River Hag

One final change to RiverHag

2010-07-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

The RiverHag is now on disability. River visits are now shorter, but more frequent. Our new blog will reflect that.

Go here from now on, and thanks for your interest!

Warming up in May

2010-05-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

Finally arrived at the time of year when the RiverHag looks for shadier spots to enjoy. The Chemung is on the other side of the trees. Cloudy, almost-raining days are perfect for seeing more unusual behavior in our local river denizens. The geese were lazy and enjoying the recently mown grass on the walkway. They moved indolently down the bank as we approached.

I don't know what sort of tree this is, but the catkins sort of glisten in the morning light.

And it was just beginning to clear up, so the heat chased me back indoors.

Little Pond

May 2010 on Foster Island

2010-05-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

After three weekends of rain, we are thrilled to warm our bodies while hiking the perimeter of Foster Island, out behind the historic Water Board. Happy Spring, at last.

My first goslings of 2010!

2010-05-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

Help, if you got it?

2010-03-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Once again I am asking for the identification of this tree. I've looked everywhere, and the best I can do is maybe an alder. The main problem with it being an alder is that they are not native to the area. In fact, this is the first one of whatever it is, I've ever seen in my life.

After about three years of watching, I finally located a berry. But it has over-wintered and is wrinkled, small, and very much out of reach. I estimate the size to be that of a pencil eraser, but I can't be sure, because it's so high.

The tree itself spreads out beautifully! Nicer than an apple or cherry, for instance. It has leaves and blossoms like those fruit trees, although the blossoms are not very pink. And the darned thing is covered with very long, hard thorns. Much nastier than even a rose thorn.

The branches tangle just like the fruit trees, but the fruit is just a tiny berry. What's more, they are gone long before they are even ripe, so I can't tell you what color they are.

It's bark is heavily grooved, and of course the tree itself is gnarled.

Can anyone give me a link to check on this thing?

Thanks.

Little Pond

Very odd sound

2010-01-31T08:24:00.001-08:00

Don't expect wonderful cinemaphotography here. Just listen. Four seconds of crackling. The river is thawing, inch by inch. Ellie was perturbed and stood at attention for what had to be three or four minutes. I thought she even whined, so I shut off the camera to see.

The sound moved downriver and she turned to follow it. There were some weird pinging and sqeaking, too. Ellie would not walk on the ice. Unusual for her, but she seemed spooked.

Me, too.

Little Pond

Happy Holidays

2009-12-25T04:05:00.000-08:00

The RiverHag hails incognito from her office in Binghamton, New York.

Peace to All.

pb
Little Pond

Halloween Day

2009-10-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

I love the lacework that left after the leaves fall. That's the Walnut Street Bridge in the distance.

I don't know what this is, but it's pretty peeking up through the dying grasses.

These are one of two last flocks hanging around the breeding island in the City of Elmira.

The windfall looks desolate in the winter, but there is life all around and inside it.

A view of the progressing of fall, green to yellow to bare, all set off by the levee.

Don't you just love the lacework? The birds move in an out of it, never missing a beat, never getting snagged.

Storms moving in from the West, coming down from the Great Lakes.

Finally, only the Mallards are left of all the ducks. They are safe from hunting season for now.

Little Pond

Query

2009-08-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Which Chemung River fish grows over two feet long, has thin tiger stripes (vertical, not along the length of its body) and hangs around in the shallows, hunting among the rocks.

I don't have the answer, and the river itself wouldn't sit still long enough for me to take a shot of it under the water.

It appeared to be silver colored with black thin vertical stripes.

I had to laugh, because two fishermen were moving here and there, up and down the river, without catching a thing. They were leaving, hiking back to the street, when I saw the big striped fish.

The fish was very leisurely poking around the larger rocks, flipping its tail out of the water. I took several pictures. When I got home, we figured it wasn't likely to be a perch, because of the size and shape. Not any sort of carp or catfish, because it was very bony.

Guess I'll never know, but if I were a fisherman, I know where I would throw a line.

pb
Little Pond

The fog ruins photos

2009-07-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

I wanted to see what these were, so I shot them and checked when I got home. The geese are already done raising their goslings, so the ducks are now everywhere.

Notice how there is nothing, just nothing, in the background. The fog does that in the sunlight.

It's interesting how the rising mist is invisible to me, but not to my camera. Most of my photos were ruined.

