West Tisbury: Karasik cartoon, new teacher, elections

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We had a sprinkling of rain Sunday night, fast and noisy during the night, leaving a mere quarter inch behind. Some relief for which our plants look grateful. It’s still now, with a heavy sky, the hazy, hot, and humid weather of midsummer. We have been spoiled by crisp, cool days when unexpected; now we will have the heat.

Cardinal flower is splendidly blooming along Whiting’s and the Mill Pond. It makes a pretty picture paired with bright chartreuse marsh grasses and dark purple shadows where it sits tucked into the shrubbery. White mallows are blooming now, and shockingly orange and yellow leaves have appeared among still-green woodlands. Aronia and early-turning maples are these first trees to show their autumn colors. Beach plums are ready for picking if you know a secret spot.

Several people have asked about Nelson lately. Coincidentally, I ran into Hal Garneau and Richard Knabel at Cronig’s the other evening. We all had gotten kittens about a year or so ago, all naughty and tearing into our lives. Literally. I’m happy to report that all kittens are now past their first birthdays and settling down to varying degrees. Hal and Dan’s three bad boys are no longer into everything, although they are still energetic, healthy cats who can cause some mischief on occasion. Richard and Jim’s Suzette barely bites at all. Mike and I, and our dogs, have survived Nelson’s first year. He still bites, but not with the vigor he used to show; it feels more gratuitous now: “Oh, this is just what I do. A little love bite.” He is a very handsome orange macho man and I adore him.

Look in this week’s New Yorker magazine for a cartoon by Paul Karasik. It’s a good one.

The Martha’s Vineyard Montessori School announces the hiring of a new Head Classroom Teacher. Her name is Tyrene Johnston. Everyone is excited about her arrival and looking forward to working with her this year. Welcome.

Massachusetts Primary Elections take place on Tuesday, September 9, at the Public Safety Building. Polls open at 7 am and close at 8 pm. Don’t forget to vote. If you are not yet a registered voter in town, go up to see Town Clerk Tara Whiting during her office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–1:30 pm.

The West Tisbury Library continues to host many programs for all members of the community. Songs and stories for infants to three-year-olds is called Mother Goose on the Loose every Monday morning at 10:30. Older pre-schoolers meet on Thursday mornings at 10:30. The special Island Grown Initiative storytime with Nicole Cabot is next Thursday morning, September 11. It’s all about tomatoes this month. Free all-day craft projects are set up in the Children’s Room every Saturday from 10:30 am–3 pm. Drop in.

Steve Maxner will be giving free guitar lessons at the library beginning September 15 at 5 pm. The program is supported by a grant from the Permanent Endowment For Martha’s Vineyard. Guitars will be provided. There is a $20 fee for materials. You may pre-register at the library.

Nine Women Artists: Fifteen Years is the exhibition in the library’s Program Room through the month of September. It is my art group. We have been meeting since 1998 for monthly critiques, problem solving, meals, and lots of art talk. We will have a reception at the library next Wednesday, September 10, at 5 pm. On Monday, September 15, we will be on hand to talk about our work, our group, to answer any and all questions. The talk begins at 5:30 pm. The nine of us are: Leslie Baker, Claire Chalfoun, Nancy Furino, Lyn Hinds, Hermine Hull, Ruth Kirchmeier, Jeanne Staples, Liz Taft, and Wendy Weldon. We promise you an interesting and spirited conversation, so please come.

September is a bittersweet month. The Derby begins. It’s not so crowded or busy. The weather is nice. School starts. Summer friends leave just as we begin to have time to spend with them. We reconnect with our year-round friends. Faces around town are more familiar, not strangers. There’s time for a nap (maybe) or to clean up the garden, to go outside and paint. It’s still busy, but closer to fall than to summer. A time to evaluate and to prepare. Time to catch your breath.