LAZY SUMMER DAYS

Nothing like a big shade tree on sunny day. Perfect of watching the world slowly pass by. This is one of my favorite spots to take a blanket, a snack and a good book and spend some time on a Saturday afternoon. No phones, no internet, no crowds, no nothin', just a clear sky, a soft breeze and warm sunshine. Perfect!

HAY FOR SALE

One of the great things about rural living is the abundance of fresh produce available at the numerous roadside stands. But many other items and services are also available from the talented hardworking people living out in the country. No big fancy signs or storefronts here- just some great sunflowers and an American flag to alert you to the rough-hewn homemade board and a phone number. This farmer has extra hay for sale although I suspect he or she is selling it by the ton instead of the small bales most people would think of.

NIAGARA RIVER

While the inverse is not necessarily the case, it is inevitable that living out in the country will occasionally necessitate a visit to the city. In this case that city is Buffalo, NY, one of the grand old cities whose glory days have long since passed but whose hidden grandeur lives on in many ways and in many forms. Once the seventh most populous city in America and boasting more millionaires than any city of its size, Buffalo has long been in steady decline.

Nonetheless, a drive down Delaware Avenue in Buffalo one can still see block-after-block of the mansions that are left behind. Most of these homes are astounding in size and stature, many approaching 20,000-square feet of living space and even in today's economy could not be built by all but a very few and in nowhere near the numbers that exist on Delaware Avenue.

This photo is of the mighty Niagara River which feeds the famous Niagara Falls. The photo was taken near downtown Buffalo and offers a wonderful spot to spend some time. The Niagara River is a powerful force of nature which of course is what leads to the spectacular spill over the Niagara Falls.

YARD SALE

If the old saying that "One man's junk is another man's treasure" is anywhere remotely true then there are plenty of opportunities to add to your treasure chest. Every weekend brings an abundance of yard sales, barn sales, garden sales, you name it.

This particular sign caught my eye as it seems to epitomize what one might call being "thrifty." This yard sale magnate had a few leftover sign letters, not many apparently, but just enough to put to use rather than toss them out. One wonders how long they were sitting around until the idea sparked to use them this way.

WINTER HAY

One thing about farm life is that looking ahead and planning is something that one must constantly do. Even though it is the middle of summer this cattle farmer is already preparing ahead. In this case hay for the cattle is being mowed and stored so that the cattle will have plenty to eat during the cold winter months.

This particular farmer chooses to store his round hay bales in long plastic-covered tubes with black plastic caps on each end. This wrapping protects the hay from the elements while also preventing hungry deer and other creatures from getting to the hay. It costs more to wrap the hay in this manner but it also means the hay can be stored outside as opposed to taking up valuable barn space while also allowing easier access to it in the cold winter months.

The circular shape of the individual hay bales are visible through the white plastic sheeting. Each of these individual round hay bales weighs between 1200-1500 pounds and each of these white tubes are approximately the length of a football field. So you can see this is quite a lot of hay!

QUICK FIX (HOPEFULLY)

Well, as these things go it was inevitable that things will break down. In the middle of cherry harvest one part of the tree shaker has broken down. In this case it is a blown fitting on a hydraulic hose and has been rolled into our shop for (hopefully) a quick repair. Until it is repaired the cherry harvest has stopped, the tractors that pull the equipment and the crews that man the equipment must now wait for the repairs to be done. Added to this is the time that it will take to transport and reposition the shaker in the orchard, which adds to the downtime.

CHERRY HARVEST TIME

Right about the middle of July is harvest time for cherries, both sweet and tart. Our farm has both varieties. Sweet cherries are for eating straight or for juice while the tart variety often end up as fillings for pies, muffins and other baked goods.

There is a small harvest time window when cherries can be picked so they must be picked rapidly. Cherry picking is done using a two-part piece of equipment we refer to as a "shaker." As it's name implies using hydraulic arms this piece of equipment simply grabs the trunk of the tree and rapidly shakes it for about ten or fifteen seconds. With this hearty vibration the cherries fall off and are caught in the canvas-covered V-shape of the two pieces of shaker equipment.

