WELCOME HUNTERS

You've seen the signs outside supermarkets and quickiemarts. Usually sponsored by Bud or Miller, they feature a nice buck and suggest you buy beer. I live in Sullivan County, NY. And Sullivan Co. has been welcoming hunters since forever. First it was the lowlanders from Walden and Montgomery. Unregulated seasons and subsistence hunting had depleted the deer herd in Orange Co. to the degree it was a big deal to even cut a track in the early part of the 20th century. So they took 17k west to Narrowsburg and Rock Hill. Then came the city hunters. The Catskills was easily accessible to the working man, as well as the mobbed up and well to do. Always the melting pot, this bunch hit the woods over apple bait piles, with hang overs and loaded guns. These were the hunters Sullivan Co. welcomed.

Last night I stood in my living room, stripped down to long johns and fuzzy slippers, talking to Mupp on the phone. He saw a bunch of does and had a nice 4 pointer at about 150 yards, but no shot.......when......I look out my window and I get hit in the eyes by headlights. It looks like a freight train is doing a U-turn on the church lawn. "Hold on.." I tell Mupp and head for the door. To my amazement a one ton pick up, pulling a double trailer filled with ATVs is ripping across my lawn, followed by another big shiny pick up. I run screaming (long johns, fuzzy slippers) phone in hand. "WHATTHEFUCKAREYOUASSHOLESDOING?" I holler, wishing I had the twelve gauge. I run up to the second truck, as the first one blows by me, ATV trailer bouncing. He stops, throws it in reverse and hollers something. Then they douse the headlights and speed away.

Sullivan Co. is under siege. Gas companies are breathing down our necks with fracking fluid breath and casinos look like, after 50 years of dreaded anticipation, are a coming reality. You know, this is my home and as of late the community is expanding. I ain't moving. More and more friends are moving close. The community IS expanding. So it's up to us to fight these evil forces.

Look what we have here:

Madison Farm- Butch's place across the street. We have camels, goats, ostriches, Carl the horse, and Dennis the donkey. GNJohn's has a half mile of river front, fields, a mountain. Open House tomorrow. Denniston Ford Foundation- Paul, Julie, Kara, Beth, Aden, Larry (all artists of note). They're doing deer hunting performance art in the woods in Dec.*Just a warning - we're pushing that woods on the last day. Majestic Farm- Sarah and Brett's incredible, notched in the forest paradise, complete with many critters and honey bees. Dreke and Andrew's systems nirvana. You can take the class. Slick and 'beeka's Outlierrecordingstudiocrochettedbikini farm. Shewho and Teddy's WSSP. Chuck, Tessa and Ace's WSSPII. And now Hollie Witchey is about to buy a place in Jeffersonville. Need I say more. Oh yeah- WELCOME HUNTERS AND STAY THE FUCK OFF MY LAWN!