Ironton, New York

I am now officially a resident of the north country and won't be driving between Albany and the farm any more. One of my first acts as a new resident was to take a swing through the tiny settlement of Ironton on my way home from Massena:

Ironton is quite close to Brasher Iron Works, another settlement I recently toured, so both of them were likely once in the mining and smelting business. These days they are both quiet, rural communities with attractive, comfortable homes like this one:

Ironton is even smaller than Brasher Iron Works, but it certainly has great beauty:

With giant farm fields, extensive forests and big skies, this is fine country living:

With a big old tree on the front lawn, this home was almost hidden:

This smaller home sat more out in the open, soaking up the sunshine:

Another home which seemed to be hiding coyly behind the trees:

And this gingerbread type home could have come directly out of fairy tale:

A tire swing for the kids:

And a trailer tucked attractively in the woods:

Ironton was bordered on several sides by the Brasher State Forest and the homes there were carefully tended and looked happy:

There weren't a lot of homes in Ironton, but I enjoyed my driving tour and was once again impressed with the high quality of life available in the north country: