Part II of the Rural Countryside of Galway, NY

Sunshine and shadows.....perhaps the perfect combination to illustrate this two-part series about Galway, NY.   In the first part of this road trip, I focused on the worn out and rugged remains of the structures that dot the rural landscape of Galway.  In this part, I want to show the vibrant, colorful views we found....all a testament to the life that remains in an old town first called New Galloway.

First settled in 1774, the town was named New Galloway after Galloway in Scotland.  When the town was incorporated in 1792 it was incorrectly recorded as Galway.  I couldn't find much information about Galway.  The Galway website had little more than a paragraph taken from Wikipedia.  What I wouldn't give to hear stories about this rural gem!  A little disclaimer....some of these shots may be Charlton.   It's tricky to know sometimes exactly where you are when roaming the countryside.

How charming is this?

 Even the trees in Galway look like they've withstood the test of time!

Our road trip happened the day after the last snow storm.  The winds were fierce, causing drifts over roadways and across farm fields.

 I'm hoping someone reading this will have the story behind this next one.  If you look closely you'll see that this trailer is filled with a Christmas Village, the likes of which I've never seen.  Out in the middle of nowhere, some amazingly generous elf shares this wondrous display along the road for all to enjoy.  If I could remember what road I was on....I'd go back next year to see it all lit up!  So...anybody have a story behind this?

Not that we need inspiration for our road trips, but this particular road trip was inspired by a talk we recently heard at the local library. A local author from Galway, Mary Cuffe Perez, was speaking about her new book, 'Barn Stories'.   In a collection of short stories, Mary chronicles her 15 years managing a horse boarding business in Galway, NY.  Her colorful language and artful storytelling create the perfect illustration of barn life along with the people and animals she meets there.  I'm not a big reader generally, but Mary's book draws me in and brings me into her rural life.  In her introduction to Barn Stories, Mary writes, "Life at the barn is never static.  It flows with the tides of light that sweep across the floorboards, with the cycle of seasons, with the kids and adults who slide open those heavy front doors, with cats, with wildlife, and with horses.  Some pass through in the blink of an eye, others stay a lifetime.  Each has left something of themselves to become part of the barn's life and timelessness - the barn's stories."   Isn't that just the perfect description of a barn, whether it be one of the barns in this post or one from the last...vacant and tattered.   If you're smitten with country living, old barns, horses or just love to read, I highly recommend Barn Stories.  Warning though....you'll find  yourself wanting to read it aloud because....well because it's too good to keep to yourself.  To get your copy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Barn-Stories-Reflections-Saratoga-County/dp/1595310576  If you missed Part I of this series, click here: http://www.lifeasiseeitphotography.net/2018/02/documenting-days-gone-by-in-rural.html
Thanks for your interest in Galway.  As I always say..everyone with a smart phone has a gps.  Take to the back roads and get lost!   Discover what's off the beaten path.  For more stories of Life As I See It...check out my Directory (Click for Directory).  To subscribe to the blog: Click to Subscribe