The further away the kayakers got, the more the pictures were whitened by the fog.

Most of the time, there was no blue sky at all, but the sun was working its way through.

I love mirror type shots of the water, but I had to wait an hour for the sun to burn through enough to make them.

Even then, the clouds hung over the river. My face was slightly burned by the sun and fog. How strange, especially after a whole week of working in a windowless room!

Little Pond

Gosh, the river is pretty in July.

2009-07-19T17:19:00.000-07:00

It's beginning to get low, and that give us more places to go.

A whole new set of tree trunks hang onto the spillover after each big storm.

The lush greeness is going over to a golden tinge. A mirrored surface is a sure sign of peaceful weather.

And if you want lonely coolness, you have to find the feeder creeks and work your way up, towards the source. Stay away from the city neighborhoods, and watch for the bugs!

Little Pond

After all the rain

2009-06-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Chemung River is running high. Every large tree that had planted itself in the bed is now perched on the spillover dam in downtown Elmira, NY, USA.

Even the geese are someone reluctant to swim out to the channels. Waterfowl can simply let the current take them downstream, no effort at all.

The Grove Street River Access boat ramp is more than half submerged. Humans do not take their boats on the Chemung when she's like this. In the past few weeks we have had a few full-scale rescues: lucky people who are now believers when we say the river is too dangerous for swimmers.

And yes, there are more uprooted trees floating downriver to replace the ones we lost this weekend.

Watch a little bit of wildlife here.

Little Pond

Riverfest Saturday

2009-06-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

Well, no, we didn't attend. For one thing, it was a very sunny, bright day, and I hoped to find shade in the woods behind Pirrozzolo Park.

The Park itself was very busy with baseball games of various levels, all vigorously supported by adoring, very loud, families. The Trails, as we call them, were quieter, and we walked them, touching the river whenever it wasn't too difficult to climb down the banks.

All the while we watched, and were watched by, the Float participants. They were peering into the woods as we peered out.

The ruined bridge at Roricks Glen became a popular staging area, with paddlers waiting for their buddies in the shallows.

Except for a few fishermen, the paths were an almost silent refuge. Here and there, noise crows or blackbirds livened things.

The lushness of the vegetation this time of year never ceases to astound me. Deep, moist and utterly green, the hills of Chemung County tempt me to quit my job and camp out for the rest of my life.

If I could only do the sort of hiking required, I would almost never return home for more than a few minutes at a time. As it stands, I am only good for 90 minutes maximum, then it's back to base for a much-needed nap.

Little Pond

2009-05-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday morning, around 10:00. I was wandering along the north shoreline, towards the downtown spillover dam. These birds were very far away, and there was no way to get closer.

Even if I went over to the other side of the river, they would still be too far for a decent closeup, at least with the Power Shot.

I believe I have a pair of cormorants. One may be a White Breasted, or may simply be an immature crested.

Little Pond

The usual.

2009-05-18T04:27:00.000-07:00

I was just too slow to catch these babies as they hopped into the water. The whole family was hiding in the bushes, and came out just as another fledgling flock was preparing to set sail.When I checked back to the photo I shot of the first family, they were lurking in the scrub on the shore. The two groups struck an uneasy note, but stayed together just long enough for a spat or two and then they paddled for different parts of the opposite shore.

pb
Little Pond

Been a few times now

2009-04-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Down to the river to see how April will look. Woodlands are not green at all.

Amazing to think how the trees themselves create the most litter.

I'm thinking this is the tree that was caught on the water intakes. Not sure.

This is one of my favorite areas, and it is greening up nicely. Lots of water will do that.

Walking trails afford the best view, and you can meet nice people, too.

pb
Little Pond

Still not much spring...

2009-03-29T09:18:00.000-07:00

You see, there are still ice blocks here and there.

But the river is high with meltwater.

And yet, there are really not many spring colors.

Still, the river is different every day. There is a new perch for the water birds.

Just enjoy the gorgeous spring sky; it makes the water blue, blue, blue.

Little Pond

Midwinter thaw

2009-02-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

This looks like trouble. The fallen tree is actually this long again outside the photo!

We can't see these in the summer, because the knotweed covers them. One down, the one next to it, in the back, is already fallen onto a nearby branch.

The river is different every single visit.

No photo, but

2009-02-22T08:09:00.001-08:00

Saw a harrier Sunday morning, downriver from the city.

