Close Encounters of the Ithacan Kind

Our daily walks provide Queezle and I with an opportunity to see and sometimes interact with a wide variety of people. Here are a couple of my favorites from the past month or so.

One day in the park, a man came up to me and asked if Queezle was a Belgian Tervuren. Why yes! It isn't often that people know what a Terv is. Turns out his parents have a Terv from Tacara Kennels in Oklahoma!

Walking home from the park one day, we encountered a large family on the sidewalk. Two little boys came running up to ask if the could pet Queezle. Their first question was typical of kids who meet Queezle - Is she a wolf? Nope, sorry guys. But their next question was a surprise - How much does she shed? I don't think of that as something little boys think about! Their mother laughed and said they had been asking that about every dog they met.

After a walk on the Slope, we were crossing the road near home when a car pulled up and stopped. The guy asked what kind of dog Queezle was, and then said, "What a gorgeous coat. She'd make a great rug!" and drove off.

Today in the park one of the fishermen came over to see Queezle. Turns out he has a Gordon Setter mix and does a lot of hunting, which led to a conversation about versatile dogs, shelters, designer breeds, herding and tracking.

Never a dull moment!

Ithaca is Gorges

Stereotypical though it may be, Ithaca really is gorges (and gorgeous!). After a week of walking Queezle in a grassy area around the corner from our apartment, it occurred to me that I didn't know what was up the driveway we usually stopped at. There was no house or anything, just a small parking area, and voila! A little park, complete with gorge access.

The park is absolutely wonderful - packed paths leading through a few trees and along the cliff, plus a wide rocky "beach" alongside Fall Creek. Following the cliffs back, there's a beautiful waterfall with a nice area for swimming.


I loved going down into the gorge to read last year, so this is the perfect study spot! Queezle and I are particularly fond of a little hollow surrounded by trees and bushes along the water's edge.


Although Queezle isn't quite sure if swimming is a good idea - You want me to WHAT? - she is willing to wade and splash around after me. I keep waiting for her to notice the crayfish!