Small Town Hound: Destination Points South

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Most of our trips as of late have not been to a specific place or area, but rather in the truck…out of the truck…in the truck…out of the truck. Last issue was destinations points north. This issue is destination points south. Not far south, still in New York State, the state I live in. This time around our travels took us from Naples to Penn Yan then onto Dundee, Watkins Glen and Interlaken, then back home. A second trip took us to Corning. Some of these places were new to me; some I had been to before. Our travels were all, or mostly, about what my human called “running errands,” and we had run errands to some of these places before. Our first stop was in Naples, to take a walk and see a human friend. The walk was along a street then across a bridge. I got to go down by the water a bit after we walked across a big wooden bridge (much easier than the logs I use to cross over the stream behind our house). After the walk, I waited in the truck for a bit while the humans chased around some chickens. I like our chickens and do not chase them, but this might have been a bit too much for me to ignore entirely, so I was glad I was in the truck where I could watch but not touch. 

Speaking of chickens, our next stop was in Penn Yan, where my human has taken me before, when I was a wee puppy. The place—called Lakeview Organic Grain—has bags and bags of the food that we feed our chickens at home. We went inside first, and the two women there loved me up totally. They could not get enough of me (people often comment on my coat coloring; I am what is called brindle, but this is not always easy to see in my photos because my coat is so dark). Anyway, they pet me and raved about me, and I remembered my manners and did not jump up at all. While we were visiting and exchanging green pieces of paper, another human who I had not met was loading the food bags into our truck. She passed us on the steps and pet me some as well. This is something I am really proud of: she seemed a little hesitant and she had had a bad experience with a dog when she was little. So, I am glad she said hello and I was okay to pet. I have to be careful with this and my human watches me when I say hello. I love people but can get crazy when I get too excited. I am still a puppy but am BIG (like 90 plus pounds) and although I am super friendly and am getting educated, I am a dog and all dogs have the potential to bite. I tell you this as a reminder to always ask humans before petting their canine friends. If you see me with my human, please do ask, as I love, love, love humans!

Anyway, moving on. After the grain store stop, we went to Dundee. I had been here before as well. This time we were picking up jars from Wixson Honey, to put honey in. This part I do not totally understand really. I just know that when we head out for walks on our road we stop and check the honey stand and the honey stand is full of these jars filled with honey. The jars get filled in our basement. I must say, I love honey. I sometime get to lick up spills before my human gets to them. Still, I do not know where the honey comes from. It has something to do with the area out back that is filled with these boxes. Bees fly in and out of these boxes after visiting flowers. My humans do many cool things, and this is one of them. 

We also stopped briefly at Cobblestone Springs in Dundee. My human was hoping there would be someone in, since we happened to be in the area. It is a beautiful place and all the people there were warm and welcoming when we visited before. I stayed in the kitchen while my human took a tour. They have classes there too and sometimes people stay overnight to relax and think. They also have nature trails which I hope to walk on sometime.

From Dundee it was onto a place called Watkins Glen. My human said she used to go to a place called Hidden Valley (which sounds fun; I could have found her I am sure). This time we stopped and walked a bit and waited a while outside at a table for an order of chicken tacos (she gave me a bit) from a place called El Rancho Mexican Restaurant & Grill. One other time when we were here, we stopped at another place called Seneca Sunrise (I stayed outside) to get coffee beans in a bag (my humans grind these and put them in a pot in the morning, right before I get fed). 

Our next stop was a place called Laughing Goat Fiber Farm where I said hello to two herding dogs. I love the working dogs best, and I could tell these dogs did a great job on their farm. I am a little embarrassed about why we stopped here (although it was a fun stop). You see, I have a bit of a glove fetish and when my human leaves gloves around I …well…eat them. These were very special gloves from our friend Len and so I did not chew them. I did eat them whole. Realizing my mistake, I also threw them up whole (I know…like really gross from a human perspective). Anyway, the gloves survived, and my human washed them, very well. But since they are wool and fit tight to begin with, they no longer fit after the washing. My human did not want to tell our friend. So…she went to the farm and bought a new matching pair. I think my human did ultimately tell the story to Len and he still loves me up when we see him. He is great that way. I wish that all humans were nice to dogs and that all dogs had forever homes and felt loved.

The last stop, and the best part, was when we stopped to see our friend Len. First the humans had lunch inside. Then they went to work outside. My human kept cutting branches off a tree for me to play with. There were many branches, and Len took some of these out around the back of his house to clear them from the yard. Every time he went there, I followed him, to make sure he did not get lost. Then, after that was done, we all took a walk along the road where he lives. This was a great thing to do before my human said, “up in the back,” and I jumped up for the ride home. 

During another recent trip south, my humans took me to a wooded area (after they spent some time in a big, busy building and left me in the truck for a bit). The place (Spencer Crest Nature and Research Center) had paths through the woods and ponds. My humans walked around looking at signs—talking about nature and numbers—while I waited patiently. There was a place in the woods with all these big made-to-look-scary faces. * I sometimes jump at things that surprise me, so I think my humans thought that I would jump at all these faces. I knew they were just painted and paid them no mind. 

One more exciting thing happened recently (a bit of dog gear endorsement here). I got a new collar and leash. Sporting new gear for the times I can’t be off leash makes me feel special. This gear is made by a company called ©Mighty Paw, in Rochester, NY. Heh, I know this is a lot of information from a dog but, well, I am not an ordinary dog…I am the Small Town Hound!