There were geese across the channel from us, and they suddenly began to caterwaul. My dog and I exchanged looks: what the heck? We weren't bothering them.

I looked all around, but hadn't seen anything but geese, ducks and gulls the entire walk.

The darned thing shot like a bullet between the geese and us. It was mostly white with black wingtips, and kept them pulled in close. It opened its wings once it passed the geese, who were then screaming at it, and flew out towards the fishing access.

The geese settled down and the hunter banked and circled downstream.

I was impressed, and will be looking for harriers from now on.

pb
Little Pond

My lovely muse beckoned.

2009-01-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

It's eleven o'clock in the morning and the shadows are incredibly long.

But the Chemung River is frozen over, with only deer tracks going completely across. I was itching to try to walk it.

And I did. Here we are looking upriver, west.

Look at the ice crunching up around the water intakes. Hope the pipes run really deep.

Finally a view downriver, towards the bridges of our tiny city.

BTW, I never could dredge up the courage to attempt to cross to the other bank. Never did I hear the ice crack or groan, but I'm still too scared, anyway, knowing that a fall through the ice would spell certain death.

Little Pond

2009-01-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

The following photos are my trip to the Chemung on an extremely frosty Monday morning. The Tracker got stuck at the Grove Street River Access site, because under the snow it was all thick ice.

We did eventually escape, but will have to park on the street and climb the levee next time.

Blogger won't allow me to edit the photos with text. They are in order of their appearance:

A view of the Chemung through trees and brush of Foster Island.

The access to Foster Island. The entire area around it, including the levee, is thick ice under a lovely blanket of powder snow. It would be perfect for cross country skiing, or even snow-shoeing.

The mouth of Hoffman Creek out to the river.

A sunny panorama taken from the top of the levee, right at the Access Site.

If I ever get a chance, I will incorporate the text with photos at a later date. If anyone has ever experienced this and knows how to correct it, please leave a comment.

Thanks.

For the record, it would seem the problem was related to my own returned notebook. Seems fine now. I notice a big variation in blogging from different computers. And don't get me started on the problems I face when using a MAC...

pb
Little Pond

The Chemung before the Deep Freeze Jan 2009

2009-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

Peeking through the trees to the Chemung River.

Soft, powdery snow hides the thick, smooth, treacherous ice.

Hoffman Creek is rarely frozen over, and this day was no exception.
This is the Grove Stree River Access site, completely frozen slick under the snow. It is dangerous here this day, and causes me quite the headache. The Tracker is in four wheel drive, but the ice renders that useless. After much rocking and rolling, we made our way to the city street to park.

Just before the extreme cold

2009-01-04T18:57:00.000-08:00

Foster Pond was already freezing up, with no real connection to the Chemung, the inlet a complete block of ice. Got worse with the ensuing cold last week.

I wanted a fancy, artistic shot from under the bridges, but gave up when I got nothing but battleship gray and cloudy skies. Hate to prefer only the best weather, but frankly this looks cold and destitute.

Even my beloved trees are falling down, one by one. This is the work of the New York Department of Environmental Concervation. The trees are hugging the levee, and must go.

I am going to miss them.

Little Pond

Finally

2008-12-03T14:05:00.001-08:00

Closest I've gotten yet! I surprised two, possibly a mated pair, when I walked behind the substation on Water Street across from McWane International.

Naturally, they left in a huff, but not before I snapped the larger one.

Sigh. I will probably never get a really good, identifiable shot.

This will do.

pb
Little Pond

Freezing already?

2008-11-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

Went to the access on Southside to photograph the River. Surprise! The river is already beginning to freeze over.The closer we get to the bridges the more the ice dissipates, until we finally arrive at the spillover dam.An awfully cold perch for a Franklin gull. It's actually fishing, dipping and occasionally dunking for a meal.

Made me cold just watching. Winter is here.

pb
Little Pond

Saw my first osprey!

2008-10-19T10:34:00.000-07:00

Did my usual number with Ellie. This time we went to the southside levee to walk along the concrete river wall. It had been cleared of absolutely all brush, a few weeks ago.

The north side was not cleared, but--very unfortunately!--many of my favorite trees are now gone. The NYDEA has been forced to remove any trees within 15 feet of the levees. I took a few pictures that I will post later this week.

I finally saw and identified an osprey. It was huge and we saw it long before we were close enough to shoot a picture. I got a couple of shots, but it was so far away.

It started circling the area just below the spillway, wheeled upwards, hovered a split second, then plummeted straight down into the river. It did not skim the water; it dropped underwater and out of sight. It came right back up. I didn't see a fish, but it must have had one, because it then followed upstream along the bank and out towards West Hill.

The bird was very large with dark feathers on top and whitish on the belly. Wide enough wingspan that I was sure it was an eagle until I saw the coloration.

Just like the eagles, though, it wasn't interested in sitting for a portrait.

pb
Little Pond

First Touch of Fall

2008-09-21T18:21:00.000-07:00

Ellie's gone back to her MammaDog this week, so I can clean my house and prepare for the cold months. We had a lovely week visiting the River in it's last glory of summer.Now we are looking for signs of Fall. The Autumnal Equinox occurs Monday, the 22nd.
Bittersweet is a very early color-changer this year. It's really trying to take over this tree. At my parent's home in Massachusetts, we used to go into the woods and rip it out, before it could harm our favorite trees.
There are a lot of flowers that come out just in time for the Equinox.
But these little woods are already stripped of much of their foliage. I think they say that early leaf dropping is a sign of severe stress. Wonder what it is?
On the city side of the levee, it is still mostly summer. The lovely blue water isn't that at all; it's an incredible algae bloom. This is a buggy swamp.
Just below the Sewer District, the flood plain is given over to goldenrod.
Staghorn sumac, pushing the envelope of early autumn.
Here is a picture you can trust. When the hillsides just begin to change, Fall is not far off.

pb
Little Pond

2008-09-08T08:33:00.000-07:00

I went alone to visit Newtown Creek on Labor Day and had such a good time, that I invited the HuggaMutt the very next day.
Everything is misty and gray at first, but it all burns off by about 10 o'clock. We still aren't able to cross the darned trestle on our own. Can't stand the gaps in the beams.
The creeks never stops looking gorgeous. Unfortunately, we met a lone person who was wandering through the woods.

We did not follow suit. I don't carry a weapon, and I am not able to defend myself. Ellie might, but then, she would probably attack anyone that scared me.

That wouldn't be fair. The bugginess of our whole adventure lingered for days afterwards, and that made me glad we didn't venture far into the vegetation.

I now have gnat and mosquito bites all over my face and neck and even behind my ears. Naturally they are on my legs and arms too, but that is the cost of doing business at the end of the summer.

pb
Little Pond

Repeat post from RiverDogging

2008-08-13T19:52:00.001-07:00

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.

pb
Little Pond

The Fishers

2008-08-06T05:15:00.001-07:00

Looking for Dobsons and other bait.

Notice the diving ducks in the background.

pb
Little Pond

Never Saw One of These Before

2008-07-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

Not an egret, although I've heard tell they are in the area. This is a white Great Blue Heron. All the markings are there, but it is white where the others are blue-gray. When it flew away, the wings were all white nearer the body, and still had the black banding near the wing tips.

And very, very shy. We were on the other bank, and it still flew off.

pb
Little Pond

Secret Male Bonding Ritual

2008-07-08T12:24:00.001-07:00

Three specimens of Pescator chemungis, in their native habitat.

I was walking on the trails leading to the area behind Pirrozolo Park, when I could just barely hear people talking. Men, chatting and laughing.

Now, I am mostly deaf in one ear, so it is a chore to locate any sound I can't see. And this was very difficult. I walk past twice before I nailed it.

Three fishermen, quietly enjoying an early morning on the Chemung River.

pb
Little Pond

What's RiverHag doing up in Tanglewood?

2008-06-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

Looking for the Chemung River, of course! I knew it would be a long hike, so I chose a cool, cloudy morning.That turned into a bright sunny scorcher. No matter, since I would mostly be in the shade. Not so, however. There are plenty of sun-drenched paths. Fortunately they usually run back into the woods.
And then it is a pretty, shady hike. But the trail I needed to walk was very, very long. To visit the River, even from above, would take me about 45 minutes. Not to mention 45 minutes back.
When I finally saw the Chemung, I had to fight the vertigo. The drop is breathtaking. I was already tired, and it was a struggle to continue walking. Good thing I had my fortified camera pod, because I really needed to lean on something.
No kidding. Looking out over the river, I could see that where the rocks began, the trees stopped.

Finally. Fitch's Bridge.

When I reached the overlook, there was no place to rest. The park bench was in pieces, held up with a teetering tower of rocks. I took a quick picture and began to look for landmarks. Ten years ago my sister and I hiked to the very same spot. The view is quite different, because trees now block much of it.Still, it was worth the trip. Looking north, one can follow the river all the way out through big Flats. I took one last shot that focused on the opposite bank, zooming in a bit:Looking straight across, there are pretty farms and some fairly impressive homesteads. Wonder if some of them are new since my last visit?

Tanglewood has changed in ten years. The trails are better marked, and there are more facilities.

I've changed too. Multiple Sclerosis may be a nervous system disorder, but it has really messed with my muscles and sapped me of stamina. What used to be a pleasant walk of about and hour or so now becomes two full hours that slowly turn into torture, with me dragging my bad leg and shuffling my feet. Thank heavens I wore hikers.

There were deer, butterflies, some of the biggest squirrels I have ever seen, bullfrogs and some very large birds that I was too tired to try to identify. An earlier morning, or later afternoon, would no doubt produce different wildlife.

It was worth the trip. I saw the Chemung River from the hilltop.

pb
Little Pond

Practically in the heart of Elmira, NY

2008-06-12T05:51:00.000-07:00

To the visitors from the stargazette.com blog, welcome to RiverHag's main site. You may recognize the name of the owner of these fields, the Janowski family. Their farm goes way, way back in time, at least to the beginning of the last century.
Nearly all the land that is now the Gateway area of the Chemung River used to be part of their farmland. Of course the various floods changed the topography again and again, but it was still the Janowski's until the Army Corps of Engineers turned it into a protected area.
I don't know if they also owned Jones Island, pictured here. Lately, we can cross the river onto the island, if we don't mind getting our feet wet.

These sights are all accessible from the levee on the south side of the Chemung River. I park in a shady spot along Brand Park, or sometimes at the Fishing and Boating Access near Dunn Field. The levee goes way, way south, where the RiverDog and I have not even begun to explore.

pb
Little Pond

Memorial Day Weekend 2008

2008-05-24T19:11:00.000-07:00

A very beautiful Saturday morning beckoned, so I drove over the Walnut Street bridge down to Hudson Street. I actually wanted to check out Rorick's Glen and see how the river looked from there.

Unfortunately, Rorick's Glen is now unavailable to the average mortal. The bridge is gone, stolen by Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972, and the southside access is blocked with caution horses that announce it is private property.

I returned to Hudson Street and simply parked in my usual spot. This time, dogless and a little tired from a crazy workweek, I walked west along the bank, as far as I could.

I always say we are lucky that the Chemung River is accessible to us mere humans, but on the south side, that isn't necessarily so. The Department of Environmental Conservation does seem to control most of the shoreline, but doesn't make it available to us as well as is the north shore. Here and there, however, one can find a lovely little spot for some shady summer fishing.

Among the trees, and right along the roadside, there are beautiful views and some possibility for solitude. Don't count on cleanliness, though. The fishermen and late-night revelers have left a bit of a mess in their wakes.

All in all, though, the views are still breath-taking. Stalwarts who stayed the course after the flooding have a day to day reward of lovely Chemung River sights and ready access to pretty fair trout fishing.

pb
Little Pond

Already?

2008-05-17T10:55:00.001-07:00

How could the grass have gotten so tall so soon? Can't even see Ellie in the picture! This is the way to the wooded part of the strand on the north side of the Chemung, still in Elmira, west side.

pb
Little Pond

Look at this little fellow!

2008-05-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, you can click on the photos for closeups with lots of details!
Isn't he cute? He sat there and watched the river, ignoring me. I finally made kissing noises at him to cause him to look. All chubby and scruffy, he was too pudgy to be the lovely, sleek adult hawk we will find in a few weeks.
Strange bedfellows? I hope not. At first I thought I was seeing a common merganser and her mate. Just as soon as the drake turned into the sunlight, it was clear he was a mallard. No other ducks anywhere close. Just buddies, I guess.And finally, a green heron. Yeah, despite the reddish brown breast and neck, this is the common green heron. He refused to turn around for a shot of his back. He never took his eyes off me.

