Hello, All.

We find ourselves right in the middle of a good, hot Catskill summer. It's been a season of contrasts so far. Just a few weeks ago I was wondering if it was going to be a repeat of last summer - endless, dreary wetness creating a green lushness with a record insect and flower harvest.

uckily, the early summer rains tapered off and we've had three weeks of sunny, hot, beautiful summer. Of course the down-side of that was that the streams started going way down and the woods were getting a little too dry - too easy to have brush-fires. As I write it is raining nicely, a good deep, soaking rain that should alleviate (quench?) those fears. I'm continually amazed at the fecundity of life on our favorite little corner of Earth. ( I look at Comeau as a powerful, female, Earth-Mother place, a focal point, a Power Place where Earth meets Sky, continually creating lushness of life. I definitely have a Romance with it, it always turns me on - I always feel alive, rejuvenated when I'm there. )

The Trout and fingerlings are doing fine; we have several Red - Tail Hawks and the ever-present Blue Birds. You'll see the Meadow Vole's tunnels in the grass. Also, like every other flower this year, the Dutchmen's Pipes and the

Wintergreen Berries are a couple of weeks early. Still no news on the legal front. I expect (hope) we'll hear any day now that we've won the case and that the Easement we've all worked so hard for can be signed into law and go into effect

Not a minute too soon, either. This week there has been talk about putting a cell-tower up on Comeau, in addition to the one on California Quarry (see Woodstock Times, 7/15). One idea mentioned is a " flag-pole cell-tower" located where the existing radio tower is adjacent to the south side of the Main House at Comeau. If it were truly a "flag-pole" that might be one thing, but in truth they are about two feet thick, much taller and stand out like a sore thumb (if anyone has the Westchester Section of this past Sunday's NYTimes there is a photo of one that illustrates my point).

Go up there and try to visualize that. Don't get me wrong - I have an open mind on the matter. If I thought there was a way to do it that would have no, or minimal, impact (visual or otherwise) on Comeau I might (emphasis on "might") support such an idea - don't forget, in the early stages of the Highway Garage debacle I had stated publicly that I would look at that proposal with an open mind,too.

Honestly, I'm skeptical of this concept. It just raises more questions, though. Where would the power lines run? Where would transmission lines run (if any)?

Wouldn't it be even more of an eye-sore than the Highway Garage (with an ugly, white finger jutting 200 feet upward)? I seem to remember that cell-towers weren't allowed per the Easement (will find out definitively). What is everyone else's take on all this? I don't think we need to panic.

It should be pretty clear to all concerned that we (all those who love and cherish Comeau) have serious political clout. Nobody needs to look any further than the Highway Garage vote and the Easement vote to see that Comeau is well looked after. I am proud and thankful of that, as we all should be. You, the Comeau Friends, are a central part of that constituency. Please educate yourselves on the matter and get back to me with your opinions and/or suggestions.

I'll support whatever position a majority of you take. Thanks for everyone's continuing interest and support in all things Comeau. Specifically, thanks to Steve for his generous donation of a wheeled cart that will greatly facilitate my trail-work. Trail-keepingly and Rangerly yours, Dave