Loading...
February 07, 1985 - A Moon lit Winter WalkPage 14A. Thee siAtolk Vlihes FebVUd y 7 -1 '29 5 A Moon /it Winter Walk By PAUL STOUTENBURGH The moon is out and deserves my at- tention so it is time to go for a walk. Hickory, our dog, is up as soon as I reach for my coat, and by the time my boots are on, he can hardly contain himself. Wagging his tail and jumping, he waits at the door barking, "What's taking you so long." We step out into the brisk clear winter night amongst the trees with hardly a hint of wind. How well the woods protect us. There is a crunching underfoot as a result of the cold snap last night. We had had days of rain and snow that turned into slush underfoot. Then last night we had a snow that turned it all into a sparkling world by morning. Add to this a full moon and you have the perfect conditions for a walk. Stepping outside, I stand for a mo- ment to let my eyes get accustomed to the dark. It's a special world now of moonlight and snow. The dark sides of the trees stand out to show their bold- ness, and the old stable and chicken coop silhouette themselves in the woods to my right. A chill sneaks in around my neck as I close the top button of my coat. The shadow of a rabbit darts along the pasture fence. It moves so fast and disappears so quickly I'm not quite sure I'd seen it. Yet the dog following closely behind tells me it was so. My crunching footsteps lead me to- ward the stable where a silent white - faced cow peers out at me; the other one is looking over its shoulder. I'd dis- turbed their peace. Ducking under the fence, I make my way toward the open south pasture, passing alongside our sailboat now mummified in its winter wrap. Here it will lay till spring, when Focus on Nature again she'll be painted and polished and used for another season. Far Away Place Standing in the middle of the pasture, the rim of trees around the edge cut off the outside world. For a few moments I imagine myself in some great far north country away from everyone. That chilly wind from the northwest now worked on anything that stood in its way. I bring my collar up around my neck. It is so bright I'm sure I could read the Sunday paper. The brightness dulls the stars and only the brightest shines through. One brilliant planet in the sky captures my eye to the west. It tries to compete with the moon and in sparkle it would have won. By now I have two guests. The cows that had been content in the stable join me and follow me one behind the other. When I stop, they stop. Up on the back hill the black and silhouetted old hay rakes and tether stand out in the snow. Would they ever clatter and turn again? I'd used them years ago when we had our horse Dusty and grew our own hay. Now, like some mechanical ghosts, they stand stark and unused. The clump of pines planted years ago up in the corner act as a backdrop for this whole glorious scene. They were Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh MAY RAKE - -One never tires of looking at the changing shadows thrown by the old rake up in the back lot. On moonlit nights it's even more striking. planted when they were only whips and now stand 20 feet or more above me. Each foot represents about a year of growth. The idea was that the clump of pines, when matured, would attract owls to roost in them. This reminds me -- owls are going to have a tough time hunting over this snow. Their food, in the form of mice and voles, is scurrying below protected from the eyes of these efficient night hunters. It's -times like these that owls literally starve to death because they can't get at their food sup- ply. The only one the mice and voles must worry about is the fox, for he is still an efficient hunter and can dig out these scurrying little balls of fur with- out any problem. Time to Eat? I passed the old hay shack where the cows thought I was originally headed. It is here each morning I pull out a bale of hay to feed them. No, they'd have to wait till morning, and they stop and stare. How forlorn they look. I leave them standing like some statued ghosts wondering why I passed by without the usual handout. Swinging back down lot toward the house, I walk along the dwarfed trees of our orchard. The white beehives blend with the snow and I won- der if the brood inside is alive and well. All the cracks in their winter quarters are sealed tight against the winter's wind. They are good housekeepers. An ample supply of honey is all they ask and they'll survive with the heat that's produced by its consumption. I can even see that the little wired entrances are still in place to keep the mice from raid- ing the hives. Everything was taken care of The rest is up to them. Now it's through the fence again and U. S.S.HOLLANU DEAN BLAME of the first Submarine Base in the U.S. New Suffolk, N.Y. 734 -5330 G Lunch and Dinner Specials Daily Open 7 Day A Week All Year Round LUNCH: Mon. - Sat. 11:30 - 3:00, Sun. 12:00 - 3:00 DINNER: Mon. -Fri. 5:00- 10:00, Sat. 5:00.11:00, Sun. 12:00-9:00 All Major Credit Cards Accepted across the lawn to the house. The light from the living room beckons me home. I've been renewed and truly rewarded. Inside the house I feel the warmth of the old wood stove as it radiates from the kitchen. It's difficult to plan on things like a walk in the moonlight with snow on the ground. You just have to do it when everything comes together. There are too many cloudy days in our lives to put it off for another night. Take advantage of every opportunity. Everyone Reads The Suffolk Times Ln MZCLLC RESTAURANT FRANCAIS Open All Winter Mon ky Tek 11 Soup h jour cSa la i) veal,cSausage r' Peppers Co JJe e Pie $ LUNCH BRUNCH DINNER MAIN ROAD SOUTHOLD 765 -2656 CLOSED TUES. & WEDS.