News – Sycamore

March 2022. So far the Brown-headed Cowbirds and Phoebes have returned to the area, and the morning sky typically has hundreds of Canada Geese migrating back north, so spring is in the air. Rufus-sided Towhees usually show up mid to late March so we’re watching for them as well. The tractor has been fitted with the brush cutter and field mowing will be done in March too, ahead of the time that turtles and snakes break dormancy. The guest house is being readied for warmer weather and pool supplies are being restocked. All in all, typical early spring work list!
February 2020. A warmer-than usual winter has us planning field mowing operations ahead of schedule. Usually we start mowing the open fields by mid March but it’s looking like mowing will start before the end of February. For guests who normally visit mid to late summer and end up here in early spring the comment is always “wow, the place looks so open!”. The idea is to mow the fields to control woody plants and do this before the reptiles and amphibians break their dormancy. This also allows the native birds to get to the last of the former season’s seed stock.
September 2019. Kissing a dying hummingbird wasn’t on my bucket list and I’m not sure that I ever thought this would happen. An older female, coming south from northern parts, ended up here in late September. The younger hummingbirds, also coming south, were relentless in attacking the elder bird. Logically it makes sense as there is limited food this time of year and the stronger birds, still capable of reproducing next year, need as much energy as they can get. Still, finding a wounded, dying hummingbird on one of the feeders took me aback. It seemed like the only proper thing to do was give her a kiss, take her away from where she would be attacked, and let her have her last few hours on this earth in peace. Part of country life. We are surrounded by births and deaths, seasons of life bounding forth and pulling back. Ultimately, it’s all good. Still hard in the moment to make sense of it all.
2019 – Wow – Summer came and went so quickly this year. The Contemporary American Theater Festival flew by in July, we had great weather for the pool and sunning, then fall swept in!
September 2018. Pool season is officially over. With the non-stop rain and cloudy weather, and the potential for tropical storm winds and rain in the upcoming week we decided it’s best to close the pool. We opened the pool in early May this year and anticipate doing the same in the spring of 2019!
July 2018. The Contemporary American Theater Festival ended after a great season. We were able to catch all 6 plays, both with guests and friends. The highlight of the season was the performance of the Libby 12 ounce water glass in the play titled A Late Morning [in America] with Ronald Regan. The drinking glass played a brilliant performance and had the rapt attention of the entire audience for the second half of the play.
April 2018. After a very delayed start to spring we’re finally getting the property in order for summer. Fields have been mowed, flower and vegetable beds prepped, and shafts lubricated. We know exactly where your minds went with that one – we’re talking about the drive shafts for the 5-foot brush cutter and the 6-foot finish mowers – geesh. Screens are up and hopefully this week we’ll be able to set up both outdoor showers. Once hummingbirds have arrived (and they did, the week of the 22nd) you know spring is here.
March 2018. We’ve posted a video of drone photography on the property. Check it out on the Image Gallery page!
February 2018. The Contemporary American Theater Festival has announced its schedule for the Summer 2018 season. Details on the six plays and this amazing festival are at http://catf.org
The pool is no longer cold! The recent hot spell ran the water temperature up to a very comfortable 78-82 degrees F.

Just a few notes concerning recent and upcoming events here at Sycamore:

The pool is in! It’s redneck (Walmart) and as of 8 June 2017 cold (65F) but it is assembled and filled with water. Hopefully this upcoming week of 90+ weather will solve the cold water issue.
The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) has released it’s schedule for six plays to be run during the month of July in Shepherdstown, WV. Most of the plays in previous years have been outstanding. We’re looking forward to a festival with an extra play this year too! [April 2017]
We are doing research on an above ground pool. The plan would be to set one up on the north lawn of the Guest House – targeted for operation by the end of June 2017- stay tuned!
An almost snow-free winter (at least so far)! We took the time to modernize the website and make it mobile and tablet friendly. [28 January 2017]
The sauna was sold to two enterprising young men from Ohio! We are thinking of eventually adding a wood-fired sauna to the property but for the time being, the warmth of the hot tub and the sun should do the trick. [October 2016]
As summer draws to a close we want to thank all of the wonderful men who choose our place for a weekend get away or as an overnight stop on a long journey this summer. Labor Day was yet another fun filled weekend with a full house of wonderful and interesting men! Our traditional Labor Day group dinner was a blast – everyone participated (this really has become a great tradition to do a group dinner on each of the big three-day federal holidays in the summer). It’s aways a good sign when we have to add more water to the hot tub – the packed in crowd having displaced that much water. You guys who were here this weekend know who you are and we want to thank to for making the last big weekend of the summer such a blast! [7 September 2015]
Another very fun Memorial Day weekend has come and gone. As is typical, we hung around the breakfast table for hours, laughing and trading great stories. The Sunday evening group dinner was also a blast! Thanks to our handsome guests for making the weekend so fun. We even got to lube a couple of shafts on Monday (see where your mind goes! I’m talking about the drive shafts to the brush cutter and the finish mower. Go take a cold shower!)
Our big gay wedding was a blast! The grooms were absolutely handsome, the guests cheerful and ready to celebrate, and the dancing went well into the night. One hundred and twenty guests dined and danced in a huge tent set up in our North Field. Luminaries and paper lanterns lit the path and the tent was brightly lit, warm and dry. We thank the grooms, their families and their friends for pulling off the incredible logistics required to make this event so special! [25 April 2015]
The 2015 playlist for the Contemporary American Theater Festival has just been released. It looks like this will be a spectacular festival and a fitting set of plays to help celebrate their 25th anniversary! More at the CATF website. [22 March 2015]
After nearly 80 days the ice has FINALLY melted on the lane. Mark was able to pilot his motorcycle out for a week of commuting. Certainly this is a harbinger of spring! [16 March 2015]
The summer/fall season of 2014 draws to a close. We were once again blessed with a season of great men, fun times, tons of laughter at the table, and many warm memories. We’re looking forward to seeing these guys here in 2015. In the meantime – stay warm! [30 November 2014].
The annual field mowing has finally begun. After the Winter-from-Hell we are clear of snow and can now focus on the multi-day task. Mowing clears the fields of any unwanted woody plants and ensures that the fields remain in grasses and wildflowers. [20 March 2014].
The dates for the 2014 Contemporary American Theater Festival has been announced! Mark 11 July through 03 August 2014! More details are at the CATF website.
Artomatic came to Jefferson County for four weekends through the month of October 2013. Details can still be found at the artomatic@jefferson website. [June 2013].
Year 2 of the Ramp (wild leek) reintroduction project – 100 ramps were transplanted from private property in NY State to the Water Gap. [May 2013].
Internet service at the Guest House has been improved with the retirement of the wireless bridge. A wired circuit was installed between the Guest House and Building 5, greatly improving bandwidth. [May 2013].
The Contemporary American Theater Festival is scheduled to run 5-28 July 2013. More details concerning this amazing local event are at the CATF website [January 2013].
Building 5 (fuel oil storage) has finally been completed. This will serve as a hub to deliver faster Internet access to the Guest House. Thanks to everyone who had to deal with the trenching associated with this project! [November 2012].
A deck with an outdoor sauna and a second outdoor hot/cold shower has been installed to the north of the Guest House. New seating has been added to the South Lawn and up in the Corn Crib. [May 2012]
The stone house, also known as the Issac Clymer House, has been featured in a new book about the early houses of Jefferson County. Authored by John C. Allen, Uncommon Vernacular: The Early Houses of Jefferson County, West Virginia: 1735-1835 is an outstanding exploration into the first houses built in this portion of the Shenandoah Valley. Built in 1835 we just made it into the book but our house is one of the latest examples of the Hall and Parlor style. [October 2011]
In March 2011 the majority of the property underwent inclusion into the Jefferson County Farmland Protection Program. Forty five of the 48 acres are now protected from subdivision and development forever [March 2011].