Two Weeks of Yoga Remaining

Here is a message from WCA member Ricarda O'Conner.

There are only two weeks left to my Fall yoga session. The last two classes will take place on Friday, 11/28 (the day after Thanksgiving). Those of you with class cards MUST use them up by then. I won't be teaching again until the Spring.

Best Wishes, Ricarda

Monday--- Open-Level Yoga @ 9:30 am till 11:00 am
Tuesday--- Open-Level Yoga @ 9:30 am till 11:00 am
Friday--- Open-Level Yoga @ 9:30 am till 11:00 am
Friday--- Stretch Class @ 5:00 pm till 6:30 pm

NEW LOCATION:

Mount Tremper Arts (in the barn)
647 South Plank Road (not far from the Zen Mountain Monastery)
Mt. Tremper

Jim Frain in Member Show at the Kleinart/James

Here is a message from WCA member Jim Frain -

"Howdy folks! Three of my paintings (they are on jimfrain.com titled: Silver Hollow, Silver Hollow Fall and Summer Twilight) will be in the members show for the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild at the newly opened Kleinert/James Art Center right off the main square in Woodstock NY at 34 Tinker Street. If my type of painting is not your cup of tea, someone else's may be and in any case Woodstock is a funky and charming little town. Could I ask you to tell any friends who take a perverse pleasure in the arts. The opening is on Saturday April 12 from 5-7 pm and it runs thru May 4 but it would be fun to see you at the opening!"
Best
- Jim

Icy Beauty

Here is a photo and message from WCA member Paul Misko -

"Just sending a photo I took after ice storm, which was tweeked slightly toward Easter colors, along with Easter Greetings to all."
-Paul Misko

If anyone else has a Easter greeting they would like me to post just email it to me.

Rick Altman and Friends at the Reservoir Inn

An evening of jazz standards and originals with bass, drums and vibes.

Saturday March 15, 2008
9:00 pm til Midnight
Reservoir Inn
157 Basin Road, West Hurley
(845)331-9806

Catskill Center Seeks Executive Director

Here is a message from WCA member Jim Enfante -

Dear members of the Woodland Community Association:

As you are probably aware, Tom Alworth, the Executive Director of our Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, has announced his forthcoming resignation to assume the position of Deputy Commissioner for Natural Resources at the New York State Office of State Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). The Board of the Center accepts his resignation with deep regret; he and his leadership of the Center will be sorely missed. We all wish him the best in his new and exciting position. At the request of The Board, Deborah DeWan has kindly agreed to serve as Interim Executive Director of The Center to provide continuity to its operation, and a Committee has been formed to search for a permanent Executive Director.

We write to you to seek your advice and counsel regarding this search. The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, as you know, is a nonprofit organization with the challenging dual mission of fostering vibrant communities and healthy eco-systems in the Catskill Region. The Executive Director is its Chief Executive Officer, reporting directly to the Board, and is in charge of its management and operations. We attach, for your information, a detailed description of this position. More information about The Center and its programs is available on its web site at http://www.catskillcenter.org.

The two of us and the other members of the Search Committee would be most grateful for your thoughts and suggestions about this search, for inquiries about this position, and for any nominations and/or applications for it. These should be directed, preferably by E-mail or FAX, to:

Search Committee for the Executive Director
The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development
FAX : (845) 586-3044
E-mail :searchcommittee@catskillcenter.org
PO Box 504 · Route 28
Arkville, NY 12406
Ph. : (845) 586-2611

The closing deadline for the receipt of applications and nominations is May 2, 2008.

Thank you again for your help in this important search.

Sincerely yours,
Mary Hays & Jim Infante
Co-chairs, Search Committee For Executive Director



Position Description

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CATSKILL CENTER FOR CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Prestigious regional organization with skilled program leadership, stable professional staff and exceptional 40-year track record seeks chief executive with outstanding leadership, communications and fundraising skills to take it to the next level. The enthusiastic successful candidate must be prepared to apply entrepreneurial thinking and skilled follow-through to support the organization’s innovative conservation/development approach.

The Catskill Region is a mosaic of many small and picturesque communities striving to provide a high quality of life for their residents and visitors, and home to the New York City watershed, the Catskill Park and Forest Preserve and landscapes of unmatched scenic beauty so close to New York City. Given the involvement of the City of New York, the State of New York, the Federal Government and numerous local jurisdictions strongly committed to their citizens, the Catskills present a national model of the effort to successfully balance the many competing interests.

Leading this 501c (3) with the challenging dual mission of fostering vibrant communities and healthy eco-systems requires directing and integrating staff activities that include: community planning and development; watershed protection and natural resource policy; land conservation; guarding the unique flora and fauna of this critical area; educating constituencies about the rich history and importance of the Catskill region; and fostering the great tradition of the area’s artistic experience and heritage.

To meet these challenges successfully, candidates should possess demonstrated abilities to:
• Provide knowledgeable leadership for the conservation/development mission of the Catskill Center and for its credible articulation to local, regional, State and national constituencies;
• Effectively and efficiently strengthen and manage the financial, human and information technologies resources of The Center in pursuit of its mission, and, with support from every program area, increase the size, number and impact of program activities;
• Represent The Center with key political leaders, local governments, government agencies, civic and business organizations and the press;
• Improve the visibility of The Catskill Center through active outreach to the media, Internet resources, participation in conferences and public events and public speaking;
• With support of the staff, build and broaden the financial base of the organization by attracting the appropriate resources from foundations, regional organizations, government agencies and individual and corporate donors; and strengthen the membership base of the organization;
• Lead and coordinate a team of talented staff and work closely with the Board and individual Directors to maximize their constructive involvement.
The Catskill Center is located in the heart of the Catskill region in the Delaware County hamlet of Arkville, NY. Compensation is competitive, commensurate with experience, and includes a full benefits package. More information about The Center and its programs is available on its web site at http://www.catskillcenter.org.

Inquiries, nominations and applications should be sent, preferably by FAX or E-mail, to:

Mary Hays & Jim Infante, Co-Chairs
Search Committee for the Executive Director
The Catskill Center for Conservation and Development
FAX : (845) 586-3044
searchcommittee@catskillcenter.org
PO Box 504 · Route 28
Arkville, NY 12406
Phone : (845) 586-2611

Again, The closing deadline for the receipt of applications and nominations is May 2, 2008

What I Did On My Winter Vacation

OK, I have a confession to make. Several weeks ago I took a vacation and went to Costa Rica. I was actually blogging from there for a week which was challenging because other countries have vastly different ideas about high speed internet. But in the end everything I tried to post got to the site. I didn't mention I was gone because I thought it screamed "Hey I am not home....come rob my house!" But now that I am safely back in the valley I thought I would upload a couple of photos. I don't travel with my good cameras so these are just from my trusty point and shoot but I like them anyway. It was a beautiful country with good food and nice people. We had a great time.
-Carol Seitz

Paul O'Neil in Woodland Valley

For quite a while now I have been asking Mike O'Neil to write a piece about his dad and how his family came to Woodland Valley. Recently, he sent me this. And, although we missed Washington's birthday by a couple of weeks, it still seemed like a good time to excerpt that particular piece of Paul O'Neil's writing.

"As one of Life Magazine's top writers, Paul O'Neil was allowed a certain leeway when it came to the choice of story assignments. Still, it came as a surprise when in May 1964 Life featured his 10,000 word essay/memoir titled In Praise of Trout—and also me. It was about his trout fishing successes and travails in the Esopus and its tributaries. His article, albeit fleetingly, put the national spotlight on Shandaken and brought some of its citizens a sort of celebrityhood. Out of gratitude for the phenomenal increase in their business, for instance, Dick and Hermann Folkerts refused to accept his money for fishing equipment for the better part of that summer.

