December 07, 1995 - A Taste of the White Winter to ComeGA • The Suffolk Times • December 7, 1995
A Taste of the White Winter to Come
By Paul Stoutenburgh
As soon as we woke we knew
something was different. Our
world had turned white
overnight. It shouldn't be, it
was still November. The wet
snow came down in big, soft,
floating flakes attaching a fluffy
charm to
Focus On e v e r y -
thing.
Nature Even the
bark of
the once-
black skeleton trees in our
woods now blended into a
patchwork of white. The weath-
er forecasters had predicted
snow to the north and only rain
along the coast, a typical Long
Island winter's day. What a
pleasant surprise to find our
world decked out in white.
As we started to move about
the house, I stopped at the wood
stove to catch the last bit of red
coals to start anew. The second
job was to spread some birdseed
out on the brick patio for now
all was lost under this new win-
ter's blanket. Out on the lawn
squirrels had already been busy.
Black patches of freshly dug
dirt showed up here and there,
telling me Bushy Tail was dig-
ging up his winter's storage of
nuts for breakfast. I saw him sit-
ting in the crotch of a tree, his
long furry tail spread out so that
when it was held up high it cov-
ered his back almost like a cloak. Little
pieces of dark husks of nuts were pep-
pering the white snow below.
How they can cut through that rock -
hard shell is beyond me. The only way
I',ve ever been able to get into these
hickory nuts is with a stout blow of a
hammer. The meat inside is real tasty
but it's beyond me to get it out without
mushing it all up and so it's one nut I've
not been able to crack.
My next job was to feed the chickens.
Usually they are out to greet me in the
morning but today there were none.
They were still within the safety of their
Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh
FIRST SNOW —It didn't take long for winter's white to cover everything outside. Here the
skeleton sunflowers bend to the coming of winter.
coop. After all, this was their first expe-
rience with snow and as yet they hadn't
gotten up the courage to venture out into
this new world of white. Hunger can
overcome almost anything and by the
time I lifted the lid of the feed box, they
were out waiting, one foot held high to
keep out of the cold snow.
I looked into the little barn. that 30
years ago we moved onto the property to
act as a stable for our horse, Dusty. He
has long since gone to greener pastures
and in his place were two young cows
who stood looking quite bewildered at
the white stuff. They, too, had never
seen snow before. Evidently they had
1_e69w i_wwiL ntAAvff
75 Years Ago
Dec. 3, 1920
National Film Day: The National Film Day Move-
ment may be fairly commented on as one of the most progres-
sive and praiseworthy cooperative movements ever attempted
on a national scale. Certainly an American Historical Film
Library is an absolute national necessity; motion pictures as a
medium of imperishable historical record and expression
must take a place second not even to the printed page.
Every city, village and community must be included in a
complete historical record as indicated. Just so: Every man,
woman and child of a community must, as a matter of pub-
lic duty, see to it that they are fittingly included in their
local film recording.
Film Day is proclaimed for Dec. 22. Let us make it the
biggest day in our entire history. The original film will be
preserved for the Historical Film Library of America. A
duplicate copy will be presented to Greenport for local pre-
sentation and record, and this film is to be released to public
review in theater and schools once annually on Film Day.
50 Years Ago
Dec. 7, 1945
Greenport Forms PTA: The Greenport School
District will have a Parent - Teachers Association. The need
been out in the pasture during the night
and when the snow started to fall, they
took cover in the barn and hadn't moved
since. They'd soon get used to this. After
all, they are well protected with a new
heavy winter coat of fur. Years ago I'd
seen our cows covered with a thick layer
of snow. I suppose it actually helped
keep them warm for it acted like a solid
blanket against the cold.
Whenever it snows, particularly the
first snow, one should get out and walk
about to enjoy its newborn splendor. I
think today the snow was only two or
three inches deep. Just right for walking.
The pond down below was the only thing
of this organization, which features closer cooperation
between parents and teachers in education advancement,
was decided at a public meeting on Tuesday evening.
A group of about 70 people gathered in the school audito-
burn to discuss the feasibility of organizing a PTA. Mrs.
Walter Luce, president of the Southold Parent Teacher
Association, gave a most interesting talk on the work
accomplished by the Southold organization.
After considerable discussion it was voted to organize a
PTA in the Greenport School District.
25 Years Ago
Dec. 4, 1970
New Magazine In Town: A view of the Greenport
Harbor with a ship's figurehead from S.T. Preston and Son
will be featured in color on the cover of a new magazine,
On the Sound. The first issue will be on newsstands in Jan-
uary. The story of former New York advertising executive
Frank Fagan "kicking the commuter habit" to take over
Preston and Son here will be featured.
Also scheduled to be in one of the first issues is a story of
the battle against Levon by local groups. Its contributors
will include lithographer Stow Wengenroth of Greenport,
author Chris Welles of Orient and New Jersey, and Barbara
Dorman, editor of The Suffolk Times.
that did not yield to our first
snow. It stood out unfrozen like
a huge black spot. Unfrozen, it
still lured in ducks and acted as
a giant bird bath for all the
birds in the neighborhood.
During the dry summer months
the water level had dropped
three feet but now with all the
rains we've had it's risen to its
normal level once again.
Hedgerows Give Cover
I purposely let the hedgerows
and thickets around the pond go
unchecked to make cover for
wildlife. It's worked out real
well. It also lessens my work
load for now the four acres of
pasture only have to be kept
down by the cows and the
hedgerows make a perfect liv-
ing fence to keep the cows in
their place. Already there were
rabbit tracks throughout the
area that told me they were well
and about. By the time I got out
they'd found a dry place in the
thick of the hedgerow where
leaves and brush had held back
the snow, making it a dry and
protected place. Here they will
sit, blended in with the brown
leaves and duff of the ground to
await the night, for that is the
time they are out to search for
the tender morsels on which
they feed.
I walked past the old hay
rake and equipment that once
rattled and shook during those
hot days of summer when hay was in the
making. It's been along time since
we've used them and probably we'll
never use them again,
but I can't pass them by What a
without remembering
the work they did so pleasant
well for us. We've
become a bit older and surprise
now have John Tuthill to-find
come in and cut, dry
and bale the hay. It sits our world
stored in the hay shack decked
up in back and as the
pasture thins out and out in
winter moves in, the white.'
hay will start to be used.
When the kids were
younger we used to do all the haying
with those old, yet reliable, pieces of
equipment. I'd borrow Pete Kujawski's
farm truck and with all helping we'd pile
the hay high to be trucked to a central
pile where it would be stacked and cov-
ered for winter. It was lots of work but in
those days work for some reason came a
bit easier than today. I wonder why.
For now to supplement the cow's
feeding on the pasture I collect old
pumpkins, squash, potatoes, beets, car-
rots — whatever is left from the Krupski
Farmstand — and feed it to the cows.
It's funny, when I first brought pump-
kins they'd have nothing to do with
them. They were like some kids. They
were particular. Finally one tried a bite
and, like kids, found it was pretty good.
Now when I come by in the pickup they
bellow with joy for they know pumpkins
are coming.
This was particularly true while the
snow was on the ground and their pas-
ture grass was covered. By this time next
week I think our supply of pumpkins and
vegetables from the farmstand will have
ended and their feast will be over. By
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