Say Hi to Scott

Welcome in my friends. The heat wave has arrived. Stay hydrated, use your SPF, and put some water out for the bees. Enjoy the edition and I’ll see ya out there.

I launched a brand spanking new Catskill Crew website. It’s a big improvement to where we were and a big step toward where we’re going.

There’s already a lot in there and a whole lot more in the works. Check it out and I’ll be sharing more in coming weeks.

PROPERTY: Anglers Perch in Roscoe

PETS: Astro the German Shorthaired Pointer, Zipcode the kitty, Raspberry, Blueberry, Strawberry, Pear, and Apple the duck gang.

SKY: Mars and Uranus will be experiencing a close encounter on July 4th — look to the cosmos at 2:12 AM (I’ll be sleeping). The last time this conjunction took place in the constellation Gemini was 1947.

SIGHTINGS: Green Heron Butorides virescens

MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR

CONTRIBUTED BY JACKIE BUDDIE

On any given day, you might find Scott Hill scraping moss off the green, fishing a rainbow of golf balls out of a tangle of weeds, or surveying the folkloric cast of cutouts that adorn the Putt Putt Van Winkle course for any characters who could use a touch of paint—a trio of brushes tucked in his shirt pocket, just in case.

True, this rustic putter’s realm that Scott so dutifully maintains is a product of his own overflowing imagination (plus a lot of plywood), but the 32-par course, which tells the story of Rip Van Winkle over nine whimsically designed holes (think balls that come shooting out of Winkle’s nose), belongs as much to the people as it does to the land from whence it sprang. “I’m sort of obsessed,” Scott says of the donation-based game he hand-built in partnership with long-time friend Brooke Alderson. “I'm determined to do a thing here that works.”

And magically, it does. Nestled along the rocky banks of the Little Delaware between sleepy cow pastures and draped in lush overgrowth, it feels like the type of place that’s always been part of the landscape, and that could only be stumbled upon by mistake. “We let things age in the weather. The way the plants and trees are starting to grow, it's starting to look better and better, like it's been here 50 years and is part of the old Catskills,” Scott explains. “I always loved the idea of traveling and you see some place where it says, ‘Open.’ And you're like, ‘Let's check it out.’ That's my fantasy—to build a place that has this presence, and then have people that help develop the life of it somehow.”

And perhaps that’s the real magic. Post-putt, sidle up to the open air snack bar for some ice cream and a Winklebeer and you just might be served by a Catskills legend like Scott himself—folk artist, wood whittler, mountain mystic—an unmistakable community fixture with a great brambly beard even ol’ Rip would be envious of. “I feel part of it, you know? I love the lure of the mountains, and the lore. Especially here, it's kind of palpable.”

Learn more about Putt Putt Van Winkle and get more info on the Bovina Classic Minigolf Championship on July 4th right here.

Absolutely UNBELIEVABLE time at Mushroom Madness over the weekend. It’s official, we’re making this an annual event.

Thank you to the whole gang at Hilltown Commons for hosting (Doug, Kasey, Ariana please take a bow), John from Catskill Fungi for guiding us, Roberta for teaching us the ways of creating mushroom-based paper, Return Brewing for educating us on how to drink beer like a pro, and DJ Harlan for providing the most immaculate vibes as the summer sun set across the mountains.

I’m working on a gallery for the new site, but in the meantime, you can see more photos from the event here.

The Trout Caps have arrived: With a completely custom design, they’re a true labor of love. From the patch, to double trout rim, mayfly badge of approval, metal clasp, custom tag, and more… They are ready and eager to get out into the rivers and mountains.

Disclaimer: They come with a 100% guarantee that they’ll help you catch more fish.

