Farm Life in the Autumn

“Autumn in New York, why does it seem so inviting?” ~ Vernon Duke

You can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the gal. Despite my love for the city, I also hold a deep appreciation for fresh air, seeing the sun as well as the stars, and wide open spaces as far as the eye can see.

Nothing against exhaust and concrete but a girl has got to mix it up from time to time. Fall is just the time to do that. To get out in the fresh air, hike a mountain, pick a pumpkin, enjoy the crispness. It could be my country roots. My Gemini persona. My need for being well rounded and balanced.

Whatever is beseeching my wanderlust heart, I have been listening and taking this time to get away and explore the Hudson Valley every weekend. Going apple or pumpkin picking, riding horses, breathing in autumn and enjoying the last hoorah before Jack Frost has me buried underneath the covers with Hallmark Christmas movies, (FYI they start next week!) until the sun decides to grace us all with its warm rays again. Which hopefully if I am good will mean March.

The Hudson Valley has its own unique and varied history, from the American Revolution (Ahem: Alexander Hamilton…..Alexander Hamilton – Bonus points if you sang it like the song) to exquisite landscapes nestled along the river. (just don’t go for a swim in there!) I admit as a New Yorker, I use to always poo-pah anything that wasn’t Manhattan or the Hamptons. Thankfully in recent years I have relaxed my bitchy Manhattan ways, and taken the time to explore other parts of this great state.

In other words, yup there IS more to New York then just the city…Who would of thought that?

In all fairness much like I have with New Hampshire and Maine, with age comes an awareness and appreciativeness for states I called home. I no longer look at them as jail cells, but places to explore and experience anew. While going to different states such as California or Louisiana, hold an allure and entails a certain amount of planning, taking the time to experience a new part of New York, perhaps a bit less glamorous, can also be just as adventurous. Which is why I have attempted to explore different parts of the city as well as the state.

So on Sunday I did just that traveling to Hahn farm.

I must say I don’t hate the farm life. From the time I was little I would joke that I could have been a farmer. I rise and fall with the sun. Which is why I become such a hermit in the winter. Seasonal effectiveness disorder is real. I didn’t let that stop me from rising before the sun, so I could hop on a train to travel up the Hudson.

The beautiful thing about Upstate New York even just an hour or two from the city is that there is always a farm. One after the other. Rolling landscapes and wide open spaces. It is like being home again. Which is ironic because I use to hate the country life when I lived in New Hampshire.

Not so anymore.

Hahn farm has a variety of animals which you can pet, feed and attempt to sneak off with if you are daring. I made friends with this cow, though I am not sure it was mutual, she kept looking at my zippers like they were a tasty treat! I also met a calf, that was literally the cutest thing, and  have just ben surrounded by newborns so I am completely impartial.

Not only do they have an outside farm stand with pumpkins galore, gourds, and squash. but they also offer a variety of food including apple cider donuts and hot apple cider! Sold!

The real fun though, is the hay maze and fort where you can channel your inner child climbing, hiding, and maybe even jumping out and scaring people! They also offer hay rides, as well as have a corn maze that I just loved standing in the middle of and listening to the husks rustle as the wind blew. It was almost as calming as the waves if not a bit haunting.

The weather was perfect for a cool autumn weekend, with some beautiful memories made.

What have you done to channel Fall this season? Have you gone Apple or pumpkin picking at all?