Twenty years before, he, his wife Jane and children Mike and Sally, arrived in Woodland Valley for the summer at the invitation of fellow TIME INCer Bob Boyd, in search of mountains and streams and the forested sanctuary they'd left behind in Washington state when he'd been drawn to Manhattan to write for Time/Life. It was a perfect fit. Of Woodland Brook, he eventually inherited the stewardship of the fly-fishing section that his friend Fred Muehleck had championed and developed. As Woodland Brook's "Troutmeister", and through various articles on fishing, he became recognized as a dedicated and savvy fly fisherman and a proponent of undamaged environment. He died in 1988."

- Mike O'Neil aka Boreegard






















TIME - THE WEEKLY NEWS MAGAZINE
JULY 6, 1953
VOL. LXII NO. 1.

Extracts from the cover story on George Washington by Writer Paul O'Neil titled HEROES—A Man to Remember:

At 43, he was fair, broad-shouldered and huge for his day (6 ft. 2 in., 200 lbs), with a horseman's muscular thighs, penetrating blue eyes, and an impressive air of command. Mounted on a white charger and arrayed in uniform (he thoughtfully wore the blue and buff of the Fairfax County militia to the meeting of the second Continental Congress in Philadelphia) he was a sight few men ever forgot. Congress was impressed by his common good sense, his ability to bide his time, his capacity for decision.

He is remembered as a remote and austere figure, but George Washington had his little frailties and vanities. His temper was almost always held in check, but dishonesty or cowardice could send him into thunderous bursts of rage. He imported silk stockings and silver buckled shoes from England before the war, and seldom missed an opportunity to have his brown hair (worn clubbed and sometimes supported in a sort of snood) trimmed, combed and powdered by a barber.

He suffered all his life from that peculiarly leveling ailment: bad teeth. He scrubbed them with "spunge" brushes from England, and rinsed them in all manner of lotions, but they decayed, one by one. He was in agony from toothache at the siege of Yorktown, and in the hope of doing some dentistry upon himself, wrote to a friend for a small file which he could thrust between his molars. He was a theatergoer. He loved to dance. He fished, shot ducks, and rode to hounds with reckless competence. He suffered from sunburn, and in later years was not too dignified to inspect his acres with a large umbrella affixed to his saddle horn.

There was but one choice for the first President of the U.S.: George Washington. The office was of necessity less precisely defined than the judicial and legislative branches. It might have degenerated into a puppet presidency. Washington defined it by stepping into it. He held it in great esteem, and imparted to it the dignity of his own character. He refused to shake hands during his eight years in the office—he felt that such a gesture of familiarity was beneath the presidency—and always bowed instead. He dressed richly in velvet, wore hats plumed with ostrich feathers, rode in a six-horse coach with liveried lackeys and outriders, felt himself equal of any king on earth, but always thought of himself as the "Most Obed. Servt." of the U.S. people, who decade after decade, have borne the stamp of his character.

He lived but two years after his second term was ended. In his last moments of consciousness he said, "I die hard." And so he has.

Family Looking for House in Phoenicia Area

A Manhattan family are looking for a 2nd home to rent in the Phoenicia area for a year starting this spring while our house on Woodland Valley Road is being built . We (we consists of myself, my wife, our nine month old son) are in our 40's, professional, conscientious, and well mannered and can provide great references (we had been previously renting a house on Woodland Valley Road for the past five years but regrettably this house is no longer available). We're looking for a house in nature and we love to cook so a decent kitchen is required, the house can be either furnished or unfurnished. Prefer no real estate agent fees. Call Josh & Marcey 212-465-9466 or email joshfoto@att.net

Gnomes in the Garden?

This photo and message is from Rannie Arp -

"I wanted some pictures from my garden full of snow, and when I looked at it on the computer, using my imagination I see a "gnome and his poodle" in my garden.
What do you think?"
- Rannie

Tomorrow's Pickin' Circle Cancelled

This just in from Dakin Morehouse -

"Greetings to all you cold fingered pickers out there. With all this snow and the deep temperatures expected we are going to pass on the Circle at the Station this week, Thursday the 28th of this frigid February. Not even sure the Station got plowed out yet. So Keep on a pickin' and we hope to see you all in March."

- Dakin at the Station

Memories of Lou Hallenbeck

I got this really enjoyable email from WCA member Debbie Byer and I thought I would share it with you. Her husband, Tom, is the grandson of Lou Hallenbeck. Here is Debbie's message:

"When we were first married (in 1972) we bought a tiny cabin on the stream side of Woodland Valley Rd. across from Pantherkill Rd. It had been built by Tom's grandpa Lou Hallenbeck in the 1950's and was in disrepair having been abandoned for years. At one time Lou had let a family live there when they fell on hard times. When we bought it there were four tiny rooms with nothing but old newspapers for insulation, no heat source, no water, very primitive. After we had renovated, added on and built the small barn that's still there today, we sold it and went back to school. Since then it's had at least three owners who have made other changes including adding a second floor.

A few years ago, when our kids were grown, we started coming back to Phoenicia for vacations and looked for another property in Woodland Valley. After five years a cabin came up for sale last June that just happened to be another one built by Tom's grandpa Lou in the 1950's! How weird is that? So we are now in the process of renovating another Lou Hallenbeck cabin (we often joke that he was the finest jack builder in Woodland Valley - he didn't believe in real foundations. His idea of a septic tank was to dig a large hole and line it with cement blocks. Leach field? "Don't need one."). We often wonder if we bit off more than we could chew but we try to think ahead to what it will be like when we finish it and how peaceful Woodland Valley is instead of concentrating on the rather large task.

The only thing missing this time around is Lou himself. When we did the first cabin he was alive and well and in his eighties, a fixture and living legend in the valley still running his antique lumber mill down on the curve near Simpsons (Romer Mt. Park), tending his garden and dispensing advice mixed with humor that had a bite. He'd rattle people by telling them his idol was Mussolini, wouldn't sell you any lumber if he didn't like you or was having an off day and had no problem telling you what he thought - about you or anyone else. One day a couple of pregnant girls living at the commune on Muddy Brook brought him some health food cookies they'd baked. "Threw them out the back door. They were so bad even the raccoons wouldn't eat them," he told us. He was such a charismatic guy. We still miss him.

Taped to the bottom of my computer screen is a picture by Jennifer Holz I printed from the web site a couple of weeks ago called "Rush Hour, WV Road, New Years Day." It's perfect."

- from Debbie Byer

Thanks for sending this Debbie!

Woodland Valley Adventure - 1894

This story was sent to us from Dakin Morehouse. It is a choice piece of WV history.

"Written and first submitted to the Catskill Center by my Uncle Tryon Miller, this was rejected and later resubmitted and published by his brother Phil Miller. The story I was told by the third brother, Paul Miller, was that while boarding at the Beech residence (currently Twerdaks), my Grandfather Wilmot Morehouse (far right) encouraged the weakened Miller (seated) to join the rigerous hike which he said would “either cure you or kill you”.
It apparently did the former because he went on to found ‘The Roxmor’ in 1897 and my grandfather, Woodland Park Association’ in 1906."
- Dakin Morehouse

