I love to be surprised by things that are happening in the country events that are totally unexpected.

I’ve recentlly started watching a reality show about a group called Treehouse Masters that builds elaborate treehouses that are made to order for their clients. One treehouse had a firehouse pole to slide down in case of a fire. There was a propane gas fireplace on the top floor so that was an appropriate safety feature to have.

The locations are in various states and the one I started watching was in upstate New York and in the Catskills. That immediately piqued my interest. Could it be in a territory I was familiar with? It certainly was. Callicoon, New York appeared on the screen. Maybe you heard me scream with excitement, even though I was watching the show from River Edge, and not Callicoon Center.

After a client explains what they want, they are not allowed to visit the location until the house is completed. I’m not the only one who likes surprises.

This particular one was being built for an interior designer and her husband. The leader of the crew, broke with tradition to get the help of the woman since she was skilled in the field. They decided to surprise her husband, however.

Discarded wood from abandoned buildings that had been torn down was used, but the main feature was a series of windows in all different sizes which were put together in a beautiful display. The couple were delighted with the view and the setting in a grove of trees.

Another Callicoon scene that surprised me was the opening one of the grain elevator in the 2005 movie Transamerica. Since the grain elevator had nothing to do with the story, one of the producers or member of the cast must have seen that remarkable structure and been impressed with it.

It’s wonderful when other people discover and appreciate the beauty of Callicoon and other scenes in Sullivan County.