North Fork Patch Best-Of Photo Galleries 2010

No matter what the weather — the North Fork is one of the most visually stunning places in the country. Since late September, North Fork Patch photographers and along with other talented contributors have made this website just as visually appealing with their photos and slideshows. They captured everything from the recent blizzard and winery grape harvests to creative local mailboxes and hit TV show shoots. Enjoy this look back at some of our best photo stories from 2010.

1. Andrea Pickerell and other Patch contributors and readers sent in some dramatic and beautiful images of the fiercest storm to hit the North Fork all year — the Northeast-bound blizzard of Dec. 26 and 27, which left the area with about 10 inches of snow and tropical storm-force winds that created relentless snow drifts and blew up dirt from farm fields as if it was the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The photo gallery also got some hang time on the splash page of AOL's national news website on Dec. 28.

2.The rich colors of the North Fork transforming from summer to fall were classically captured by Andrea Pickerell in another brilliant effort on Oct. 30.

3. The scene of the fire was only a watery one by the time photographer Randee Daddona got to a huge combustion blaze that nearly 75 North Fork firefighters successfully contained by about 10 a.m. the morning of Dec. 6 in Cutchogue. Daddona captured the soaked firemen as they made sure that gigantic pile of mulch was flame-free.

4. November might not sound like the ideal time to roam local trails, but from to, the North Fork was still a beautiful place to hike in the late fall. Andrea Pickerell captured local autumn ambiance and wildlife on the trail in this pictorial from Nov. 8.

5. For a few hours one Thursday in October, Love Lane in Mattituck was transformed into a film set. Randee Daddona caught actor , star of the popular USA Network comedy series "Royal Pains," and other cast and crew members as they took over the quaint Mattituck street.

6.Photographers Andrea Pickerell and Carol Harte snapped shots of all-things Maritime Festival at the immensely popular 21st annual event — bagpipe players, pirate actors and kids having a lot of fun on Sept. 25 and 26.

7. Andrea Pickerell hit in Mattituck in mid-October to document the phenomenal red grape harvest of 2010.

8A month before the red grape harvest, Randee Daddona hit, and vineyards to take photos of workers reaping the benefits of the hot and dry summer, harvesting white grapes like chardonnay and gewurztraminer two weeks ahead of schedule in late September.

9. From high school cross country runners in tip-top shape to those looking for a casual jog on Thanksgiving morning, Randee Daddona caught runners of all ages participating in the ever-popular Thanksgiving Turkey Trot Nov. 25.

10. Randee Daddona and Andrea Pickerell joined forces to bring us this fun and whimsical pictorial of unique mailboxes of the North Fork. They caught every design from outboard motors to pink Flamingos.