Woodland Valley Adventure - 1894
by Edward Tryon Miller

"This New Years Day finds me here in the mountains. Instead of being pent within masonry and tapestry, I breathe free air in Nature's Wonderland; instead of pondering on what calls to make, I sit here and idly gaze upon a charming landscape dressed up in winter glory. Below, only a few feet off, the Woodland Creek is singing a single toned but wonderful song in its tumultuous dashing; in the distance the the Wittenberg towers above its less formidable brother peaks; every object is decorated with the pure snow and the sun and clouds have set up a delightful little game of peep and hide. A glorious New Years Day indeed. "
So wrote Edward B. Miller to his brother Rudolph P. Miller in Richmond, Va. on January 1, 1894. Then 27 years of age, he was living and working in his native New York City. He had been losing weight, and had been told by his doctor that his lungs were weak; that they were dangerously susceptible to tuberculosis. He was advised to go to Asheville or some other health resort, but preferred being nearer home. Through a friend he learned bout the Beach family, who had room for a few paying guests at Woodland Valley in the Catskills.
His letter continues, "You may know, by this gush of enthusiasm, that I am in a beautiful country. It is the wildest sort of place, our neighbors are few and far between. Phoenicia, the nearest railway station, is three and a half miles away, over a road that beats the one in Stafford County, Virginia, all to pieces for roughness. The Woodland Post office is in this very house."
Feeling better after his two week vacation was over, Miller wanted to return as soon as possible. The last week in January found him back in Woodland, hardly prepared for the adventure he describes from a letter dated from Woodland, January 7, 1894.
"I have had one experience of a long journey; a rather adventuresome and thrilling one it was. I joined a midwinter expedition over Slide Mountain (4300 ft. high, the highest in the Catskills). Anton Schroeter and myself, with camp packs, provisions, ax and gun left here on Saturday morning and on the train met the three others of the party." (N. Addison Cornell, Alfred Dudley, and Wilmot L. Morehouse, all of Brooklyn, who had come by the train from Weehawken.) At Big Indian we engaged a stage sleigh and rode to the foot of Slide, ten miles away. There, in the wilderness, we took possession of 'Camp Dynamite' as shelter for the night. Next morning we climbed to the summit of the mountain, a distance of three miles, through unbroken snow, varying from fifteen inches to five feet in depth. It took all morning to do this and quite a feat to perform you may be sure. We were overtaken by a snow storm which made us feel a bit discouraged but we soon found we would have a rare treat for it. As we approached the summit, the snow and ice-covered evergreens and birches presented a glorious sight; every one of us felt enchanted, we were indeed in a fairyland. I cannot find words to describe this grand work of nature and I am sure such a spectacle is only to be found in lands of the sky. We saw only this - the landscape was entirely obscured by the storm; we felt fully repaid for the labor and difficulties the journey had cost. "
"On the summit of the mountain two of our men - Morehouse and Cornell - determined to camp and see the sunrise the next morning, the other three, I among them, descended to Woodland, the descent is steep and difficult, without path or trail, from ledge to ledge, for about 2000 feet and then a mile or more over rock and debris to the nearest logging road. Now it is not easy to get down a snow covered mountain side of this description and it is quite risky also. One moment we would be buried in snow up to our shoulders, then we would slide ten or fifteen feet to the next shrub or landing place, again roll along to an anchorage, or by easy jumps or steps make a way to a point."
"Slide mountain takes its name from the track left by a great landslide into Woodland Valley. Our descent was along the border of it; it is a great plane of smooth and shining icy snow, perhaps 1000 feet long and fifty or sixty feet wide. The most difficult and arduous and dangerous part of the trip was the rocky woods that had to be crossed to reach the wooden road, it was uneven, rock strewn, and full of holes. It is just eight miles from the summit of Slide to the house, and we covered it by five that afternoon. We had good appetites for dinner that evening. "
"On Monday afternoon our companions who camped appeared, worn out and dirty. They had seen a grand sunrise, for it cleared up beautifully during the night; but they almost froze to death, for it became very cold during that night, several degrees below zero. From my point of view, our expedition was an adventure, somewhat hazardous; with extra hazards and foolhardiness on the part of the two who camped to see the sun rise. I think I am perfectly satisfied on winter mountain climbing for a while."
Epilogue: The strenuous adventure had no ill effects. Convinced that he should leave New York City for good, Miller visited the beach house several more times, and in 1897 bought 50 acres of Beach property. He married, built the boarding house known as Roxmor, developed the Roxmor Colony, and raised a family of four children. The original Roxmor was destroyed by fire in 1908. Undiscouraged, he built and managed a new Roxmor Inn, a well known resort from 1915 through the 1920s. He lived a long and active life, and died in his 81st year.

