Holy Blabbermouth, Batman!

I wish I'd noticed at exactly the right moment, but this is close enough. Today's post is Windswept Adventure's 2304th post. So, if you will excuse me for the self-congratulating, I'd like to take a moment to say, "Yippee!" 

The first post for which Google has a record was published on January 1, 2009 although I think there were earlier ones:

2009 to 2016 is seven years of blog posts. I really am a blabbermouth, aren't I?

I began posting when I was still working in the Albany area and only dreaming of retiring:

 I blogged about the small farm I purchased in northern New York, my trips up to visit it on the weekends, my car filled with dogs, and our many stops along the way:

I blogged about my hikes with the dogs, my acquisition of farm livestock and driving tours of the local, rural scenery:

So I'm devoting this post to congratulating myself on longevity. Quality is debatable, but 2034 posts in seven years speaks for itself:

Blue and Remy Finally Get To Go Outside

Blue and Remy had spent almost two weeks indoors, learning the routine and becoming accustomed to me and to their new surroundings. A woman up the road had offered to come help me when I let them loose the first time, but she was out of town and the day was too lovely to keep them penned up anymore. So I simply opened the barn door and let them out:

They pranced and galloped, full of joy:

They had lots of fun and I was able to take some short videos:


The cows, however, looked distressed by this turn of events in their home field:

Indeed, the racing, gamboling minis filled them with alarm:

But Blue and Remy were having too much fun to care about some silly old cows, at least until they learned that they could scatter them and get them running:


Oh, what fun!

They made a few passes at the nervous cattle. It seemed odd to me that six gigantic cows could be so frightened by two tiny horses. At first I worried about those fat, pregnant cows running, but soon I was laughing:

But then the cows got their revenge and turned the tables on the horses:


I called Blue and Remy back into the barn, just to see if they'd come. They did, and we all took a break while I ate lunch:

And then I let the horses out again. The six cows kept themselves in a tightly packed, nervous formation as they watched the little interlopers, concern etched on their bovine faces:

"Well, Blue, do you think we've caused enough commotion for this morning?" Apparently they did think so, for the rest of the day went by with blessed peace. And when dinnertime arrived, they quietly returned to their stalls. What well behaved, sweet little horses!:

Franklin County Routes 53 And 22, From Bangor To North Bangor - Part 2

I was continuing my driving tour on County Route 22, headed north out of North Bangor, New York, and the rural scenery was lovely:

Stone walls and a house with lots of color and lots of additions - not to mention two brick chimneys:

A large home in immaculate condition, placed in a rural setting. This, it appeared to me, would be a fine place to raise the children who played on that swing and elevated playhouse in the backyard:

The sun cast elaborate shadows across the front of this country home, which struck me as a "gingerbread house:"

One of the longest barns I'd ever seen, with two silos and a grain bin. I'd want a golf cart to get from end of that barn to the other:

The same barn as above but seen from the end, from where I could tell that this was a major farming operation:

The willow tree here was just beginning to bud and set off this lovely farm with just the right touch of contrasting color:

The barn which went with the above house. This looked to me like a fine place to enjoy country life:

A very large and apparently modern barn which sat rather far off the road, on the other side of a large pond:

Horses, one with a blanket, enjoyed the cold but beautiful morning:

County Route 22 ended at the intersection of the road which would take me to Brushton, NY and back home again. So I took this one last photo and began the journey back home:

Franklin County Routes 53 And 22, From Bangor To North Bangor - Part 1

The day dawned cold but clear, just right for a driving tour, so I headed east on Route 11B to the tiny town of Bangor, New York. From there I turned north on County Route 53 to see the sights. It looked to me as if it would be a beautiful journey:

I was quickly out of the village and into the country, where it appeared that folks in these parts truly knew how to live the good life:

The sun shone brightly on this old farm house with cobblestone porch and the surrounding trees had been tapped for maple sap:

I began to see more farm buildings and fields as I drove:

A maple tree cast shadows on this natural stone house with bright red shutters and ironwork. Yes, indeed, I'd picked a lovely day for a drive in the country:

A very large barn with major hay storage capacity. The hay bale elevator indicated that it was still used as originally intended:

Neat and trim barns, corn crib and dual silos:

I came to the settlement of North Bangor when I arrived at the intersection of New York State Route 11. I'd intended to turn west on Route 11 but the traffic was heavy and County Route 22 was straight ahead. So I took the county route instead, continuing northward into more farm country:

And farm country it surely was:

This small home looked welcoming and comfortable:

A bigger home with bigger barns. Yes, I'd made the right choice by choosing County Route 22. But I'd only just begun, and have more photos to post in Part 2 tomorrow:

"What If You Slept," A Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

What if you slept

And what if

In your sleep

You dreamed

And what if

In your dream

You went to heaven

And there plucked a strange and beautiful flower

And what if

When you awoke

You had that flower in you hand

Ah, what then?