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Septemebr 10, 2009 - Searching for the quiet soundsSUFFOLKTIMES.COM I SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 Searchin for the i ll�dl�� ��l�l�li r lei �dl /Gu�� Ifl quiet '� �y mI s m ll�ill 4 4.. PAUL STOUTENBURGH P if windows are left open on a late - summer night, the familiar repetitive sound of the Our world to ay is one of continu- ous sounds and noises of one kind or another. It wasn't too many years ago when life was a lot simpler and it was easier to find a quiet place; it was a world of natural sounds. Then we took silence for granted. Quiet times were part of life. Today we find our- selves surrounded by such an array of sounds that many of us are no longer aware of their presence. Years ago, Barbara and I were able to find the place we wanted to live and build our dream home. Wanting FOCUS ON NATURE PAUL STOUTENBURGH to be as close to the natural world I as we could, quiet is one of the time ingredients that make this possible. We chose a modest one -story ranch in the woods and built a good 300 feet from the highway. We thought our little Shangri -La was safe from the noisy street, and it was. To make sure we were building in a "quiet" place, I transplanted 20 rhododendrons of various sizes throughout the property. I chose rho- dodendrons because they wouldn't lose their leaves; they would stay green throughout the year, and they can grow in shade. Our building and planting took place over 50 years ago. Since that time the deer population has increased 100 - fold and our surroundings have been devastated. Our once heavily wooded lot now has been cleared by the raven- ous appetites of deer that have eaten everything in their reach. The loss of the green understory I can Tive with, but the loss of the sound barrier we once had, I cannot. We no- longer sit and spend time on that side of our home, but have moved to the other side, where it is quieter. This doesn't always get us away from the noisy helicopters that at times drown out our conversations. We no longer live in quiet woods, but in an area of noisy moving traffic on the highway and noisy helicopter in the air. These sounds and others drown out the sounds we once en =. joyed with our children, our grand- children and now our great- grand- children, like the sound of the spring peepers in an early spring evening or the song of the birds that come for the berries in the shade trees and the Russian olives when they are ripe. just last night we went to bed with the sound of the summer katydids calling from the treetops. This was only one of the many night sounds that tried to lull us to sleep. These are the sounds that have been part of our world. Another sound of the quiet evening might be the crackling of a fire. After supper this evening we enjoyed a fire on the patio as we watched the bats fly- ing through the trees in our backyard. You, too, have probably cooked marsh- mallows with your family over an open campfire or listened to a crackling fire in the fireplace on a cool fall evening. Rain brings us wonderful familiar sounds, whether it's hitting the sky- light in your home, tapping at your tent roof or hitting the top of your camper. The simple sound of the rain is a pleasant, restful sound, particu- larly when going to sleep. When rain turns to snow in the colder days of the year, snow is usually quiet. But when taking a walk through the woods while it is snowing, you can hear the snow as it filters down through the trees and bushes. Then, too, listen to the sound of your boots as they make a crunching sound in the snow. We have spent many hours travelin and camping with our family as well as taking people on nature walks and tours and working with students in camp situations and on nature walks. Children like outdoor experiences, whether it's walking in the snow or rain, looking for peepers on a spring evening or catching lightning bugs in ajar to take inside and watch them light up in the quiet of their bedrooms. The water brings such fun to chil- dren, whether spending time on the water fishing or seining for new and unusual creatures of the seashore. They also enjoy listening to the sounds of the ocean as it roars in wild weather or just the constant roll of the waves while falling asleep camping along the ocean front at Hither Hills in Montauk or any other place the family has the fun of enjoying time together. Some of these times take a bit of ef- fort, but they are always worth it in the end. Memories are made of these spe- cial times. Enjoy quiet times together in quiet places. You can still find them if you just take the time to listen. Left: Rhododendrons make ideal plantings around your home, especially if you have acid soil, and, once established, will reward you wil huge blossoms. Their leaves stay green through the winter. Right: if you want to give your kids and grandkids a present they will use anci remember, buy them a seine net so they can explore the local waters. Here a baby blowfish was the prize.