Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to edit out the utility wires from the view of the Catskills from Thomas Cole's porch? Done! They are gone. We've been working on this project since before I came on the job in 2003, and last week they actually clipped the wires away. Here also is a photo of the immense cables they put underground. The lines that run in front of the Thomas Cole Historic Site are major arteries for three utilities: cable, phone and electric. One of the many service people who were working on the project told me that if they clip these wires, people all the way up through Albany would be without power, so it must be done very carefully. Looking out now, it is easier to imagine that 200 years have been erased, and Thomas Cole might be seen walking across the porch.

Our new arrival circle is coming into place. The landscape construction project was on hiatus until last week, but the crew has been moving quickly since then. Here you can see the new stone retention wall being built. One of the giant stones is being lifted into place. The wall contains approximately 150 such rocks, averaging 3 x 5 feet in size, and weighing between 500 and 1500 lbs!

While we are waiting for the construction to begin again, I thought I might share with you the wonderful drawing by landscape architect Robert M. Toole showing our landscape plan. It is coming up a little blurry on my screen here, but a crisp reproduction is on the back cover of the newsletter that will be mailed out to our members shortly. (not a member?) Here is the key to the numbers on the drawing:

1. Restored entrance gate and piers
2. Restored wall and picket fence
3. Restored carriage drives and paths
4. Orchard plantings
5. Boundary screen planings
6. Restored cedar grove
7. New arrival circle
8. New parking

It's job-creation time here at the Thomas Cole Historic Site. We're looking for a wonderful person to staff our visitor center from May through October. It's a paid position, and applications are due this Friday through USAJOBS.gov. Click here to read more about it. If you are a college student, or have just graduated, I encourage you to check out our Internships and Fellowships. Coming up on March 14th is our Information Day for volunteers for the 2010 season. Click here to learn more. Recruitment and training are all happening this spring, so it is the perfect time to get involved.

With our new exhibition of women artists next year, we might be on to something. I recently learned that the woman Hudson River School artist Laura Woodward (1834-1926)  is the subject of a new book that also includes information about her colleagues, Julie Hart Beers and Eliza Greatorex, all of whom will be featured in our 2010 show. I love this bit from the book's description, "Her bravery cleared the path for women landscape artists to follow." Here is a link to more info about the book: www.laurawoodwardartist.com/woodwardbook.html.