All in all, a very satisfying bird-watching week.

pb
Little Pond

2008-04-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

Just a little spot that would be perfect for fishing. There are tracks all over this place that look at first glance like a cat's. But the nails are sticking out like a dog's. What would that be?
This tangle will completely hide the shore the next time I return to the Gateway area. I love the tangles, because they shelter the banks from the hot summer sun that intensifies as it comes off the water.
In this photo we can barely see the city of Elmira and its bridges. Behind me is the strand of woodland, and behind that is a power substation, Route 352, and The Kennedy Valve plant.
Same spot, looking southwest with Dunne field in distance, upper right.
This is Newtown Creek, looking west to the Chemung River. Because I am acrophobic, I cannot cross the former railroad trestle to get to the water in the top center. Maybe someday, if I can con someone into visiting the creek with me.
Right now I am delightfully alone, and able to catch a picture of a lone duck, who also thinks he is delightfully alone. He is already quacking in photo, just noticing me as I snap the shot. He then moves on, complaining loudly.
I had hoped that by now (April 15th) there would be lots of greenery, and a chance to plow my way to the River. In fact, I do follow some of the already trodden paths. Unfortunately, there is so much dry knotweed reeds, it is difficult to find my way. And all the feeder creeks are still swollen, making some areas impassable.

Maybe later.

pb
Little Pond

Early April at Newtown Creek

2008-04-06T08:07:00.001-07:00

One more try to get a photo from the railroad trestle. Without the dog, I can light trip across the beams and take some pictures from the other side of the creek.No such luck. I am terrified of the height, at least as afraid as Ellie was. I stop, frozen on the spot, and will have to take pictures from here. I can see the path that everyone, especially fishermen, must take at the other end, but...
I am way too afraid of the height. This is not a photo of the sky. What you see is the reflectionof the sun and clouds through the trees above the water of the creek. I can barely move enough to get off the darned bridge.

Underneath is another story. I absolutely love the grafitti here, but it is too offensive to photograph. Suffice to say that it is a bunch of racial and misogynistic and anti-law enforcement crap that is so badly misspelled that it points up the low-class ignorance of the authors.

Well, for heaven's sake, it's almost pretty. Not quite, though.
A pair of wood ducks in a small swampy inlet next to the Chemung itself.
And finally, a caution to anyone interested in walking down by the creek itself. It is very swampy. Wear waterproof hiking boots. Someday I'm bringing a brave soul with me to take my hand and walk me across the trestle to the other path...blindfolded, of course.

pb
Little Pond

OOPS

2008-04-02T17:54:00.000-07:00

I actually posted a RiverHag item to RiverDog2008.

It took two attempts to bring in the video clip, so I'm not going to move it again.

Even though I was the Lone River Hag when I recorded it...

pb
Little Pond

Sunny Midwinter Strand

2008-02-23T05:49:00.001-08:00

It's a gorgeous sunny morning, February 2008. We have had a few days of dreary grayness and I was eager to walk the Strand while it was still too cold to be busy with hikers.

Click on the pictures for detail!In West Elmira, near the large, dog-walking area, the ice dams are stubbon. Very cold weather could create flooding around them. The Town of Elmira dredged the Chemung and apparently created sluices. Let's hope they work.

This is the view upriver from directly behind the Town Hall and Pirozzolo Park. We are looking at Roricks Glen. There are ducks nearly everywhere we step. They are not happy to see me and fly away immediately.
The Canada geese, on the other hand, couldn't care less about my intrusion. They are napping in the warm sunlight.
These little fellows charged me as soon as they could see me. I ignored them to prevent being bowled over. As soon as they got close enough to detect my disinterest, they veered off to find other diversions.
Otherwise, most of us early morning walkers found solitude and beauty. Not to say that those Golden Retrievers weren't both handsome and delightful. I love dogs, the bigger the better, as long as they are well behaved.
Long shadows and harsh contrasts. Just about sums up what I found on the Strand.
A lovely view of the dog-walking "park" directly attached to the Town of Elmira utility area. Behind me are scrubby woods and piles of dirt and rocks from the dredging, I think.
The Town of Elmira is a relatively new municipality. It's rare to spot a full copse of spruces and firs, enough to hide the houses by the dike.
Each wooded area is broken by paths beaten to the river bank. This visit finds lots and lots of footprints and sledding trails. The children have been busy, despite the frigid temps. It's approximately 15F degrees (just under -10C).
This feeder creek has a little bridge, now covered with snow. In the good weather, dogs and children readily cross the makeshift span. Adults prefer to follow the waterbed and walk up over the culvert, top-middle of photo.

