What Ellie Scared Up

Giving us the baleful eye after being scared into the Chemung. There was another, too, not quite so bold as to remain visible. The HuggaMutt would not let go and jumped into the River after it. She returned to the spot when I wanted to leave, responding only to the whistle used loud and long.


Beaver or Muskrat? Your call.

Good Hunting, though.

Update: the local wildlife observers at Tanglewood Nature Center affirm its muskrat-teriness. She tells me they are not dangerous, but are locally called the "swamp bunny." Gotta love it!

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Little Pond

A Long Walk with a Short Dog

This heron allowed me to take several photos from different angles, all the while turning to watch me.

11:20AM and I am already exhausted. Spoke a few moments ago to my older daughter.

"Did you girls ever take your bikes west of Town Hall along the woodland paths?"

"Yeah, but we couldn't go very far, back in the day."

Well, I am pleased to report that in this day one can go quite far along the woodland paths.

LINK TO GOOGLE MAP: We walked the wooded strand along the northern bank of the Chemung. You can toggle between satellite photo and road map to orient yourself. Keep in mind that there is no longer a road over the ruined bridge.

Took the HuggaMutt to the levee near Town Hall, West Elmira. They've cleared out many of the ruined foundations along the Chemung River. Seems they were an attractive nuisance that could easily become a fatal liability.

I guess. Kids have always played in them. But I digress.

We walked the paths beyond the excavations for about twenty minutes, and I began to hear something like a waterfall. We grabbed the next path toward the river, and found the water very low, babbling like crazy as it flowed over rocks.

I looked back downriver and could just barely see the remains of the Rorick's Glen bridge. It was a very, very long walk back, with me becoming more disabled as we went. Poor Ellie had to return for me again and again. Then I hitched her leash to her harness and made her pull me back up the levee, so we could find the car.

A lot of work for a little HuggaMutt. A very long walk on such little legs.

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Little Pond