Autumn Color - Part 2

I was driving home from dropping Fergus and Seamus off at the groomer, and photographing the autumn color I saw along the way (see also Part 1, posted yesterday):

This corn field was half harvested, and a silage wagon stood waiting for the activity to begin again:

Yellow gold and green:

When I got to my own road, I knew of a small corn field surrounded by brilliant color and I was looking forward to photographing it. It had been recently harvested:

I parked next to the road and walked down the dirt lane to get a better look at the autumn color. Sometimes I walked out into the corn stubble to get a wider shot:

Spectacular color:

I'd thought this red was maple but when I got closer, discovered it was not. I didn't recognize the leaves, but a glimpse of the trunk suggested it was probably American Hornbeam, also called Musclewood because of its smooth, sinewy look:

I'd expected that this lane by the corn stubble would be spectacular, and it did not disappoint:

Oranges and reds:

And nearer the ground, there were plenty of purple New England Asters:

I stepped back into the corn field for this shot:

I was just leaving when I noticed this maple branch, a burst of electric color out of a wall of green:

Martin Road, Town Of Bangor, New York

I was touring Brockway Road in the town of Bangor (see yesterday's post), and saw a shorter side road, Martin Road, which I turned onto just to see what I could see. There were old farm houses:

And old barns:

There appeared to be apple trees in front of this barn:

Corn fields:

Grain bins and multiple farm buildings:

A closeup view of the above farm, showing dirt piled all along one barn wall. I could only guess that they were installing a water and/or drainage line:

Several old barns, with what looked to me like an old milk room sticking off to one side:

I neared the end of the Martin Road but was taken with this structure they had build to support and display their vines. They'd put a lot of effort into making it attractive and interesting - and indeed I admired it and wanted a closer look:

I enlarged the photo when I got home to see what they had on the top. It looks to me like six of the seven Disney's dwarfs:

This was the last house on my driving tour, and I was happy to spend a few moments admiring this fancy arbor with its Disney theme:

County Route 56 - Part 2

I was taking a driving tour of a portion of County Route 56 in Parishville, New York. It began in Parishville and then took me into the town of Hopkinton. I passed a third farm house built of Potsdam Red Sandstone (see also Part 1, yesterday's post):

This old barn and yard was full of sheep the last time I'd passed, but looked empty on this day. I did see sheep in another barn up on a nearby hill but was unable to take a photo because I'd have been pointing the camera right into the sun:

The remains of an old silo, hay bales and farm equipment - all without a barn to shelter them:

This old barn, nestled back in the pines, looked to me like something I'd see in the Rockies:

An old barn complex and silo:

A field of corn stubble, with woodlands surrounding it:

A small home with a child's swing-set. The driveway wasn't plowed, though, so perhaps this was someone's weekend retreat:

A well kept and prosperous looking farm house:

A barn in good shape:

At the very end of County Route 56 was a very large and busy sawmill:

The sawmill was active and noisy, though all its workings were housed indoors where I couldn't see them:

But there was clamor, smoke and steam, as well as enormous piles of saw logs. But the road ended here, so I put my camera away and began concentrated on heading home to my awaiting dogs:

A Corny Story

I did the usual morning chores and cleaned the cow manure out of the barn. Then I scooped up all the poop from the dogs' yard and discarded it. I was on my way back into the house when I noticed the big field of corn stubble across the road, glistening in the autumn sun. So I put the dogs on leashes, walked them across the road and then set them free to run and play:


Seamus has lost so much weight that he can now run and frolic with the small dogs. I no longer have to give him glucosamine for his aching joints. He's looking and feeling mighty good these days:

We walked due west across the field, passing by the neighbors' horses on our right:

The dogs stopped occasionally to sniff things:

But mostly, it was just a great big party for them:

I took note of the bare cobs left behind by the harvester, stripped clean of (almost) every last kernel. That machine was so incredibly thorough and efficient that the Snow Geese won't be happy about it this year when they can't find any spilled corn kernels to eat:

The dogs began by sticking close to me, much better behaved than the beginning of most outings. But as the novelty wore off, they took to running. Oh, to be so young and healthy that running long distances would be a source of great fun:

It's a big field, perhaps fifty acres, and I'd intended to walk all the way to the tree line. But I began tripping on the corn stalks, probably because of my awkward leg braces, and decided that it would be wise to cut it short:

So we turned around and began returning - that's our house with the red roof, up ahead and across the road:

Little Jack, a troubled and difficult shelter dog just a few months ago, is now happy and (mostly) well behaved. He was having the time of his life in the cornfield:

And so was Daphne, a dog who loves to bounce through tall grass - or, in this case, corn stubble:

But we continued on toward home, with side trips to see the neighbors' horses and for the dogs to hop over rows of corn stalks. Just before we reached the road, I stopped them and put their leashes back on for safety:

Bacon Road, Franklin County Road 16 - Part 2

I was driving rural, scenic Bacon Road in West Bangor, New York (see Part 1, yesterday's post). Historic barns and farm houses were everywhere:

And there were plenty of corn and hay fields:

Old outbuildings, silos, snowmobile and pickup truck:

A historic barn, apparently built in sections over the years:

A classic farm house, with a small model of a Holstein cow on the front lawn:

A red farm house beneath a tree which was just beginning to leaf out:

More corn stubble, evidence of last year's crop:

A major farm with multiple barns, bins and silos:

I'd imagine this was where much of the corn grown in the surrounding fields was dried and stored:

This elaborate farm appeared to be very large and much of the family which lived there was outside, mending fences alongside the road:

I imagined this farm house as a place to return to for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner:

The last photo I took on Bacon Road was of this old farm house, laid out in the linear, New England manner. That was the end of my driving tour, so I put my camera away and headed for home: