Upstate NY for the 4th of July
My first trip home in 3.5 years was full of some beautiful views!
Even though Tennessee is home now, I was born and raised in Upstate NY. And I mean waaaaay upstate — about 7 or 8 hours from the city. I was never particularly fond of it, but now that I’ve moved away and experienced so many other things, I’ll admit I have a new appreciation for it!
One of my favorite places as a kiddo was my great-grandma’s house. Our extended family is so large that the yard used to be filled with cousins running around. There were two swing sets, swings built by my great-grandpa, and usually a ton of rides to be had in the trailer being pulled by the tractor.
This was my first trip with Journey since I adopted him, and I was dreading the combination of his anxiety with so many new places/people. It turned out he LOVED being here, with the peace and quiet, and it absolutely made my heart happy!
My great-grandma’s entire house is like a museum at this point, with decorations and artwork from all over the world! One of the gifts is her wishing well, and I can’t even begin to list all the crazy wishes that were made over the course of my time playing there.
The creek running through the backyard was the site of many crayfish hunts and swimming on the hot summer days, especially during family reunions/parties. Being a horror lover, now it brings to mind thoughts of Pennywise, from Stephen King’s IT!
My dad lives about two hours from my mom’s side of the family, and it had been longer since I’d seen him, so I spent more time with him and my stepmom while I was there. We went to a fun spot for the 4th: live music, great food, nice cold beer, and fireworks over the pond!
I’ve tried for years to get a good picture of fireworks with whatever technology I had at the time, and finally, I captured some good images this year! This was one of my favorites.
My dad and his wife live in a gorgeous 1850s farmhouse, and sadly the barn was falling apart. A few years back, they had new foundations poured and several parts restored rather than replaced, and now it has two occupants in the new basement!
Rosie and Twiggy were curious enough to come say “hi”, but quick to go back to their business when they realized I hadn’t brought any treats.
It’s such a small thing, but being back in NY made me realize how green everything is compared to other places — bugs included! There’s an exception once in a while, but most insects here seem to be varying shades of brown or gray.
This is Canandaigua Lake, very close to where I used to live. It was a beautiful, sunny, breezy day, and there were sailboats scattered all over to the left of this image! We decided to get ice cream and sit on a bench near the water to wrap up my visit home.
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