W is for Weathervanes

Here in the North Country we've already had several nights below freezing and days still getting rather warm. I believe this is what produces the great colors here in the Adirondacks. Check out my article F is for Fall Foliage from last year for more on this. But November brings many weather changes.

My wife and I live in a very rural area. Our little town has a post office, church, bank, gas station, antique shop, and school. But that's about it! So to do any grocery or clothes shopping we have to travel at least 25 miles. As we travel around the North Country this time of year, we find ourselves still looking up to see if there are any fall colors left and to note the clear blue skies. We've also noticed some very interesting weathervanes! Yes, while you're checking out the end of the fall colors this year, see if you notice any in your area!

There are weathervanes of all sizes, shapes, and designs. We have seen them on churches, town halls, granges, homes, garages, barns, silos, and covered bridges. Weathervanes can be made of copper, copper and iron, tin, metal, sheet metal, aluminum, and wrought iron.

I have a weathervane of a sailing ship on my garage. I moved it here from my house in New Jersey. It is black and made of aluminum.

Weathervanes date back to the 1800's here in the United States. Farmers placed them on barns and silos so they could view the wind direction and anticipate approaching weather systems. Farmers believed that winds from the east brought rain, from the north -clear blue skies, from the south -warm weather, and from the west was the best. Of course, this was prior to today's modern meteorological methods that are "almost" always correct!? Maybe we should all have weathervanes!

Here are some well-known weathervanes in the North Country. Saranac Lake's Town Hall has a weathervane that is more than six feet tall and dates back to 1927. Crown Point's White Church has a weathervane that was built in 1822. The Ausable Grange in Keeseville has a weathervane that was made of sheet metal in 1880. And Ticonderoga High School has a copper weathervane from the 1920's.

These are just a few of the larger, more obvious ones we've seen in our travels. So, the next time you take a ride to look at the fall leaves, enjoy the other shapes you'll see.

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