May 27, 1982 - Old Docks and Young MindsSECOND SECTION
The *Uffolh Timex MAY 27,1982
Old Docks and Young Minds
The other day we had the pleasure of
having our young grandson stay over.
Time passes so quickly. It seems hard to
realize that at one point in time our kids
were at this tender age of about 18 months.
Now we're tending their children. Robby is
toddling, but Barbara carried him on the
long walk down our stony driveway. The
world was his. Everything was of interest.
The mere swaying of a branch in the wind
caught his new and eager mind with
fascination. The reflection in the huge bird
bath alongside the driveway captured his
eyes. When a bird hopped across the
roadway ahead of us, he exploded in
delight.
Most older minds would have passed
these events by. They would be too
common. They have seen these things
before and time has dulled the senses. Yet
to Robby's new mind, nothing could be
more exciting. Perhaps the secret to
looking is to see the common from a
different perspective.
I remember years ago when I taught
photography and the students were
photographing an assigned object. If left
alone, each would choose a different view.
Each seeing the object in their own minds.
And when I put all the photographs out on a
table, it was remarkable how many
variations of the same subject lay before
me. So it is with seeing the common.
Perhaps we should look at it in different
ways.
At the end of the driveway, we picked up
the Sunday paper and headed to the dock.
Once across the road, the marsh and dock
lay before us. Old docks have a look of
always having been there. I can remember
cutting the stout locust and oak poles from
our woods years ago when my energy was
cheap and inexhaustible. It has served us
well. It never was pulled up by the ice
because we have the advantage of living at
the end of a creek where the waters are
mostly brackish and warm because they
seep out from springs. Groundwater being
in the neighborhood of 50 degrees had a lot
to do with keeping the ice from building up
q @ �,] RK '(� @
ME,NTq.
to any great thickness and thereby pulling
out our posts.
Spellbound by All Around
It's a bit creaky and must be repaired
soon, but for now it was the center of
attraction to our young grandchild. Never
had he seen such wonders, swaying
grasses, ducks that burst into the air from
the water's edge and the boat tied to the
dock. Spellbound would be the appropriate
word. His eyes swept in all about him. The
little winding waterway must have been in
his mind as the big Mississippi to you and
I.
We sat on the old plank bench that
sagged with the mere weight of time. How
peaceful and serene the whole area
seemed. Every once in a while some
movement or bit of interest would kindle a
new burst of enthusiasm and the tiny
finger would point and his whole body
wanted to say, "What's that ?" "Tell me
about it."
I could see in the future many hours
ahead of exploring and explaining the
wonders of the land to this new and open
mind. What fun it will be to dig up a fiddler
crab for his close inspection, to pull ribbed
mussels from the bank to be scrubbed and
cooked at home for a feast, to find a
clapper rail's nest in the marsh grass or
just quietly paddle down the creek to
absorb the sound and smells and sights
about us.
Right now our old dock was more than
enough to keep his young mind occupied.
The old galvanized cleat that the boat was
tied to was just as important as the brass
ring on the merry - go-round at this point in
does your
marina
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❑ Floating docks for yachts 26' to 48' ❑ Olympic size swimming pool
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wooded peninsula
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❑ Gasoline and diesel fuel
❑ Snack bar
❑ Short walk to picturesque village
❑ 50 ton lift
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❑ Mechanic on premises
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❑ Complete maintenance and repair
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service available
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[]Open all year
❑.Authorized NOAA Chart Agent
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credit cards accepted
MattmAmMar
does!
We're ideally situated at the head of Mattituck Inlet in the beautiful and historic village of Mattituck.
Call us or stop in soon. Availability of slips is limited.
Matt -A -Mar 298-4739
MARINA P.O. Box 1235, Wickham Ave.,
Mattituck, NY 11952 0
;' , Membcr Matutuck
Chamber of Commerce -
S19 /ft is basic rate for summer dockage from April 30th to Oct. 15th and includes 4 free pool passes for the use of
yacht owner and family. Other seasonal options are available and there is a nominal monthly charge for electric hookup.
RED - WINGED BLACKBIRD - -When this bird is high on a bush or tree
calling and simultaneously fluffing out his red epaulets, he is staking
claim to his territory. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
time. Then there was the moving water
with its great rafts of green cabbage
quietly sliding by on the outgoing tide. His
keen eyes picked up the killies below as
they swept the bottom for bits and pieces
of food. Nothing escaped his view. Now a
red -wing caught his eye as it proclaimed
the territory about with a series of rasping
calls topped by a display of his bright red
epaulets. Though the voice was new, I'm
sure it was recorded somewhere in that
small but expanding mind. The simple
task of bailing out the boat from the
previous night's rain was new and
intriguing to him. When I stopped, a soft
and mellow "more- more" came smiling
down to me. Not to disappoint that childish
want, I proceeded to put back some of the
water from the creek. Now Robby was
satisfied as I continued again slipping the
water over the side in a gush of sparkle
and splash.
Learning to Swim
Many times our own kids were brought
down to the dock for just such an
introduction. As they grew older their lives
became more adventuresome and often
they'd climb down into the boat to explore
the creek and beyond with me. Some days
when the spring tides were up, Barbara
and I would take the kids down to the dock
to go swimming. I think they learned to
swim there, but they'd never put their feet
down because of the soft cold mud below.
Bare feet were never brave enough to
touch that forbidden land for surely in
their minds there would be a crab just
waiting to nibble on a tender young toe.
Feet thrashing above automatically made
swimmers of them all.
Years have passed and a new generation
has started. How I hope the area will
afford them the same opportunities our
kids had of living in an unpolluted, clean
countryside. We have much to be thankful
for. Let's hope our children's children will
have what we had.
PAULSTOUTENBURGH
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