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Home My WebLink AboutDecember 18 and 25, 2003 - The critters' Christmas The Suffolk Times • December 18 and 25, 2003 � , e c r 1 e rs . r1 sm as w ��g ,�r '�'�r� µ'� � ` � uH � #� �� °�;,, � � � �� ti � �� w��y �' � � � � 4 � i r i, . ' .. �k*.� �, � „ l �F r� T , �i "� y .. i�� ; . , � '' ,w.6�xr�x � �, 7""� "�' ; �� ,�� „�� ., � �� : '�m w � r �N s� � t 4 1� I � JI I �� .�� ^ ,N�' �m �. ,� '''y �� Nr � � ) ;✓b M� `+t � w ',� B p�' �� a R;� �,�� , 6,� r W� ' p ,� �"��r MrNN�UG7p'y'.',li �N^N�InMx�omrM�47��,�... �R�'. 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I Nw�,rv� �nq� ��ti p� �� '°� '"M�� '�,�� '�"^ �"d��, +w �;N - ., °"a r 9,y `""�. ,',� G """� " ",,� b�� I a�. ,� ��:� ,w� ° , � , ,,� � � , , �'a � � � � � ° � '-��; � ,�� ' � � � � � �"r �� n � � � ' � � , �a" � �� .: Mr �' m ��* :aw `� �r, �' ,h� ,, � �,� �� ,� '� � ��,�, ��w�' "��'�� , m �� i�rr�� ,� '� �� w " , � y� �� nW�.� � rd- '�� ,�.w `� ,��„ s�,'- . � ° � � �' ti� ,,�-�� uy n � �,�� ,p, �' ,� l, � , �, L . "'"4� '.�'��"y "n. _Ylf�p� ��ry � � �,� �� . ��„ �i"' � � �� W y�� i v.h; ,f 4 �� 0 ��}� /�' �M�,� q�^��'�,,� �!�� I �� .. * � H � . �"��,.��p� �t��'m,�B u.� � �,., ;, � � �� . N��r � �a� �.� � `.� � �'�� q '� � �'�, 4 �' � �.�M:.. �" � � n `4 iiv, � � � . �� / .4 �� "Bj � y� /�� m l ry�. p�: '. . ,. i , + . r � M" "� �� J'� � ":�, � r �µ �w", �o �fi ' ti. � ., at ��,, ' r " ";�"9 ` y�", � , � �� ,�� '��,�n � �,��,�,�� u�. ¢ ��' �,h,'.'��,� �,� ,.,� l,; ,�p,'�. idY � "� ��'t�� "w' '��" d r d L' , , � , �, . `�� ' � � � � Pholos by Paul and Barbara Stoutenburgh Do you know where there is an old barn? Some are left to weather and die but the one pictured here was given new life one Christmas. Can you guess what happened? here was a family just like house back into an� �,ra in of resents going on yours that always wanted to shape,hopefully p� g p y, live in the countr .On week- �OC►US before Christmas. because it was that time o�the c,ar. Y Far the first time they all went out to ends the would all ile in the Everyone y p ON cut their very own Christmas tree car and drive out to the East End, pitched in,and alwa s lookin for that extra-s ecial NATURE after lots of from the nearby woods.lfien every- country hom�Then one day they by Paul scrubbing and one helped to decorate it with shiny found 'ust what the were lookin Stoutenburgh painting,the old balls and twinkling colored lights. � y g house was almost All this time,little thought was for.It was an old farmhouse with a Iike new.Tl�en,to given to what was going on out in the deserted barn in back,but the barn old barn.After all,you could hardly wasn't important to them.What was make it perfect for Christmas,it important was to et the old farm- lot of whis erin see the barn from the house,as it was on ms� e t e arn,so, i e a rtt e all covered with vines and bushes an nstmas. boys,he didn't give up.He poked in deep snow.Inside the barn it was And who do you think was given here.He poked in there.Everywhere quite cozy,even though there was a the job of collecting goodies for their he saw big tracks that he knew must hole in the roof and a few holes Christmas dinner?Why,Mr.Raccoon, he from deer—or could they be under the eaves where the woodpeck- of course.He was an expert at tipping reindeer tracks?After all,it was close ers had been working.There were over garbage pails and finding all to Christmas."We don't have rein- also one or two pieces of siding miss- sorts of goodies.Later that night, deer around here,"the little boy said ing,but that didn't matter,for it made after tipping over two garbage pails, to himself.But then it was almost it easy for the local animals and birds he found some old sandwiches,some Christmas.He ran back all excited to to come and go as they pleased. potatoes and carrots,along with a big tell his parents what he had found. It was getting close to the chunk of old chocolate cake.All Well,like many parents at this time of time when the birds and these and lots mare were the year,they were too busy to stop animals would all get �w� � d� ��",� taken back to the barn and listen.So he told his sister who together for their +� �,�,� � ""'� for the big ' ��i' ��°' "" Christmas dinner. got all excited,too.Botb of them ran annual °�� "� ;'� n ��! � back to the barn through the snow to Christmas cele- � ti� �� , � ��, �',o,, �� Mr.Owl gave �y�lere he had seen the big footprints. bration.They � ��`�� '��`'�� u��"�� , ,ti-�- Bushytail,the Sure enough,when they got near needed �� '° �� - �� ^�� red fox,the the barn the saw a deer run awa its �� - �� '�� ob of 6ndin Y Y' someone to � �, �� J g white tail flashing.Then two more fol- ., or anize � ',�`,�,u� �,� ' � �ro,� someChing lowed.What could the be doin g i ��r F ��, Y g everything. �,q�,�, r�, � �,� ��.� � that the � here?The kids couldn't get near There was ,�� ' ` � "� � � �„" ��"�' food could enough to see what was in the barn the tree to �' " � r; '"' �"� be laid out �� - ar to see why the deer were there. get;some- ,� �� n� ��"x ,� "��,� �� on.He found Little did they know that all the ani- , one had to �� "�� r �i , an old rug mals and birds for miles around were make drinks; � �, ��' ��'� ��" �� r"�'�v��,�„ � 'x'� � that worked r�'�� ust fine. P��ning their Christmas right there others had to � J in the old barn.They went back home t'�' �� ' Remember, bring�n food � u�, � � � � �*� lo tell their parents that they had and do all the ' , ^�` ''� ~ there was a beau�i- �� secn three deer.The parents sCopped other little jobs that ful layer of snow on �l minute and said,"Isn't that nice," make Christmas such a the ground,and the thcn went right on with their busy wonderful time of gushytail was given the job of trips back and forth (,hristmas doings. thc year. finding something to set the food from the barn to In the meantime,lots of things were And who do out on. the house left a ��,ii��on out in the barn.The blue you think they deep path in the i��y��,ere sent out to collect sun�ac pickc;d to organize it all? Can you snow.Little did the animals know bcrries.When crushed in water thcy gucss who got the job? Of course,it that there was a little boy in the make a nice drink.Now that job was hacl to be Mr.Owl,for he was the house who was very inquisitive.He taken care of. oldcst and wisest of them all.His first was always.asking questions,so when Nuts were needed to add to the job was to find someone to get a tree. he saw the tracks by the house he Christmas table,so the squirrels were Mc picked Mr.and Mrs.Beaver.They wondered where they went.At thc s�nt out to collect some tasty black were known for cutting down trees. first chance he got,he followed the walnuts.They knew where they could They lived on ihe river and would tracks through the snow,and you find them because every farmhouse have no trouble getting a tree and know where they led—right to the in the old days had a big old black hauling it to the barn.In the mean- big old barn.Try as he did,he could- Walnut tree right close to the house. time,the deer were sent off to nip n't get in,because there were so When they collected an old shoebox pieces of holly up by the house,which many weeds and vines and bushes full,they opened up the big nuts with thcy arc good �t doing.Thosc rcd growing around it. thcir si�ar� tccth f<�r cvcry�>nc to hull�� i�rrri��s �vcrc �i9�v�� arl ��f V ic hnc�,�� sc�mc[hin�� ir�usl E�c g<�ing en�oy. ey a so oun some ic ory nuts,but they were harder to get into, so they left them for the mice to gnaw on. ,This being wintertime,therc weredt too many birds aroui�d,but there were the woodpeckcrs,chick- ' � ', adees and titmice,all whom love sun- even �nvitec r.an Mrs.Skunk,�f f7ower seeds.One little chickadee said �� they promised not to smell up the he knew where they could get some. place.Their job would be to sweep up , "Where?"the others asked."At the the barn floor with their big,fluify �" ��' �� +. bird feeders u b the farmhouse,"he "�� '' �� P Y tails.By evening the whole barn glis- � , replied.So all day long the chick- tened with Christmas.That night a bi<� °j, � �"�� adees,titmice and woodpeckers flew silvery moon came up and shown � � �"�' ,„� ' ,�;�... '� back and forth,until they had a nice right down into the barn through