(This article was originally written for the Catskill Quarterly by Edward B. Miller's son, Edward Tryon Miller.)

Blogmistress Note: Thinking of people hiking up to Slide and camping out overnight in the last week of January, makes me feel like a huge cry baby for complaining that I have to go outside for an hour in the cold to shovel the snow!

Sunrise Photos

Here are a couple of beautiful sunrise photos from a new WCA member, Paul Misko. His family has owned a cabin at the end of Woodland Valley Road since 1960. Paul is the current vice president and historian for the Woodland Valley Park Association. Thanks for the photos Paul!

Diving Video

Woodland Valley resident Tommy Healy sent this link to a dive video he created on YouTube. He is a certified diver and put together this video from all the photos he has taken on his many dive trips. All the photos were taken at different locations in the Caribbean and Micronesia. It makes me want to dust off my own diving license!

PS - Sorry, but only those on fast connections (Cable or DSL) will be able to view it. Dial-up is too slow to handle a big video. You can always go to the Phoenicia Library and check it out there if you have a slower connection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFro5tPBn-I

Meadow

This just in from Terry Savage. He saw the photo I posted a couple of days ago (Feb 6th) of the meadow with the hammock and wrote to give us some information on it.
- Carol Seitz

"I enjoy keeping up with events in the valley by checking in on the Woodland Valley View from time to time. It was a nice surprise to see the Burroughs Meadow (and my hammock) featured in a photo. The meadow is now owned by the Larkin Farm Association and is a protected reserve. Below is a excerpt from "In the Southern Catskills" by the great John Burroughs, a frequent visitor to our valley, in which he talks about the meadow 100 years ago."
- Terry Savage

"From a meadow just back of Larkins's barn, a view may be had of all these mountains, while the terraced side of Cross Mountain bounds the view immediately to the east. Running from the top of Panther toward Slide one sees a gigantic wall of rock, crowned with a dark line of fir. The forest abruptly ends, and in its stead rises the face of this colossal rocky escarpment, like some barrier built by the mountain gods. Eagles might nest here. It breaks the monotony of the world of woods very impressively.

I delight in sitting on a rock in one of these upper fields, and seeing the sun go down behind Panther. The rapid-flowing brook below me fills all the valley with a soft murmur. There is no breeze, but the great atmospheric tide flows slowly in toward the cooling forest; one can see it by the motes in the air illuminated by the
setting sun: presently, as the air cools a little, the tide turns and flows slowly out. The long, winding valley up to the foot of Slide, five miles of primitive woods, how wild and cool it looks, its one voice the murmur of the creek! On the Wittenberg the sunshine lingers long; now it stands up like an island in a sea of shadows, then slowly sinks beneath the wave. The evening call of a robin or a veery at his vespers makes a marked impression on the silence and the solitude."
- John Burroughs

PS from Terry - Burroughs mentions the veery - a bird I've only heard in our area - usually at dusk. It has a very beautiful song - here's a link to it:

http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i7560id.html

Strange Things in Their Backyard

Mike Ottavi sent these photos. I think there is something spooky going on in his backyard.
















This is like the village of the damned deer.
















Do you think they are shooting a remake of the Blair Witch Project here in Woodland Valley?
















This has got to be the longest deer on record. I should watch what I post, some fool will come up looking to hunt this creature. Or, this might be the beginning of a sort of a Woodland Valley "Big Foot" myth. We could call it "Long Torso".

Pickin' Circle Cancelled Tonight

This message just in from Dakin Morehouse.

Hello pickers …
Unfortunately we have to cancel tonight’s Picking Circle Jan 31 due to a wicked bug going around. Sorry for the last minute notice - hope it doesn't inconvenience anyone.
I thought I was over it enough to open up and stay in the other room but 2 of our regulars have E-d in canceling anyway (for similar reasons) so – Consolation event - Tomorrow, Friday, Feb 1st Phoenicia Phirst Phriday is having their 1st anniversary at Upstairs Art on Main St in Phoenicia with all of their year's featured artists invited back to perform. Perhaps we'll see you there?
So keep on a picking - and keep healthy!
Dakin
Hope to see you all pickin' at the Station next week, the 7th of Feb!