OH BOY MARKET returns to Andes on July 3rd & 4th with 80+ incredible independent vendors, small-batch goods, and the big summer energy we're all looking for. Come for the goodies and stick around for the good times. LEARN MORE AND GET YOUR TICKETS

ASHOKAN HEALING ARTS Do you have the posture of a shrimp from sitting at a desk all day? Maybe your hips are tight from hiking up a mountain? Or your shoulders ache from landing a big fish? Well, Dyanna Rettig opened Ashokan Healing Arts in Stone Ridge and she has 23 years of massage therapy experience and a decade of acupuncture — she works with you, not on you. Book yourself an appointment here or give Dyanna a call at 914-282-6190. P.S. she does house calls.

LAST WEEKS SCRAMBLE: MAYFLY (that was a layup)

ADD AN EVENT

Margaretville – Annual Field Days all week you can eat cotton candy

Wave Farm, Catskill – Soundshare at 6PM ultra sonic

Rosendale Theatre – Popcorn & Production Paperwork at 6PM industry folk

Tubby's, Kingston – Greg Mendez at 8PM low tix alert

TMI Project, Kingston – Storytelling Club at 7PM register

Bearsville Theatre, Woodstock – The Church: 1980-2025 at 8PM have fun

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Queer Trivia Wednesdays at 7:30PM

VFW Post 1386, Kingston – Honky Tonk Wednesdays from 6:15PM onwards bring your dancing shoes

Urban Cowboy Lodge, Big Indian – 4th of July Celebration check the weekend schedule

Orpheum Performing Arts Center, Tannersville – Matilda the Musical a classic

Colony, Woodstock – Bourbon Sprawl at 7PM nice

Tubby's, Kingston – M. Geddes Gengras record release show + Shemesh/Tampasis at 7PM tickets

Rose Hill Farm, Red Hook – Live tunes at 3PM

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Queer Line Dancing at 7:30PM

Andes – Oh-Boy Market today and tomorrow followed by Live Band Karaoke at Wayside at 5PM. P.S.: Visit Mrs. Hudson’s Emporium for some historic refreshments à la 1776 including pocket editions of the Declaration and the Constitution.

Starlite Motel, Kerhonkson – BBQ Party at 5PM check out

Catskill – Greene County's America 250 Celebration at 3PM on come celebrate

Lace Mill Galleries, Kingston – Summertide 2026 see dates

Wylder, Windham – Fourth of July Weekend fun weekend

Rosendale Theatre – America 250 Weekend fun weekend

Subversive Brewing, Catskill – Hoppy American Lager Release Party at 12PM with Live Music from the Dylan Doyle Band at 5PM

Catskill Brewery, Livingston Manor – Bingo Night at 6PM

Park Theatre, Hudson – Keaton Schiller, King in Yellow, and Blue Ranger at 8PM new orleans indie-rock

Happy Fourth

🦅 Deer Mountain Inn, Tannersville – Third Annual 4th of July Party at 12PM see ya there

Basilica Hudson – Farm & Flea whole weekend

Hutton Brickyards, Kingston – Rolling Stone Stateside Festival at 1PM tickets

Windham Civic & Performing Arts Center – July 4th American Flag Drop-In Balloon Build at 10AM see deets

996 Route 212, Saugerties – Fam Jam at 2PM for the kiddos (hey nate)

Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, Great Lawn – Highland Lights: Assembly at 8PM explore

Colony, Woodstock – Our Land: A Woody Guthrie Fourth of July Jubilee In The Garden at 5PM jam

Van Smokey, Livingston Manor – 6th Anniversary and 4th of July Party at 2PM congrats

Tinker Street Tavern, Woodstock – Honky Tonk Bandonkkadonk at 3PM giddy up

Avalon Lounge, Catskill – Earthlings Presents: Space Jam w/ Forfex at 8PM long live earth

Spiral House Park, Saugerties – Geometry in the Garden: Drawing Plants at 9AM plant stuff

Mountain Top Arboretum, Tannersville – The Beauty of Survival: An Introduction to Reptiles at 10AM awesome

Wild Hudson Valley, Cairo – Forest Farm Tour at 10AM get outside

Keegan Ales, Kingston – Sunday 5K with Keegan Army at 11AM have fun

Athens Cultural Center – Mangkhut: Stories in the Air at 5PM learn more