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June 02, 1983 - Holed Up in the WoodshedPage 12A The Suffolk Times June 2,1983 Holed Up in the Woodshed By PAULSTOUTENBURGH If nothing else, this week's article will be unique because I'm writing it in the woodshed. I haven't been punished and sent here for meditation. No, it all came about while I was cutting wood. Usually when I get up I take the dog for a walk around the pasture stopping to feed the horse and chickens on my way. The loop takes me around the perimeter of the area, winding up in the orchard, where I check the trees and my bees, and then through the vegetable garden to see how that's doing. This routine is fairly well established except when some unusual event like an outing takes place or we're going away on the boat. Then to gain a bit of exercise I usually chop one or two wheelbarrows full of wood. They say it's good for your circulation. Monday, Memorial Day, like so many others this spring was overcast and dreary. Around 6:30 a.m. we had thunder and lightning along with a good shower. With this general pattern of dampness my knee boots haven't left the door edge, where I grab them on my way out for it is the only way to keep dry in the pasture's tall wet grass. After my round, I headed for the woodshed, where I started to split some already cut -to- length logs. I'd been doing battle for about 15 minutes when the overcast sky decided to empty and produce its rain once again. Down it came with me taking refuge under the roof of the old woodshed. Here with some paper I perched myself on an old wooden wheelbarrow Winnie Billard had given me when she sold her place next door. I'm sure it could tell some wonderful tales. It is one of those that have an actual wooden wheel and wooden removable sides. The lines are so practical I wonder why they don't still �n1uiSMl�� make them. It must have been built during the transition period from wood to steel for there are traces of metal in the bracing and around the wheel. It's truly a work of art. As lowly as some might think the wheelbarrow is, its craftmanship makes you think twice about downgrad- ing this simple piece of equipment. Corners were charriferred and smoothed, the sides were lightly decorated and it balances well. As the saying goes, "They just don't make 'em like that any more." Raining Again As I sat watching the rain announce itself on each quivering leaf, I was interested to hear how the chorus of bird calls dropped off. All morning long the woods were alive with their calling. Now only the wood thrush called its watery melody and even this seemed hushed. Everything took on the look of a tropical jungle. Lush green everywhere was dripping with fresh rain. Occasionally as the wind blew in the treetops above, it would shower down an avalanche of raindrops and you could see the greenery sag for a moment under the additional weight. My chickens, who notoriously dislike to be wet must have found a dry spot under the eaves of the barn for they too had stopped calling and the three vocal roosters seemed to have given up trying to outdo each other. As time passed, the 1390AM GOOD MLSIC . 91 r WHITE- BREASTED NUTHATCH - -This year -round resident comes to our feeder during the winter and raises its young in our nearby woods in the summertime. It's usually seen upside down looking for insects in the bark of trees. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh drops from the shed roof diminished and the songs and activities of the woods took up again. The now shabby food - gathering downy woodpecker sneaked in to grab a bite of suet from our now seldom used bag that is almost lost in the leaves of the tree. A flash of orange and black told me the oriole that was weaving her nest was back. It's been a week building now and the nest is becoming bulky and stringy. The strings were put out by my wife who cut up lengths of cotton cord and draped them about. Through the woods I can see the white - breasted nuthatch as he sneaks down the tree upside down with a mouthful of insects. He heads for the old bird box, where he has a family of young to feed. Now he pops out with a white sac in his bill. This is like changing diapers in the bird world. A mucous sac is produced which holds the waste while it is carried away and discarded. Rain Finally Stops Now the rain has stopped completely and the woods once more takes up their calling. The cardinal, a proud father, now preens himself by the patio. The bluejay, usually noisy about the woods, is quiet now seeing it's nesting time and he sneaks about looking for food every- where. He comes down in front of the woodshed hopping along looking for morsels to take back to the nest. I blink and he catches the movement and is off -- in sudden surprise. Off in the distance the male yellow- crested flycatcher calls its distinct raspy call. I hope it finds the open- fronted box I put up for him for he's a regular nester in our woods. Mosquitoes now move in to my retreat and start their probing for a likely spot to feed. One was so clever I never even noticed his swelling body and when I swatted him, it left a patch of blood. One thing to be said for the rainy day is that the temperature is up to 60 already -- so much better than those cold chilly damp days when it was 40 and 50. As I sit here contemplating this Mem- orial Day, I pay homage to those I remember in a different time. So many were deprived of the joys I'm experien- cing. There is no woodshed for them nor the soft melody of the woodthrush to hear. There are no gentle rains or summer days. No, they are gone. It's difficult to figure out when you look out on today's world, hear the news and contemplate the events of the day. How important I thought it all was way back then. We all had such high hopes for the future. Perhaps what it was all about was merely a buying of time. Time in which we will be given one last chance to work things out in this confused world. Let's hope and pray we can make it work for I'm afraid we won't have a second chance. CUSTOM CHAROS SOUND Personalized Service over 50 Maj or Brands a� � � custom Installatlons — 3t = Substsntisl Savings EASTERN L.I: s LARGEST AIlTDIO VIDEO SPECIALISTS 28 Cameron St. Store Hours Just off Main St. WHY DRIVE WEST? ]O to 6.Daily Southampton closed Sundays 283.4428 ROOFING STAMEN Is the place to go... Whether you're ROOFING, RE- SIDING or RE- MODELING It you need Roofing Materials you'll find that nobody can top Stamenl WADING RIVER 928 -8200 SOUND AVE. 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