RiverDog: It's a beautiful thing.

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Little Pond

In the knotweed

Sung to the tune of "In the Navy!"

In the knotweed!

That's where Ellie found a skunk.

In the knotweed!

That's why she can't share our bunk.

In the knotweed....

Oh, forget it. It isn't funny, really. She disappeared under the leaves and then there were signs of an epic struggle.

I couldn't move fast enough to draw her back. I then dragged her to the river and doused her good. She dug her nose into the mud along the way.

After one more dousing, I took her to the nearest boat ramp. Washed her again and again until the stuff was out of her eyes.

Then home to Google the latest deskunking rituals. We used Dawn Original Scent.

The author of the blog is a coworker at the paper.

Then a call to MammaDog at the SPCA. They will know what to do. Also, MammaDog will be collecting our stinky friend on Friday for their shared custody stint.

Beware the knotweed that grows high enough to hide small animals...

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Little Pond

Rainy July

What are we doing, out walking in the rain? Well, HuggaMutt and I can tell you that there is no nicer time to visit the river. In the summer, it's comfortable.

There are fewer people and lots less doggie traffic, too. Not only that, but we often see fishermen in their boats when it is raining.

And Ellie doesn't mind the rain when she is wet from the river, anyway.

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Little Pond

Pounding Winds, Wading Pup

This is the moral equivalent of "Here, let me show you pictures of my grandchildren."

We spent a chilly hour in the Gateway area of the Chemung River yesterday. If you go yourself, you will especially want to watch for the tiny frogs that show up occasionally around your feet. It's amazing that they can be so perfect in such miniature.

In the back seat, on the way home, Ellie got a tad banged up during a sudden stop, and I myself am very sore in the knees. Rocky terrain and a cold wind combined to leave me lame enough to react a little too slow to a fast oncoming car. I carefully inspected all her bones and muscles and no complaints, but we are visibly affected.

Now we are both lame, and will not visit our beloved river today. We are staying close to home, with a fire in the fireplace and some catchup on our blogs.

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Little Pond

Danger!

Ellie's on shore patrol any day we go to the River. Usually the coast is clear.
Monday, though, there was danger in the water. A snapping turtle. This fellow must weigh at least as much as Ellie. I kept her out as soon as it was pointed out by a concerned fisherman.

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Little Pond

Stinky Chemung

Right now the entire area around Newtown Creek is intriguing-looking. It's covered in green.
The creek is very low, almost low enough to cross. But not quite. Ellie can wade and even paddle about.
The knotweed is totally overgrown, and quite messy.
With the river so low, everything stinks to high heavens.
Naturally, the animals don't care.
One could almost walk to the city, just along the shore. Inland is just overgrown with weeds.
On the other banks, however, the dykes are freshly mown. Perhaps the RiverHag will pay a little visit this week...

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Little Pond

A little less sucessful

because it rained like a son of a gun. Ellie got a toweling when we returned. She hates that, and does a strange, whiny, lower-leveled growl during the whole procedure.

And yet we got one unusual shot. If you click on the photo, you can pick out the individuals marking the top of the water. If it hadn't been raining so hard, I would have filmed their antics. They looked like teeny-tiny jet-skiers zooming across the water.

Note: if you slept through the rain that Saturday, you may be surprised we got wet at all. Here are some soaking wet shots of irises taken even earlier in the morning.

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Little Pond