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October 01, 1992 - Sampling the Sights of Chesapeake Bay6A • The Suffolk Times • October 1, 1992 Sampling the Sights of Chesapeake Bay By Paul Stoutenburgh The wonderful thing about being in- volved with the outdoors is that no mat- ter where you are there's always some- thing out there waiting to be seen and enjoyed. So it was when Barbara and I took off to explore the eastern shore of the Chesapeake last week. Years ago we had sampled this unique area with brief encounters as we passed through going south. Our first camp- site, Elk Neck Focus State Park at the head the on Nature Chesapeake on a long peninsula jutting out into the bay, proved to be almost deserted but the Ranger told us that would not last. On the weekend they'd probably be filled up. As a matter of fact, it is so popular they keep the camp open year round. We'd stay for just the night. As we lay in the camper listening to the night sounds in the trees above I raised my head and looked across the water to the twinkling lights on the opposite shore. Far off in the dis- tance I could hear the steady pulsing of a tugboat with its waterborne cargo head- ing for the mighty Susquehanna River that empties into the head of the bay. In no time sleep took over — we'd had a long day. With poached eggs on English muffins under our belts we headed for St. Michael's, where our son had told us we shouldn't miss the Marine Museum. We took the back roads to see as much of the country as possible and soon found out that corn and soybeans are what potatoes once were to our East End. At St. Michael's we found the recommendation to the museum well worthwhile for it gave us the past history of this crab, clam, oyster and waterfowl area. Lots to See Everything from replicas of old and new bugeyes and skipjacks to duck punts and sinkboxes, from simple crab nets and crab pots to cottage lighthouses, all became part of the past. After our visit we indulged in soft -crab sandwiches, Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh CHESAPEAKE CRABS —If ever there was a place known for its blue crabs, it's Tangier Island in Chesapeake Bay. Here all life revolves around the water. Barbara's favorite. They surely know how to cook them. We rated them the best we'd ever had! After the visit to the museum we ca- sually explored Tilghman's Island to the west. Here was true watermen's country with everything geared to catching the elusive blue crab. Stacks of crab pots could be seen in many of the backyards along with an occasional crab boat awaiting refurbishing or perhaps past its time. We saw a beautiful red -tailed hawk sitting on a telephone pole. We stopped and got the cameras out but when we turned around and headed back we found the hawk camera -shy because it had flown away. As we headed for Martinak State Park inland we passed a place advertising "All You Can Eat — Shrimp $9.95 — Crabs $12.95." Needless to say, we in- dulged in the spoils of the area. They cook their shrimp and crabs spicy and I mean spicy! Our lips tingled as we ate our way through one plate and then an- I_As 'PA * wwim nwwi= 78 Years Ago Oct. 3, 1914 Late Mail: Will Huntington ever get its mail on time is the question that is disturbing many businessmen who are disgusted with the present service. Nearly every morning this week the mail has been an hour late, owing to the train being behind time. Down here in Greenport and over at the Hampton there is many a day that we don't get our papers until after the noon hour. We really ought to have better ser- vice than this. Honors for Apples: Peter Elbert Nostrand of West Neck on Shelter Island has been selected by the State of New York to make an exhibit of 10 varieties cf apples at the Panama Exposition. Barrel lots will be sent. Mr. Nostrand won a lot of premiums at the State Fair, and it was because of this that the exposition honor came to him. Holy Ghost Meeting: On the evening of Oct. 19 at 8 o'clock there will be a Holy Ghost meeting at Moore's Avenue. A light from a comet will furnish illumination for the singing. Everybody is invited, especially those who will sing. Advertisement: We have taken a hint from Mother Nature. She showed us that there are five physical types of men —the regular, the tall, the short, the slim and the stocky. Our Kirschbaum Clothes come in special models for each of these five types. You will find perfect- fitting clothes among other. Barbara's only remark at the end of the meal was, "Now we'll really have to diet when we get back home!" Next morning it was on to Cambridge and then to Hooper's Island that lies like a long tail into the Chesapeake. Many of the waste fields had beautiful yellow flowers blooming, giving us acres and acres of yellow. Turkey vultures were almost always within sight, soaring above in the clear blue sky. One never tires of watching them in their endless search for a meal. Crab - Picking House At Fishing Creek we stopped at a picking house with rows of women "picking" the meat of presteamed crabs. In what seemed like seconds, they'd flip off the top shell, throw the claws in a special container to be opened later and proceed to cut off the legs. Then the crab was broken in half and sliced laterally through the middle, exposing the fat white meat. This they'd pick out putting our many styles and models, unless your figure is absolutely abnormal. Lipman Brothers, Main Street, Greenport. 50 Years Ago Oct. 1, 1942 Fisherman's Dream: Early on Saturday morning Everett Chapman of Greenport, who is an enthusiastic angler, achieved a real fisherman's dream when he caught about a dozen striped bass in Long Island Sound. The largest of the fish weighed about 15 pounds and all were over 10 pounds. Chapman, who was surf casting off the beach near Orient Point, proudly brought home his record catch to show his friends. Many a local fisherman looked with envy at the fine lot of bass in Everett's car. 25 Years Ago Oct. 6, 1967 School Receives Sculpture: On Thursday evening at a dinner for parents and teachers of the Oyster - ponds Elementary School, sculptor Robert Berks presented the school with an original bronze cast of his head of Abra- ham Lincoln. The only other bronze cast of this head is housed in the Lincoln Museum of the Ford Theatre in Washington, D.C. Mr. Berks explained that the Lincoln head has deep personal meaning for him which he wishes to share with present and future generations of children. the lumps in a special container and the smaller pieces in another. Later one person would crack the claws to expose the meat but leave the big lower nipper in place to hold on to. These were to be sold for cocktail hors d'oeuvres. With all that crab meat before us we couldn't resist buying a container for later sampling. Many places along the water had spe- cial trays set up for molting crabs. Here, shedders or peelers would be placed. When the soft ones left their shell they would be picked up, packed and shipped to market. We traveled to the end of Hooper's Island, where we stopped and had lunch in the camper with crab claws as the main dish. Looking out the win- dow of the camper we spotted a beauti- ful male eagle, with his vivid white head, perched on an old duck blind near- by. Later we visited the Blackwater Na- tional Refuge, where we watched a handsome pileated woodpecker rip chunks out of a rotten tree. This bird is as big as a crow. Then there were the egrets, herons, shorebirds and a host of others that made the trip worthwhile. We visited Tangier Island off the south end of Maryland by taking the ferry from Crisfield to this 600 -plus in- habited island that has its own school and no cars but excellent clam cakes and clam fritters, which we sampled. Here, everyone is involved in one way or another with the water. Before heading home we swung across Maryland to the east and visited Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Nation- al Seashore, where the wild ponies come right into the campground. In between we stopped to visit an old Southolder, Lance Biechele, one of the truly great i naturalists who specializes in mush- rooms and liverworts. Our week slipped by all too quickly and by Monday we were home again sneaking through the city in the wee hours to avoid the traffic. As the sun worked its way over the horizon, we pulled up our driveway. We were glad we had taken time to see Maryland's Eastern Shore and yet we felt there is still much more there to explore. Perhaps another time.