SUMMER CAMP

The storm is moving and I’m trying to hit send before a tree comes down and the power goes out. Enjoy this edition and I’ll see ya out there.

GATHERINGS

I re-joined forces with my friends at Hilltown Commons to host a weekend of good old fun. If you want to recreate some childhood memories (perhaps this time with aching joints) you’re in luck my friend. Pack your bags, we’re going to SUMMER CAMP.

The weekend will be wild, and it will be fun. Here’s the breakdown:

There’ll be four teams competing for points across various activities from archery to tug of war and javelin throwing, just to name a few.

We’ll stroll through the woods, identify trees, craft tinctures, and gather around the fire. We even have a professional storyteller to share spooky local lore — and unlike when we were kids, this summer camp has a pub.

In the end, only one team will have enough points to claim victory and eternal bragging rights, but we’ll all be winners.

Whether you wish to stay for the weekend and soak it all in or just come for the main event, you can find all the details in that little link below.

P.S. We absolutely made some limited edition bucket hats.

FROM THE MOUNTAINS

PROPERTY: Turnkey restaurant in Port Ewen

PETS: Snickers the pup, Willow the kitten, and Dwight and Ralph the pigs

SKY: The moon and Antares will have a close encounter on July 24th at 9:39 PM. Fun fact: Antares is a red supergiant with a radius roughly 680–700x that of the Sun.

SIGHTINGS: Brown Booby Sula leucogaster

TAKE A GUESS

Trout rely on their fins to help them navigate through rivers and streams. One of these fins, known as the ADIPOSE FIN, acts as a flow sensor — helping improve swimming efficiency by detecting the subtle movement of water and turbulence.

Study the fancy fish diagram and see if you can guess which is the adipose fin.

DINNER CLUB

Come on out to Hudson on July 30th at 6:30pm to meet some neighbors and make some friends.

HOW THIS THING WORKS:

✦︎ Take a quick quiz about interests, food preferences, and what types of folks you are looking to meet — you know, that kinda thing.
✦︎ Get matched with five other Crew Members based on the result.
✦︎ Receive your invite the morning of the dinner and discover which restaurant your group will be dining at.
✦︎ During dinner, everyone across town will receive a notification with the secret location of an afterparty. This is optional, so if you’re in a food coma, you can go home and sleep it off.

IN THE WILD

I met up with Sean — our fly fishing guide — on the Delaware River around noon. The sky was dark and the air quality was bad (being outside was not advised).

The fish on this river are big, they are strong, and at this time of year they are exceptionally picky.

The sulphur mayfly hatch was in full swing. Up to now, these bugs have spent their lives crawling around on the river bottom. When the time is right, they rise to the surface, breaking from their exoskeletons and taking flight to live a brief moment above the water. Their goals are simple: to mate, lay eggs on the river surface, and continue the cycle of life. 

We boarded our drift boat, headed down river, and tied a sulphur pattern onto the end of our line. In fly fishing, it’s “matching the hatch”, ideally with a very good imitation of the real bugs.

As the day went on, we moved through various sizes of flies — even tying on some larger patterns to see if we could find some luck. Alas, no fish.

By 3PM we spotted a large brown trout consistently feeding on the surface. Standing at the bow, I was determined: ”Cast, feed the line, reset, cast again.”

After 90 minutes, she finally investigated our compilation of feather and fur that made up the pseudo-sulphur. Slowly, she bumped the fly with her nose as it drifted over… and dismissed it. We continued floating down river. 

Shortly after, we had some luck and got two fish to bite, but both instantly snapped off the 6x tippet (very thin line). There was victory in those moments of defeat.

Around us, merganser moms and babies floated by, beavers of unusual size slapped their tails, and eagles soared. Despite more rising fish and more fly changes, we were met with nothing but refusals. This is sulphur season on the Delaware. 

9:30PM. There was no moon, not a star in the sky, but we sat anchored near the takeout. My determination — married with some joyful frustration — kept me casting into the darkness. Over and over I fed the slack far downstream and kept light tension on the line. At long last, I had a fish on. An 18 inch brown trout.