The cherries then roll towards the center of the V-shape where they are transported by way of conveyor belts out of the shaker and dropped into large plastic containers of ice and ice-water. Quickly chilling the freshly dropped cherries ensures their freshness as they are transported to market or processors.

In these two photos you can see both halves of the shakers and perhaps can visualize how they come together on either side of the cherry tree trunk to form a V-shape. In one of the photos the shaker's canvas has not yet been fully stretched over the frame but you can see the large notch in the middle of the equipment. This notch is where the hydraulic arms are located which grab the tree and shake it. The other half of the shaker does not contain this notch but you can see the conveyor belts along the bottom and side that transport the fresh cherries to the awaiting tub of ice water.

SAD OLD HOME

I discovered this sad old home some time ago. It is barely visible from the street and does not appear to be owned by anyone close by. It is actually quite a large home and one can only imagine what it was like in its original grandeur. Upon closer investigation there are traits of the home that give off clues to its age. For instance the remaining window panes are hand-laid sheet glass not the perfectly clear glass of more modern times. This glass indicates the house is pre-1900. On the other hand the cut sandstone foundation blocks likely came from a local quarry just a few miles away but which shut down around 1880. Several architectural elements also add clues and my amateur assessment would conclude that this home was probably built no later than the Civil War era around 1865 and very possibly earlier than that.

Remarkably, the brick walls and the sandstone blocks of the foundation are in excellent shape. I've thought about attempting to find the owner of this home and looking into the possibility of purchasing it in order to recycle the lovely bricks and foundation stones. We shall see what becomes of it.

SHOP PROJECT: TOY CHEST

While winter is the busiest time for my small furniture shop, some summer projects are always in the works. In this case a new toy chest is in order for my young son. This particular one is being crafted of mahogany plywood with pine accents. One of the nice accents of this piece I think is the "wave" pattern that surrounds the bottom of the chest. It serves a dual purpose here of not only being a nice decorative addition but also acting as something of a "kickplate" protecting the more expensive mahogany sides from getting dinged and dented by little shoes. The top of the chest, which is almost done will be a bi-fold, having the ability to open halfway or all the way. In this way there is still access to the chest even if there might be some other toys stacked up on it. I think my son will be quite pleased with this addition to his room.

A GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

This Amish family brings back a snapshot of a bygone era in this part of the country. Their wagons and buggy's are a familiar sight on most days. They are warm and friendly people who although live in a closed community are nonetheless always willing to lend a hand to a neighbor even if they aren't Amish. A good deal of the Amish that populate upstate New York are involved in agriculture although an equal number of them are involved in the trades: Carpenters, bricklayers, craftsmen. I always enjoy the sound of a horses' hooves and the sound of a wagon wheel coming down the road. If nothing else it is an earnest reflection of the humble beginnings of this country.

CHECKING ON THE PROGRESS

In an earlier post titled "Plowing Time" we saw my friend and neighbor Brad on his marvelous John Deere preparing for spring planting. In this followup the corn is in and doing nicely. In the early morning on a misty day I went out to Brad's field to take a look. Brad will use most of this corn to feed his cattle during the winter months. And while this corn won't be harvested until perhaps mid-November, right now it is doing nicely. The rule of thumb is "knee high by July". This photo was taken about mid-June, so it looks like Brad's corn is right on schedule.

Labor Of Love

My small furniture shop turns out a few distinct pieces a year. Great care is taken in the design and construction of what is made. Many of the smaller pieces like this are crafted out of recycled barn wood. The wood for this particular table was cut from larger timbers that were removed from an old barn that had collapsed. This particular barn was originally built in 1880.

Using a chainsaw I removed several large timbers from the barn and brought them back to my shop. While resawing the wood to sizes more suitable for furniture I counted the tree rings in one particularly beautiful piece. The rings numbered 220 before they became so tight that I could no longer count them. Which means the wood in this particular table was crafted from a tree that began growing right around the year 1660. To work with wood that is over 350 years old is not something a lot of people have a chance to do these days. There is nothing else like it.

Main Street Afternoon

I took this picture of Main Street two days ago. It was a warm spring afternoon, the leaves are back on the trees, and everything just seemed so green. If anyone wonders where all the traffic is I'm afraid you'll be disappointed as this is pretty much "rush hour" in this part of the world.

Sandstone Mural

The upstate New York region is littered with small charming quaint villages and towns. The population of many of these rural communities numbers in the hundreds or, at most, a few thousand residents and nearly every one of these communities were created in the early-to-mid 1800's. Needless to say there is a lot of unique architecture. Part of the architectural uniqueness lies in the building materials themselves. In this case, Medina Sandstone, which was quarried in Medina, NY in the 1800's.

While you can still visit Medina, NY, the quarry and its sandstone have long since ceased. But the buildings that used this particular dusky-colored sandstone still remain and probably will for another 150 years. One of the habits in a good many of these communities is that murals, often mimicking street scenes like the one here, can easily be found. Beautiful and eye-catching they add a sense of whimsy to these already striking structures.

Storm Passing

In our part of the world there is a winding road that runs parallel to the shoreline of Lake Ontario. Driving home late one afternoon past an open field I spotted these rain clouds coming off the lake, which is just behind the treeline in the distance. I stopped the car to take in the view and to get a picture. All was quiet as I was the only car on the road and this scene made for a memorable moment. 

Early Saturday Morning

Something about an early Saturday morning with a hot cup of coffee and a nice view. When people talk about the simple pleasures in life this must be one of them. The sun was just cresting over the trees here and made for a beautiful scene. Glad I had the camera! And the coffee was great by the way.

And Old Bikes

A good friend of mine stopped by the other day. He lives with his wife on a little over 100 acres. He's retired now and did quite well for himself in his working life as an apple farmer. While he has a couple of very nice cars in his garage his preferred mode of transportation is an old bicycle. I've asked him why he hasn't bothered getting a newer fancier one. His answer is always the same- "This old one suits me and I like it." That seems like a perfectly good answer in my book.

Old Augers

I have an old friend who, like myself, loves wood. And while I have a small furniture-making shop this friend of mine is a carpenter extraordinaire. He can build, repair or create nearly anything out of wood and he's been doing it for a long long time. Now and then we visit each other's shops to have a laugh, share a smoke or just say 'Hi'. His woodshop is housed in a century-old barn and smells of wood, old hay, dirt and oil. It's a wonderful aroma. These old auger bits were laid out on a table. They've seen a lot of use but are still in working condition. Something about old tools like these brings out a sentimental part of me. Maybe you too.

JUST PRETTY

While out last weekend I ran across these striking potted flowers outside of a small country store. I don't know what kind they are but they sure caught my attention. Amazing color. Yet another reminder of what a beautiful season Spring can be.

Plowing Time!

Another sure sign of spring in the country is the distant sound of a diesel engine. In this case it belongs to my neighbor Brad's favorite John Deere 8-Wheeler. Brad's got many hundreds of acres and I caught him on his first day on the job... Plowing that is. It's a rather tedious task but his John Deere is quite comfortable with an enclosed cab and everything at his fingertips. It will be a long day for him but he'll cover as much as two hundred acres.

Here he's just plowing over the topsoil. Shaking and softening things up before coming back in a few weeks with seed. I suspect corn will go in this year.

Notice the big tool box mounted on the plow itself. Something always seems to break and always at the worst time. Good to have a set of tools with you. This is a medium-size Deere 8-Wheeler and will run all day on a single tank of diesel fuel. And just in case you're thinking of picking up one to impress the neighbors - This John Deere will set you back about $150,000.

Well Hello There

The bird houses are meant for birds! Well, this little field mouse found himself a nice comfortable place to be. A roof over his head, a window with a view and plenty of bird seed to feed on. If I were a field mouse I think this would be "livin' large!"

CHERRY BLOSSOMS AND MORE

Spring happens so fast! There are several cherry trees on our property and this one came out in all its glory! These particular blooms lasted just about a week with other colors from the trees and flowers popping out in synchronous harmony. But blooms also signal yardwork too. Ugh. If only the lawn would mow itself and the all the broken branches that the snow no longer hides need to be picked up. But at least the weather is warmer and it sure beats shoveling snow!

Signs of Spring

The first signs of spring. These wonderful bits of nature's color began to appear just a few days ago as the day time temperatures began to break the 70-deg F mark. I'm always amazed at how once they get going, how rapidly the various flowers begin to appear and how swiftly the leaves return to the trees. I was fortunate enough that these blossoms appear along the small path to my small furniture-making shop. I was able to see them out of one particular window and they were a nice treat each time I looked up. One day it would be interesting to know the names of some of these flowers. But for now I just enjoy them and that's just fine too.

One of the forgotten feats of early American engineering was the building of the Erie Canal in the early part of the 19th century. Built as a barge canal it opened up the fertile fields and agriculture of the upper western part of New York state and provided an easy cheap means of bringing the bounty of the agricultural harvests to the large cities and marketplaces to New York City and the eastern seaboard.

The canal winds its way for several hundred miles through farmlands and towns. It is a navigable waterway and during the summer many pleasure boats will cruise its entire length. Along its route there are many places to dock overnight with facilities available and it is easy to stop along the way to refuel and resupply at hundreds of small charming towns and villages along the way.

There are a number of bridges that must be raised for travelers in larger boats. A quick call to the bridge operator is all it takes and often when there are a series of bridges the same operator will raise and lower one and then you will see this same person drive down a connecting road ahead of you to raise and lower the next one.

In the town of Lockport, NY one must pass through a series of locks (hence the town name) in the same manner as you would passing through the more famous Panama Canal. It's quite a thrill to be in your boat as it is raised (or lowered) the eighty-feet or so in the lock.

One thing most people aren't aware of is that the Erie Canal is drained during the winter time usually around the end of November and is refilled with water from Lake Ontario sometime the following April.

Of course the defining difference between urban, suburban and rural life is the level of open spaces. And rural life means there's a lot of room to spread out. It's early spring now and the fields are being prepped for planting. The weather patterns still cling to the remnants of winter but also provide the hints and scents of spring as the landscape awakens from its winter slumber. The fields lie in wait for their spring turning. In the meantime for this one, all is quiet for now. 

This is the central business district of our village. We still refer to it as "downtown." It encompasses approximately two blocks starting at the general store, The Pennysaver, which is the brown building closest to you on the right and continues towards and ends at Crosby-Whipple Gas & Oil (Citgo) gas station.

As you proceed from The Pennysaver, which has always been a dry-goods store of some sort with the former opera house and dance hall on its second floor, one will pass a consignment store, a real estate office and a bank.

Crossing the street you'll pass the Hair Villa (haircuts), a pizza-and-sandwich shop, a tavern which regardless of its  current name is always referred to as "The Hotel" as there are rooms for rent above it, until finally arriving at Crosby-Whipple Gas  & Oil. There is a small coffee-and-danish cafe in the parts department of the gas station.

Across the street one will find the post office (the brick building), the village hall and the town hall. For legal reasons the village and town halls had to be separate. There is also a small library just beyond and out of view.

And thus the center of commerce in a small rural village in the country. Looking back at old photos of this business district from 100 years ago and comparing them with today, not much has changed. We prefer it that way.

This blog presents photos of small town country life. For any of you city-dwellers (as I once was) out there these photos may provide a moment of respite during your hectic day. For us country people, please enjoy. With any luck at all I will try to provide a new photo every couple of days featuring the landscapes and seasons of rural Orleans County in upstate New York.
And thus we begin. And the perfect place to do that is in one's own backyard. This one is mine. There is a small bench that looks out over a beautiful pond. It's peaceful, quiet and serene, just what life in the country should be.