View from the White Clover Sheep Farm

A good smile and a wild hairdo?

With an abundance of events this time of year, I can’t help but think about how fortunate I am to live in such a beautiful place.  The Finger Lakes region of New York has so much to offer.  We get busy and forget how special not only the place is but how special the people are.  This weekend I’ve made it to just a couple of the places people have been going to where they’ve been enjoying Autumn’s bounty and some smiles.

Yesterday I went to White Clover Sheep Farm near Rushville and found a gathering to watch a sheep herding competition.  It was neat to watch a woman working a herd with her highly-trained German Shepherd.  Spectators were of all ages and could not only watch the competition but visit and have food including a really good-looking apple crisp.  Views into the distance over the hills were gorgeous.  Driving south to Naples, I stopped at Grimes Glen.  Pretty back in there, and it brought back memories from childhood of family outings there.  I remember my sister not wanting me to follow her on the trail on the other side of the creek, and she told me there were bears over there to scare me off.  Have to say I was looking over my shoulder for bears as I was photographing along the glen.  The drive north to Canandaigua was beautiful when sun shone over the hills.

Today I went to Lazy Acre Alpacas Farm near West Bloomfield.  Their annual open house had tours of the farm and information about the alpacas, pony and horse rides, spinning and weaving demos, refreshments and more.  Seeing kids out there, learning about farming and raising animals, getting some fresh air, was excellent.  I wonder how many kids these days really know what a farm is like and about creatures such as these. Not sure what the alpacas think of us.

I took some photos that I’m sure will inspire some artwork and stories.  And getting out and about is good for the soul and the muscles in our face that make a smile.