There were lots of pictures, many of which I sent to the productions departments at the paper. If the real estate advertising carried these lovely impressions of winter, people would flock to the area.

pb
Little Pond

2008-02-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

It wasn't an especially pretty morning, but I needed the exercise, so I went back to Newtown Creek to see how she looked in the winter. Rather Bleah, I'm afraid.It's running very fast for a "little" creek, and I'm glad I didn't bring the HuggaMutt. She would want to explore as close to the water as possible, because that's where the river rats and ground hogs hide.
Everywhere I wanted to go was clogged thicket. This is not a heavily traveled area this time of year. Comparison shots for the summer visit were impossible, since the creek was much, much higher than it was last year.
The sun shone briefly a couple of times, and the pictures were a little more cheering. This looks towards the Chemung River. I doubt there were fishermen. The season opens in April, and the creek is too high even for those skilled at hiding themselves.
Did I mention it was flowing very, very fast?
That makes for a very frigid, very muddy place to drown. I have to wonder about it's year-round human denizens.

Do they dare bathe? I've found clothing and kit articles around here in other seasons. I do not doubt that our homeless find a little corner of Eden here.

Too bad the winters can be so harsh. I'm glad we have shelters for them in town. Almost all of the street people are very nice, personable. For a while there, we had a spate of murders that really cut down their numbers. A person who walks downtown would definitely notice the drop. All remain unsolved, at least officially.

We will return in the Spring for a new look.

pb
Little Pond

Bottcher's Landing River Access Site

2008-01-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

Visiting a friend in Corning, New York, takes me past the sign for a river access site that is just out of sight from the road. One day in late December, I took the opportunity to stop down there and take pictures. Usually there is a truck or something there, and most likely a fisherman. The day I finally drove down the winding road, I was lucky enough to have it to myself.
This is a nice little parklike access, halfway between Elmira and Corning, New York, in Big Flats.

The view downriver looks to Elmira, New York, and follows Route 352.

Immediately upriver is the Bottcher's Landing Bridge, crossing the Chemung. About three miles up is another access site for fishing only, and can be viewed by scrolling down a few frames.
There are houses perched on the bluffs across from the site. Now they have a tamer view from their windows, although I can't imagine that would be a good thing.
I love this sort of thing. The hillsides are full of these waterfalls. In the winter they look quite fanatastic when they freeze. In the summer it's wonderfully refreshing just to look at them, and even more so if you're lucky enough to play in them.Here is a sight common to the Twin Tiers area. Abandoned bridge abutment. There used to be railroad bridges, foot bridges and roadway bridges all through these parts. These old relics are everywhere one goes.

pb
Little Pond

Rte 352 Fishing Access Site, So. Corning, NY

2008-01-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

I finally found the Fishing Access site on Rte 352 just below South Corning. We call it the River Road, because it follows the Chemung all the way from Elmira to Corning.

It's a miserably cold and dark day in December. There isn't even enough snow this year to brighten things. Everything is mud, mud, mud.Not much of a fishing spot when the water is high. Just some stairs to the bank. Behind me is a tiny turn-around area for cars, but no real parking lot.
The view upriver towards Corning, New York proper. A pretty bleak view, considering the parks and waterfront district to be found in that town. But then, fishing loves solitude.

Downriver towards Elmira, New York. The water is very high and very swift. One could easily lose a fisherman here.

And this is my reaction to such desolation.

pb
Little Pond

At Some Point

2008-01-05T08:21:00.000-08:00

I may eventually post a photo of myself, the River Hag.

Generally, you can find fairly up to date Chemung River Visits here. There are tons of links you can follow that may eventually take you to some outdated picture of the author.

I change a lot, so don't expect me to look that way if you meet me on the streets of Elmira, New York, USA. Especially down on the banks of the Chemung River, where I will be dressed for slogging through underbrush and messy creeks.

pb
Little Pond

Why Hag?

2008-01-01T20:19:00.000-08:00

Why not?

Husband RJ was a bit taken aback by my choice of words. He thought "nymph" would be more like it.

Well, that's why I keep him around. Nymph never occurred to me.

Remember Sea Hag from Popeye? That's more or less what I have in mind.

And I don't really fancy myself a nymph.

pb
Little Pond