We thanked the fish and the noble Delaware, and made the long drive home.

POSTED

TROUT CAPS: A completely custom design that comes with a 100% guarantee that they’ll help you catch more fish. LINK

SNAIL MAIL: Stayed tuned — I should have more details on the new format and non-profit initiative.

PUZZLES: 500 pieces of fun. ENJOY

LAST WEEKS SCRAMBLE: BALSAM MOUNTAIN (I’ll bring Unscramble back again — working on some bigger games at the moment.)

ADD AN EVENT

NightSwim, Kingston – Music night with Zera Bloom, Zach Zaitlin, and Jacqueline Hackett at 7PM cool

Bloomington – Bloomington Fire Dept Food Truck Fiesta at 5PM enjoy

UPAC, Kingston – Lucy Dacus at 8PM tix

Assembly, Kingston – Shovels & Rope at 8PM get take a look

Hudson State Historic Park, Highland – Twilight Music in the Parks at 6PM see schedule

River Pavilion Restaurant + Bar, Kingston – Jazz Night on the River at 6PM

Avalon Lounge, Kingston – Booker Stardrum, Elori Saxl, Isaac Sherman, and Saapato at 8PM have fun

Rough Draft, Kingston – Robert Moor discussing his new book IN TREES with Sandy Ernest Allen at 6PM SANDYYYYYY our Chief Gardener

Westkill Supply, Kingston – Trivia at 6:30PM

TEMPO Lounge, Kingston – Songs of the Sea Social Sing with Shinbone Alley at 7PM tickets

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Upstate + Theater presents: Scripts & Sips at 6:30PM rsvp

Hi-Way Drive-In, Coxsackie – Little Miss Sunshine 20th Anniversary at 8:30PM screening

Hunter Mountain – Cruisin’ the Catskills H.O.G. Rally get after it

Skate Time, Accord – ALIVE 85′ Back to the Future 80’s Party at 6PM Doc

Belleayre Mountain, Highmount – Community Concert at 6PM get on the gondola

Bearsville Theater, Woodstock – Searows with Boyish at 10PM tix

Borscht Belt Museum, Ellenvillle – Borscht Belt Fest 2026 all weekend long

Laurelin Farms, Delhi – Louderfest music poetry and arts

Catskills Visitor Center, Mt. Tremper – Farmed and Foraged Dinner with Chef Rob Handel at 6:30PM register

Unicorn Bar, Kingston – Unicorn Bar presents: A Mermaid Splash Party at 9PM tickets

Assembly, Kingston – Fruit Bats at 8PM listen up

The Lost Bookshop, Delhi – Cardigan Dad Story Hour at 10AM rsvp

Roxbury Arts Center – Cause and Effect - Loco7 Dance at 2PM discover

Art Omi, Ghent – Puddle at 10AM for the kiddos

Andes Public Library – Andes Garden Tour 2026 at 11AM for a cause

Canadarago Boat Launch, Richfield Springs – Canadarago Water Chestnut Paddle and Pull at 10AM invasives

SUNY, Delhi – Catskill Mountain Yoga Festival see schedule

Meadowbrook Farm, Leeds – Taco & Tequila Festival at 12PM cool stuff

Blackthorne Resort, East Durham – Catskill Mountain Redneck Festival see details

The Avalon Lounge, Catskill – Bridge Street Dance – Open Stage Show at 8PM have fun

VFW Post 1386, Kingston – Currents at 8PM dance party

Keegan Ales, Kingston – Sunday 5K with Keegan Army at 11AM let's go

Big Eddy Brewing Co, Narrowsburg – Riverfest at 10AM rain or shine

Wayside Cider, Andes – Daytime dance party with DJ EB-1 at 2PM

Spiral House Park, Saugerties – Lifeways of Local Indigenous People at 2PM tickets

Henry Hudson Riverfront Park – Columbia County Jewish Festival at 1PM more info

Rough Draft, Kingston – Rewind Vintage Book Club at 6PM