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May 07, 1981- Back to the Beach AgainMay 7, 1981 Tbt 'Ouf f o[t Time; Page 17 Back to the Beach Again There is an excitement that comes whenever you step out on a new venture, especially when it's by water.We had not been to the ocean beach for a long time and were looking forward to meeting old friends and renewing our senses and feelings about the magnificent stretch of beach called Fire Island. Most would have waited for a warmer and more pleasant day but our yen to get out and walk the beach couldn't wait. May 2 found us sitting on the upper deck of the ferry waiting to go. Along side an occasional small bay boat would go by -- one was loaded with gill nets with its ac- companied newly - painted buoys. A few pleasure boats were tied up to their slips but there were many gaps that awaited the still stranded craft that had not yet been awakened from their winter storage. The roar and tremble of the engines below now told us we'd soon be on our way. Their noise blanked out all other sounds. Soon a shift in tempo and we were moving. Familiar sights glided by as we passed out into the wide stretches of the bay before us. Once outside we found ourselves engulfed in the grandeur `of the open space... great vistas that melted away into the far - distant rim of the shore ahead. Clusters of clam boats could be seen here and there with an occasional individual raking his chance for fame alone. Perhaps he'd strike it rich and wanted to keep the harvest to himself. Clams of the right size bring upwards of $70 -80 per bushel, you know. Far to the west the half domes of the two ridges that lead the car bound to Fire Island lay half -sunk on the horizon. - Further to the south was the winking strobe light of the Fire Island light, the sailors' savior. Faint Awakening Could Be Seen As we neared the slip on the Fire Island side familiar buildings and boardwalks came into view. Gone was the hustle and bustle of summer activity. Now only a faint awakening could be seen. A few people here and there. Perhaps an open window in one of the homes was the only sign that winter was over and a new life was slowly awakening. It was strange to see this area that teemed so with life in summer now only faintly stirring. The small group of visitors from the ferry found their way off the boat and onto the boardwalk with their arms loaded. A purple wagon clippity- clopped down the boardwalk ahead of us. Its leader headed on his way to his dream house. In no time Barbara and I were heading west on the boardwalk -- then a sharp left and we were headed straight for the beach. In a distance we could hear the rolling rumble of the surf through the underbrush. Here and there were white clusters of shad blossoming. Its crooked grey limbs and trunk reminded me of the purity of a Japanese print. Down below, under the protection of the low growth, a new world was awakening. Spring had triggered the bright green leaves of the Canada mayflower. Soon after its bloom we'll see the spectacle of the beach plum Its white mat of flowers sometimes smother a dune. Right now though it is still in tight bud. The surf's cadence now became more dominant and the crashing of the surf took over. How I remember sleeping on dreamy summer nights with that mystical sound in my ears. Beach Still the Same Suddenly, almost like coming out on the stage of some great theater, we emerged on the beach and there it was, an ocean that seemed to go on forever. Vast beaches to the left and right ran as far as your eye could see. The only object in sight was a distant dragger low on the horizon and a lonely gull on patrol. How good it felt to find the sand of centuries under our feet again. We hugged the dune where the sand was soft and deep. Its black magnetite and reddish garnet sands lay in windrows along its base. It was along this part of the beach that the pioneer plants of Fire Island would be found. The plants that through the ages have adapted themselves to the harsh environment the sea con- tinually thrusts upon them. Small seedlings of sea rocket reminded me of my own sprouting seeds back in my greenhouse at home. Later in the summer their green leaves would be plucked for seasoning in a salad by those lucky enough to know them. Ammophila or dune grass had long awakened its roots and sent out un- derground rhizomes probing the warm sand. From these foundations new and evenly spaced green shoots were coming up through the sand in straight precise rows. It's these very grasses that Fire Island owes its life to. Without them,'their rugged. ability to grow under the harsh conditions of the beach and their wondrous ability to capture the ever - moving sand that creates the dunes - the shifting sands of Fire Island would only be something that would be here today and gone tomorrow. More Beach Plants Emerging Not as common as the beach grass but another seaside landholder is the wild beach pea that by now has outgrown the cultivated peas of gardens back home. Soon the familiar shaped pea flower - purplish in color - will give way to miniature peapods. Although small in size, they are sweet in taste to those who get them before the birds and the bugs. Another seaside plant that was busting through the sands from its winter sleep was dusty miller. This grey -green plant will grow and spread into large clusters having inconspicuous yellow - stalked flowers later in the summer. But now it was merely a small plant just emerging from old root stock that was buried in the ENJOY OUR MOTHER'S DAY BUFFET AT Bill Klein's Restaurant at the Holiday Inn Fruit Cup French Onion Soup Crisp Green Salad & Relishes Yankee Pot Roast Seafood Newburg Stuffed Breast of Chicken with Wine & Mushroom Sauce Baked Smoked Ham Barbecued Short Ribs Broccoli & Cauliflower & Mashed Potatoes Exit 72, L.I.Expressway & Rte.28 Riverhead, New York 369.2222. BUILDING DUNES - -Man has tried to help nature hold itself on the barrier beach ... but natural plantings are the greatest builder of the dunes. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh sand through the winter. Our day dissolved into dusk and we began to think about the friends we'd soon be seeing. There would be the warmth of good people, the laughter and joy of old acquaintances. But now the beach cap- tured our souls. It was good to be back. The sea still rolled in its endless invasion. The beach had changed a bit as it does each winter. The plants were renewing them- selves. The gulls still patrolled the beach and our beachcombing eyes never stopped searching for its treasures..the wonders of Fire Island. It was good to be back. PAULSTOUTENBURGH iq ot "On the Sound" at Greenport, Long Island invites you and the family to a ,eery spec is 1 i Mother's a inner GIANT SHRIMP, fried in Ale Batter FILLET of LEMON SOLE, stuffed with Crab Meat FESTI VE DUCKLING, Orange Basted FRESH ROAST HAM, Basted in Champagne BABY LAMB, Mint Pear SIRLOIN STEAK, Broiled Strip N.Y. Cut PRIME RIBS of BEEF Vegetables Glazed Carrots - Broccoli Pureb Oven Roast Potatoes - Baked Idaho Potatoes Spring Salad, choice of dressing Serving LUNCH 12PM - 3PM DINNER 3PM - IOPM Mindy Marshall at the piano Every Fri. & Sat. Night Res. 477 -0666 OPEN 7 DAYS All Major Credit Cards accepted Banquet Facilities for Parties