Tri-Town Winter Carnival Parade

Counties in New York State are divided into towns, which some other states call townships. The three adjacent towns of Brasher, Lawrence and Stockholm are so rural that they pool their resources for many things, including their annual Winter Carnival. This fire truck was from West Stockholm, a tiny, picturesque hamlet in the town of Stockholm:

The Foreign Legion Post of Winthrop, another hamlet in the town of Stockholm:

Helena is a hamlet in the town of Brasher. The parade was happening in Brasher Falls, also in the town of Brasher:

This year's Winter Carnival theme was "Olde Tyme Carnivale" and these revelers created a float which included popcorn and the games of "Hole In One" and "Ring Toss." I noticed a lot of crowns and fur-trimmed red robes, so these people must have been the King, Queen and other dignitaries:

The hamlets of Brasher Falls and Winthrop are adjacent but in two different towns. They pool their resources for many things, including a fire department:

I guess it's never too early to promote the Tri-Town Summer Festival, a much bigger event because of the much better weather:

The Tri-Town Volunteer Rescue Squad is headquartered in Brasher Falls, also the site of the regional school:

A fortune teller, in keeping with the theme of "Olde Tyme Carnivale:"

Lawrenceville is a particularly tiny hamlet in the town of Lawrence, but they have their own fire department:

Lots of costumes in keeping with theme, and riding on a truck belonging to a local business, Rick's Auto Body:

Hopkinton is a fourth town and not officially part of the Tri-Town pact, but they always support each other's events. Fort Jackson is a tiny, woodsy hamlet in the town of Hopkinton:

The local kids' hockey team, The Timberwolves (one word):

Another fire truck from the combined Brasher-Winthrop Fire Department. This was an even smaller parade than usual, but a heartwarming reminder of friendlier times, when neighbors came out to support each other and wave as their friends and children passed by in the parade. It was all over in about 15 minutes, but in north country winter weather, that was OK with me:

Maple Ridge Road In Brasher, New York - Part 3

Maple Ridge Road took me alongside the St. Regis River (see also Parts 1 and 2, posted previously):

This old barn sat back in the trees as if it hadn't been used in many years:

The St. Regis River ran beside the road for a long way, making it very scenic:

And yet there were still farms, barns and silos along the way:

Non-farmers had been building homes in this scenic, rural environment because they loved country life. Who wouldn't want to live here?:

This old cemetery suggested the settlement here was once called Carville:

A hip roofed home, set back in the pines:

A neat and tidy farm, with its buildings lined up in a row:

I came to the end of Maple Ridge Road and toward the hamlet of Helena, NY. This large dairy operation drew my attention, though, so I kept snapping photos:

Forage wagons and barns. This was a large, busy farm:

Old and new barns with silos and grain bins. The white plastic off to the right appeared to be bagged silage, a modern version of the bunker silo:

I arrived in the Hamlet of Helena and stopped at this old church, which a sign said was now the museum for the town of Brasher. I hope to find out more and possibly visit it:

Maple Ridge Road In Brasher, New York - Part 2

I was touring Maple Ridge Road in the town of Brasher, NY (see also Part 1, posted yesterday) and stopped to watch these Holstein calves:

There was a cluster of barns, but one of them had collapsed:

I was not taking photos of the suburban style homes, but took this one to illustrate the move of non-farmers to country living. It would be a short commute to several larger towns to work each day:

This old farm house might have looked abandoned, but the mowed lawn and tractor out back suggested that it is still occupied:

A neat and tidy family farm:

This appeared to be an old barn, being rebuilt:

A large dairy barn and silo, apparently no longer in use:

This house reminded me of my aunt's farm house in Oregon, where I first developed my love of cattle, chickens and rural life in general. Notice the silo out back:

A silo and barn, both in excellent shape:

The bucket underneath this tractor suggested to me that it was being repaired:

A very tall barn alongside the road:

A woodsy home, nestled behind White Pines. And yet there was still more to see on Maple Ridge Road. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

Maple Ridge Road In Brasher, New York - Part 1

When Upper Ridge Road became Maple Ridge Road (see yesterday's post), I continued on in search of family farms and picturesque rural scenery. At first, however, I saw mostly suburban style homes:

But it didn't take long to enter farm country, beginning with this large field, filled with baleage and haying equipment:

A picturesque farm with a log home, red barns, silo and tractor:

A large barn, filled with hay for the winter:

It was difficult to get a good photo of these outbuildings, but I tried:

The road crossed over a small brook. With grassy fields on both sides of the brook, it was sure pretty:

This pile contained logs big enough and straight enough to possibly be saw logs instead of firewood. There are a lot of farm sawmills in the area:

Forage wagons, used for collecting chopped corn on its way to becoming silage:

Lots of farm equipment, stored along a row of trees:

Well, this wasn't very scenic, but it's the way most farms used to dispose of their trash:

This old homestead was picturesque, and I would have said no one lived there except there was a pickup truck parked in front of it, leading me to wonder:

I came to a field of Holstein calves who watched me with interest. There was still a lot more to see on Maple Ridge Road, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Upper Ridge Road In Brasher, New York

I was on my way home from the animal shelter in Massena, NY and decided to take a driving tour of a side road I saw along the way, Upper Ridge Road. At first I saw only suburban style homes, but then I came to this log home, set back among the trees:

And an old barn beside a hay field, with a boat stored close by:

This clearly had recently been farm country, though the fields and pastures were beginning to go back to woodlands:

I had to drive slowly because I was following a tractor, pulling a wagon loaded with logs for firewood. The hilly terrain meant I had to wait for a safe place to pass:

Another log home, this one with pumpkins out front:

This old farm had haying equipment stored outdoors, near the road:

A fenced pasture, filled with stones. This used to be a common sight before big equipment made it easier to move the rocks:

A whole field of baleage, hay inside plastic wrappers where it can ferment as silage:

Two very old barns, a pile of rocks and some rusty equipment:

A cluster of outbuildings with a pickup truck parked nearby:

Two old barns in superb condition. I especially liked the new roof and tractor:

A traditional north country farm house, with barns out back. This was my last photo on Upper Ridge Road because it continued on as Maple Ridge Road. I'll start posting those pictures tomorrow: