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November 19, 1998 - These fine - and final - days of fallGA • The Suffolk Times • November 19, 1998 These fine —and final — As the days creep into winter, the life - giving sun moves farther and far- ther to the south. Actually the sun doesn't move at all; it's the earth's orbit that has shifted. Most of us realize this but still say the sun's farther F�(: V south and there- fore the cooler ON temperature and less daylight. The NATURE ancients of all by Paul cultures knew $touteeburgh this movement well and cele- brated the comings and goings of the seasons. These were the most impor- tant events in their mystical lives. Special stone structures that were involved in their ceremonies (winter solstice, Dec. 21, and summer solstice, June 21) were oriented around the exact time the sun would be in its far- thest position north and south. When these eventful days occurred, a beam of sunlight would cast its ray down the corridors of their temples. This beam of light signified the passing of their most important days. It just so happens that our house is situated at the right angle so that we can see this ancient phenomenon hap- pening down the hallway that leads to our bedrooms. All year long the sun is nowhere to be seen in the darkened hallway. Then, slowly, each day it makes itself known. Little by little it moves southward. Each day becomes shorter and shorter until the sun finally reaches its lowest point. It's then the sun floods our hallway with its radi- ance. From then on it starts its long journey north and our days once again start to become longer. Right now we're in the midst of beautiful fall weather. We've passed the harvest moon, and what a glorious moon it has been. Each night we've watched the brilliant, pale - yellow moon rise out of the east and flood the countryside with its spell. I even ven- tured out by myself under the pretense of seeing if there were any more crabs in our creek, but in reality it was main- ly to capture the magic of the moon. When I got to the dock the marsh world had already taken on a frosty i 9 i W% coat. The fiberglass sides of the boat were slick with what I believe was our first frost of the season. Yet not 200 feet up the road and away from the cool- ness, impatiens were still blooming, untouched by those first icy fingers of winter. I had to get in the boat very carefully for everything was coated with frost. The safest position was sitting down on the bare wooden seat. My light probed the crystal -clear water. It was like looking into a glass of water from a drinking tap. The bottom was buck -shot with tiny black mud snails. The little unappreciated vacuum cleaners of the creek bottom are one of the many "street cleaners" that help keep our bays and creeks clean and unpolluted. Here and there I'd spot a killi- fish but the abun- dance of summer life had left our waters. I saw only one small crab; the rest had left or buried themselves in the mud for winter. There they'll stay until a warmer season awakens them. I'm told the moon is the closest it will get to the earth for some time to come and with its closeness it pulls on the waters of the earth, creating great fluctuations in the high and low tides. Proof of this was the mud flat at the dock, where there is usually water. I had to struggle to get the boat to water deep enough to float: I finally did get her free and was able to shove off. I saw a small diamondback terrapin. It, too, will soon be buried in the soft ooze below. All will hibernate, their hearts barely beating. These saltwater turtles are in all of our creeks and are having a difficult time surviving in today's world. We all know the popula- days of fall tion of raccoons has increased. Just leave your garbage can cover off and you soon have that uninvited guest rip- ping through and spilling your trash all over the place. Knowing the raccoons' keen since of smell, whether it is for your garbage or turtle eggs, one can see why they have become enemy No. 1 of the diamondback turtle. Here's how it works: The turtle comes ashore on a sandy beach somewhere along our bays other bait used to lure crabs into these traps. Once inside, the turtle, like the crab, can't get out. The problem with the turtle is that it must surface every once in a while to breathe and since it can't get out, it usually suffocates in the crab trap. It's ironic that when we have a good crab year we have a devastating tale of dead diamondbacks in crab pots. If the season is poor for crabs and peo- ple don't set out crab pots, the turtles thrive. A breeze finally came up and rippled the water so that I could no longer see. I went home empty - handed, but recharged by the moonlight. How many of you can remember when fall came around and raking leaves and burning them was part of the routine of life? I miss that smell of burn- ing leaves. It had a reminiscent tang that was part of the fall sea- son. Even if you didn't rake and burn, there was always someone in the neighborhood who did and, sooner or later, you'd pick up that wonderful whiff of burning leaves. Today it is a labori- ous job of raking and then stuffing the leaves into bags and taking them to the landfill or