While on a winter walk recently, I was focused on the icy ground when I found a face peering back. “Pay attention!” it seemed to say as I made my way safely home. Several days later, another “face” appeared when I took the dogs for their first outing of the morning. It cast a smile on a gloomy day, offering a change of heart and a fresh start. more

Who likes New Year’s resolutions? I think we all like the idea of fixing small areas of our life, so we can be a better version of ourselves, perhaps with the exception of those who are already perfect and need not improve.  more

Perhaps over the course of the year, you might have wanted to take a trip with the family to explore some habitat or to see some wildlife not seen in our region. Perhaps to see some elk, for example, … more

When I arrived in Missoula, MT, after a three-day bus ride, one of the first landmarks I saw was the Clark Fork River. A friend and I had left our homes in Westchester, NY, to attend the University of Montana. We were on our way to the campus when we crossed this very large river. That’s when my antennae went up—a trout river right next to the university! more

I thought I spotted Santa the other day, peering into my kitchen window as I washed the dishes. His bright red cap was lit up with sunlight and a blush of cherry color crept across his belly. But that belly didn’t shake like a bowl full of jelly, and Old Saint Nick isn’t the only red-clad fellow flying around lately.  more

Its been a long eventful year, and as I fight with many of the same ongoing tasks that make up my day-to-day out here, I can’t help but reflect on the blessings and progress that have been made.  more

I have a friend, an older gentleman, like me, who fishes several times a week. He even goes forth late into the fall, now that the new fishing regulations are in effect. The new rules allow year-round trout fishing on most of the state’s rivers. more

If you go outside on a cold winter morning, you might not hear too much in the way of bird life. more

Dad has jumped down to the river’s edge, nearly toppling into the chill glassiness. He is gently poking an object with a stick, turning it over and marveling at its size, the spatter of spots laid across its near-albino skin, the jagged wound jack-knifing across its back. The trout rocks silently in the mild current, keeper of its mysteries, as we discuss the possibilities regarding its demise. more

“I need to kill something,” my wife said to me as we juggle attempting to clean the house and preparing for work, church and half-a-dozen other family obligations taking place in the next few days. more

If you are along the river or a lake, you might notice some small ducks on the water. If they are close enough, or if you have binoculars, you will notice a lot of black-and-white bodies. Their small, chunky bodies are smaller than that of a mallard, and only about one pound in weight. This is the season of the buffleheads. more

Sometime in 1978, I received a call from Ed VanPut, letting me know that the Wulffs, Joan and Lee, had purchased the old Doubleday property on the upper Beaver Kill, where they planned to open a fly-fishing school. more

Gratitude is an attitude. But it’s also a practice that invites action. On that note, I take this opportunity to celebrate the community newspaper that you are either holding in your hands or reading online right now—the River Reporter. more

So much of living out here is based on opposing forces. How to prepare against these forces, or manage through them, is what makes a great homesteader. My regular readers will recall that my wife and I have a hearty flock of chickens, and if you’ve ever raised chickens on any scale, you’ll know there are quite a few of these forces to contend with. more

GRAHAMSVILLE, NY – Sullivan County Public Health is advising the public to stay away from wild animals and be vigilant of your surroundings while camping, hiking or playing in area parks near … more

With the arrival of fall comes the movement of many animals—birds are migrating, reptiles and amphibians that are still out are headed to winter hibernation spots, and many mammals are gathering mass or bulking up for the lean winter. more

BEACH LAKE, PA — If you’re going out on the Upper Delaware River this fall or winter—whether that’s in a boat, canoe or kayak—you will need a cold-water personal floatation device. more

An editor once told me in an email message that some of my writing occasionally tended toward melancholy. Looking back at a collection of the pieces that I’ve written for the River Reporter, I cannot take exception with that sentiment. more

Nosy neighbors know their neighborhoods. I refer to myself here, as I often wander slowly around my yard to see what my neighbors are up to. I’m not referring to the fellow human inhabitants, whose activities are typically more obvious—lawn-mowing, leaf-blowing and the like. The neighbors I find fascinating are those who share my experience here in more subtle ways. more

The planting season has all but passed us by for the year, and as we wrap up our over-winter planting and plot cleanup, one of the gratifying tasks left before the year ends is to spend the season’s profits on needed equipment and supplies for the coming year. more