1892
March 21
Concord, Massachusetts.
Ball's Hill.
Mass.
Concord. - Clear and cold with moderate N. W. wind. Ther.
14[degrees] at sunrise, 34[degrees] at noon. On the whole a pleasant day.
To Ball's Hill by sleigh, the river being almost wholly
frozen over this morning although it had opened again
by noon and at sunset was as free from ice as
at any time thus far this year. I was a good deal
surprised to see it free itself so quickly and easily
with so low a temperature but the sun is all powerful
now and to-day its rays were not interrupted by
a single cloud.
  Despite the warm sun and open river the country
never looked more wintry than now. The last snow
fell evenly without drifting and although it has
settled a good deal it still covers the ground
everywhere to a depth of four to six inches, its
surface coated with an icy crust which glittered
to-day in the sunshine like burnished steel.
The sleighing was very good in the morning but
thin & scrapy by night.
  During the drive down this morning I saw
two flocks of Tree Sparrows, one of ten the other of
three individuals. All were in the middle of the 
road where [?] they are now able to get at
the ground.
[margin]Tree Sparrows[/margin]
  Besides a few Crows and two Chickadees I saw
no birds at Ball's Hill. The water-fowl seem to
have wholly disappeared although Bensen and
Peter report seeing a Goose in the river at the
Beaver dam rapid on the 19th.
[margin]Water fowl[/margin]
  As I drove home this evening the river was a tender
green everywhere. For four days past it has been dark
[?].