HomeMy WebLinkAboutSeptember 04, 1997 - Idyllic Return to Thousand Islands (2), September 4, 1997 • Th� Suffolk `(ime's •`5A ;�
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Nave you ever been to the Thousand pieces of chewing gum for bait. All you boats tied up. Like the docks, each house We ate outside most of the time, cook-
Islands?T'hirty years ago we took our kids had to do was drop your line over the side had its own special architecture. You ing over the grill with charcoal or using a
and camped at Grassy Point State Park of the boat and watch the blowfish come could clearly tell the new from the old. one-burner gas stove or occasionally even
there.Though we always wanted to return around.Ten or 20 would be an easy catch, The old had the old-fashioned up-and- over the open fire and, of coutse, there �
we never quite made it until this year, but then the cleaning of them is what took down windows,while the modern had the were always marshmailows on sticks at '
I when our son rented a cabin on one of the time until you leamed the hang of it.1'he spacious picture windows of today. night. Usually it was early to bed after a �
islands in this great recreational waterway best way I found was to cut in back of the We saw mostly ring-billed gulls up story of something we had seen or done '
and invited us to head and then pull the meat out.All that there, probably because they nest in the during the day. The strenuous pace the
go along for the was left to do was to cut the tail and �n nearby inland lakes.Years ago when I was kids led made sleeping come easy. Some �
week. FOC�IS off.It was as easy as that.If you cleaned a going to college up on Lake Ontario, nights we played cards that Barbara had �
Barbara packed lot of them your �ngers would get all Barbara and I and the kids took off one thoughtfully brought along. It's remark- �'
I the car until she �n roughed up and white from their coarse day to photograph this petite little gu11.We able how kids enjoy the games we also
said she couldn't H sandpapery skin.To eat them,brown and see them down here on the island and gen- played so long ago. 7
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fit even a tea bag crisp, was like eating corn on the cob, erally speaking they are the smallest of Swimming, of course, we all did but I 1
more into it. We by p8V� only one back bone and nothing else. To our gulls,quite similar to our herring gull. must say the kids outswam most of us.We +'�
feft at 4 a.m. and Stoutenburgh this day I think had brought a �
, seeing it was Sun- they are just about �� "� snorkel and face �
day we buzzed through the city in no time. the best eating fish < ��` mask along and in ;
Past the city we struck out for Route 80 you can get. �f� the clear water it
and then to 81 north all the way up to our T'he bluegills and �,��.� , ,�:::� >,,� .. fascinated everyone
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destination on the St. Lawrence River. perch the kids a� , .�' ,� for it seemed as if
Eight hours later we pulled inro the boat caught didn't have �..�'� we were swimming ��
ramp at Wellesley Island, where we rent- the rough skin of �>�. �' � ; ���; in an aquarium. '
ed a boat and soon were headin for the the blowfish, but i
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S ,� ''� ; � ' ; <: ' ` , f .< Schools of little
rustic cabin four miles up bay. what they lacked m t �.���� perch and bluegills
It was quite an experience trying to that protection they z �"`�; � � � � � ' �i in the sparkling
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determine what island was ours seein made u for in the�r � : " ` � - {�`� �» 4;'"' ` '
, g p . k �-. �.s`� �` � ,� r� d water with its green
the whole area is strewn with big and spiny fins that took ���' � ' K '� �'���^��''� � grass waving was a
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small islands. The thing that you are a little practice in i sight I'm sure we'll
immediately struck by as soon as you get learnir.g how to � all temember. Each
on the water is how crystal-clear all the hold them when , day reminded us
water is. I couldn't remember it as clear you took the hook '��..��.. � what a paradise this i
30 years ago when we were last up there. out. They were ^ �{ r ��; � �g�� � area is.
