Experiencing Joy in Unexpected Places on the Back Roads of Easton NY

Easton, NY ......a picturesque agricultural community in Washington County, as humble yet welcoming as the people who live there, post card worthy in every season, in every direction.  If you know me, you know I can't get enough of it.   So when the season's first snowfall arrived last Sunday, I couldn't wait to get out and capture its unspoiled beauty!  Come along as I take you on a scenic drive through a small portion of the place I find solace in chaotic times.  Occasionally we even find unexpected joy beyond the photo ops.

Through the years I've met several of Easton's fine residents and this trip was no exception.  Our last task on this particular ride was to find a barn that we discovered for the first time last summer.  After three 'wrong roads', we finally found the 'right road'.  As we turned the car around to put me on the right side of the road to capture the back of the barn, we noticed a gentleman standing at his mailbox.  Embarrassed to be caught red-handed photographing his barn, we pulled up the hill and stopped alongside him to say hello and express how beautiful his barn is, something I wish we were able to do more often when out taking photos.  Well, despite the leftover snow and slush covering the road in the shade where the mailbox stood, Mr. Barn Owner, cane in hand, came across the road and with the warmest and friendliest demeanor leaned against our car as we humbly shared how much we loved his barn.  Not bothered by the winter chill or precarious conditions underfoot, this wonderful man, Mr. Dixson, chatted for about 15 minutes sharing history - his and his barn's.  It didn't matter that we were total strangers.  Maybe it was our mutual love for the majestic red structure that was at this moment cast in the most glorious golden sunlight, but the friendly conversation offered by this perfect stranger was a reminder that there is still so much good in this otherwise crazy world. 

 That hospitality is not uncommon from the folks of Easton, at least the ones we've been fortunate enough to meet.  Maybe it's the rural mindset, but I'm pretty sure people in developments (even my own) would be less hospitable if I were photographing their property.  There's a certain sense of pride, pride in the history, pride in properties that have been passed down from the generations that the people of Easton feel and share with visitors.  That is one of the many things I love about Easton.  I imagine that the Inn Keeper who let Mary and Joseph rest in his stable was not unlike the people of Easton, warm and welcoming.  I hope I'm never in a position to need help on the roads of Easton, but I'm betting help wouldn't be hard to find if I was.  

 I hope the upcoming holidays give you moments and experiences like these - experiences that remind you of the blessing of the small things in life, like meeting special people by happenstance.  I hope that these small things stick with you more than the decorations and presents and bring you back to the true meaning and spirit of Christmas.  I know that this quiet, unexpected meeting will be on my list of blessings to give thanks for this holiday, along with all the other great Easton folks I'm privileged enough to know.  Wishing you a Christmas filled with quiet joys in unexpected places!