First Touch of Fall

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.

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Little Pond

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.

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Little Pond

Repeat post from RiverDogging

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