We're told it is because of the invasion of pretty fish was iri- ���- � �°r� , � ,,�, ��,�y One day the
billions of tin filterin zebra mussels we descent reens and ���� ��� � ;
Y g S � � � � younger ones took a ,
soon found ever where in this reat blaes backlighted ,�.', � � ' ' ,� '�,�i� 5��, ;
Y g ,�� �� � � � � � six-mile hike with
waterwa .'These mussels have their down with ellow. I r��, Y���� ��, ` � ; �` �'�u �� �
Y Y their father while I
side in that they are clogging the intakes guess they are the ���� " " �` �'' we stayed behind to
of engines, municipal water works and typical freshwater . catch up on squar- ;
just about anything they can settle on. So pan fish and it was- `. __ ._ ,�_ _ �.�.,�__._ ` ` ing the cabin away
new is this invader from Europe that it's n't long antil they s�ttoik Tn»�S pnoco by Nd�i sto�te�t�Ur9n that somehow got a i
not even known what effect it will have on were sizzling in the RING-BILLED GULL—While our herring gull and great black-backed gull bit deep at times. s
the marine life of the river.Another exam- pan for dinner. nest on neighboring islands here on the East End, the little ring-billed gull �re also set about
ple of an introduced species where there Each night we had nests on iniand freshwater lakes. This photo was taken on ��Long Island" i11 getting dinner,
are no natural predators to control its a big outdoor fire,a Oneida Lake almost 40 years ago, knowing all too
growth. convenient garbage well that food �
We found our cabin, one of six, on a disposal,especially for the fish bones,etc. We rented a boat and went to "Long would be the reward the hikers would be
grassy slope overlooking the river,a place We saw some Havahart traps down by the Island"in Oneida Lake where they nested looking for when they returned. Sure
where we'd watch beautiful sunsets day dock so we knew raccoons were on the and I photographed from a blind while enough, about 7 p.m. we heard voices '
after day. It couldn't have been better. prowl, which meant we had to be espe- Barbara took the kids some distance away coming through the woods, the youngest `
3oon a big fire was started outdoors and cially careful with leaving foodstuff out- in the boat. Those were wonderful care- camper with his collection of frogs,toads, ti
we began to settle into our new adventure. side. free days. snakes, giant millipedes and salamanders
Each day something new would unfold. I5l(1nl�AftCT ISllln[I Back at the cabin there was always plus a wide collection of flowers, musses ;
We spent days just fishing and visiting One could spend an entire vacation just something to do or see.We watched a tiny and mushrooms that were brought back to ;
our neighboring islands. The kids caught cruising in and around the many islands wren as it fed its young under the eaves of be identified.They were in a plastic con-
perch and bluegills, some large, some that dot the St. Lawrence. Each had its the cottage.A real late record for nesting, tainer they had found that he proudly ,
small.The ease of catching them remind- own little and sometimes big house on it. I would say,for this little brown whip of a called his"nature bag." �!
ed me of years ago when blowfsh were If the islands were large enough a regular bird. Yet there she was, her bill full of Our days were full and each day blend- ;
everywhere in our bays.As kids we could community of cottages would be there. insects, going back and forth from dawn ed into the next with side trips to muse- r
use clams,mussels,bread,bacon and even Each had its different kind of dock with to dark. ums,nature walks,Canadian viliages and, ''
of course,trips to rocky islands where the ,
kids were put ashore to claim them for :
their very own. It surely shows what the
���'s Look Back outdoor hotds for both young and old.
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75 Years Ago 25 Years Ago • !
Sept. 1, 1922 Aug. 31, 1972 Ometim �
Rabbit Lane Colony: A special meeting of the Beekeeper Says It's Lots of Fun: Recent calls to es �
, Rabbit Lane Association was held on Saturday,Aug. 23, on F.E.Smith of Flanders to come take away the bees have includ- '
the beach. After a short business session everyone enjoyed ed summonses from Brecknock Hall,the Valley National Bank
their box suppers and beverages were served. Mr. Kenneth and the Episcopal Church,all in Greenport. pj re
' Metcalf played the xylophone,Mr. George Koch and friends Mr. Smith,who has been in the trade for two years,travels
la d the
p ye banjo and guitar. Everyone joined in the singing around all over the East End and will go anywhere in Suffolk
and a ay old time was had b all.
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; Count as lon as his customers are willin to a for h's as ,
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50 Years Ago (he charges 10 cents a mile). He charges$3.50 an hour if bee ' ;
Aug. 29, 1947 removal involves tearing into a building and then restoring it �
L.1. Potato Deal Behind Sehedule: The 1947 With carpentry work,but will remove swarms for free if they n Q �
potato deal on Long Island is at least two weeks and some are just hanging from a tree or roof. He keeps as many of the 1 I l/
33,000 cars behind normal schedule. Up to Aug. 26, 1946, bees as possible, adding them to his own apiary which now '
, 6,377 railroad cars of otatoes hadbeen shi ed and that was comprises l5 colonies or hives. '
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in a eriod when heav field i in Does he ever t st n �
p y p 1 g was gomg on.Up to Aug, ge u g. He most certamly does. On one umps i
27 this year, 3,398 cars had gone out,and there has been no occasion he collected no less than 100 stings in a day.
piling. Government purchases of around 100 cars a day con- Normally the bee-sting count is beiween four and six,accord- NORTH FORK SANTfATION SERVICE
tinued to be the mainstay of a weak market. ing to Smith,who also claims that his work is"lots of fun." Garbage�Rubbiah Removel
Roy A.Schelin,Prop.765-2888
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