Last Week of Summer 2008

Since I had to work so much over-time this week, Ellie and I tried to make short hops to the river each morning. This fellow was not even watching for us, he was so entrance in hunting.

The river is very, very low, and the fishing is great. We saw so many eagles wherever we went, but they are not willing photo subjects. They soar too high. I nearly soil my pants on Wednesday when an eagle bolted from a tree right next to me. The tree groaned and cracked a little, but the baldy left silently otherwise. Herons and crows make a racket when they take off.


Of course, the eagle was out of sight before I could recover enough to shoot it.
On Saturday we went to Hoffman Creek, but the greenery is very, very lush. I wasn't dressed properly to repel the elements and insects.

A few bug bites won't deter a real adventurer. We are not real adventurers; we left for home after about an hour.

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Little Pond

Mixed Blessing

We recently got word that the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) will soon be removing trees within 15 feet of the levees. While this may not sound like much, it will be a huge undertaking. It has already begun, unofficially.

The reason I dread it it is that I count on the trees to protect me from the summer sun. On very hot days, I usually take the HuggaMutt through the woodsy areas. They will diminish.

But! We have to do whatever is necessary to protect the city from floods like in 1972. Elmira never really recovered from that one.

You can check out what it all means here. See why I dread it.

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Little Pond

Dog Days on the Chemung

If you are a frequent visitor to RiverDogging, then you probably recognize the Gateway area. Jones Island is on my right and the levee is on the left. This water runs over stones and is shallow and very clean. Ellie loves it.
You can see the RiverDog at the far left near the electrical pole. In fact, she is looking for the woodchucks that are always out lazing in the sunshine. The geese are making their usual silly fuss, but she ignores them until they try to run. Silly things don't go far, once they realize she doesn't even notice them.
This stately bird was just over my head in a tree when he decided to go wading. I just about fainted when he dropped down in front of me. What he didn't take into account was that Ellie was poking around under the brush along the shore. Right as I snapped this shot, he took off across the river.
Summer isn't complete without a swim in the shallows of the Gateway area. Her poor eyesight makes Ellie curious about the gurgling water, so she swims out to investigate. The water would be up to my knees or so, but she has to swim for real.

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Little Pond

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