Rural Elmer Road In The Town Of Moira, New York

I decided it was time for another driving photo tour and decided on Elmer Road, in the town of Moira. The first farm after I turned off of Route 11 was this beauty. What could be more classically rural?:

Everywhere I looked I saw beauty. The grass had greened and the trees were budding at a rapid pace:

Elmer Road takes a sharp turn where this log home was located:

I stopped to photograph these horses and then noticed the three goats. The were so friendly and curious that they trotted up to the fence to check me out:

Two small sheds along the road:

And a very old shed, set back off the road behind a row of trees:

This woodsy style home was set beneath towering pines and wood smoke rose from one of the chimneys:

Almost hidden by the trees, I might not even notice this place once all the leaves are out for the summer:

I passed by a large Amish farm and snapped a picture of the first barn:

And then two silos and the main barn:

The Amish house was built in the popular style and had the usual clothesline out front:

They also had a windmill and a sawmill, though a man was working at the sawmill so I didn't take a picture. Elmer Road is very short and this was the end of it, but it's long been one of my favorites:

Pets At Home

Spring has sprung and ain't we got fun? There's been a lot of happiness around the house and yard since the temperatures have moderated. There's still a lot of sleeping also, though, as Bugsy illustrates:

Looking from the living room, through the hall and into the kitchen. It's a good thing I don't mind being watched at all times:

And the kitchen corner is still the most popular spot in the house:

Daphne, Fergus and Clover like to sleep on my bed. Jack does also, but not all the time. Seamus can't jump up on the bed, which is probably a good thing for my ability to get any sleep:

Jack and Seamus in the back yard. The grass turned green and the winter's accumulation of poop has all been cleaned up:

Meghan and Ruby have more personality than any guinea pigs I've ever had. They run in circles, often kicking up their heals and leaping in the air. They also talk a lot, loudly making many guinea pig noises:

Fergus, Daphne and Clover in the back yard. Our increase in warmer days has resulted in more outdoor time for the dogs:

Bramble has his own personal bed atop a bureau in the living room. That's his personal spot where he can curl up and dream of mice:

Clover and Fergus like to curl up together, choosing the smallest of the beds:

Bugsy and Bramble on the kitchen floor pillow:

Seamus, getting comfy:

Bugsy and Clover. It occurs to me, given the photos in this post, that Bugsy certainly does "sleep around:"

Springtime Romp Across The North Field

It was a lovely spring afternoon and I was didn't want to waste it by sitting at my computer. Suddenly I jumped up from my chair, called the dogs, put on a coat (it wasn't very warm) and headed out the door. We crossed the gravel road and entered the north field:

There had been no livestock in the north field all winter so there was no manure to worry about. I let the dogs run without much hollering at them to keep them nearby. They were ecstatic (look at little Jack, running joyously on the right):

It was great fun and I loved seeing my dogs so very happy. That yellow rectangle in the foreground was one of the plastic "Electric Fence" signs which I conscientiously placed around the perimeter when I first moved here. Alas, they've been blowing off ever since:


The electric fence was turned off, so when we reached the other side of the field, we crossed right through. I had to lift the wires for gigantic Seamus and we all then began walking east along the outside of the fence. Those white pipes up ahead were just that - white pipes, part of the great quantities of junk left behind by the previous owners. After hauling away multiple dumpsters full of junk and finding a home for about 80 old tires, I still have quite a bit left. But at least it's not in the fields anymore:

Once we were across the fence, the dogs slowed down - and instead of running ahead, they were locking onto interesting smells and lagging behind. I'd say that a lot of wildlife had been using this path when we weren't looking:

With five dogs on the move, there seemed to be dogs going in every direction. It is hard to keep an eye on them all:

We were headed for the corner, where there is a gate and a path down into the woods and back up to another field (of which I own a tiny sliver):

I considered following the path downhill into the woods but knew how wet it would be:

So instead we headed back in the other direction:

We investigated some big rocks, probably dug out of the field when it was first prepared for farming:

And then we headed back toward the house and barn:

There was no traffic, so I let them run on ahead and cross the gravel road. It had been a short but happy romp on a sunny spring day:

April On The Farm

Days of frenzied hay eating have given way to days of leisurely cud chewing now that the cattle's bodies require less energy to keep warm:

They continue to eat hay, but less of it. This photo was taken in the red glow of sunrise:

Remy and Blue have become so happy in the field that they spend little time inside the barn, sometimes not even coming in for grain. The cows frequently refuse to come in for grain. They just can't be bothered:


Blue has been shedding copiously. At this rate, he'll have his sleek, shiny, summer coat soon:

I've never had Crocus before, but one popped up in the lawn this year:

I dug up the ancient white Peonies, separated the roots and added a few new, red Peonies. I planted them all in compost and put a border fence around them:


The neighbors have been exercising their horses frequently past my house:

And they almost always stop to chat when they reach my house:

 I made an ice cream cake for Easter dinner at church:

And, when I got home, the dogs and Bugsy got to clean out the pan. Seamus and Bramble only watched, not willing to push their way into that pack of ravenous ice cream eaters:

The Snow Geese passed through the area a month ago but Canada Geese are everywhere these days:

The seem to have a preference for corn fields with flooded spots. I guess the reasons are obvious - food and water:

Annual Visit To The Neighbors' Sheep Farm

My sheep farming neighbors told me it was lambing season and to come on down and see them. So I drove to their house and went into the barn to find them. No one was there but Doug, their old horse (and the sheep, of course). Doug was happy to have a visitor and we chatted for a while, but I left the sheep alone since no one was home:

I returned later in the day, just as my neighbors arrived home. They'd been gone for hours and wanted to check on the sheep also. It turned out that 11 lambs had been born that day:

The bigger, stronger lambs were in the pens with the big sheep. Those who were small, weak or had other problems were put in smaller, separate pens like the ewe and lambs in the background:

A mother and her two little ones:

There were two brand new, black patterned lambs whose mother was still passing the afterbirth:

The second lamb of that pair had even cuter markings:

This ewe and her two babies was in a pen of their own:

There were also two chocolate and white newborns with their traditionally white mother:

The daughter-in-law of the farm owners comforted a rejected lamb. The ewe had triplets and was feeding the two smaller males. This larger female, however, had been rejected. The solution was to put the ewe in a stanchion and hold the lamb up to nurse. They planned to take the baby to a friend for hand feeding later, but first it needed colostrum:

Two babies, watched closely by their guarding mama:

Several mothers and their lambs shared a spacious pen:

My neighbors had lots of work to do, so I thanked them and headed for the exit, stopping to snap a photo of a friendly barn cat as I passed by: