Welcome to Our Town!

Far too often we hear of the teenager who dreams of escaping the sleepy little town they are growing up in.  With stars in their eyes, the dream of bigger city and even bigger opportunities.  While I can appreciate the wanderlust of some, I never felt that way.  Home was always just that- home. 

I have always believed we either have roots or we have wings.  No living creature or plant on this earth has both roots and wings.  So either we dig our roots deep into the Earth, planting ourselves where we feel comfortable and then blossom or we soar into the unknown, into a limitless sky leaving behind the spot we once stood.  Roots or wings, you can not go wrong.  There are pros and cons with both.  For me, my roots have grown deep into the soil of a small town nestled not far from the shores of Lake Ontario in an area called Southern Jefferson County in upstate New York. 

South Jefferson County is made up of Six Townships: Adams, Ellisburg, Henderson, Lorraine, Rodman and Worth.  Surrounded by acres of rural area, you won't find much excitement around here.  What you do find is people jogging down the streets, mothers pushing their babies in their strollers or a group of young boys playing basketball in the middle of the street, pausing their game when the occasional car rolls by.  It is quaint, quiet.  We have a bakery, a few diners and restaurants.  Couple of gas stations, a few popular ice cream stands.  Many nights after baseball practice you will find entire teams waiting in line to order their cones while the parents chat with each other.  Big enough to attract a Subway, McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts but small enough to be charming.  Talk of the town can be heard as the soft hum of the clippers trim the locals' hair at the barber shop while the ladies have a couple of salons in the area.  It's never a quick trip to the grocery store or pharmacy because most times you will run into someone you know.   

The crime rate is relatively low, with just enough activity to keep the town's gossip fire burning.  Just like many other small towns, the school is prideful of their athletic teams and many cool fall Friday nights as you drive past the school you can't help but notice the field lights and scoreboard all lit up as the audience cheers on their home team from the crowded bleachers. 

I love when the leaves begin to change from the lush green to the ravishing reds, vibrant yellows and bright oranges.  The sound of crunching leaves under my feet as I stroll into the local post office.  A place safe enough to allow your kids trick or treating door to door.  And when the bitter cold of a Northern New York winter begins to set in, the huge pine tree is set aglow with the serene light of the holidays approaching.  The howl of a winter storm accompanied by the sound of a fire burning in the pellet stove is often the sounds that put me into a slumber during the winter months.  It takes several feet of snowfall to shut down these towns.  If there is one thing we know how to handle, it is snow and cold.  This past winter during a particularly heavy snowfall, many out of area residents found themselves stranded in our town.  Many residents opened their homes to stranded motorists and their families.  The fire hall opened their doors and set up a safe place to wait out the storm.  The local restaurants helped feed the people as they waited for Old Man Winter to finish his temper tantrum.  It was a winter that we were glad to see thaw out and spring brought back the lush greens.  An area heavy on agriculture, the farmers begin prepping their fields and getting crops ready.  Flowers bloom and the howl of the storm is replaced by the sound of rain on our tin roof.  Spring seems to be the shortest season of all in this area.  The temperature is quick to rise, as is the humidity.  We are so fortunate to have so many bodies of water nearby to cool off in.  Boaters, fishermen, kayakers all soon take to the local waters, experiencing the breathtaking scenery that the north country offers.  I recently paddled across a pond to a walkway that accessed a sandy beach.  As my daughter play in the sand, I stood looking down the beach.  Where the waves crashed upon the sandy shore, not far from a line of trees grew nearby, limbs heavy with thick green leaves.  And the background of it all was a brilliant blue sky.  It was almost surreal to feel like I was able to see water, Earth and air as they meshed into one another.  Mesmerizing really. 

Throughout the year, the area offers locals and visitors alike entertainment in the forms of festivals and events.  Arbor Day Festival.  The Strawberry Festival.  The Cheddar Cheese Festival.  Field Days.  The Rescue Squad hosts nights on the Firemen's Field where you bring a lawn chair, some blankets and pick a spot for outdoor family movie night on a big screen they set up.  They sell popcorn, sno-cones and candy but other than that it is free to the public. 

I love the fact that my children are attending school with the children of my former classmates.  I love knowing they walk the same halls, sit in the same classrooms and even have some of the same teachers I had growing up.  I like seeing the kids roaming the halls in their camo gear, work boots untied.  These are children who have been taught to hunt, to fish, to farm.  To respect guns and pay attention to safety.  We don't have gang colors or signs, we have Real Tree and Mossy Oak.  We have John Deere and we have hats with fishing hooks on the brims.  We might have red necks, but those necks are red from being in the outdoors under the sun. 

Most of all we have the sense of a close knit community.  We help out each other when in need.  To know there is good in the world, to see kindness in action you don't have to look much further than this area.  Southern Jefferson County is a great place to spend a day or a lifetime.