A Return To Frontier Town - Part 2

We were making our first rest stop of the newly arrived spring season at the Schroon River in Frontier Town. Seamus, with his thick coat, ignored the icy cold of the water and splashed right in:

Little old Winky waddled down to the shoreline but didn't even take a drink:

And all of the dogs took a nice walk along the river's edge:

And of course they played. This shot captured Madeline in mid-run:

When it came time to leave, I called the dogs back up toward the car. Winky lagged behind:

The younger dogs ran ahead, experiencing everything as a fun adventure. But Wally and Winky needed constant encouragement:

I coaxed and clapped and waved my arms for Winky, who is deaf (or nearly so). He began making his way back toward the car - slowly, very slowly, with many side trips:

When we got back to the road, I snapped this photo of the deep water and mud which prevented us from getting back into the old village. I guess we'll have to wait for warmer, dryer weather:

I collected all the dogs into the car, but we had to wait for Winky. I eventually walked back to get him. I snapped a leash on his collar, led him back to the car and helped him jump up into the back. And then we continued on our way to the farm:

A Return To Frontier Town - Part 1

Another trip north to the farm had begun and I was very much hoping that the snow had melted at Frontier Town and we'd be able to drive in to the old village. It had indeed melted, but then the liquified snow formed deep puddles which filled the road, some places appearing to be a foot or more deep:

In fact, the old road which would have taken us back to to the abandoned village was filled with new ruts, some of them quite serious. Then I saw these logs and figured that meant that loggers had been using that road and tearing it up all winter long. And as you can see, the snow wasn't all gone yet:

There were places where the blacktop had been gouged out, leaving deep holes filled with sharp chunks:

I couldn't get all the way back to the village, but I did get close to the Schroon River shore. So I parked the car on a safe looking part of the road and walked with the dogs back toward the river:

The youngsters ran ahead with enthusiasm, but old Wally and Winky lagged behind:

And there was the Schroon River, just waiting for us to explore it anew:

The younger dogs ran down to the shoreline, lickety split. I stayed back, trying to get Wally and Winky to follow:

Finally, the two of them came meandering down the road:

Daphne and Clover, AKA "The Silly Sisters," began running and wrestling and toying with going into the water (though they never did). But we'd just arrived, so there was more to see and do. I'll post the rest of the story tomorrow:

Buddies - Part 6

These buddy posts have become a favorite of mine. I enjoy snapping photos of my happy pets getting along well together and I like knowing that their lives are happy. This first picture is of Snoozey and Draco:

Snoozey again, but this time with Clover and her rawhide chewie:

This cat tree is only a month or two old, but it's already looking pretty ragged. They sure do enjoy it. In this photo are, top to bottom - Draco, Bramble and Snoozey:

The two "Silly Sisters," Daphne and Clover:

This time the cat tree held four out of five of my cats (Georgette doesn't fraternize - or would that be called "caternize?"). From top to bottom they are Bramble, Draco, Rocky and Snoozey. Madeline and Winky are looking on:

Up at the farm house, on the kitchen's floor pillows are Clover, Seamus, Daphne, Madeline and Fergus:

Snoozey got a kiss and an ear lick from Draco:

Chapter 3 - Stepping Back In Time: Reynoldston, New York

My driving tour of Reynoldston was nearing its end when I spied this old cabin. Once again, it was not posted and I now wished that I had gone in to take a look:

When I took this picture, I thought this old home was being renovated. But now, looking more closely, perhaps they were just getting firewood delivered. Or both could have been true:

This photo was taken in 1932, one year after the Reynolds Brothers Mill shut down. The source of these old photos is here:

Another home which I though could possibly have begun its life as company housing:

Hey, this is the same house as several photos earlier. Oh well, here's another view of it:

And a nice home with lots of picture windows and a fireplace:

I didn't see any farms. These homes were apparently owned by folks who loved the forest. I'll bet there are lots of deer carcasses hanging from trees in deer season:

The eerily cold, gusty, snow weather continued, giving this driving tour a haunted feeling. You can see the snow in this photo, but it wasn't falling gently - it was moving nearly sidewise in the wind:

Reynoldston had some nice homes with big garages:

And big, two story homes with chimneys. In fact, nearly every home had a garage and a chimney. The winters here must be really difficult:

This was the last photo I took of Reynoldston as I drove out of town. It had been a long day and I was tired:

Chapter 2 - Stepping Back In Time: Reynoldston, New York

Reynoldston, in spite of its nicer homes and surprising traffic, had a sort of haunted feel to it. There were a considerable number of abandoned buildings, such as this old trailer. Also, just about the time I arrived, the temperature dropped precipitously, the winds began gusting fiercely and big snow flakes started to fall:

I continued driving around, taking pictures. This pleasant home could have been found in any of the rural suburbs:

Another old photo, taken from this website, of a Sunday gathering at the Reynolds' home. A priest rode out once a month to hold mass:

There were sturdy frame houses:

And nice, woodsy homes surrounded by trees:

But there were also abandoned homes like this one:

This old photo (undated) shows Mrs. Freda Wilcox (on the left), the Mill's bookkeeper:

And the main attraction, the Reynolds Sawmill itself, in the 1870s:

I was surprised to find a nice park in Reynoldston:

I always wonder where the people who live so far out in the forest work for a living, but I suppose they could easily commute to Malone. But there was still more to Reynoldston, and I'll post Chapter 3 tomorrow:

Chapter 1 - Stepping Back In Time: Reynoldston, New York

After the arrival of the hay bale feeder, I went shopping for other equipment. At the tractor dealer, I learned of a fascinating logging/mining town set way back in the forest. I was told that it was still alive, but a shadow of its former self and that there was a website filled with old photos:


So of course you know where I went next. I drove right to the little settlement of Reynoldston which was located deep in the forest at the end of a dead end, narrow, County road. I've selected a few of the old photos to mix in with the modern photos for a sort of "then and now" blog post. This photo shows a logging crew about 1900:

There were some nice modern homes, but I was mostly fascinated by the old, abandoned homes like this one. It wasn't posted, so maybe I could have gone in. Well, maybe next time:

Here's another old photo, this one of a man named Matthew M., in the office of the Reynolds Brothers Sawmill around 1890. The website for the history of Reynoldston is here:

Reynoldston is located within the town of Brandon, New York and the town offices were in Reynoldston. Apparently Brandon, New York is mighty sparsely populated. The entire population of the town in 2010 was 570:

I almost didn't include this photo because of its poor quality, but it really shows the look of the town in its heyday. That square building in the center was the famous/infamous Bordeaux Dance Hall and picture was taken in 1906. The website cited above made the point that a woman's life at the time was one of nonstop drudgery. Men toiled in the mine, forest or sawmill by day, but spent the rest of their time drinking and fighting, often at the Bordeaux Dance Hall:

There weren't a lot of homes in Reynoldston, but I snapped pictures of many of them:

This home had lots of firewood and other stuff:

And another home which seemed abandoned. Might this have once been company housing?

The Reynolds Brothers Mill signed a big contract with Brooklyn Cooperage in 1908 and Reynoldston became a boom town. This photo was taken just about then. I'd imagine one wouldn't have given this lady any guff  not more than once, at any rate:

Another home which, from the look of the roofing, may have been abandoned. But there was more to the fascinating, historic settlement of Reynoldston and I'll post Chapter 2 tomorrow: