to complain about dead trees along the Charles River bike path. He posts photos from a copse of tree corpses:

... As I rode by this morning I realized there were actually three dead or mostly dead trees in the space of a few hundred yards along this well-traveled portion of the path near the new work-out station. I also noticed that each of the dead trees seemed strategically placed where a large overhanging dead limb could best fall on someone: over a park bench, above a water fountain on the main path, at the intersection of the main path and a pedestrian overpass. ...

Downside: It took a West Roxbury man six hours to kayak down the Charles.

First we learned state officials listened to their inner thetans and gave TC his multi-million-dollar tax credit back. Now Sam Baltrusis reports:

As production moves forward with "Wichita," the upcoming spy flick starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz set to film in Boston this September, the latest rumor is that pre-production crews are currently hashing out an elaborate water-based chase scene slotted to be shot on the Charles River and will involve closing down several landmarks along the way including a few bridges. ...

Kathy reports there's a gaggle of geese under the BU bridge. By itself, no big deal, except the goslings are now big enough to notice that while some are obviously the spawn of the white adult geese that watch over them, some have the black legs of Canada geese:

... So it looks like maybe some Canada gooselings imprinted on domesticated parents. So what type do you think these Canadas will try to mate with when they grow up?

Penny Cherubino reports the Boston Landmark Commission has voted to designate the stretch along the Charles as a landmark. It's now up to Mayor Menino and the city council as to whether the Esplanade becomes a landmark, which, among other things, could make it harder for the state to dig it up or pave it over as it rebuilds the Storrow Drive tunnel.

It's not that the swimmers are afraid of getting wet, but that all the rain has meant lots of yucky runoff flowing into the river, and that means the Charles River Swimming Club has had to cancel the annual swim, scheduled for tomorrow, June 21. Race Director Ulla Hester says:

It was an unfortunate reminder of the fact that the river is not yet as clean as we would like it to be. There is no rain date, but the club is looking forward to next year's event.

Seems Brady was kayaking in the Charles and he fell in and this woman helped fish him out, thus saving the entire 2009 Patriots' season.

Hey, remember when Nomar Garciaparra dived into Boston Harbor to save some woman who'd fallen in?

Photos from the Dragon Boats festival on the Charles River today.

More photos.

We went to Echo Bridge in Newton today, and it really is amazing - you can basically whisper and hear your voice echo back from the other side of the Charles (so you can imagine what it was like when an exuberant kidlet decided to yell). Up river, near the old mill, we spotted the above large bird (so for those of you who know the distance, yes, it pays to have a zoom lens). Anybody know what it is?

The Boston Landmarks Commission tonight considers officially designating the Esplanade a landmark, at a hearing that starts at 7 p.m. at City Hall. Sarah Kelly, executive director of the Boston Preservation Alliance, explains why it should.

John Halamka sings the praises of his daily after-work six-mile kayak trip through the Lakes District section of the Charles:

... The early evening on the Charles is a perfect time to view widelife - Great Blue Herons, Trumpeter Swans, American River Otters, Snapping Turtles, and enormous Carp. The river is different every time I kayak with variable weather, changing wildlife, and new people. Today I did a rescue of a mother and daughter from Montreal who tipped their kayak in the deepest part of Charles. ...

Now, Halamka is both a doctor and an IT executive, so he has a very precise formula for deciding when to go out on the water: When the sum of water temperature plus air temperature is greater than 120. Much less risk of hypothermia that way should he fall in.

State officials consider unleashing the hounds to scare geese away from the Esplanade. They'll love that across the river when all the geese resettle along Mem. Drive.

A dog named Charlie retrieving a log in the Charles.

Saul Blumenthal shows it's all a matter of perspective along the Esplanade.

Copyright Saul Blumenthal. Posted in the Universal Hub Flickr group.

Paul Keleher took in the Run of the Charles canoe and kayak races in Needham today.

Posted under this Creative Commons license.

This was originally a link to a cool photo of a pedestrian ramp on the Mass. Ave. bridge, but the photographer took the photo down. Oh, well, but it was cool.

Chris Devers reports thick black smoke; posts the above photo from the 12th floor of Beth Israel Deaconness (where his wife gave birth earlier this week).

Justinide reports it's a large brush fire in Cambridge near BB&N.

Photo used under this Creative Commons license.

The turnpike authority is canning the lights to save money - and is considering shutting off every fourth light in the Big Dig tunnels - the Globe reports, adding, however, the authority will continue to splurge on those red lights that keep planes from crashing into the bridge.

Saul Blumenthal took this photo yesterday from the Cambridge side of the Charles, but it would apply today as well, no?

Copyright Saul Blumenthal. Posted in the Universal Hub Flickr group.

Tranquility on the Charles today.

Jonathan captures the Longfellow in a moody moment.

Used under this Creative Commons license.

Richard Beaubien was ready when the tower lights on the Zakim were turned off for Earth Hour last night.

Copyright Richard Beaubien.