Autumn Beauty

I was returning from the feed store one day and decided to take a side trip near Brasher State Forest in search of fall colors. Most of the trees were still green and our autumn seemed to be delayed, but then I found some nice color surrounding a cemetery on County Route 50:

The cemetery lay on both sides of the road and the early reds were prominent in both locations:


I drove on, stopping to snap a photo wherever the colors were especially nice. This spot seemed to qualify:

Not all the color was brilliant. Some of the more muted shades were the prettiest of all:

But also the reds were standouts. The golds and yellows would come later:

I was surprised at the lovely colors the ferns added to the forest, even where most of the tree leaves were still green:

More reds, more brassy ferns:

Dusty reds and beginnings of gold:

County Route 50 in the town of Brasher is a scenic favorite at any time of year, but autumn is particularly nice:

Glorious fall:

Some trees seemed to shoot up like fireworks:

I saw some Winterberries in fruit. They will remain like that through the winter or until the wildlife eats them all:

St. Lawrence County Route 50 - Part 2

I was on County Route 50 in the town of Brasher, New York (see also Part 1, posted yesterday). It was paved but only one lane wide. It sure was scenic:

There were hay fields galore, separated by rows of trees and patches of woods:

And wetlands and forest. In fact, much of the road took us through the Brasher State Forest:

There were emerald fields behind old fences, with puffy clouds in the blue, afternoon sky:

And lovely old farmsteads:

I had Seamus with me, so we pulled into Brasher State Forest to stretch our legs:

An old cemetery with many more gravestones than I would think possible for such a sparsely populated area. There must have been more people living here at one time:

Black-Eyed Susans bloomed along barbed wire fences:

A split rail fence and laundry, waving gently on a clothesline:

We passed a trail head which had a sign proclaiming it to be the "Burns Trail." We didn't stop this time, though:

We were almost into the hamlet of Brasher Falls when I snapped a photo of this beautiful farm. It was time to get home by then, so I put my camera away and concentrated on where I was going:

St. Lawrence County Route 50 - Part 1

I'd just explored McCarthy Road and decided to drive on County Route 50 to get back home. I turned onto it in the town of Brasher, but just north of the little hamlet of North Lawrence. To my amazement, it was paved but only one lane:


The scenery was excellent. This old silo was so rundown that I thought the next big wind might bring it to the ground:

This shelter for hay bales, however, was a wonderful idea and still had some bales inside it. I wish I had one like it:

There were hay fields stretching out from the road to the edge of the forest:

And old fences, with more fields just visible beyond:

Corn fields and hay fields, but mostly hay. That's what grows best here:

There were a few beautiful farms, but they looked so isolated and lonely that I didn't fantasize about living there:

A double-decker house. I hope they never try to exit through that top door:

Hay bales out in the field:

A small, older barn:

More older barns. But there was more to see on County Route 50, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

County Route 50, Along The Deer River In Brasher, New York - Part 2

I was touring County Route 50, heading from Brasher Falls to North Lawrence and it was exceedingly rural. I never saw another car during the entire drive. But I sure did see some nice country scenery:

There were birches along the road, backed up by White Pines and fronted by cattails:

Brasher State Forest was in evidence everywhere:

But there was also agriculture. This collection of farm machinery was clustered out in a field:

And there were lovely old barns:

This is the opposite side of the barn in the above photo. The Ford tractor parked inside made it clear to me that this barn was still in active use:

Another small barn:

This large wooden structure sat right up next to the road and I decided it must have been used for hay storage. There was no hay in it this winter, though. A crumpled metal silo sat just behind it:

There were lovely old farm houses:

This home had a handicapped ramp, lots of Christmas decorations and toys for kids. I imagined a very happy and active family lived there:

The houses became more modern as I neared the intersection:

This was the last house on the road, after which I turned onto another county road and headed for North Lawrence and then home:

County Route 50, Along The Deer River In Brasher, New York - Part 1

I was returning home from the Post Office when I decided to make a side trip on County Route 50 in Brasher, a road I hadn't yet toured. It began with St. Patrick's Cemetery:

There were a few neat little homes with decks and lawns. This one flew an American flag:

Though much of the landscape was bare because of a thaw the day before, this road still showed some snow:

There were nice homes with lovely landscaping, always backed up with White Pines and woodlands:

In fact, the houses soon fell away and I found myself driving through Brasher State Forest:

I passed this little side road. It looked so interesting that I backed up to take a closer look, snap a photo and check to be sure this was State Forest land. It was, so I hope to come back soon with the dogs to investigate this road. It sure looked inviting as it wound its way into the forest:

A neat log home with a big barn and lots of White Pines:

A small mobile or modular home, also with lots of White Pines:

This old split rail cedar fence was well on its way toward decay. Since cedar lasts so very long, I figured the fence could easily be a hundred years old or so:

There were gorgeous hay fields - lots of them, in fact, and rows of big, round hay bales:

The road followed along the Deer River, pretty much frozen over at this point:

More hay bales out in the field. The road was becoming more rural, narrower and less populated - but I kept driving. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: