A Return Visit to the Bucolic June Farms, A Magical Escape for Adults and Kids of All Ages

Sunday, July 25, 2021


 Sometimes we visit places for the purpose of writing a blog post, and sometimes we go for fun, and sometimes....the two collide and the place is so special, it's impossible to visit without sharing on the blog. That's the case with today's post about our recent visit to the bucolic June Farms in West Sand Lake, NY.



We visited June Farms in September of 2019 and I've been dying to go back ever since.  One of the most beautiful working farms open to the public, June Farms encompasses 120 acres of picturesque pastures, gorgeous structures, storybook farm animals, an Airbnb, a snack bar and Pony Bar (for adult beverages and gatherings.  Since its inception - the brainchild of entrepreneur, Matt Baumgartner, June Farms has already expanded its buildings, its animals and its entertainment offerings.  From weddings to corporate events, family nights and goat yoga, there's something for everyone. 

 We visited last Friday with the granddaughters.  Since Covid has limited our entertainment opportunities for so long, we decided to splurge and rent a golf cart to make our visit a little more comfortable.  A small cart is $40 an hour.  We arrived at exactly 11:00 since carts can't be reserved and still found all the small carts already spoken for.  No worries though.  We were given a Cadillac of carts for the price of a small cart.  We could have opted for a guided tour (and driver) but since we did that last time, John happily accepted the role of chauffeur and guide and off we went!  



Our first stop was Elena's favorite animals - the Shire Horses.  In addition to the horses, June Farms' latest addition is Winston, the pony.  




From there we continued down the path to the 'Coop' where we visited the baby chickens and ducks and Gloucestershire Old Spots, or as they're affectionately called at the Farm - Lucy and Ethel.  







From there we travelled to my favorite..... the Highland Cattle. 













Down the path a piece we visited with the goats before swinging back for a second visit with the Highland beauties and then returned our cart because our hour was up....just like that!  



We worked up an appetite meeting all those friendly animals so a visit to the snack bar was in order.  In addition to wood fired pizza, lunch options include chicken tenders, peanut butter & jelly, grilled cheese, hot pretzels and all-beef hot dogs.  Lucy and Ethel are pretty relieved about that!  If you haven't already, be sure to visit June Farms soon. It is located at 75 Parker Road in West Sand Lake.  Admission is $5.00 per person.  How can you beat that?  Check their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JuneFarmsNY) or website (https://www.junefarms.com/)for special events and hours as they are sometimes closed for private events.  It's the perfect place to unwind, enjoy family time or date night with your sweetie in the beautiful Pony Barn.  For more photos and details about June Farm, check out my post from 2019 A Magical Evening in a Storybook Setting.  





To read another story about June Farms: https://www.lifeasiseeitphotography.net/2019/09/a-magical-evening-in-storybook-setting.html

Retreat, Renew and Restore...Where is Your Go-To Destination for Reconnecting With Self?

Sunday, July 18, 2021

 
Where do you go to disconnect?  Do you ever take time to disconnect?  These days with the conveniences of technology it feels like we're always 'on', always within reach, always in a 'ready' position.  While that has its advantages, especially for those in the work force, it can also have disadvantages and can make it difficult, if not impossible, to make time to shut down and recharge.

I'm pretty good at unwinding and turning off the outside world but there are times when in addition to shutting down and looking within, I need to change channels and change perspectives.  Doing so resets my brain and refocuses my energy.  It also puts life into perspective and reminds me not to get too obsessed with the inconveniences of life - especially when those annoyances get out of control and take on a life of their own. It's at those times that we need to reboot and put everything back into perspective.   Road trips can usually do that for me and almost always, one particular escape does it best. That escape is a trip to Grafton Lakes State Park, specifically a drive through the winter entrance.  It is on that narrow dirt road, probably less than 3 miles (roundtrip), that I lower my pulse, disconnect from the outside world and restore my balance and perspective.



Some might say there's nothing much to see on this route except for the couple of pull offs at Mill Pond and Second Pond before reaching the end of the road at the northeast end of Long Pond, but I would quickly disagree.  From early spring through late autumn, there's always something beautiful waiting to be discovered.  On this particular trip, I was on a quest for mushroom.  One might say that hunt would be impossible in a car, and I'd agree that hiking would definitely be best. However, hunting from the comfort of an air-conditioned car on a hot, humid day, driving so slowly we could have coasted had the road been less flat.... forced us to slow down - our car and our minds.  By the end of our 6-mile journey over the course of about 2 hours, I can promise you we headed home in a more relaxed state than we left.  The intense focus of our eyes slowly quieted our hearts.
























Considering that many of these specimens were the size of my pinky, you can understand where concentration and focus were necessary to spot them from a slowly moving vehicle.  This exercise not only shifted my brain from the noisy distraction of life's challenges, it brought me back to an attitude of gratitude and reminded me what a wonderous world we live in.  That world is sometimes difficult to see (and appreciate) when our view is obstructed by worries, anger, frustration and even just normal day-to-day functions of life.  But, when we narrow our view, clear the clutter and look beyond our own bubble, we can find peace and tranquility and gratitude.  Even in the shadows we can find what we need.  Look hard at the photo below.....do you see the heart-shaped stump?  Sometimes the good stuff is hard to see among the noise, but when we quiet the noise we can reclaim our truth.  This week, take time to find your peaceful place and take time to retreat, renew and restore!

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