A Weekend in the Catskills
Arriving at Jill and Kevin's (Kim’s cousin’s) log cabin in Prattsville, NY, we were stunned by the picturesque setting and the luxury of the “cabin”. We got there about 30 minutes before Jill and Kevin arrived, so we had time to unload the car and have a quick look around. There were no less than THREE stuffed bears, a coyote, a raccoon, a bobcat, a fox, a turkey, two grouse, and a hawk with a squirrel in its grip. Most of these animals were caught on their 500-acre property. After some hugs and hellos, we headed into town for some dinner. Jill and Kevin were so welcoming and they told us all the stories about building the cabin (all the lumber was cut in Montana, the house was built in Montana, then taken down and delivered via flatbed truck to NY, then reassembled in Prattsville!) and also about the devastating flood that wiped out 100 of the 121 homes last August. The flood, brought on by a hurricane, has left many scars on the town, which is still deep in the process of rebuilding. Jill and Kevin are HUGELY involved with helping the people of Prattsville and rebuilding the town.
So, after the dinner, we headed back to the cabin. Kevin took us for a preliminary tour of the property in his truck. We saw a few deer, but what was the most amazing were the fireflies. There were THOUSANDS of them! It looked like a techno-Disney light show blinking all around us!
We retired to the cabin and opened a bottle of 2002 Borolo and sat outside to continue talking and enjoying the evening. We stargazed and tried to become friends with Buddy, the dog. Eventually, Jill and Kevin turned in and we decided to sit in the Jacuzzi for a bit and continue to look at the stars. It was an awesome beginning to our stay in Prattsville.
So, after the dinner, we headed back to the cabin. Kevin took us for a preliminary tour of the property in his truck. We saw a few deer, but what was the most amazing were the fireflies. There were THOUSANDS of them! It looked like a techno-Disney light show blinking all around us!
We retired to the cabin and opened a bottle of 2002 Borolo and sat outside to continue talking and enjoying the evening. We stargazed and tried to become friends with Buddy, the dog. Eventually, Jill and Kevin turned in and we decided to sit in the Jacuzzi for a bit and continue to look at the stars. It was an awesome beginning to our stay in Prattsville.
![Picture](/uploads/1/2/5/5/12556517/16928.jpg)
Come on get happy!!
The next day we all got up and Jill made us grommet waffles with nuts and chocolate chips (delicious!!), and because the weather was not cooperating, we decided to take a ride through the neighboring towns, Hunter and Windham, both of which were very quaint and had a lot of interesting architecture (something that we’ve been looking forward to seeing in New England). We stopped for lunch at a local brewery and had a couple of drinks and an excellent grilled catfish sandwich on chibatta bread with a lime-chili mayo. Super good!
While we had lunch, the rain let up! So we hurried back to the cabin to jump on the Piccoli’s ATVs. But not before Jill announced she had one quick stop for us. We were also informed that if we didn’t know what she was about to show us, beatings would ensue. But because we’re one of the cool kids, we totally knew exactly what she wanted to show us as soon as we pulled up. The ORIGINAL Partridge Family bus was parked in the lot of a garage!! Trip over. We’re going home.
While we had lunch, the rain let up! So we hurried back to the cabin to jump on the Piccoli’s ATVs. But not before Jill announced she had one quick stop for us. We were also informed that if we didn’t know what she was about to show us, beatings would ensue. But because we’re one of the cool kids, we totally knew exactly what she wanted to show us as soon as we pulled up. The ORIGINAL Partridge Family bus was parked in the lot of a garage!! Trip over. We’re going home.
But wait! Not before Jill and Kevin took turns leading us through trails all over their property through the Catskills. This was one of the most exciting things we’ve done so far on our trip. There’s nothing like getting into nature a bit, really seeing what the landscape is like, away from the cities. It was awesome, and their property was absolutely beautiful.
When we returned to the cabin, Michael, Jill and Kevin’s son, had arrived from New Jersey. Just in time for the dinner of all dinners. That night, a close friend of the Piccoli family, Jim, came over for diner. Jesse made several courses (including fish, chicken, and beef) and we drank several glasses of the Piccoli home brewed wine. It seems the 2012 vintage has great potential. It was a loooong evening (no really, dinner lasted about 4 hours because the cook (that’s Jesse) thought he needed to eat too, so the timing was a bit off) of eating, drinking, and merrymaking with family and new friends. Hopefully a great time was had by all.
When we returned to the cabin, Michael, Jill and Kevin’s son, had arrived from New Jersey. Just in time for the dinner of all dinners. That night, a close friend of the Piccoli family, Jim, came over for diner. Jesse made several courses (including fish, chicken, and beef) and we drank several glasses of the Piccoli home brewed wine. It seems the 2012 vintage has great potential. It was a loooong evening (no really, dinner lasted about 4 hours because the cook (that’s Jesse) thought he needed to eat too, so the timing was a bit off) of eating, drinking, and merrymaking with family and new friends. Hopefully a great time was had by all.