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January 30, 1986 - The Spoils of GloriaJanuary 30, 1986 The Spoils of Gloria By PAUL STOUTENBURGH I can't remember a year when I've had such a quantity of wood cut for the future. Hurricane Gloria, of course, is responsible. Usually we have enough in our own woods around the house plus other downed trees to just about get us through the year. The big advantage of that type of wood cutting is that the majority of it is old and seasoned and it burns almost like coal, leaving little ash. Gloria's spoils are quite the contrary. For even now, almost four months later, the wood is still as green as the day it fell. Personally, I like it that way for cutting and splitting -- it's easier on the saw than when it's dry and hard. Most of my wood is cut now and merely awaits my splitting. Each day I take a crack at the pile outside and put away three or four wheelbarrows full to dry in the woodshed. It's good exercise and there's some sort of inner pleasure in figuring out the correct place to split. Each piece is different, particularly if there is a knot or two involved. For those who have split wood, I'm sure you know what I mean. I have two or three chunks set aside that I haven't yet been able to split. Lord knows I've tried. The wood defies splitting even with the old iron wedges driven with a sledge. No wonder the old shipbuilders chose those "natural grown" sections of the trees where the limb and trunk literally seemed to be welded together. They knew where the strength was. There are still those who build wooden boats from the mighty oak. Keels and ribs of oak are still the true hallmark of a good wooden boat. Further south, where the pungent The Suffolk Times Focus on Nature yellow pine grew, it too was used in boat building. This wood was so charged with resin that it actually sank when placed in water. So dense and impre- gnated with pitch, the underwater wood - boring worms that are the curse to wooden boat bottoms even left it alone. An old southerner told me once that this yellow pine was called torch wood where he came from because of it being so volatile with resins it could be ignited easily with a single match. Back to splitting wood. I've often run into interesting creatures when the pieces split open. There's the sleepy yel- low grub that has been boring away in the tree but now is slowed down because of winter's freeze. It spends its life gnawing away until some woodpecker, alert on the outside, hears him. Then the chips fly as a downy or hairy or red - bellied or flicker digs away to ex- pose him. Once this is done, the special long tongue that's curled up in the roof of the woodpecker's mouth comes into play. At the very end of the tongue, there is a barb -like appendage that hooks on to the worm. Then there's the colony of carpenter ants, the culprits who sometimes choose our homes to chew on. When I split a log they'll fall out, sometimes by the handful. Chilled by winter's freeze, these wood eaters become numb and lifeless. Often, it's these very ants that weaken our trees so they'll topple in strong winds. decorating .. . �►t i1 The basics of good •With Morgan design emphasize the importance of doors wow &*rS. in a home. And only Morgan offers a complete selection to coordinate all the doorways in your home. This includes exterior, interior and bi-f old doors. Choose from a remarkable variety of exciting designs, ready for stain or paint to fit your decorating scheme. No matter what the style of your home, let Morgan coordinated wood doors expand the possibilities. RIVERNEA0 V BUILDING. SUPPLY CORP. y 303 Ostrander Ave. 3 Railroad Ave. Riverhead, N.Y. East Hampton, N.Y. 727 -31650 324.0300 Fleet Lumber Kitchen Cabinet Showroom Rt. 25, Greenport 1295 Pulaski St., Riverhead 477 -1906 727 -1400 Page 13A Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh CARPENTER'S SHOP--All along the New England coast in shops like this great wooden boats were born. Today in the Greenport Yacht and Ship Building Company still remain traces of the age when skills and craftsmanship were a way of life. When I finish splitting, it's the chick- ens' turn. They hang around the perimeter, watching and waiting. Then in they move, scratching and picking at the ground to find a yellow grub that's fallen free, or ants for a special winter treat. Less often I'll find the remains of cav- ity nesters, like those of the crested flycatcher, woodpecker or perhaps the abandoned remains of a chickadee's or nutchatch's nest. More often, though, it will be the home of an adventurous lit- tle wood mouse. These little fellows explore everywhere and if there is an opening available they are sure to find it in their nightly wanderings. Perhaps that is why they sometimes find their way into our homes. It's funny how things change as you grow older. As a kid I cut our firewood with an old buck saw and I must say it wasn't too exciting. Today I rather enjoy cutting wood. Yet if it hadn't been for that responsibility of getting and cut- ting wood when I was younger, I prob- ably wouldn't have been exposed to the outdoors that I find such a sense of won- der in today. Perhaps these are what we call the building blocks of life; ex- periences either good or bad when we are young. The SOUTH OAKS FOUNDATION at SOUTH OAKS HOSPITAL invites the public to a FREE LECTURE AND DISCUSSION G KNOWING ABOUT AND HANDLING SLEEPING PROBLEMS —t, Nicholas Samios, M.D." Senior Psychiatrist, South Oaks Hospital Sivachandra Vallury, M.D. Senior Psychiatrist, South Oaks Hospital i WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY S at 2:00 P.M. • Tired during the day, wide awake at night • Exercises, techniques, and theories • Knowing your limits • How and where to get help Attendance limited to 100. Seats MUST BE reserved in advance by calling: OFFICE OF CONTINUING EDUCATION SOUTH OAKS HOSPITAL, Amityville 264.4000 EXi. 463 SOUTH OAKS HOSPITAL Chapel- Auditorium 400 Sunrise Highway Amityville, L.I., New York 11701 Leonard W. Krinsky, Ph.D., Executive Director A community service provided without charge by the South Oaks Foundation.