Allied on the Hudson

Fall rafting at it's finest. I love this new SOTAR and the pacesetters up front are my new paddling pals - Donna (left) and Susan (right). 
I was so passionately engaged in conversation in our sporty 13' SOTAR with experienced crew that I forgot to put my helmet on after lunch. Photo by Melody Thomas

I met Susan Mack through my work as a speech-language pathologist advocating for children ages birth through three in the Adirondack Park. Susan is the executive director of the Adirondack Birth Through Three Alliance (http://www.adirondackbt3.org/). It is the alliance's vision that all young children are supported by a full complement of services and resources essential for success in school and in life. 


Glowing State-of-the-Art Raft (SOTAR)

Labor Day at Blue Ledge rafters relax around otherworldly SOTAR. Each raft is designed and manufactured one at a time in Merlin, Oregon. Panoramic photo taken by Jason Meyer

"SOTAR continues to pave the way when it comes to durability, rigidity, handling and weight.
There are only two types of guides - those who run a SOTAR and those who want to."

- John Herzer, Blackfoot River Outfitters

Ground Breaking News: LLCS Alumna Creates Garden

Growing great!!! Meg Smith, LLCS class of 2013, collaborates with the LLCS Garden Committee to relocate the garden to a sunnier, more visible location - in front of the school. Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/llgrows2016/
Garden logo created by Meg Smith

Season of Overnight Raft Trips

Looking downriver from camp

Fungi

Nate brought everything including the kitchen sinks, see metal buckets above.

A good time was had by all.

Long Lake Students Take Ride On Hudson River

Long Lake Central School high school students rafted the 17-mile Hudson River Gorge with North Creek Rafting Company (NCRC). It was a gorgeous, warm, sunny day and most students swam voluntarily. Mrs. Pelton, LLCS speech-language pathologist and owner and guide at NCRC, and Joe San Antonio, guide at NCRC, guided two rafts of students. 

A Gratifying Entrance

North Creek Rafting elevates busway with tremendous boulders.

Unity at NCRC's Wilderness First Aid/CPR Refresher

North Creek Rafting Company (NCRC) works together to simulate CPR on a backboard. 

Several guides carry me and a mannequin while I perform chest compressions and Nate performs rescue breaths.

What a team! Thanks to Rick and Gretchen for sharing their rescue expertise.

A New Stairway to Check-In

North Creek Rafting Company's 10th year on the re-purposed farm seems like heaven to me.

Another Birthday Surprise - Puppy Pictures!

The Olberts surprised me with puppy pictures for my birthday!

One of these pups was baby Esther two years ago.

Is that Esther escaping? She was the runt of the litter but the first to do everything including escape.

Is that Esther?

Mica, the pups' mom, hops away for some time alone.

40th Birthday Full of Surprises

How did he do it? How did Nate pull off a surprise 40th birthday party for me? Photos taken by Allegra Boverman

My old pal Wayne Failing made the trek to the Garnet Hill Lodge.

This is the moment I realized Thunderbody was playing the party.

Friends came from all over the Adirondack Park.

Guide Jason and his wife Kristen

Rachel

Matt

Chris made a rare appearance with Thunderbody for the party. He usually plays with Giant Panda.

Jeremiah

A special guest played the trumpet.

Noah controlled the sound board.

Danced with my moms

Eventually a maple bed called a small friend.

Betsy enjoyed rafting footage from one of our recent Grand Canyon voyages.

Nate surprised me by creating more edited videos from our Grand Canyon voyages.

Nate, you're the best!

Ellie May Pelton 8/1/2001 - 3/15/2016

Ellie May, Ellie May, I Love You Ellie May. Ellie May You're My Best Friend. Yeah Ellie May, Ellie May    
         

"I explained to St. Peter I'd rather stay here,

Outside the Pearly Gate.

I won't be a nuisance, I won't even bark, 

I'll be very patient and wait.

I'll be here chewing on a celestial bone,

No matter how long you may be. 

I'd miss you too much if I went in alone,

It wouldn't be heaven for me. " 

- Author Unknown

Ellie's final swim in North Creek, October 2015

 

On August 1, 2001, Jerry Garcia's birthday, a sleek "Shady" lady gave birth to thirteen multicolored puppies. The brown one with the pure ice cream-white patch on her chest and white toes was Ellie. There was another silky brown baby, solid brown though. The rest of the litter was a combination of yellow, onyx and gold sprinkled with white. These pups were born in North River along the Hudson. We scooped up Ellie at a tiny 7 weeks old and paddled across Thirteenth Lake in a canoe. Big Jed rode in between the thwarts with baby Ellie snuggled in a towel. We stopped at Elizabeth Point and watched Ellie take her first steps with her new family as Big Jed took dip after dip in the lake.

As Ellie grew so did her fur and love for the outdoors. She began swimming in any body of water as well as rafting. Puddles, ponds, lakes, creeks, and rivers that weren't frozen were all fair game for Ellie. It's hard to know what Ellie loved more - swimming in any water or running while we cross country skied. I bet Ellie and I skied somewhere between five hundred and a thousand times together. On rare days her feathered brown arms would attract snow balls the size of grapefruits. Her dad, Nate, groomed her fur often which was a challenge given it's length and her daily swims. Ellie loved raw carrots and broccoli. She loved berries of all varieties and would pluck them from bushes with her fox-like face.

I do know Ellie loved being in her yard best. She'd lay outside all day when possible. She never wore a collar and spent the last decade of her life like a free range chicken outside our farmhouse. She loved listening to the birds and watching the "black cats of North Creek" sneak by as she lay with one eye open ruling her yard. Ellie had the mane of a lion, a face like a fox, feathers of a bird, the grace of a butterfly and was as innocent as a porcupine. Her webbed feet were like fireworks exploding with fur.

The strangest thing happened as she lay on her death Paco Pad. Rondeau, our tuxedoed hermit cat, walked right over top of her a few times and sat nearby often. As I slumbered with her on the floor our last night together, I dreamt of a fox being followed by a cat. A deceased porcupine lay in my path after I said goodbye to Ellie after 14 and a half years together. Despite the hard blow this was, Ellie wants me to trust my heart to love animals as much as I love Ellie. As much as Ellie taught me how to live and love, she helped me embrace the dying process. I made the experience beautiful by being fully present for her with dim light, soft music, fresh water every trial with towels all around to lean on and elevate her head. Through it all I always knew what she wanted and needed. Ellie always wanted to be touched and cuddled. I repositioned her when necessary and soothed her with Bach's Rescue Remedy and Young Living's Stress Away. On March 15, 2016, Phil Lesh's birthday, Ellie "flew away".

Nate and I will think of Ellie often especially when spring rafters soon arrive. Many will ask about her. Ellie was our mascot and greeter. Her dream day was being mauled by rafters on a bus ride to the put-in followed by a raft ride down the Hudson. Ellie's entertained more rafters than most guides. When I think of the past, it is with gratitude for the joyous times Ellie and I had together. When I think of the future, it is with faith that life will bring such joy my way again. Esther now wears the brown crown.

Please read Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Cats and Dogs for help caring for your furry friends.

Keeping Up With The Big Dogs

My canine girls and I had a walking date. Photos by Alex Morland

Ellie covered a lot of ground.

Esther covered ten times as much territory as anyone on the walk.

Lamb Chop, in a dapper sweater, looked like a mini-dog near big, dark Stanley. Lamby's wardrobe is vast, see below, and that's just his winter attire!

Keeping up with the big dogs ....

....  and Lamby's a done chop.