The Tiny Town Of Helena, New York

I was returning to the farm after a driving tour of Massena, New York and the St. Lawrence Seaway. I was tired, hungry and missing my dogs, so had determined to get there straightaway. But as I drove back through Massena, I changed my mind and decided to stop at the Animal Shelter for a visit. I found them not yet open, but since I was already on a small country county road, I figured I'd continue on to the village of Helena, New York and then follow the St. Regis River south to my place. The scenery was rural and I thought to myself that there was some serious, large scale farming going on in those parts:

There was a bridge out of service and I at first thought I would not be able to get into Helena from the north. But I found another bridge and entered town:

I passed large old country homes and couldn't help wonder where people who live here earn their living. Massena, I guessed:

I was thirsty and stopped at Helena's general store. Besides, I knew it would be a great place to pick up the local flavor. It was surprisingly busy and a very friendly place:

Most of the houses were old and it was easy to imagine a bustling settlement there some decades earlier:

So, as long as I was in Helena, I turned the occasion into a driving tour and continued snapping pictures:

Many of the houses sat right on the banks of the St. Regis River (which you can see just behind this house):

And an old bridge, no longer in service, spanned the river near this house:

Of course I drove over to take a look:

A friendly little home right next to the road. Have you noticed that all the houses sat right next to the road? That was the smart place to build in snow country before modern snow plows and snow blowers. And it's still convenient as long as one is on a low traffic road:

Apparently Helena has its own bar and restaurant, and it sits right at the intersection of county roads and the bridge over the St. Regis River. I wish now that I'd stopped in:

I snapped one final photo as I left town. I'd somehow managed to take the wrong county road and had to figure out how to get home. It wasn't difficult, but it also wasn't the scenic route I'd planned on: