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:

Days Mill Road, Hopkinton NY - Part 1

Days Mill Road is nearby, woodsy, rural and beautiful. I like to drive it every so often just because I enjoy the scenery. It has mysterious, gated lanes which lead back into the woods and fields:

Another gated lane, this one appearing to have a residence back there, almost out of sight:

I passed a tiny brook, dappled with sunlight as it burbled through the rocks and bends:

Many of the homes, like this one, were nearly hidden behind trees. It made it hard to get photos but I'm sure it makes it a pleasant place to live:

There were small clearings alongside the road, inspiring me to think there were once homes or cabins there:

And stretches of tall Red Pines:

This small barn was nearly smothered in young trees and the afternoon sun made it difficult to photograph. I wanted to take the picture from the other end, where the door was, but that would have required pointing the camera directly into the sun:

A comfortable country home with outbuildings, patios and screened porches. This patio had a large dog chained on it who wagged his tail at me as I stopped along the road:

A large hay field which stretched way back to the forest in the distance:

A small barn with a basketball hoop:

And a house to match:

A shed with firewood and cedar fence posts, next to a stone retaining wall. There still was more to see on Days Mill Road and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Whitehill Wild Forest - Part 3

My sister and I were hiking with my dogs in the White Hill Wild Forest (see previous two posts). We'd passed Little Rock Pond and were continuing on, hoping to arrive at Long Pond. I'd been there before and remembered it as the site of the biggest, most astounding beaver dam I've ever seen anywhere. So we kept trekking in spite of the heat:

I was just telling her about the bright red mushrooms I used to see so often when we came upon two of them, each as red as an apple:

We crossed several small streams. They were a mixed blessing of cooling water for the dogs but difficult walking for me in my braces as well as direct sunshine in that oppressive heat:

But the dogs got a refreshing drink and cool, wet feet at each water crossing. Seamus, beginning to suffer from the heat, lay down in one and appeared as if he might not go any farther. But of course he did, so we kept hiking:

But eventually the heat and humidity wore us all down and we turned back toward the trail head:

And we saw this lovely example of Beechdrops, a parasitic plant without leaves or chlorophyll. Not surprisingly, it was growing with a small Beech seedling:

We were hot and tired, even though we really hadn't hiked very far. It was a particularly welcome blessing when we returned to the shores of Clear Pond. Seamus, who had been most affected by the heat, was the first to go in:

And all the dogs still had enough energy for a bit of play:

A bit of romping in the wildflower meadow by the shore:

Every dog sniffed everything thoroughly

My sister waded out to cool off also, but only Seamus lay right down in the water. It was an exceedingly hot day. We got back into the car and stopped for takeout pizza on our way home. This was an adventure and fun outing, a nice start to her visit:

A Walk In A Boreal Forest

I'd worn my new ankle braces for about a week when I decided to try a short hike. Besides, the weather was lovely and the dogs were anxious to get outdoors and run. So I drove to Blue Mountain Road in the Santa Clara Easement of the northern Adirondacks, parked and let the pooches out:

I chose the trail to Madawaska Pond, knowing full well that private landowners had posted the last segment of the trail against trespassing. I only wanted a pleasant, easy walk through the Boreal Forest with my dogs and to test out the new braces:

Daphne was a happy dog and seldom stopped to rest:

And the scenery was spectacular. The black flies had begun but weren't biting (much) yet. They were swarming and pesky, but not painful. They ruined many of my photos by swarming in front of the camera or landing on its lens:

The air was perfumed with sweet Balsam and Pine. Ravens croaked and White Throated Sparrows sang from the trees:

Fergus and Seamus had both been sheared the previous day and Fergus seemed embarrassed by his new haircut. I didn't tell him so, but he really did look kind of silly:

The forest on either side of the trail was dense and almost impenetrable, so we stayed on the road:

We crossed over a roaring brook:

It was only a short trail and I didn't even walk to the end of it. I just walked until my legs began to feel a bit tired and the black flies had exasperated me. Then I turned around and called the dogs back toward the car:

Seamus' new haircut:

The "Silly Sisters," Daphne and Clover, hung together as they explored the mossy sides of the trail:

We hadn't gone far, so we were back at our parked car in a jiffy. It had been just right. I got to try out my new braces, the dogs had gotten to run, and we'd all enjoyed an afternoon in the Boreal Forest:

Capell Road, In The Town Of Parishville

I'd taken a driving tour of Mahoney Road in the morning and then completed my to-do list for the day. I had extra time and the weather was still beautiful, so I hopped back into the car and drove to Capell Road in Parishville. There were corn fields:

And hay fields behind rows of trees:

Homes with front porches and split rail fences:

Brooks rushing downhill, fed by the recently melted snows:

An old farm house with a hay wagon parked out front:

This farm house had a silo and assorted outbuildings behind it:

Hay fields showing the first touches of green:

Old farm equiupment in front of this home:

I'd been passing through state forest land but didn't know which forest it was. This sign identified at least part of it as the St. Lawrence County Junior Grange Forestry Project:

More old farm equipment and cedar fence posts:

Modern logging equipment which apparently had cleared that field to the right of the truck, stumps and all:

When I got to the end of Capell Road, I found the sign identifying the state forest I'd passed through as Whiskey Flats State Forest, and the Timber Tavern, a country fun spot: