HIGH WATER

The Neversink River Valley has been spared much of the devastation that her northern cousins The Esophus and Mombackus and plenty others have endured. Nonetheless as an owner of river front property I was concerned about the CLGM Baptism Access site on Holiday Mt. Rd. I drove down through Bridgeville and at first didn't see the sign. Then I noticed it had been covered up by two pieces of plywood and an old pink bed cover. Two people were along side their white Jeep in the road. I pulled up, removed the wet pink cover and heavy plywood. "Are these yours I asked?" politely. They both shook their heads No. Then the blond woman asked if it was my sign? I said it was. She wondered what it was all about?
   At first I thought she was just curious, but soon realized she was pissed and did not like the sign at all. Her husband did not like it either. I tried to explain it as an art work but I wasn't getting through. "Two people called and asked if we were selling? It's confusing." I didn't see it but also didn't want to be a bad neighbor...."Plus." she continued "the town says it's illegal." Ahhhh. Now she had my attention. "The town does not regulate for sale signs." I explained. "But there's no phone #." This seemed to bother her quite a lot. I give you what you paid for it. You paid $250." I actually paid $300, but if she knew that she could get my ph #. "No." I said. "How much then?" she asked. "One million five." I love saying that.
   Then ensued a back and forth that got testier and testier. "Get your car off my property." My property is a little bigger than my Neon. All but the sign was underwater. The blond wife stormed off and the hubby hung back to try to talk sense into me. I moved the car and tried in vain to explain the art tradition of Gordon Matta-Clark and myself to this guy. "Are you sure this isn't your plywood?" I asked the guy. He just looked at me. "OK. They're going in the river." At this the wife screamed something about recycling out of her Yoga/ Snowboard Shoppe window. I took that as an admission of guilt and tossed it and the bed sheet over on her property. Another front opens.