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February 17, 2005 - Icy pleasures and perilsOfficial Newspaper of Southold Town Icy pleasures and perils Focus on Nature By Paul Stoutenburgh Watch out for the ice. It's all around us now that the snow is melting. Toward the late afternoon, when the sun is low, ice takes over. I'll bet many of you can recall a special occasion that involved ice. One event I remember was when we all went skating at night on the ponds at the local golf course. Our parents would drive up and turn the car lights on so we could see. We'd skate and flop, and get up laughing, only to be off skating again. It was an exciting time to be young. Once I looked down through the ice with a flashlight and saw a big snapping turtle lying on the bottom. He'd stay there until the water warmed up and life again would start. Ice comes in many forms and plays an important part in our lives each winter. Here you see icicles hanging from the roof of an old homestead on Skunk Lane, much like the ones you see throughout the town when conditions are just right. Times /Review photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh I'm sure many of you can remember days when you went skating at some special spot. Often we'd go to Great Pond and build a fire at the edge, not only for its warmth, but to give light and cheer to the area. Seems my feet were always cold. That was probably because we never were properly fitted for skates. We used hand -me- downs. Skating was part of our winter's entertainment, and the best part was it didn't cost anything. Somehow we lived through those times, paying little attention to skates that didn't fit. Ice was an integral part of our lives each winter. As kids we'd look forward to it when and wherever it occurred. We used to go eeling through the ice when the creek froze over. All you had to do was chop a hole in the ice with an ax (today they use chain saws), then, with a special "mud" spear, we'd be ready to probe for eels. We'd work around in the mud under the ice until we felt something. Then, if we were lucky, we'd snag an eel on the back thrust of the spear. We'd pull it to the surface and shake it off and start again. There it would lie on the ice, hardly moving, disturbed from its winter's sleep, much like the snapping turtle at the bottom of the pond at the golf course. It, too, would have been awaiting the warmer waters of spring. You had to keep your eye on your eels, otherwise a hungry seagull would swoop in and pick up one before you could turn around. The holes we'd chop through the ice weren't very big, maybe two feet. I can remember one time after we'd been eeling, it froze at night and then snowed, so you never knew where the old holes were. The result was that the next day, as I was walking with a good friend of mine over to where some fellows were eeling, the inevitable happened. We were busy chatting away, when all of a sudden my friend wasn't there. He had stepped into one of our old holes that was covered with thin ice and snow. He went right down to his waist before he caught himself. Over the years we had many a laugh as we recalled that incident. Living by the bays and creeks, we did lots of after - school skating on our easily accessible saltwater areas. Saltwater skating was never as good as freshwater skating. The ice was softer but, nevertheless, it did us just fine. We had other The Suffolk Times I Icy pleasures and perils adventures on ice, like the time Herm and I built an iceboat out of junk parts from his father's boat yard. It was a monster jury-rigged affair, using an old sail from a gaff -rigged sailboat. Angle irons were used for runners. We pulled it over to the bay with a car and then pushed it out on the bay ice. We got it all set to go just about dusk and, of course, being impatient young kids, we had to try it out right away, even in darkness. What a job getting everything ready to gol Finally, up went the sail and we rumbled off into the unknown — and I do mean rumbled, for it was over very rough ice. It wasn't the fastest thing on ice, but who cared? It worked and we were thrilled. We were rumbling along happy as two dams when, suddenly, a gust of wind flipped us up on edge and threw us out onto the ice. We turned ourselves around and walked back, a bit bruised, a bit shaken. That ended our evening's trials. The next day we went back and found our iceboat had flipped over not too far from the open water of the channel. The gust of wind had come at just the right time and probably saved us from going into the cold and frigid water. Such is the luck of the young and foolish. Then there were the times when we had ice storms. Most of you have witnessed these cold rains that make ice on everything from tree limbs to telephone wires to walkways. I've seen it so bad you couldn't walk anywhere, it was so slippery. Luckily I had found — don't ask me where — a pair of ice clamp -ons and was able to put those on and carefully maneuver about in one of those ice storms. Without them it was impossible to move safely. Ice in one form or another gives the photographer a real opportunity to match his images with nature's best. A picture that stands out is one I took at the head of the creek where we live. There was a spot that had a little open water from freshwater springs below. Most know there is a dome of fresh water below us. Its created from rain and snow that percolates down through the soil. When this dome of water builds up and overflows, some of the earliest places to feel its effects are along our creek and bay shores. Some of you might remember that when swimming you occasionally hit a cold spot. That's the overflow from the dome of fresh water. Anyway, that was why the water was open while everything else was frozen up. As I started to focus my camera on this wintry scene, my eye caught something moving. It was a clapper rail, a bird of the marsh that should have headed south during fall migration. For some reason there are always a few birds that get their signals crossed, like robins and great blue herons and others that stay into the winter. And so I got my wintry scene along with a picture of a frigid dapper rail. Lately we haven't had real cold weather for extended periods of time like we used to. We did have a few days when the temperature got down into the single digits, but it didn't last. I can remember the Sound would sometimes freeze over, then, when a strong wind would come out of the northwest, it would push the ice up on the Sound beaches. With rumblings and groans, the slow- moving ice would pile up an eight- to 10 -foot white wall as far as the eye could see. Standing by it made you feel small and insignificant. During those cold winters we were always hauling and cutting wood to feed Big Bertha, the stove that stood in the middle of the living room. It could handle two- to three -foot pieces of firewood. The front opened up in two parts so you could pack it with wood. It would bum all night and it was the only heat in the house back then. In those days, when we kids got up in an ice-cold bedroom, we'd head for the big stove that was still giving out its heat. We'd get dressed right beside Big Bertha. I have a photograph of one of those early - moming episodes, which today's families can hardly believe. As I mentioned earlier, my first experience with an iceboat was the one Herm and I built. Later I built one with our kids. For runners we used old skates we had kept for just such an occasion. The boat worked, but it needed a strong wind to move it. From that smaller iceboat I later built a much larger and more professional - looking one that Page 2 of 3 hq: / /www2.timesreview.com/ST /community /303152222655986.php 2/17/2005 The Suffolk Times I Icy pleasures and perils Page 3 of 3 we sailed all over our local creeks. We even sailed on Marratooka Lake in Mattituck and, on one occasion, we sailed on Lake Ronkonkoma, but we were promptly outclassed by every boat there. Ronkonkoma is a mecca for ice boating. That iceboat I built hangs in my son's bam, just waiting for the right ice and the right ambition. By the way, if you're interested in seeing some really neat iceboats, from the old - timers to modem -day speedsters, go to Hallocks Bay in Orient when the conditions are just right. There you'll see iceboats in all their splendor, from the smallest to the largest, from the newest to the oldest. It's one of the great sights our East End can offer during the winter. Don't miss it. © 2005 Times - Review Newspapers http:// wvvw2. timesreview. com/ ST /Community/303152222655986.php 2/17/2005 The Suffolk Times • February 17, 2005 Icy pleasures Watch out for the ice. It's all around us now that the snow is melting. To- ward the late afternoon, when the sun is low, ice takes over. I'll bet many of you can recall a special occasion that involved ice. One event I remember was when we all went skating at night on the ponds at the local golf course. Our parents would drive up and turn the car FOCUS lights on so we could see. We'd ON skate and flop, and get up laugh- NATURE ing, only to be by Paul off skating again. It was an exciting Stoutenburgh time to be young, Once I looked down through the ice with a flashlight and saw a big snapping turtle lying on the bottom. He'd stay there until the water warmed up and life again would start. I'm sure many of you can remember days when you went skating at some special spot. Often we'd go to Great Pond and build a fire at the edge, not only for its warmth, but to give light and cheer to the area. Seems my feet were always cold. That was probably because we never were properly fitted for skates. We used hand -me- downs. Skating was part of our winter's en- tertainment, and the best part was it didn't cost anything. Somehow we lived through those times, paying little attention to skates that didn't fit. Ice was an integral part of our lives each winter. As kids we'd look for- ward to it when and wherever it oc- curred. We used to go eeling through the ice when the creek froze over. All you had to do was chop a hole in the ice with an ax (today they use chain saws), then, with a special "mud" and perils M Times /Review photo by Barbara Stoutenburgh Ice comes in many forms and plays an important part in our lives each winter. Here you see icicles hanging from the roof of an old homestead on Skunk Lane, much like the ones you see throughout the town when conditions are just right. spear, we'd be ready to probe for eels We'd work around in the mud under the ice until we felt something. Then, if we were lucky, we'd snag an eel on the back thrust of the spear. We'd pul it to the surface and shake it off and start again. There it would lie on the ice, hardly moving, disturbed from its winter's sleep, much like the snap- ping turtle at the bottom of the pond at the golf course. It, too, would have been awaiting the warmer waters of spring. You had to keep your eye on your eels, otherwise a hungry seagull would swoop in and pick up one be- We were busy chatting away, when all of a sudden my friend wasn't there. lore you could turn around. The holes we'd chop through the ice weren't very big, maybe two feet. I can remember one time after we'd been eeling, it froze at night and then snowed, so you never knew where the old holes were. The result was that the next day, as I was walking with a good friend of mine over to where some fellows were eeling, the inevitable hap. pened. We were busy chatting away, when all of a sudden my friend wasn't there. He had stepped into one of our old holes that was covered with thin ic( and snow. He went right down to his waist before he caught himself Over the years we had many a laugh as we recalled that incident. Living by the bays and creeks, we did lots of after - school skating on our eas- ily accessible saltwater areas. Saltwater skating was never as good as fresh- water skating. The ice was softer but, nevertheless, it did us just fine. We had other adventures on ice, like the time Herm and I built an iceboat out of junk parts from his father's boat yard. It was a monster jury-rigged affair, using an old sail from a gaff -rigged sail- boat. Angle irons were used for run- ners. We pulled it over to the bay with a car and then pushed it out on the bay ice. We got it all set to go just about dusk and, of course, being impatient young kids, we had to try it out right away, even in darkness. What a job get- ting everything ready to go! Finally, up went the sail and we rumbled off into the unknown — and I do mean rum- bled, for it was over very rough ice. It wasn't the fastest thing on ice, but who cared? It worked and we were thrilled. we were rummung along nappy as two clams when, suddenly, a gust of wind flipped us up on edge and threw us out onto the ice. We turned ourselves around and walked back, a bit bruised, a bit shaken. That ended our evening's trials. The next da we went back and found our iceboat had flipped over not too far from the open water of the channel. The gust of wind had come at just the right time and probably saved us from going into the cold and frigid water. Such is the luck of the young and foolish. Then there were the times when we had ice storms. Most of you have witnessed these cold rains that make ice on everything from tree limbs to telephone wires to walkways. I've seen it so bad you couldn't walk anywhere, it was so slippery. Luckily I had found — don't ask me where — a pair of ice clamp -ons and was able to put those on and carefully maneuver about in one of those ice storms. Without them it was impossible to move safely. Ice in one form or another gives the photographer a real opportunity to match his images with nature's best. A picture that stands out is one I took at the head of the creek where we live. There was a spot that had a little open water from freshwater springs below. Most know there is a dome of fresh water below us. It's created from rain and snow that percolates down through the soil. When this dome of water builds up and overflows, some of 'the earliest places to feel its effects are along our creek and bay shores. Some of you might remember that when swimming you occasionally hit a cold spot. That's the overflow from the dome of fresh water. Anyway, that was why the water was open while every- thing else was frozen up. As I started to focus my camera on this wintry scene, my eye caught something moving. It was a clapper rail, a bird of the marsh that should have headed south during fall migration. For some reason there are always a few birds that get their signals crossed, like robins and great blue herons and others that stay into the winter. And so I got my wintry scene along with a picture of a frigid claimer rail. Lately we haven't had real cold weather for extended periods of time like we used to. We did have a few days when the temperature got down into the single digits, but it didn't last. I can remember the Sound would sometimes freeze over, then, when a strong wind would come out of the northwest, it would push the ice up on the Sound beaches. With rum- blings and groans, the slow - moving ice would pile up an eight- to 10 -foot white wall as far as the eye could see. Standing by it made you feel small and insignificant. During those cold winters we were always hauling and cutting wood to feed Big Bertha, the stove that stood in the middle of the living room. It could handle two- to three -foot piec- es of firewood. The front opened up in two parts so you could pack it with wood. It would burn all night and it was the only heat in the house back then. In those days, when we kids got p in an ice -cold bedroom, we'd head for the big stove that was still giving out its heat. We'd get dressed right beside Big Bertha. I have a photo- graph of one of those early - morning _episodes, which today's families can hardly be- As 1 mentioned earlier my first experience with an iceboat was the one Henn and I built. Later I built one with our kids. For runners we used old skates we had kept for just such an occasion. The boat workec but it needed a strong wind to move it. From that smaller iceboat I later built a much larger and more professional - looking one that we sailed all over our local creeks. We even sailed on Mar - ratooka Lake in Mattituck and, on one occasion, we sailed on Lake Ronkonk- oma, but we were promptly outclassed by every boat there. Ronkonkoma is a mecca for ice boating. That iceboat I built hangs in my son's bam, just waiting for the right ice and the right By the way, if you're interested in seeing some really neat iceboats, from the old- timers to modem -day speedsters, go to'Hallocks Bay in Orient when the conditions are just right. There you'll see iceboats in all their splendor, from the smallest to the largest, from the newest to the :)Idest. It's one of the great sights our East End can offer during the winter. Don't miss it.