setting them aside to be picked up on the town's cleanup day, when they'll be ground up into a mulch or composted. Nature does a great job with falling leaves. In a forest she'll let them stay where they fall. Oh, yes, she does a little rearranging when the wind blows, but by and large they stay put under and around the tree they fell from. All this will eventually add to the nutrient layer that feeds the tree. We're lucky in having a small patch of woods where we spread our leaves. We rake the front lawn and for the past 42 years have always just put the leaves in the woods. Yet when I look at the years gone by, we seen no great accu- mulation of leaf matter. The reason, of course, is that my layers of leaves have disappeared by decomposing and thereby creating the nutrient layer I spoke of earlier. No wonder our wood- lands perpetually keep growing with- out any aid from man. Even if there's a forest fire, the trees seem to spring back, utilizing the rich ash of the fire to help them get started. Take for instance the areas where the pine barrens were burned over a few years ago. Today you can seen young pines springing up, some from the burned -over stumps, some from under- ground rootlets and still others from seeds that were freed by the fire as it swept through the area. The heat of the fire opened the pine cones and spread the seeds. Nature, or should I say the world, is self- renewing if only given a chance. It's a living, vibrant world that if allowed to keep itself in balance will always provide mankind a healthy place to live. The trick is how do we sat- isfy man's insatiable demand on the earth and still keep the natural balance that is so important for the survival of all. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh Like so many things In the world around us, these tiny mud snails do a remarkable job cleaning the bottom of our bays and creeks of un- wanted debris. Here we see them feasting on dead and decaying fish. >✓ IQ 1 .7 V V t1 to /H V 2% 75 years ago Nov. 16, 1923 It is of interest to note that the Southold Town Symphony Orchestra proposed to further the interest and betterment of music by undertaking to train a large body of singers. It has been a matter of regret to many older people who can remember the choral societies which the late W.B. Bradbury and D.P. Horton conducted here and later the operas so suc- cessfully given by C.O. Moore, to realize that there was so little attention paid to any concerted effort to improve in this most desirable art. May the good work prosper. Teacher resigns: According to an article in one of the city papers, Miss Dorothy Scholze, the Latin teacher in the Orient High School, resigned her position this week. Due to disagreement with the Board of Education, the mem- bers of the board decided that Miss Scholze was too mod- ern in her views for a teacher. 50 years ago Nov. 19, 1948 In search of the past: I have had a delightful time, due to the courtesy of Mr. Ben Rogers, perusing an old scrap- book of Capt. "Trume" Preston, father of my boyhood crony, George Preston, and contemporary of my granddad, Capt. Jarvis Wood of North Street, Greenport. Have you such a scrapbook or a diary, kept perhaps by an ancestor, which I may be permitted to study? My sole interest is sal- vaging local facts of the past before they are lost to poster- and creeks and lays her eggs. She then leaves them for the sun to incubate but, sorry to say, the great majority of them never make it. The sharp nose of the ever - roving raccoon finds them, digs them up and eats them. Many a nest I've found with only the empty shells left to show where the raccoon had his last meal. If raccoons aren't enough of a prob- lem, man with his crab traps is, espe- cially if the traps are left unattended. Turtles, like most wild things, will glad- ly accept a free meal of a fish head or ity. Write or phone Clarence Ashton Wood, Southold 3303. Orient news: A new moving project is under way. This week, ground was broken on the Village House plot in preparation for the building of a foundation for the old school house, which will be moved up from the Point. 25 years ago Nov 15, 1973 Theater opens: Preview opening night was Tuesday at the Twin Cinema in Mattituck as assistant manager Skip Schoenhaar, Michael Cassella, Michel Russo, Joseph Cippoletti, superintendent of construction [and others] wit- nessed the official ribbon- cutting by Supervisor Albert Martocchia. The Tuesday -night ceremony was marked by an invitational cocktail- buffet party and tickets were sold, benefits of which were donated to the Mattituck Fire Department. Mr. Cassella heads MT Corporation, which owns and manages the theater, first in Mattituck for many years. It opened to the public last night. 'New landmark' in Mattituck: A "new landmark in Mattituck," one person called it. Brasby's catering hall held its official grand opening Monday evening before a group of almost 5,000 persons. Bill Brasby said the cooperation and interest of local contractors who helped effect the entire refurbishing in less than nine weeks was considered a great accomplishment. "We are exclusively a catering facility for private functions and are not open to the gener- al public," he said.