June 01, 1989 - Primeval Ritual Observed15 16 Focus on Nature
Primeval Ritual Observed
By Paul Stoutenburgh
Come with Barbara and me to a ritual al-
most as old as time itself. It's performed best
when the moon is full and the world of spring
has started with new life and greenery. Un-
fortunately, today in some places it no longer
endures, for modern man has destroyed its
actors through careless destruction of their
habitat.
We went to the creek where as kids we
spent many a day swimming. The channel
was deep there where it rushed past two
sandy points of land. It was an ideal place to
run and jump into the cool clear water that
drew us like magnets. Those carefree days
of youth passed without the slightest thought
of a schedule and summers were meant for
boyhood adventures of all sorts. It was a time
when blowfish were so abundant that a
bucket of them could be caught off the end
of any dock along the bay. All it took was a
piece of string, a small hook and bait —
whatever you had from clams to squashed
mussels, from bought squid or worms to a
piece of candy or bubble gum. We even
jigged for them just by lowering a bare hook,
then picking it up and snagging those big
beautiful green-eyed dirigible- shaped blow-
fish.
When you got your squirming fish up on the
dock, it would first belch out mouthfuls of wa-
ter and then proceed to pump itself up with
air. We'd pick them up and scratch their bel-
lies until they became as round as a base-
ball and almost as hard. Then in boyish
ignorance we would often bounce them on the
dock where they sometimes would veer over-
board only to deflate and swim away appar-
ently unaffected by the harsh treatment of
young boys.
Fishing Years Ago
But that's not the real story I have to tell.
I first became acquainted with the orgy of
horseshoe crab renewal when I was very
young and the weakfish were running in our
creek. As dusk came over the land I would
trail along behind my Dad down to the
"point" near our home. Our adventure as
kids started when the dim light of the ker-
osene lamp threw a glow of wonder around
its small circle of light. At that time it
seemed to be the center of the world for my
young mind.
Within that glow would be fatherly images
dressed in old clothes and shiny wet boots.
Then there would be the whirling hand lines
that would go round and round until they
were let go and disappeared into the dark-
ness. There'd be an interval of time that gave
you an inkling of how far out the heaved
leaden line had traveled before you heard it
"plunk" in the water. Then the line would be
drawn tight and the waiting process would
begin.
It was during this "waiting time" we kids
would search the beach for the annual arri-
val of the horseshoe crabs that seemed to
come from nowhere to lay their eggs in the
shallow waters. It is this ancient pilgrimage
that I took Barbara to witness.
I had put a new flash attachment on my
camera and wanted to see if I could capture
this dramatic scene on film. We left the house
about nine o'clock and found only a few small
males patrolling the water just off the spot
where I'd seen them years before. I was dis-
appointed but then the tide was not yet full.
Everything else was perfect. The moon was
rising with its orange - yellow glow that would
change later on our return and flood the quiet
glassy waters with a new and sparkling light.
Second Trip Successful
Our early effort was not wasted for the ma-
gic of the night as we walked along the lonely
beach in the full moon seemed to awaken
even in our bodies some old and ancient feel-
ings. Was it the moon that helped trigger the
urge in these denizens of the deep? Was it the
"spring tides" that caused their roamings of
the high beach, or could it be the warming
of the waters that plays such an important
role in awakening so many dwellers of the
deep?
At home we read while the hours slipped
by until it was time again to go. We wanted
to hit flood tide. By now the countryside was
asleep and few cars were on the road as we
made our way toward the moonlit creek that
had from ancient times lured the horseshoe
crabs to its shores. By now the moon was
high and smothered the land in its new and
mystic light. As we walked toward the beach,
the sweet smell of blossoms filled the air. We
were walking into an enchanted land hoping
to witness one of nature's strange yet won-
derful happenings. There wasn't the slight-
est ripple on the mirrored water where a
ribbon of a thousand silvery steps led across
the bay toward the moon. The spring tide had
brought the waters well past the normal high
tide range. The stage was set.
Horseshoe Crabs Everywhere
Walking along the bay toward the mouth
of the creek you could see small male horse-
shoe crabs scurrying along the beachfront
presumably busy in pursuit of something.
Then as we turned around the point for 400
feet we could see and actually hear the event
that we had come to observe. Horseshoe
crabs were everywhere. Small males rush-
ing about, huge females balf- buried in the
soft sand with piggyback males trailing be-
hind and a frenzy of activity wherever you
looked. The water seemed to boil with excite -
ment and bubbles began to cover the surface.
Under the female, small aqua-colored eggs
were being deposited in the sand and the
males were fertilizing them. In some orgies
we could see five, six, sometimes even ten
anxious males climbing and rushing over the
submerged female trying to get into the act.
The mass of moving crabs would sometimes
bulge right out of the water and you could
hear their shells grinding as they moved
about.
All this activity was performed in the high
tide area where nature's nursery would
warm the eggs and ready them for hatching
later. Then in one month when the spring
tide, egged on by another full moon, will once
again flood the area, the young newborn
hatchlings will be free to make their way into
a new and beckoning world.
We stood there in awe, witnesses to this
moonlight spectacle that has been going on
for over 200 million years.
r,
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Each year about this time horseshoe crabs come to our shores to lay their eggs and then dis-
appear for another year. —Paul Stoutenburgh Photo
Barnyard Is the Backdrop
(Continued from Page BI)
etable crops, she floriculture.
The senior Ludlows as well as Harry's
brother and sister -in -law are involved in run-
ning the farm, helping out especially during
planting and harvest time. Some family
members enjoy special projects, such as
Gurden Ludlow's honeybees, or Barbara
Ludlow's asparagus beds. ( "Are you aspa-
ragus pigs like we are ?" she laughs, offer-
ing a generous bagful. "We eat it till we think
we're turning green.')
The family is close -knit. Just as in Ms.
Kunhardt's book, Grandma and Grandpa
come by often, as do the children's uncles,
aunts and cousins. When they're not in
school, Nathan and Meredith share their par-
ents' day — learning, helping, playing. Bar-
bara Ludlow says she appreciates all the
open space. Unlike so many parents, she
doesn't need a fence to keep her children
safe. "They never go into the front yard —
there's nothing to do there." They treat the
giant tractors and harrows as their play-
ground, though the equipment is obviously
dangerous. Caution and respect have been
learned along with freedom.
r.•
On the farm's perimeter, new houses are
turned toward some of the loveliest views in
the Hampton —open fields and blossoming
orchards that look idyllic and serene. But not
remote. The new buildings press very close;
farmland is in ever - increasing demand by
developers; chemically - greened lawns re-
place ploughed lands.
The Ludlows admit they've felt the pres-
sure. "It's going to get increasingly difficult
to farm," says Barbara Ludlow. "The neigh-
bors don't like dust... they object to necessary
chemicals... but we love farming so much
we're going to keep doing it as long as we
can." She sounds realistic, but nothing in her
or the family's attitude spells pessimism or
defeat. They love their life and hope to pass
the farm on— "if there's interest... if it's avail-
able."
'42nd Street' Benefit
The Alzheimer's Association Nassau /Suff-
olk Counties Chapter, in association with
NEWS 12 Long Island, will sponsor a benefit
performance of "42nd Street" to be held at
the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport on June
6 at 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $50 and $30
and entitle [alders to attend a pre -show cock-
tail reception. All tickets are tax -deductible
to the extent allowed.
SET ON STONE MARDLE G TILE INC.
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LONG ISLAND SHOWROOM AM[ SHABTA! BROOKLV
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