Fort Jackson Town Park - Part 1

I had just finished a driving tour (see previous two posts) and decided to take the dogs for a walk in the Fort Jackson State Forest, accessible from Converse Road. But I found a number of pickup trucks parked in the state forest and decided they had to be hunters - not a good time for us to be hiking. So instead, I pulled into the rural Fort Jackson Town Park. I opened the car door and the dogs ran wildly down to the banks of the east branch of the St. Regis River:

They were even more excited than usual, and I had to holler at them to get their attention. Luckily, there was no one around to hear me. The dogs began to calm down after their initial frenzy:

Even old Seamus got carried away, running until I got him to hold still on the rocks at the river's edge:

I took off along the shore line, and clover and Daphne went ahead to sniff things out:

Fergus, a sensitive soul, wanted to be sure I wasn't too angry. I assured him that I wasn't, but that he'd do well to keep it that way:

We walked to Big Hollow Brook, a tributary of the St. Regis River, and began exploring:

I did a bit of rock hopping and the four small dogs, now calmed down, followed me out onto the big, flat rocks. Seamus, with his wobbly legs, stayed safe on dry land:

And then we began following a trail along the St. Regis River:

The sun was shining even though it was chilly, a lovely day for a walk along the river:

The trail is short but follows the river and has exquisite views:

And giant rocks are scattered around, remnants of the glaciers' retreat:

Jack and Daphne explored the cold water and then decided dry land was best. There was more to see, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

Converse Road - Part 2

I was driving on Converse Road in the tiny hamlet of Fort Jackson, New York (see also Part 1, posted yesterday). I came to this old barn, abandoned since I moved to the area. I was surprised to see it fenced off and with Herefords grazing by the side of the road. That square, wooden silo is typical around here:

I stopped one more time at the other end of the barn:

And then continued on along Converse Road, most of which is wooded and beautiful this time of year:

This historic home is the only brick home I know of in the area:

More colorful woodlands:

A barn and concrete silo:

The road was lined with the remnants of old stone walls and with brilliantly colored trees:

A farm house, all decorated for Halloween:

This maple lined section of Converse Road turns solid gold late in the fall, but it was still green when I took this drive:

Almost at the end of Converse Road is a farm with Red Angus cattle. I thought at first that this must be a cattle barn, but decided that like most beef cattle, their Angus stayed outdoors and were fed from the grain bin by the overhead door:

I turned around at this beautiful hay field, and my driving tour of Converse Road came to a close: