Happy Holidays to all.

A very special Christmas photo, featuring Granddaughter Violet and older daughter MamaDog playing SantaMom. Love to all!

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Little Pond

Bubba Says:

No snow here in Elmira, NY, but it's too cold outside. Stay in and stay warm!

Ellie still wants out, though, and we got our eagle!

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May we keep them, please?

Wandering with Ellie Saturday. She's been a bad girl, and must now stay on leash, at least until she learns to come, stop, stay, et cetera, all over again.

So she was pulling me merrily along the bike trail on Foster Island, when she stopped and refused to lead. I tossed her back in front and told her to go ahead.

Yup, that's a real command. I need her to be able to lead: to pull, actually. She reluctantly began to move slowly along the shoreline, with me tottering among the skinny trees and slippery leaves.

I was dumbfounded when I first saw it:

Ellie stopped directly on command and waited.

Girl, do you see that? Let's go in for a closeup:

We swung around the windfall mess that clogs the "pond." Sure enough, there is no mistaking a beaver lodge. And the chews, fallen trees and even scat all around would attest to the size of a beaver, not just a cute little muskrat.

Will the Water Board or Department of Environmental Conservation allow them to stay?

My camera will be loaded and ready for my first beaver in the wild shot from now on!

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Little Pond