Stocking the Woodland Valley Stream

Every year on the Monday of Memorial Day Weekend and the Monday of 4th of July weekend (this date is a little different every year) some generous locals stock the Woodland Valley stream with brown trout. We all meet the fish truck at the entrance to Roxmor, then proceed up the valley and turn around. We then caravan back down the valley behind the truck, stopping frequently to take turns putting buckets of fish into the stream. The stocking goes on all the way down to the Grandview area and then finishes off with some refreshments and good cheer. A lot of the people that participate in the stocking are fisherman but not all (I myself have never cast a line into the stream). If you have never participated I highly recommend it.

At this time of year Mike O’Neil collects the donation money to pay for the trout stocking. Here is a letter from Mike and the address where you can donate if you feel so inclined.

From Mike O’Neil –
My conversion to the divine pursuit of fly fishing came at the hands of my father who took me down to the brook when I was twelve, equipped me with the second best fly rod in the cabin (my mother’s nicely balanced Shakespeare glass rod) and started me out with a Royal Coachman dry with white bucktail wing (Chile Allam’s favorite fly). On my ninth cast I hooked and caught a 14 inch wild rainbow. “JESUS!!!” my father intoned loudly, keep the tip up, Mike, keep the line tight!!!” I did, and have been a fly fisherman ever since—with strong ties to Woodland Brook, which become steadily more indelible as I age.
Now I will not be coy. And, I will suffer no youthful attack of embarrassment as I ask you to contribute to this year’s stocking fund. The exact number of fat, healthy, spirited Brown Trout that we put into the stream will be defined to some extent by your munificence in response to this letter. Your generous and prompt response will, as always, be greatly appreciated.

To help us stock the stream, please send a check, made out to THE WOODLAND TROUT FUND, to Mike O’Neil, 101 Rambling Road, Vernon, CT 06066.

Many thanks,
Mike

Sound Horn Curve - WV History

Here is some wonderful Woodland Valley history sent to us by Linda Dunnican McDonald.

"The picture above is of the wooden road, that was built at the bottom of Craig's corner, so people could get in and our of the valley after the Big Flood in August of 1933. Craigs Corner is just above Roxmor, where you go around the big curve right before the Fawn Hill Bridge. It was right in front of the Beach house (mentioned by Hawley in the Clementine story) now owned by Ed Twerdak. Beach married a Woodworth, their daughter married Thomas Bigelow Craig (artist) and it was known as Craig's Corners from at least my mothers time. We also called it the "Sound Horn Curve" because there were yellow county signs, on either side of the curve, telling you to "Sound your Horn" before you approached the full curve, so as not to hit anyone or anything. The last Craig complained loud enough and the signs were removed in the late 60's ( ? ) I've been married 42 years and Bob remembers the signs still being there. The more traffic that came up the valley, the more annoying the horn blowing became, I'm sure.

These photos are from my mother's photo album, she was almost 23 at the time (she is 96 now) and the family with it's car, was stuck up at the end of the road for over 10 days, before things were redone enough to drive out."




"This photo is of the workers changing the course of the stream at Craig's corner to bring it away from the road area."

Florida Report

Here's another report and photo from the Florida bureau of the Woodland Valley blog. Many thanks to our anonymous correspondent.

"Our brief cold snap has been forgotten for now, but we know you guys could send us another anytime. This week has been 78-80 degrees and beautiful. If I could pack up this weather and bring it up I'd be up there in a heartbeat! My Orchid blossoms don't like change when they are developing. Even bringing them in the house to protect from cold temps is rough. The dry hot air heat causes all kinds of damage on its own. The orchid blossoms I share today (cattleya "candy tuff") survived with minimal damage (you can see a little around the edges of the opening blossom) and they have opened to give a great show and unlike many orchids, the fragrance is amazing."