Crowe River towpath in January

I view the far bank of the Crowe River each morning when I open my living room curtains. Most days I walk a hundred yards down the new hydro cut to the towpath which runs from the park by Highway #7 to the north end boat launch. Halfway along this pleasant stroll is the Marmora Dam, built across rocky shoals and islands. The Marmora Lions Club has created this trail section by section over several decades.

In the summer I sometimes swim across the river below the dam, enjoying the fast flowing water. Kayak trips are less frequent now in my seventies, but I still manage a few summer paddles paralleling the trail and then heading into cottage country to the north or to the much wilder bays south towards Callaghan's Rapids Conservation Area. I used to walk my little dog Chase along the path on a regular basis, but he passed four years ago. In the past year I've taken to accompanying a number of regular dog walkers.


women with dogs
walk in pairs and packs
along the towpath

 
Now that it's cold January there are fewer dog walkers, and my walks are often solitary.

 
swim slide
arcing into
icy river

 
Global climate change, or more accurately climate disaster, has been affecting our weather for some time. We've had new winter residents on the river for a few years now.


trumpeters
long necks stretching
out river curves

loon trill gone
replaced by trumpeter
echoings







for the dogs and their humans, Cooper, Judy, Marc, Mary, Camo, Valerie, Mikey, Bandit, Ruth, Shishi, Nicky, Ziggy, Yves etc.


3 of these haiku were kindly published on bear creek haiku. Feb.4/20

https://bearcreekhaiku.blogspot.com/2020/02/our-friends-poets-their-poetry-rochelle.html