I'll Stop the World and Melt With You

What a glorious, sunny, mild Wednesday! I ended up in the Barrens, checking the progress of the current melt on seven of my favorite ponds. It was a good visit, but it started out rather badly.

I was approaching the Scotia Barrens from the parking lot just off Lynne Circle, when I heard a lot of loud barking. I looked up toward my favorite little pond, only to see a really small dog running toward me fast, barking its head off.

The dog was making a beeline for me, and right behind the dog was a man, doing the same thing, practically skating on the melting ice as he wind-milled his way toward me. He was shouting something to the dog, who was ignoring him.

Of course, I stepped off the trail and into the weeds to try to let them pass by, which is good manners on the trail, and especially in this time of Covid. The dog arrived almost instantly. A very fast little fellow. And ended up about two inches from my pant leg, as I stood there, wondering what it would do next, and speaking sweetly to the errant pooch in what I hoped were calming tones.

The tiny dog communicated that it wanted to eat me alive, one bite at a time. I wondered, fleetingly, if I was going to get my first-ever dog bite from a strange dog, right here and now. And I suddenly thought about LGK, the neighbor kitty, who was bigger than this poochie, and could probably kick the crap out of him, no contest, with one paw tied behind his back. But LGK wasn't here!

The man arrived just then, admonishing the dog, "Next time, you need to LISTEN to me!" And also saying to me: "I had no idea there was so much ICE!" He scooped his little dog up and leashed it, and headed off in a different direction. No apologies. I watched, bemused.

And so my first message to the people is this: PEOPLE, if you have your dogs in the Scotia Barrens, PLEASE keep them leashed, if possible, or under verbal control, if possible. I know you love your dog. I know you want your dog to have a good time. But I want to have a good time too!

It is NOT FAIR to the rest of us who access these gamelands to have to worry about being attacked by the little dog, or the big dog, who is barking its head off, getting too close, making all kinds of aggressive maneuvers, as you assure the rest of us that "Oh, the dog is friendly!" or "Oh, don't worry, he won't bite!"

Ahem.

And now for the rest of the (better!) news from the gameland. The spring melt has begun! The ponds are starting to thaw at the edges, and there are reflections to be had again! Above is a photo of some fun melting stuff, with some blue-sky reflections thrown in.

I know there will be colder days again. In fact, we have a teens-morning coming up soon, and I hope to get in at least one more set of frozen bubble pics. So winter's not behind us yet; no, not yet. But I can see spring arriving at the edges, as the ice begins to melt.

My soundtrack song is this one: Modern English, with I Melt With You.