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Home My WebLink AboutAugust 07, 2003 - Watching the day awaken The Suffolk Times • August 7, 2003 • a c ln e a awa en � << � � . �a.�. �`'�;,� �� . ut,v 29,2003—We are going to try ��,�, � ,•�� something different today.I3arbara � � and I are going to take the tape ��,, 'E'�'i '�� '-� recorder out on lhe patio just as the _ •� " sun rises and reporf what we see and �'�� `� `' U hear to those of you who never have _� � �� jIII ��:: �! i If a chance to experience the world at �� '°"�ax� that time of da . � u �.:! •+�.'ii I W� L� y � � � And so,with flashlight in hand,we ��.�� '� dress warml as there is a chill in th e , ,,�: > �� y k"�� ;. ��1 �I(��r �" � � ,,'� air and we are going to be sitting for ��° 'k, a long time."I'he first sounds we hear " `�� are the buzzing of insects and the � , � , Q �� 9� z�. c ; �, noise of an occa- > � �%� � �� A � sional nut that � � a . � FQ(��J$ drops off one of �.� ',��;� "��`� � � lhe hickory trccs �� k ON around us.lfiesc � NATURE �� ` � =��` P ��' ,�,�,.. are defunct nuts t. a � '� �` �."" 'F:�% �� by Paul that cannot and � '� � '�� , � � �� n y�� Stoutenburgh �'�11 not mature, `��`� "� , ...� ;� � ,� � � ,�'!`'�, for they're thc � � �� ' � �, �, -� ,�.� � ��" ��"� ones that have �,�� '�� ,� � �-°�' �``��--��'�'°��`�� °°'�' becn weakened by insects or worms �'�z � �. � �� ,�� °' �� "'~°`�..� ��''.'"'�11� "°��'"""�� and they drop.They make quite a ��. � �'"��' � "�� °� ��"` `��^° `"�� *�� a noisc,particularly if they hit the alu- �'� � �`� �� •3° �� ' _� � �' minum gutter. � ,�;� � �, .��;� � � �, �� '� ��-�� 3 �'.�r;��'E � �� We get comfortable in the soft �� ' �` ""�,,�t �i��' � ��° . � ` chairs and wait far the new day to � �„� ,�i'� � ��` �° � � ��: risc up out of the east.There is a �:� �� =� predawn light that lets us see ghostly 3 , �� objects far away.I see our windmill `�°� ��,� slanding straight and tall in the upper r pasture.We are up so early the birds haven't even started to chirp yet.We Times/Review photo by Paul Sroutenburgh �'ait and slowly it brightens. Bluejays are one of our noisiest birds except when nesting; then they're Now we're seeing the silhouettes of quiet and secretive, often building their nests in the shrubbery around your the trees in the background. I can home without your even knowin it. hear a dog barking way off in the dis- tance and the sound of a lone car on the highway.I wonder what it's doing at this early hour.Otherwise our world is one of silence.l'he stars have left us and it looks like a good day ahead. Now we hear thc first chirping of birds—house sparrows,I suspect. And there is the rooster crowing in the hen house. He waits for no one. He must think he has to let the worlcl ow t e sun is up.On every blade know he is king of the roost.Ah, of grass there is a little sparkle of there's the first mosquito,and I swat dcw.There's a spider web in its own it. . :_ ) a.m.— ur pin c �s gonc and exquisite design draped with dew. It's now 5:15 a.m.We hear the soft hi�ight ycllow has taken over the east. Each thread holds its own little gem � c attering of the birds.There's not a We're able to see things much more of water.What a wonderful world we breath of air moving.Now in the dis- ��early now.We no longer rely on just live in. tance I hear a crow call.And then silhouettes.The busy little house "Look there,along the pasture across the pasture I see the zigzag �'ren has started its boislerous call, fence."It's a rabbit sneaking along.It flight of a bat.It's getting its last bit �'hich will keep up all day.Why it will sleep away the day and spend the of nourishment before the sun comes doesn't wear its throat out I don't night foraging,probably in my garde up.And now the raspy call of the know.Now the familiar robin call nipping off my zinnias.My windmil( bluejay. comes from out in the �arden.Still no has just taken on a coat of yellow A half-mile down the fields I can �'ind.Everything is placid."l�he cat- sunlight.This early-morning light is see mist gathered in great long bank,ti. hird just flew by,checking to see if we an artist's dream.Now as I look up I wonder why we don't have that mist �'<<� tossed out anything for him to into the sky above me and see the here in our pasture.I hear a quiet call �<it.They love the tidbits we toss to trees being painted in gold,the stars of a cardinal.It just flew in under thc thcm.They become quite tame.This have left and our day is beginning. bird feeder to pick up the seeds that �ne sees nothing and so flies on by. High above,I hear the moan of a spilled.Off in the distance there is Now comes the noisy call of"Tea- jet headed east.Otherwise we've had more noise on the highway.How kettle,tea-kettle,tea-kettle"of the a quiet morning with mostly bird sound travels when there is no wind Carolina wren.My gosh,but it's loud. calls,an occasional dog and a rooster and it's quiet.A lone leaf comes flut- She must be right around the corner trying to tell c;veryone how great he tering down.Why did it drop? Did of the house.Some will stay all win- is.Sounds of the early morning. some insect bite it off?We'll never ter with their cheerful call. Way off in the distance I see two know. Barbara's sharp ears pick up the scagulls moving north.They've spent The crows are creating a real hulla- �all of the bobwhite in the field next the night out on the bay and are now baloo.They always seem to warn us �O°r.They probably have their young hc;ading for the landfill to see if there when the fox is coming through. Hc hy now.The sun is trying to burn a are any choice pickings up there. checks my chicken house every day hole through the trees.It s got a little Nothing like it used to be when we or so to see if I have left the door N'�iY �o go before it finds an opening. had an open garbage pit and the gull open. nnd now the call of the flicker,our could be seen there by the hundreds. I see a green heron head down to ��rgest woodpecker.He has nested And so our day has begun,with the pond to fish for goldfish or per- 5omewhere in our woods. some of the sights and sounds that g haps a frog.I can make it out by its ��ime out. My dear wife just went in on every day,so why not pick"your silhouette. It's still too dark to recog- and got a cup of coffee.It's still a lit- day"and sit and watch the sun come nize them otherwise.Our three cows lle chilly out here.What really makes uP�� the coffee worthwhile is one of her pS.from Barbara:The photo with come into view momentarily as they cherry tarts to go along with it. chew their way up the hill,and then this article has a story behind it,as The sun is almost over thc trces most do.When I returned from they're gone. now.'I'hings are becoming morc and To the east the sk is startin to church one Sunday morning 50 years y g more the way we think of our morn- ago in a long dress and high heels,I turn to pink.Soon it will fade as a ing.The robins are on the lawn.One soft yellow takes over. was asked if I would climb a 20-foot has a worm in its bill,its reward for ladder so Paul could take some blue- I recognize the graceful flight of getting up early.Off it goes:hop,hop, the two swallows that nest in m jay pictures.The reason is birds can't Y hop ... then listen ... hop,hop,hop count,so if I followed him up the lad- barn.They are lovely birds to have and listen again. der into his blind and then left,the around.They're out early each morn- birds would think there was no one ing to catch insects.What graceful fliers they are.They've had two in the blind and therefore return to feed their young while Paul took broods so far �his season.We can't their icture. h<ivc t��o many swal.lc�evs.