Summer Reading Program Sign Up Sunday at Ellenville Farmers Market

Thought of the day...a closed mind is a beautiful thing to lose.

First, if you have not been to the Ellenville Farmers Market on Sundays, the trip into town is WELL WORTH THE RIDE. A small quality group of vendors offer a fine array of fine baked goods, gourmet produce, and other treats for your tastebuds, senses and the mind.

A drive around Skyway on a Saturday, or a visit to the pool shows us we have a number of kids here for the summer, so the Big Boomer strongly encourages parents to head to the Ellenville Farmers Market this sunday as the local library will be there signing folks up for their Summer Reading Program! Go buy some great produce from the local farmers, and contribute to your child's higher learning by getting them signed up for this great program!

Steven Colbert Will NOT Be Happy! (BEAR ALERT)

For any fans of late night on Comedy Central, you know that Steven of the Colbert Report DOES NOT LIKE BEARS! So, he's not going to be happy with the recent siting of a VERY LARGE bear up on the Ridge here at Skyway Campground. The rumor mill is buzzing with reports of the siting, and the HUGE SIZE of the bear...someone needs to tell the Greenfield resident feeding these bears to STOP IT!

In the meantime, lets all remember to keep our food stuffs safely stored away, and our garbage in the dumpsters!

In the meantime, if you are looking for something FUN to do this Saturday, June 28th of 2008, it's STRONGLY recommended that you go down to our clubhouse this evening for the laughs associated with our own Comedy Night here at Skyway Campground. Let's do George Carlin proud by showing up in droves!

Left, Right, Center At Skyway!

The Big Boomer and his faithful sidekick (that would be Pina) played our first game of Left, Right, Center not to long ago here at Skyway...let's just say this dice game is a serious blast, and no camper should be without the proper equipment to get a game started! From start to finish this game is full of twists and turns, and the winner is up in the air till literally the final roll of the dice. For those who consider themselves far to intellectual for simple dice games, I give you the link to the OTHER Left, Right, Center...a great site for those political stiff necks.

Two Weeks of Recaps...Summer Is In Full Force

WOW...without naming names, lots of things have been going on in the Grove in the past few weeks, and the Big Boomer has just been too busy to keep everyone up to date on things, so here are some HIGHLIGHTS!

BIG NEWS...both the auction and BINGO were huge successes for Skyway, and for their never ending efforts to raise funds for St Jude! They, and everyone here at Skyway that steps up to bat for this incredible hospital deserves a pat on the back for a job well done.

Other BIG NEWS...Pina finishes her Radiation Treatments this Thursday (June 26) and will be up there for some much need rest, so make sure you stop by and say hello to her.

In the news area of The Grove:

1. Our most active Grandparents had three of their grand kids up this past weekend, and as usual, they were a WONDERFUL ADDITIONAL to the atmosphere here in the Grove. So, a SHOUT OUT to John, the Benster, and of course my favorite Superman Junion, Zach! All three had a great time taking the Bethelwoods Woodstock Mobile (AKA, Big Boomer's Golf Cart) out for a ride...what a cruise mobile.

2. Two of the campers in the Grove got cleaned this past week...always nice to see our campers (Grovers)taking pride in their sites, and in their campers.

3. Last weekend there was quite the little unplanned party at the Tiki bar on Saturday night...a FABULOUS TIME was had by all.

This coming weekend...Comedy Night! Only proper as a giant in the world of comedy, and a favorite of mine (George Carlin) passed away...he will be missed.

In the upcoming events category...a huge PARTY is in the works up on TOP OF THE HILL. Looking forward to Bill making drinks again this year. Also potentially in the works...a party down in the Grove with taste treats from The Big Boomer's favorite place in Ellenville, the Aroma Thyme Cafe...Pina and I are looking forward to dining there this weekend coming up, though it will be hard missing out on the great comics down at the main building of Skyway.

The Great Grove Brown Out of 2008

Follow The Crowd Down to The Grove

OH MY GAWD...this past weekend at Skyway was a thriller for those of us living down in the Grove. The sweltering heat saw everyone languishing slowly around the place, some chosing the comfort of the pool, while others hunkered down in their air conditioned campers and RV's doing what Americans do best...consuming VAST AMOUNTS of energy. Being out on the shade of a tree trying unsuccessfully to install lights on my golf cart I was unaware that rolling power surges were threatening to brown out the Grove until the park manager came racing down the hill in a cloud of dust, coming to a quick halt right in front of me!

Seems he had a warning/request for specifically ME! He needed me to turn off as much of my camper's STUFF as was humanly possible...lights off (none were on), turn off all unnecessary applicances such as televisions and air-conditioners, and switch my frig over to run on propane! What I did not quite understand was how I got targeted as the likely CAUSE of these rolling power surgers in our area. First and foremost, at the time of the occurance in question my air conditioner was not even on...I'd chosen to have our two screen doors and a few windows open instead, and other than two small useless fans that came with the camper, we do not have a fan out at camp, and neither one of our two flat screen TV's happened to be on.

I know I LOOK like a vast consumer of energy while camping, but most of what I light up at night runs on SOLAR.

Speaking with our neighbors, I learned that the rolling power surges were NOT NEW to our area, had been and issue last summer as well. Seems (according to the rumor mill) that all of us down in the Grove are currently sharing just one line, and though most of our campers are rated for 50 amps, we are supposed to do our best to remain under 30. Supposedly the electrical guru types are going to evaluate the situation this week and look for a solution...guess we'll put that on the list right under Internet Access.

In more pleasant news, we have our phone system up and running in the camper...for those that might want to reach us up at camp the number is 647-2989.

Don't forget this weekend's big AUCTION to raise funds for St. Jude! The rules state we are to contribute something new to be auctioned off...personally, I'd rather see some of us donate something OLD, something ANTIQUE!

Big Boomer's Camp...a Photographic Montage

A touch of whimsy, the moon waiting in the garden to greet the dawn of each new day.


















The delicate petals of a pansy seeking shelter from the noon day sun.



















The simple dandelion is far more complex, far more deserving than its classification as a weed.


















There is magic hidden within the shadows we cannot touch.












A wonder of Mother Nature's world, a moth visiting during the ritual of morning coffee.

When Green Is NOT Green-Meet The Hybrid Grill

Sharing this article from another of my blogs...meet the Green Hybrid Grill! Talk about trying to jump on the Green Bandwagon!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

When Green Is NOT Green-Meet The Hybrid Grill

THIS IS A GREEN HYBRID GRILL?

Everyone and their brother wants to be GREEN, and companies are willing to spend big bucks to Green Wash their environmental sins away. With Global Warming a reality, as we watch gas soar towards five bucks a gallon, American homeowners are getting in on the act of going green, or at least looking and sounding GREEN. Question is, when is GREEN not green, and do we need a Green Police?

Attempting to cash in on the Green HYBRID craze sweeping the nation we have Kalamazo Gourmet trying to sell us...drum roll please...the Hybrid Grill! It will burn gas, wood, charcoal OR ALL THREE for the GREEN Gourmet cook in your household! Ignoring the polution and sustainability issue in building this BEHEMOTH grill, you have to love their thinking. Seems relying on JUST WOOD and CHARCOAL could put a huge strain on our forests, thus the Hybrid Grill. Spread your pollution around by using a little bit from all three Fuel Groups!

Of course, that Green Thinking starts to smell like swamp gas when you read their sales pitch that you can use the gas for EVEN HEAT, while at the same time burning wood for the FLAVOR! Solar Grills, you have my attention, but trying to convince the American consumer that a grill that burns gas, charcoal and wood should be considered the new Green Hybrid Grill is bogus! This grill ranks right up there with Arnold's GREEN HUMMER!

The Shawangunk Wine Trail-A Great Day Trip

It's no secret down in the Grove that my wife and I have a penchant for fine wines, enjoy refining our pallet, sampling the treats from various regions of the United States and from around the world. Those camping this summer at Skyway are fortunate to have many fine wineries within easy distance of the camp sight, and in fact you can make a day of it by traveling along the Shawangunk Wine Trail. The Shawangunk Wine Trail is a PERFECT day trip, with scenery beyond compare. The trail is nestled between the Shawangunk Mountains and the majestic Hudson River in Ulster County and makes for an exciting drive.

The Trail is composed of nine family owned wineries listed below, and dozens of other "Associate Members" dedicated to making your visit a memorable experience. One of the wineries on the tour happens to be OUR PERSONAL FAVORITE...so if you take this DAY TRIP, make sure to stop in at Benmarl! The views are spectacular, the wines a true delight. Shawangunk 2008 Special Events.

Applewood Winery
82 Four Corners Road
Warwick, NY, 10990
Families love it here. Parents can enjoy the
wine tasting while children visit our petting
zoo. Come Pick-Your-Own apples in the fall or
take a wagon ride through the farm.

Baldwin Vineyards
176 Hardenburgh Rd
Pine Bush, NY, 12566
Taste our fifteen different wines including
Gold Medal Awarded: Chardonnay, Riesling,
Vignoles, Claret & Strawberry wine, plus
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Brut Sparkling
wine and Raspberry wine.

Benmarl Winery
156 Highland Avenue
Marlboro, NY, 12542
Benmarl Winery was founded in 1957 by noted
artist and Romantic Art Illustrator, Mark
Miller. Miller, a pioneer in early N.Y. state
Viticulture, helped to bring about
legislation for the N.Y. State Farm Winery
Act of which Benmarl holds license #1.

Brotherhood America's Oldest Winery
100 Brotherhood Plaza
Washingtonville, NY, 10992
Rich with history and the romance of
winemaking since 1839, Brotherhood Winery
beckons every type of wine enthusiast, from
connoisseur to novice. Listed on the NYS
Register of Historic Sites, Brotherhood,
the oldest winery in the U.S.
(with the largest underground wine cellars
in the country) has made wines to please
everyone since 1839.

Glorie Farm Winery
40 Mountain Road
Marlboro, NY, 12542
Housed in a 1913 barn near the top of
Mt. Zion Mountain.

Rivendell Winery
714 Albany Post Road
New Paltz , NY, 12561
Since 1987, Rivendell Winery has attracted
the attention of wine judges and enthusiasts
alike for our varietal wines made under the
Rivendell and SoHo Cellars labels: Chardonnay
Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; our
popular regional blends: City Cab, Northern
Lights, Southern Nights, Interlude Blush and
Apres...; and our seasonal specialty wines:
Undead Red, Elfen Red and Cranboise and
Sangria.

Stoutridge Vineyards
10 Ann Kaley Lane
Marlboro, NY, 12542
Stoutridge Vineyard is a new winery built on
the site of an historic homestead farm, which
has had vineyards planted since the early
1800’s and on which there was a commercial
winery from 1880-1910. In the early 1940’s
the farm was confiscated by the U.S.
Government for operating an illegal still.
In 2001, Stephen Osborn and his wife
Kimberly Wagner purchased the farm and set
about restoring it through the replanting of
the vineyards, restoring of the farmhouse on
it’s original 1855 foundation, and the
construction of a state of the art winery
utilizing old fashioned, ‘gravity feed’
design built directly on the original winery
site.

Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery
114 Little York Road
Warwick, NY, 10990
Wines include red and white grape derived and
apple and pear wines prepared from our own
fruit as well as our three-time award winning
Doc's Draft Hard Apple Ciders in three
flavors. The tasting room stocks jams,
preserves and fruit spreads, gift baskets and
select dry goods.

Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery
331 McKinstry Road
Gardiner, NY, 12525
Whitecliff is a family-run vineyard and
winery focused on artisanal, on-premise
production of high quality wines.

A Day of Fun-The Kelder Farm (U-Pick)

Our Friend Chippy Highly Recommends a Day At Kelder's Farm!

One thing we have plenty of at Skyway Campground is kids and grand kids. For families looking for a FUN DAY activity, you might want to consider loading everyone up for a day at the farm, or specifically, the Kelder Farm!

Yes, farms can be fun, educational and the Kelder Farm truly has something for the WHOLE family, including Pick Your opportunities throughout the summer, culminating with the Fall Harvest Festival where kids can pick their own pumpkins! Bring the entire family, pick your own quality produce, starting in June with lucious strawberries (WHICH ARE READY TO PICK NOW) and a variety of tasty vegetables. July and August there are flowers, blueberries, and blackberries to pick. In September and October, finish off your perfect camping season picking your own raspberries for that savory autumn delight, a DEEP DISH COBBLER.

Other treats at the farm include a greenhouse, petting zoo and even a miniature golf course! You can bring a picnic lunch, or find tasty treats once there.

Kelder's Farm & U-Pick
5755 Rt 209
Kerhonksen, NY
(845) 626-7137

info@kelderfarm.com

Internet? What Internet? The Grove Has No Signal!

Even when camping, citizens today find themselves for various reasons needing to have a RELIABLE internet connection. Simply stated, we in the Grove have no internet signal to speak of, cannot get online to check our email, or conduct our business. This is problematic for those who need to CHECK IN even when away on vacation.

The Internet service provider for Skyway is LinkSpot who charges those of us who want access to the internet a fee of $49.95 a month for the priviledge...a FAIR FEE only if one can get signal. For those who would like to complain to Link Spot, work to get us OUR SIGNAL, I recommend you contact the company:

LinkSpot, an ICOA Company

111 Airport Road
Warwick, RI 02889
USA

Tel: +1-401-352-2300
Fax: +1-401-352-2323
Email: info@icoacorp.com

What "The Grove's" crack reporters can tell you about the situation...

First, one of the antennae at Skyway seems to have been out completely for some time now. Further issues revolve around the signal amplifiers that are not functioning. Word has it that a technician has been out at the park, and new amplifiers ARE ON ORDER with expected installation of them slated for sometime in the next TWO-THREE WEEKS, or just in time for the Fourth of July holiday. LinkSpot is also (supposedly) looking into securing more bandwidth for Skyway, but states cost verse profits clouds the possibility...it's noted here that the cost of securing more bandwidth could be more than justified if LinkSpot started providing Internet Access that was reliable enough to justify us spending our hard earned dollars subscribing to their service. Right now, with most of us unable to get signal, LinkSpot is, simply stated, a bad investment. Hopefully the supposed infrastructure improvements will change that reality, and we as campers will have our access to the World Wide Web.

Does Grove Road Need Speed Bumps?

OK, one of the biggest down hill runs at Skyway happens to be in the Grove. Spend a bit of time in the Grove, and you will see children on bikes and adults on Golf Carts SCREAMING down the hill in their quest for SPEED, laughing and giggling along the way. Problem is, those speeding carts and bikes are accidents waiting to happen, and on dry days, a serious dust problem for those who live in the Grove. Late nights can be even worse, as bikes and carts are traded in for the occassional fast moving CAR or TRUCK! Loose gravel, late night and a fast moving vehicle will eventually create a tragic event. So the question of the day...Does the Grove hill need some speecd bumps installed to slow down the traffic through our area? Leave us a comment on the topic.

Featured business for this post is:

Peter's Market
7700 State Route 209
Napanoch, NY
(845)647-6990

This is a great market with very high quality goods, and a remarkable variety. Stop in for a big city selection coupled with small town charm.

Don't FORGET Auction Night For St. Jude!

This weekend coming up is all about GREAT EATS and communing with the great folks that make Skyway the wonderful camp ground community it is. While eating the various ethnic dishes, while chatting with old friends and making new ones, let us not forget the Auction Weekend to follow on June 13-14.

13-14 Old Fashion Country Auction

Campers donate new items to add to the auction block. Proceeds go to St. Jude's Children's hospital. (Our generosity helps to save the lives of children in need.)

The Next Generation of COOL To Visit The Grove

The Grove News is all about staying up with THE BUZZ...that in mind, news from the Tiki Bar at the BIG BOOMER's camp site has it that the next Generation of COOL will be making his first visit to the Grove the weekend of June 20-22, 2008.

This multi-talented and gifted guy (AKA the Benster) is likely to be seen cruising the camp grounds in the BIG BOOMER's golf cart, but keep in mind, this is all JUST RUMOR at this point in time. Be on the look out for a guy in super cool shades who is quick with a joke! Might be time to lay in serious quanities of Mug Root Beer at the Tiki Bar. Go Carts any one?

The Weekend of June 6-8, 2008 International Food Fair

First, congratulations to all the BIG WINNERS at last weekends Vegas Night at the Skyway which benefitted the St Jude Children's Hospital. A fabulous time was had by all, and the auction had some really great gift certificates from various local business interests in the area. The volunteer effort raised several hundred dollars towards the camp's 2008 funding raising goal for this fine organization.

Meanwhile, the buzz in and around the Grove concerns the upcoming International Food Festival where campers will show off their own culinary talents for an eager (and hungry) ground of appreciative diners. One thing is certain...no one will leave this social event hungry.

In news of a sporting type, there are whispers that the Paddle Courts are getting some serious use on Sunday Mornings...for those up early, stop by the courts around 9:30 to say hello, or to join in the fun and games.

Our featured business in this article is:

Ace Hardware in Ellenville
16 N Main St
Ellenville, New York 12428
(845)647-7850

Welcome to The Grove News

OMG! The Grove at Skyway has it's own BLOG publication!

Do you camp at Skyway? Are you one of the Grovettes, those fortunate enough to have one of the prime spots down in the Grove? Do you have news or gossip items you'd like to share with your fellow campers? Perhaps you have some wonderful photographs, or care to share a birthday announcement with the rest of the summer fun seekers spending their weekends in the Ellenville vacinity? If you answered yes to any of these questions, feel free to email our editor and chief, the BIG BOOMER himself at boomerville_news@yahoo.com and say hello.