Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: April 24, 2008
What a beautiful week we had. Finally a respite from the seemingly endless gray days we were all complaining about not so long ago. Now the complaint is that there is no rain predicted all this coming week. Mike hooked up our hoses this morning and I've started dragging them around the yard, ready to start the season, watching the weather report, planning when to water where.
Many years ago when Jean Wexler was writing the gardening column for the Gazette, she wrote my favorite column ever, about "garden hoses being instruments of the devil." I still remember it and laugh heartily with the memory of her series of calamities and trips up and down the hill, wrestling with a recalcitrant garden hose that never seemed to perform as intended. Thank you Jean, for years of good advice and good humor in the telling of it.
Driving along State Road last week I saw Allen Whiting's field full of lambs, a spectacular brush pile burning at Norman Lobb and Danny Whiting's tree farm, and forsythia and daffodils brightening the roadway. The cherry tree at Polly Hill's is covered with princess pink blossoms. Everything seems remarkably abundant this year. The big maples are almost ready to leaf out.
Tom Vogl and Katherine Long received a gift of 18 eggs from the vice-president of The Society of Preservation of Poultry Antiquities. Fourteen eggs are White Dorkings, one of the oldest breeds, described by ancient Romans. The remainders are Frizzled Sumatrans, whose feathers will curl backwards, making a showy display. Tom and Katherine have borrowed broody hens to sit the eggs. You may watch their progress on upislandeggs.blog-city.com. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch," warned a prudent, but hopeful, Katherine.
Meanwhile, chickens are abounding at Flat Point Poultry, a new venture by Doug Brush and Jeffrey Munroe. They are raising poultry for a CSA that should produce healthy, truly free-range chickens for sale three times a year. The chickens are raised in moveable pens on fresh grass at Flat Point Farm. Pre-order by calling Doug at 508-693-2057 (flatpointpoultry.blogspot@blogger.com). We all watched Doug's wife, Emily Fischer, as she grew up on Flat Point Farm and are excited to see her continuing the farming tradition. Emily is making goat milk soap that she sells at Alley's and Jenni Bick's.
I am continually impressed by the ingenuity of young people making their way on our Island. The Farmers' Market and varying CSA projects reflect this on-going commitment to healthy farming and a healthy life. I am amazed and so grateful for your efforts.
Phoebe Hersh has returned from a six-week stay in Ocala, Fla., where she participated in a winter circuit program called "Horse Shows in the Sun." Students went to their private school in the mornings, then spent afternoons riding. Phoebe won Grand Champion in her division. She trained with Sarah Neubert, also from West Tisbury. Ali Krecker, a friend of Phoebe's from Vineyard Haven, was in the same program.
Part of the fun of a business trip to a distant place is the chance to explore somewhere new on your own. Amy Eisenlohr has recently returned from San Diego, where she found time to visit the famous San Diego Zoo. She was thrilled to see the young panda bear born at the zoo. Amy said that San Diego was beautiful and she enjoyed the warm weather.
Valerie Sonnenthal's Snapshot show at Featherstone has been postponed until the weekend of May 2-4, so there is still time to bring your snapshots to Featherstone by May 1. All photos will be exhibited and there will be a closing party instead of an opening, on May 4 from 2 to 4 pm. The show will be unassembled afterwards and you can take your picture home. Call Valerie at 774-563-8282 if you have questions.
Vegetable Gardening is the topic at this Saturday morning's lecture at Vineyard Gardens. It will begin at 11 am.
Artist Linda Thompson, whose landscape paintings are on display this month at the library, will be at an artist's reception there this Sunday, April 27, at 2 pm. Please come to meet her and see her work. Linda is a plein air painter, working in oils. She will be happy to talk about her paintings, how she does them, and where she likes to go.
Wednesday, April 30, is the date of the first public meeting to begin the process of developing a strategic plan for the future of our library. The session will be led by Cheryl Bryan, a consultant and administrator from SEMLS (South East Massachusetts Library System) and the author of a new book about strategic planning for libraries. The program will begin at 11 am at the Grange. We will serve coffee and tea before getting started. Childcare and lunch will be provided during the program, which we expect to last about four hours. Please call the library, 508-693-3366, sign up at the circulation desk, or just come at 11 on Wednesday. We NEED your input whether or not you currently use the library (why not?). We hope you will make the time to attend this important meeting.
Following the public meeting, Cheryl will be meeting with library staff for the afternoon. The library will close at 2 pm to accommodate this.
Mike just came home for lunch, in time to help me get a nuthatch out of our dining room. One of the hazards of opening all the doors and windows before the screens are on is having unintended guests flying in unannounced and uninvited.
