at the bottom of the valley in front of the house was a small road next to the stream , the only road they would have to cross to get into the part of the forest they were going to , grandpa was carrying the sackcloth bag which he always used when it was honey-day , its contents comprised one large clay jar , a coil of rope ( about twenty feet long ) , a flask of tea , sandwiches , and an array of spatula-like sticks of different shapes and sizes .