Degrasse State Forest - Part 3

The dogs and I were hiking in Degrasse State Forest (see also previous two posts) and had already been swimming in an oxbow of the Grasse River and seen a privately owned cabin in the forest. We were on our way back to the car:

I spotted a large patch of Yarrow in bloom along the way:

The dogs were no longer running ahead and needing me to holler at them. They were happy, tired and satisfied:

The forest of mixed conifers and hardwoods was beautiful, though the underbrush was thick:

I'd seen a coyote cross the road on my way to the trail head so I wanted the dogs to stay near me even more than I usually do:

Our walk back was leisurely and comfortable. I enjoyed the sights and sounds, the dogs enjoyed the scents:

Clover, who usually leads the way, began to lag and stay close to me:

But we were all happy and feeling as if we'd had a grand experience:

I got a stone in my shoe and stopped to get it out, so Fergus came back to see what was slowing me down:

We were almost back to the car and I felt some sadness that this hike was almost over:

We arrived back at the car:

But before we left, I saw this lovely pond. It was on private property, so we couldn't investigate - but I did take a photo:

Degrasse State Forest - Part 2

The dogs and I were hiking in Degrasse State Forest and had reached an oxbow where they went swimming (see also Part 1, posted yesterday). This was my favorite photo of the day because of the look of joy on Seamus' face:

But of course we couldn't stay at the oxbow all day, and the time came to head back to the main trail. We began climbing uphill and I spotted this blue Gentian flower and bud, the first of the season. I looked it up when I got home and decided it was a Soapwort Gentian:

And I saw large patches of Running Ground Pine, a Club Moss:

And Bunchberry, a miniature relative of Dogwood trees:

Fan Club Moss:

We got back on the main trail and continued on our way:

 But I had to stop when I saw this Club Moss. It was different from the Running Ground Pine, above. I looked it up when I got home and decided it was One-cone Clubmoss, Lycopodium lagopus, a northern species:

We reached the border with private land and someone's beautiful cabin among the pines:

They'd mowed the grass all the way down to the Grasse River (no longer the oxbow), but I didn't walk down there because it was private land. I could have pushed through the underbrush on state land but decided instead to begin heading back to where I'd parked the car:

Along the way I spotted some ripening Wild Blackberries:

And stopped to enjoy them:

We were on our way back the way we'd come. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow:

Degrasse State Forest - Part 1

We'd never been to Degrasse State Forest before, so one morning the dogs and I drove there, about 40 miles southwest of home. I found a place to park off the rough dirt road and opened my car door, only to discover a large Viper's Bugloss plant in full bloom. It was prickly and I had to step over it to get out of the car:

We hit the trail immediately. It was smooth enough to drive on - possibly better than the road we came in on, but we were there to hike, not drive:

The dogs were, as always, beside themselves with joy and kept trying to run ahead. That meant that I spent the first half of the hike calling them back:

We passed through a mixed forest of conifers and hardwoods, with so much underbrush that I never attempted leaving the trail. The dogs pretty much stayed on the trail also:

 I thought this was Spotted Knapweed, but it was too big. So I looked it up when I got home and decided that it was Black Knapweed:

It was a pleasant hike and we arrived before it got too hot, which is part of why it was so pleasant:

  I stopped at a patch of Wild Ginger. This plant blooms in the early spring so I've never seen its odd, brown flowers. This year I thought of it when the time was right but didn't want to hike in the chilly, muddy weather. Maybe some day I'll actually do it and get to photograph the flowers:

We took a side trail which I knew from the map would lead to an oxbow, a loop of the Grasse River which had become disconnected from the river and now exists as a sort of long, skinny, looping pond. The dogs saw the water below them and broke into a run:

The bottom was smooth and the water cool, so the dogs enjoyed it immensely. They've had a lot of water to play in this year and have come to regard it as a wonderful thing. Only Clover shies away sometimes:

Seamus immersed himself while Daphne and Fergus waded along the shore, where Jack had already gone back to so he could roll for joy:

The sun reflected off the water as the dogs lingered there:

I took a photo of the Oxbow, looking south. It looks just like a river, which it once was before it became disconnected. It sure was lovely. I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

County Route 44, Between Madrid and Waddington, NY - Part 2

I was driving on County Route 44, on my way from Waddington to Madrid (see also Part 1, posted yesterday). This small barn stood all alone in a snowy field, but the basketball hoop and satellite dish caused me to think that a house once stood there also:

A spectacularly beautiful farm house:

A nice home and barn. Just look at that wrap-around porch!:

A house, small barn and livestock trailer, with miscellaneous farm equipment in the adjacent field:

And when it comes to impressive, modern farms, this beauty would be an example. It was also picturesque and I had to get a photo:

County Route 44 crossed the Grasse River on a narrow bridge:

An old, wooden barn, apparently no longer in use:

A large barn and silo, right up next to the road:

A small cluster of outbuildings, up on a rise:

And a herd of handsome Angus cattle who appeared to be coming up to the barn because there was a feeder there:

A giant, old barn in great condition:

The last picture I took was of this barn and home, which sat back off the road so I had to use my zoom lens. It was a picture of rural tranquility, the kind of place which inspired me to retire to my own farm:

Canton Countryside

I had to drive to Ogdensburg, New York to have my braces adjusted. It's an hour and a half each way, but my appointment went so well that I left in a good mood and decided to do a bit of touring on a few country roads on my way home. I think they were all within the township of Canton:

This was beautiful farm country and these colorful cattle looked happy and healthy:

The farm houses looked old but prosperous:

The farms and barns were scenic, good enough for a calendar or postcard:

A curious doe stopped to watch me, and I watched her right back:

There were hay fields all along the road and looked about ready to cut:

This lovely old barn was in excellent shape:

Most of the barns seemed to be well cared for and in active service:

This old barn had be re-purposed as a garage:

As I approached the end of one road, I saw this abandoned, low-rise barn, perhaps a former chicken coop, off in the woods:

I also stopped at the Grass (also often spelled Grasse) River fishing access site:

And the Grass River was every bit as scenic as I'd hoped:

I followed a dirt road along the river's edge for more beautiful views:

But of course I had to get home, so I put my camera away and got back on the main road. I had to make one more stop, though, at this giant, painted rock at the edge of a farm field. At least six feet high, it had been decorated to amuse passersby, probably by State University (SUNY) students. The entrance to the campus was directly across the road: