October 11, 1984 - SnakesOctober 11, 1984
The Suffolk Times
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
SALT MEADOW GRASS -- This is one of the grasses we find in the
upper or high salt marsh. The early settlers cut this grass for their cattle.
Today it's sold in nurseries for mulching plants because of its resistance
to decay and lack of weed seeds.
A Walk on the Beach
By PAUL STOUTENBURGH
How different the bay is now. Gone
are the water skiers, the power boats,
the wind surfers and the sailboats. The
once busy bay is now almost empty. In
its place a small group of boats off New
Suffolk moves back and forth, gleaning
the bottom for that delectable delight,
the scallop. They'll work these waters
most of the winter.
Boats are still moored in the cove
where we keep our boat but a few empty
buoys vouch for the fact that some have
already been hauled. Most await
weekenders to get that last sail in be-
fore they, too, are hauled for the winter.
I went to check the boat and found
we had left one hatch slightly opened
and rain had gotten in. I took the rug
out and laid it over the boom to dry,
which ga v e me time to spare, so I rowed
over to Meadow Beach to do some
exploring. Perhaps that's not the cor-
rect term, but whenever I go for a walk
it becomes a mini - adventure.
As I pulled the dinghy up on the
beach, I disturbed a yellowlegs, one of
the shore birds we see in the spring and
fall as it migrates through our area. Its
alarm call alerted all the creatures of
the marsh that a stranger had set foot
on this peaceful and tranquil spit of
land. It flew up the beach only to alight
and again continue on its pickings
along the shore, its tail bobbing every
once in a while above it long yellow legs.
There's no mistaking this fellow.
Some Rare Turf
Meadow Beach is one of those rare
pieces of read estate that will forever be
kept just as it is. It is a salt marsh with
its sandy fringe of beach along the bay.
Man has disturbed it little since the be-
ginning of time and it was here I
walked. I remember as a kid rowing
over to this beautiful beach from across
the bay and having the terns dive bomb
us in protest of our landing. This was
their nesting ground in those days and
they defended it gallantly.
Then for a long time they were gone,
until a few years ago when the most
endangered of our terns, the least tern,
started nesting here again. This year
we must have had over 40 pairs of nest-
ing terns. Hopefully, with the coopera-
tion of the public.in keeping away dur-
ing the nesting period, they will be able
to double this number in the next few
years.
Piping Plover Nest, Too
The lovely and endangered piping
plover nests here also. Both the tern
and plover nest on the open beach, mak-
hc�gg3 @M
Mn,QMTq
ing them vulnerable to man's activities.
People often unknowingly wander into
these areas and cause grave harm.
Further up, the deserted platform of
an osprey nest stands out as a tribute
to man's ingenuity. For years the os-
preys have used it. This bird is on the
threatened species list and I am happy
to report that again this year it success-
fully raised its clutch on that platform.
Inland the area is a sea of green,
touched with the yellow of fall. This
high and low marsh mingled with the
other greenery has spent the entire
summer building seed heads which are
now just ripening. The scarlet of the
salicornia brightens patches through-
out, and, of course, I had to reach down
and break off a stem to chew. It has a
strong, salty taste and is often used in
seaside salads. It adds just that extra
something to a chef's specialty.
Russian thistle, a low plant with
wicked barbs, lets you know its pre-
sence should you rub against it. It loves
the beach with its dry, hot sand. The
hearty evening primrose shows off its
last yellow blossoms while the past blos-
(continued on next page)
CUSTOM SOUND
Eastern Long Island's Largest
Audio Video Specialists
Established in
1970
28 CAMERON STREET
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. 11968
HOURS: 10 -6 DAILY
(516)283 -4428
Only 15 Minutes from Riverhead
0 0
Nothing protects your
car's cooling system
against winter's sub -zero
cold better than
PEAK antifreeze & coolant
• . • nothing.
�3 49
per gallon
6/1 Gal. Case ,
per gallon
55 Gal. Drum
plus $16.00 Drum Deposit
Bulk Antifreeze
Available
i
QIantiheeze &codanl
Page 19
Established 1842
GOLDSMITH and TUTHILL INC.
Youngs Ave. Southold, N.Y. 11971
765 -3767
Mighty Mac
leaf blowers fog
Fast Neat
FO ;Ver
Raking
Hand raking leaves is a boring,
time consuming chore. You can
reduce it by 80§ with a Mighty
Mac leaf blower. Just start the
powerful Briggs & Stratton
engine and walk the blower
across your yard. A tremendous
flow of air with more power than
a hurricane moves even heavy,
wet leaves into neat rows for
easy collection. Mighty Mac
also blows driveways clean, and
dries pool aprons and tennis
Model LB -416 NOW
5 HP Engine 369 00
courts.
Model LB -816
8 HP Engine
NOW
$499.00
X1
Youngs Ave.,Southold •765 -3432
Pulaski St., Riverhead 0727 -3012
AGWAY
=
Page 20
KM
The Suffolk Times
Located on Route 25 (Main Road)
Between Southold and Greenport
Overlooking Southold Bay and Our
Marina.
DEAN BLAIKIE 765 -1010
Major Credit Cards Accepted
Plan Ahead for Your
PRIVATE PARTIES!
Thursday, October 18th
MASON SCHOLARSHIP FUND
DINNER
Choice of:
SCALLOP DINNER or
SLICED ROAST BEEF
3 -9PM
Tickets $10.00 (available at door)
Sponsored by:
THE PECONIC LODGE #349
LUNCH: Mon. - Sat. 11:30 - 3:00, Sun. 12:00 - 3:00
DINNER: Mon. - Thurs. 5 - 9:30, Fri. & Sat. 5 - 10, Sun. 12
A COMPLETE MARKET
Wir
WIZ7771 $7s]
XX
.� p, L b
I.G.A. White Bread .................... 2/20 oz. loaves $1.00
Brawny Paper Towels ................. 70 count Roll 594 ea.
Duncan Hines Cake Mixes assorted flavors ..... 18V2 oz. box 794
Quality Maid Cooked Ham Sliced to order........ $1.191/21b.
Hansel & Gretel Bologna ........................ 8901/21b.
Mother Goose Liverwurst .................... $1.091/21b.
Stella Provolone ............................. $1.291/21b.
Fleishmann's Margarine ................. 1 lb. Quarters 894
Citrus Hill Orange Juice ...................... 64 oz. $1.59
Bird's Eye Frozen Orange Plus ............... 12 oz. can 994
Cal. Emperor Red Grapes ........................ 6901b.
U.S. No. 1 L.I. Potatoes ...................... 10 lb. bag 994
Western Best Carrots .................... 4/1 lb. bags $1.00
Red or White Grapefruit ...................... 3 for $1.00
Firm Red Ripe Tomatoes ......................... 494 Ib.
Fresh Green Cabbage ............................ 1941b.
Prices Effective 10/8/84 through 10/13/84
Focus,,,
(continued from previous page)
soms ripen in seed pods below. Here and
there were clumps of sea lavender past
their bloom. Many a person picks this
in its prime, when its tiny blue flowers
create an umbrella which when dried
makes an excellent winter boquet. I did
find one small clump in full bloom. No
where else in that whole marsh did I
find any other blooming. It seems flow-
ers, like people, have their late bloom-
ers. What an exquisite blue!
Sea Rocket and Aster
Speaking of blue, right down at the
water's edge grows the first plant from
the sea, the sea rocket. Being in such a
harsh area, like most seaside plants, its
bloom is tiny in size. I'd have to taste
this also for the leaves are often used
in salads adding a mustardy taste that
penetrates right through your nostils.
Sprinkled here and there in the great
sea of green were the tiny pale blue
marsh asters that live right out on the
salt marsh. Here they have found a
home and can grow and prosper without
competition from the roadside or field.
Later I combed the beach for a while.
Slipper shells and fragile jingle shells
had been thrown up by the waves. I
picked up a jingle shell and admired its
delicate makeup, then held it up to the
sun to get the most from its radiant
color. I can never pass up a pair of false
angel wings; the long, stark, white,
fluted shells are so perfect and pure it's
hard to think of them burrowing in the
mucky bog of a shoreline.
Heading back, I walked across the
varied textures of the marsh -- thatch
grass, black grass, salt hay, salicornia;
all had their own definite ares. Each
seeks out its spot designed by the height
of the saltwater that nourishes it. A
October 11, 1984
slight rise of elevation changes the
marsh to another species.
Remnants from the Past
Half -way back I came upon a slight
rise in the area where hearty yellow
seaside goldenrod blossomed. Here, I'm
told, the remains of an old fiserman's
shack once stood. There is nothing left
except a few out -of -place field stones
and some old broken red bricks. I
checked them for their brand name but
found none. Could they have come from
Robins Island, which lies across the bay
to the west? Bricks were once made on
that island, using the famous Gardiners
clay for mortar. And who used this
area? And what did they catch? How
long was it used?
My mind spun with memories and
wonder. The noon siren way off in the
distance brought me back to today's
world. I feel good about this place and
I'm grateful for the people who had the
foresight to save this land for posterity.
Here's one place our children's children
can always come and experience fresh-
ness and beauty in an untouched world.
Community Day!
GREENPORT -- A Community Day
will be celebrated at the Third Street
Park on Saturday, Oct. 13, for all resi-
dents of Southold Town. Festivities will
begin at 4 p.m., right after the home
football game, and will include a bar-
becue and races. The free event is spon-
sored by CAST, Greenport Recreation,
the Greenport Men's Club and the
Greenport Housing Alliance.
Harvest Food Fest
SOUTHOLD -- The First Univer-
salist Church of Southold will hold its
Harvest Food Fair Saturday, Oct. 13,
from 9:30 -3:30 in the parish hall. Fea-
tured will be baked goods, homemade
breads, pickled foods, jams and jellies,
casseroles and other delectables.
the
Mor!sast Center
Mortgages are our only Business! ' 1K
13y4% Adjustable Rate
Mortgages
Yearly Cap: % %
Lifetime Cap: 3.5%
This Loan Protects the Consumer
Against Payment Shock!
Convenient Hours:
Monday - Friday 8 -5
Evening & Saturday
by Appointment
Also Available:
• Fixed Rate Mortgages
• Second Mortgages
• Construction Loans
• Quick it Easy Processing
P.O. BOX 1090
1380 ROANOKE AVE.
RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK 11901
(S 16) 369 -0333
AN EQUAL.
HOUSING ^
LENDER u