Moving Toward Autumn

I had just finished cleaning the barn floor, hauling multiple loads of sodden bedding and manure out to the compost pile with the tractor bucket. I decided that it was time to re-dig the drainage ditch, which tends to fill in over a few years. I used the tractor bucket, starting at the barn and working my way downhill:

I had to move to the opposite side of the ditch and move my way back up toward the barn before I was finished. I hope that I am now prepared for big rainstorms and snow melts:

I've been calling this the Carefree Delight, but I began to doubt when I looked at the website and saw what it was supposed to look like. I emailed the nursery owner and he identified it instantly. This is a Carefree Beauty and it is grown right next to the Carefree Delight. The similarity in location and names caused the workers to pull the wrong plant. He said he'd send the correct rose immediately but I asked him to wait until springtime, when I will probably add a couple more rose varieties. I did notice that both Carefree roses grow quite large, so I'll probably move this one and plant both new roses together in the middle of the lawn somewhere:

When all the other varieties of Daylily were almost done for the year, the Frans Hals variety burst into bloom and hasn't quit yet. It is by far my favorite:

This is a tall mass of weeds which I mow around whenever I cut the lawn. It consisted mostly of Goldenrod and Wild Cucumber in bloom, and Wild Grapevine not in bloom:

And I've kept bringing flowers to church on Sunday. This was multiple colors of Yarrow plus my Frans Hals Daylilies:

Another vase contained purple (wild) Joe-Pye-Weed, yellow (wild) Goldenrod and various colors of Sunflowers:

The Amish farm down the road had Sunflower also, but apparently a variety grown for its edible seed. The sweet corn was growing right next to them:

I was driving past my own place on the county road one day when I stopped and snapped a picture of my cows, filing past the horse corral on their way to the stock tank for a drink of cool, clean water:

And in many places along my road, the field corn was ripening. Spring rains meant late planting, but short season varieties and good drainage in some fields allowed them to ripen almost on schedule:

I used my zoom lens for a closeup of the ripening ears of corn. Yes, winter is on the way - but beautiful autumn will arrive first:

Snell, Richards, Foster And Brooklyn Roads

This is Part 4 of my wintry driving tour. I'd come to the end of Town Line Road and had to travel several other rural roads to get back to the highway. My first stop was this old, abandoned barn:

And nearby, an abandoned home. It must have been empty for many years, judging by the vines which covered it:

Another old barn, way back behind some brush. It too probably hadn't been used in many years:

A beautiful, classic Amish Farm. It was pretty as a picture, so I turned it into a picture:

Snowy farm fields, bordered with woodlands:

A traditional Amish farm house with laundry, barn and windmill:

A beautiful old barn, outbuildings and silo:

Another old barn which I suspected was no longer used:

A lovely home in a lovely setting:

This intricate home and attached barn was located just as I entered the tiny hamlet of Lawrenceville:

Another home with a front porch, this one with a western look to it:

This large home was the last photo I took before I turned again onto the highway. I noticed that it was for sale, so I looked it up online when I got home. It was a three bedroom, one bath home with two garages for $74,900:

Rural Alburg Road In Moira, New York

I was taking a driving tour of some rural roads and came to the end of Elmer Road (yesterday's post), where I then turned right onto Alburg Road and passed by this outbuilding with its blue house door:

I remembered this elaborate tree house beside the road from passing it in previous years, but this time it was falling apart or being intentionally disassembled. I will never know, but I suspected the children were all grown up now and the tree house would soon be no more:

This looked to me like a classic Amish schoolhouse, with outhouses behind it and a pile of firewood to keep the kids warm:

I suspected this was an Amish barn, but I wasn't sure:

Every part of this farm looked Amish, and when I got home I discovered that one of my photos had caught an Amish woman who I hadn't noticed. I deleted the photo because I know they don't want their pictures taken:

One more Amish barn, this one with a wagon:

And across the road was a corn field, the stalks in traditional Amish shocks:

The next farm had a multitude of modern hay wagons:

And four gigantic silos:

The farm house stood on a hill, where it had magnificent views of the countryside:

Their mailbox was attached to an old-fashioned washing machine and painted to look like a Holstein. Some of the view which the house had can be seen in the valley below:

Another big farm with a grain bin:

And a herd of Black Angus:

As I neared the end of Alburg Road, I snapped a picture of this farm down in the valley below. Some day I'll try to find what road it is on, for I suspect it is a place I haven't yet seen. But this was the end of Alburg Road. I'll post pictures from the next road tomorrow:

Rural Elmer Road, Town Of Lawrence NY

One morning I was in the mood for a driving tour, so I grabbed my camera, got into the car and headed to Elmer Road, where I knew I could find much rural beauty. The first farm I passed was this classic pair of barns, with a silo and hay bale elevator:

Farm equipment, a red barn and baleage stacked up for the winter:

In my mind, Elmer Road should be called "Elbow Road" because of the sharp turn it makes - and right at the turn is this log home:

They had two horses in the field, though I only managed to get one of them in the photo:

Two outbuildings, one apparently in use and the other not:

I have photographed this woodsy home before, set back in the pines like a forest hideaway. This, however, may be the first time I've seen it in the winter. It still looked woodsy and welcoming:

A series of outbuildings, apparently leading to someone's home, mostly hidden by trees:

I came to this ambitious and prosperous looking Amish farm, with its twin barns and twin silos:

I got a closer view of the silos and one of the barns as I passed by:

Another barn, this one with a traditional buggy parked outside:

The same Amish farm had a roadside stand and another barn beside the house:

And the house had laundry drying on the porch, a tree swing and a children's sled:

Still the same farm, I passed this workshop and windmill:

They also had a busy, prosperous looking sawmill. But that was the end of Elmer Road. I then turned right on Alburg Road, but I'll post those photos tomorrow: