Frontier Town

It was time once again for a drive up to the farm. I loaded the dogs into the car and drove northward until I reached the Adirondacks at Exit 29. I left the highway and once again pulled into the abandoned tourist trap, Frontier Town. I drove back through the abandoned buildings and down a dirt road into the woods. But this time I drove farther back, parking in a grassy, sunlit glade which was filled with Eastern Tiger Swallowtails flitting from one clover blossom to another:

I saw a lane leading into the forest and thought it might take us to a river, so I let the dogs out and we all began walking along the lane:

We didn't go very far (heaven knows I can't go too far with Wally and Winky), when just ahead I saw what looked like an old ghost town:

Winky and Wally were lagging behind rather badly, so I let the youngsters run ahead while I urged the old timers forward:

When I arrived I realized that it was indeed an old ghost town. This did, after all, used to be Frontier Town:

The dogs ran back and forth checking everything out. Notice the old leather horse collar hanging on the hitching post:

Some day I want to go back and check on the interior of those buildings:

But we had many miles yet to travel, so I called the dogs back to the car:

That had been a fun rest stop for me and for the dogs, but there'd been no water. So before we left Frontier Town, I stopped at the Schroon River to let the dogs cool off and quench their thirsts:

Seamus always goes into the water, but the other dogs never do (unless they slip). But Daphne and Wally did some experimenting on that day and I encouraged it. Maybe they'll become water dogs some day:

But mostly we just enjoyed the sunshine, the cool waters and the natural beauty:

When it came time to return to the car, Seamus had to be called out of the water. We continued our journey up through the Adirondacks toward the farm. I'll post more tomorrow: