Pictorial Comparison (part 3): Lake Country

We live in the Finger Lakes region of Central New York, now.  Such a picturesque area of the Northeast! Homeschooling and the flexibility of Don's job affords us many daylight hours to take "sunday drives" during the week (scandalous, I know!) to explore lake country.  That is just what we've done this past year. Sometimes, just Don and I go for a drive and call it a "date".  We enjoy finding new back roads with beautiful homes and farms, little country stores, wineries and scenic overlooks.  Many times, however,we take two or more kids along for the ride, and, if he begs just right, a dog, too!

There are 11 finger lakes in NY.... in case you were wondering! They were formed by glacial ice.  Most people are familiar with Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake, as those seem to get the most tourism.  We live just a couple of miles south of Lake Skaneateles, which means "skinny woman" in Iroquois.  It is less than a mile wide, and 16 miles long - skinny, indeed!  I've visited 4 of the lakes this year,

but Skaneateles is my favorite, so far. This is my very first view of her.  The scenic overlook is about 2 miles up the road from our little farm.  And, we can be in the beautiful little town of Skaneateles in about 20 minutes.  Just a few days after moving in we took the whole family up there for the day.  I like it so much, I find a reason to go there almost monthly!

There are lots of little shops with unique (aka. expensive) items, art galleries, an old library with an art museum, an antique store, and a variety of restaurants, including our favorite little bakery.  We enjoy meandering around the little memorial park beside the lake, and strolling down the pier with a cup of coffee.

                                   

Generally, we did not endure much snow in Lancaster County, with the exception of the occasional blizzard - like February 2010... 20+ inches in 48 hours!  This is an unusual winter for them.  The average annual snowfall down there is only 18 inches.  In comparison, the average annual snowfall for Cortland County, NY is 70 inches! Needless to say, we had to learn to have fun in the snow.  Don bought a snowmobile last January, and I purchased a pair of snowshoes, which I use almost daily whenever we have 8+ inches of snow on the ground.  The girls received ice skates this Christmas, which they use frequently on our pond and at the ice rink, and we continue to trail ride the horses whenever possible. Otherwise, we'd go crazy!

                                                                                                                                                        

But, the best part of our new home has been all the gorgeous nature hikes we've taken!

One day, during a science lesson, I asked the girls, "What are the three states of water?"  Rosemary, in all seriousness, replies, "Um, New York...."  Too funny!!  Not the answer I was looking for, however, it sure does seem that way with all the lakes, ponds, streams and waterfalls!  I hope you enjoy scrolling through these "water" photos:

Yes, we've seen some beautiful things since our move north last year!  I am looking forward to sharing more adventures with you as the months go by.  Please keep following us....maple syrup production is just around the corner!  

Stay tuned.  I'll share with you some interesting facts about maple syrup in my next few posts....