Fish and Visitors

Posted 8/21/12

According to Benjamin Franklin, both “stink after three days” (www.ushistory.org), and he very well may have been right. I tested Franklin’s hypotheses over the summer when my family visited …

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Fish and Visitors

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According to Benjamin Franklin, both “stink after three days” (www.ushistory.org), and he very well may have been right. I tested Franklin’s hypotheses over the summer when my family visited for more than the allotted days, but somehow they managed to stand the test of time. Still, when I venture outside of the Upper Delaware River region (which is very rare) I try not to overstay my welcome, rather than risk emanating effluvia (look it up!) myself. I don’t venture far these days, preferring to lure my friends here with promises of fresh air, starry nights, and a myriad of places to go, people to see, and things to do (www.riverreporter/where-when).

Such was the case last week when I received a call from gal-pal Kate Burton, who has been “threatening” to visit for a number of years. “You never come to the city,” she complained. “Maybe I should just come to you.” Having heard this since before the Wonder Dog was born (Dharma turns six next week and accepts cash gifts), my retort came easily. “No time like the present,” I rasped into the phone. “Get on a bus, I’ll pick you up in Monticello!” Kate’s next question made me literally LOL when she asked if I would be busy over the weekend. “Have you never read my column?” I laughed. “Of course, I’ll be busy, but it’s not like I work in a coal mine. Get packin’!” And so she did. Having made plans to take in a show at the Event Gallery (www.bethelwoodscenter.org) in Bethel, NY, I discovered that it was already sold out and momentarily panicked, but Bradstan Cabaret Series curator Scott Samuelson soothed my (constantly jangled) nerves. “Don’t worry,” he said. “There’s always room for you. The River Reporter has been very supportive over the years.” It probably didn’t hurt that Samuelson knew I wouldn’t actually sit, since attempting to capture the event in pictures is often my goal. Confident that I’d be able to show my friend a good time in the pre-stink two days she would be here, I confirmed my reservation and checked the calendar for other Catskills highlights to share with her, noting that the farmers’ market in Callicoon, NY was about to move indoors for the winter. “I do need goats milk soap,” (www.windypondfarm.com) I mused to the dog, “and I’m pretty sure I might run into some old friends there (www.sullivancountyfarmersmarkets.org) to introduce to Kate along the way.”

After picking her up, I put on my tour- guide hat and whisked her through my neck of the woods, stopping in Jeffersonville for lunch and steering through Kenoza Lake, Cochecton, White Lake and more, waxing rhapsodic about life in the Catskills. Suitably impressed, Kate enthused over the local color, as we reminisced about the old days. “You’ve carved out a nice life for yourself here,” she observed. “It suits you.” Nodding in agreement, I was reminded of the old Spanish proverb that declares that “The best mirror is an old friend.” It’s easy to be excited about my life in the mountains, because I love where I live and what I do, and escorting her to the show at Bethel Woods served to drive the point home. Dubbed “The Ultimate Bradstan Reunion,” the show promised to “recreate all of the favorite numbers from The Bradstan years with a couple of rocking surprises” and did just that (IMHO) presenting perennial favorites Jeanne MacDonald, Lumiri Tubo, Brian Gens, Steven Wing, Jim Quinlan and Samuelson, all of whom brought the house to its collective feet throughout the song-filled evening with show-stopping group numbers like “Almost Like Being in Love,” Tubo’s incredible solo rendition of “I Will Always Love You,” Wing’s beautiful rendition of “Pooh Corner,” and so much more. The evening soared and Kate was enthralled with the level of talent that the series consistently provides.

As promised, I took her to the market the next morning, where we perused the booths boasting home-grown goodies, and Kate stocked up on locally sourced treasures, including some wine (www.eminenceroad.com), delicious baked goods (www.beachlakebakery.com) and the aforementioned (Cinnaberries!) soap, filling my eco-friendly bag along the way. “Oh, you should visit more often!” I yelped. “Every single vendor here has something fabulous to offer. Welcome to the Catskills!” Just as I suspected, we ran into friends and neighbors schmoozing at the market, and when we went to lunch (www.matthewsonmain.com) more introductions ensued. Honestly, I did not want to bid adieu, since Kate was the ultimate guest—easy to be around, neat as a pin, generous to a fault, and gleefully supporting our local economy. “Can’t wait to come back!” she waved as the bus pulled away. “But for now, I’d better go. You know what they say about fish and visitors… wouldn’t want to stink up the joint!”

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