Kidtracks after the snow day

A look over the levee, second week of December 2005. The children have enjoyed their snow day. Some skiers, too. But closer to the water, the blanket remains unbroken, clean and white. Parents surely warned their young ones about the dangers of trusting the first real freeze. The floodplain is empty and desolate. Animals must be hiding from the nippy air.

Even in the bright early-morning sunlight, the Chemung looks bleak and uninviting. I want to see if HuggaMutt still loves the river in the winter. 

Our favorite haunt does not lure us down the slippery side of the dike. The possibility of an impassable trail worries me and even Ellie's not eager to press our luck. 

We've encountered two dog-walkers on the levee. Large dogs only. Ellie really has to trudge through the snow, and occasionally waits to be carried and warmed a bit. 

This little frog pond usually houses a gray heron. Today, only the sun peeks through the leafless trees. The snow is just deep enough to scare away petowners and their dogs. 

Our lovely little arbor is bare and nearly lifeless. Not even animal tracks to break up the snow. The groundhogs are hibernating. Do the river rats hibernate also? 

So this is it. Ellie is not reacting. The Chemung River is frozen over and has no scent to entice her. It is uninviting, and we will not return this year. Look for Ellie next year along the banks of a warmer river.