Late last week I took the dog for a short 4-mile walk along the Erie Canal in Camillus.  The canal runs the length of the state and is a series of parks, greenways, and trails.  While we were out we saw the signs of “early” spring here in the area in the forms of budding wildflowers on a nature trail, small amphibians, chipmunks, and birds.  We walked along what was once a towpath, across an aqueduct, and a series of nature trails on this walk.