th� '� �� r ,�. pile of sun- holes in the roof,lighting up every- ' " � The b0y k1�eW for ever one thing. _ �,�� ' " � �� flower seeds r �n�, � � � � the big traeks y While the parents were busy wrth ~ to enjoy. Christmas Eve doings,the little boy e�0�o. �+�vl was picked to organize the must be from �r,ey even and girl snuck back to the barn to see animals' Christmas celebration. deer — 01' asked Blackie if the deer had returned.When thcy eould they be the crow and got to the barn they found a place boy and girl had talked about.There his friends to they could squeeze in.There in the were lots of empty husks from nuts from reindeer? come to the barn they saw all the animals and and little half-empty containers of Christmas fcti- birds enjoying a wonderful Christmas. berries.Could it be the birds and ani- tival—that is,ii'they diddt make t�� What place could be more perfect for mals really did celebrate Christmas in much noise.He accepted,bringing hi�, �l Christmas celebration?The kids the barn?As he stood there,a strange I�ricnds along.Each crow brought a couldn't believe their eyes.There and wonderful feeling came over him. shiny piece of glass,or a shiny piccc Were many kinds of food spread out Now he couldn't wait to get Uack to of inetal like a tin can cover,because on the carpet,and sumac tea to drink. the house to tell the kids and their crows like to collect shiny things. il�other what he had seen and the T7x se were all added to the �e boy and girl were very quiet so no one would know the were there. �xtra-special Christmas idea he had. Christmas tree.All day long they Then they slowly backed out without ��in you guess what it was? went back and farth,picking up as Once back at the house he making a sound. many shiny things as they could fincL Once outside they ran all the way explained to them that he saw how Thcy even found a shiny spoon and back to the house to tell their parents important the barn was to everyone. hung it on the top of the tree. He told them that next year he would The mice,of course,were invited. �'hat they had seen.Again the parents ut a li hted Christmas tree in the were too busy to listen,but the fol- p g They lived in the barn and knew center of the barn floor and he'd lowing morning,after the family had cvery nook and cranny.Like all mice opened all their presents,the father open the big barn doors so all the ani- they had heen collecting cherry pits mals and birds could use it for their walked down to the barn just to satis- and�seeds all winter,which they Christmas celebration. fy his curiosity.He slowly worked his brou ht out for ever one to en o .Of So if ou ever see a barn at cour.e you had to invite the stari ngs. �'ay in and,sure enough,there was Christmastime with its doors wide the Christmas tree,all decorated with For a while they weren't going to shiny glass and metal ornaments and open and a lighted Christmas tree because they are such hogs when it a silver s oon at the ver to that the inside,you'll know that all the ani- comes to eating.But they finally did, mals and birds have once again gath- and they behaved very well.They ered together for their Christmas cel- ebration. , , , , , : „, ,N� , ��a�. ��,�i� _ �v; ��: y� �� q��q' � a,� �� "� `'� _ . � . . � ��a� ..-r'`") 1��v ti �Y� � � gg �n�,1, .''� ..'_ "� "� " ll� '*�"� � a A �' 'Sbl�y�b�� ' �{�� Y�,�" �,v-��,.� c,) � p�� , ,� �, : � �, ,, �� .., � � � �' a S �"'" - � ✓ {�_ .. ��d�pd! 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"�-� �� . � � �f r�h 4y 4:u d�, ' , �9r�n, �,. � � v . . � �� ,.... �, „ ... � • b', Y�r .. , , r,, p, (V' / � . . . . . . ' . � .. . � . i . . ..., �� Y//. . :.., y� . � ,. ; . . . . . . . � � ii. �� . . _ t ,� �� , ,;!/, 4, NO baC�(b@I1C�1@I'S t�l@y surtoik rmes pnoto by r�m Keiiy Joined by family and friends, Barbara and Paul Stoutenburgh (seated) try out the new bench installed in their honor at the town beach in New Suffolk during Saturday's dedication ceremony. Lifelong conservationists and founders of the North Fork Environmental Council, the Stoutenburghs received the NFEC's lifetime achievement award during the group's 30th anniversary summer gala.