We went to Gantry Plaza State Park with the pups - yet another new place!
We were full of hope - the park was, after all, next to the water. So we headed out near sunset to catch the golden light.
Unfortunately, the park is actually very small, with a lot of areas blocked off for dogs (meaning no dogs even if kept on leash).
We will not be returning there...
Photos taken with M9 + Summicron-M 35mm.
Since Shio is always most excited and happy when we go to new places, we have made it a point to try and take him to as many different places for walks as possible. This morning, we took him to Shore Road Park.
Photos taken with M9 + Summicron-M 35mm.
Photos taken with Leica M9 + Summilux 50mm.
Given the nice, cooler fall weather that we have had, we took the chance to take Shio and Emi hiking upstate around Bear Mountain at Lake Skanatati. The fall foliage was beautiful:
Shio is actually a very good hiker. We used an extra long leash so that he could go his own way, and he really enjoyed finding his own path while staying with the pack. Emi, on the other hand, was very nervous and tentative at first. It took her about an hour to get her courage up -- she wouldn't even climb over fallen branches in the beginning!
Of course, crossing little streams was very interesting. Shio would always try to find the driest possible path -- and most of the time he would do so quite effectively (much better than us humans actually). However, there was one particular crossing where there was a running body of shallow water that we initially thought Shio would be able to get over on his own. T was very patient and tried to lure Shio over. He was having none of it.
In the end, I had to carry Shio over...
All in all, it was a very fun 5.5 mile hike. And if you love taking photos as much as I do, then this time of year is the perfect time to go on these short trips with your pups!
P.S. The only downside to hiking is that both humans and pups are targets for ticks! I personally found 2 on my body (with one attached to my stomach!!) about 3 hours after the hike... YUCK!!
Photos taken with Leica M9 + Summilux-M 50mm and Olympus OM-D + M. Zuiko 12mm f/2.
