Town Column : West Tisbury
By Hermine Hull
Published: November 12, 2009
The past week has been beautiful. Jean Wexler called to tell me she had little yellow primroses blooming in her garden, usually a sign of early spring.
Mike and I have had some lovely late-afternoon beach walks. There is still a lot of color in the distant foliage around Lambert's Cove and James Pond. As we arrived on the beach, we met Keith and Hara McGuire with Hara's mother, Kika Dretaki, who was visiting from Saloniki, Greece. Kika has been staying with Keith's mother, Linda McGuire. Although she lives on a beautiful island herself, Kika loves the Vineyard. She has been having a wonderful time here.
Saturday we walked down to the Great Pond, where we were amazed by the intense blue of the water. I don't ever remember it so. The autumn light feels warm and golden. If you are driving around town or just out in your yard, take time to look. Either side of 4 o'clock the light changes so quickly, but it lights the landscape on fire as it disappears behind the trees. Doane's field on New Lane, Whiting's, and Littlefield's along State Road are especially beautiful.
West Tisbury was well-represented at David Crohan and Katie Mayhew's concert at the Whaling Church. Everyone gave it rave reviews.
If you missed the library's Halloween party, take a look on westtisburylibrary.org. Lynn Christoffers and Steve Klebs have posted their photographs.
The first Winter Farmers Market will be held this Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Ag Hall, from 10 am to 2 pm. This has been a project dear to Linda Alley's heart. Linda, proprietor of New Lane Sundries, will be there selling her delicious jams and mustards. There have been several newspaper articles over the summer about winter markets around the country. I can't wait to see who will be at ours and what they will have on display.
Sunday afternoon, Nov. 15, at 5 o'clock, you are invited to join fellow poets and poetry lovers at the West Tisbury Library for a Community Poetry Reading. Bring your own or a favorite poem to read. There will be congenial company and free refreshments, so come along and enjoy.
Last weekend was a busy one for West Tisbury firemen and EMTs. Saturday there was an All-Island EMT class held all day at Station 2 (Public Safety Building). On Sunday, Station 2 hosted a Rescue Jack Training Drill, attended by senior members of West Tisbury and Tisbury Rescue Teams. The class was taught by a call fireman from Worcester. A highlight of the session involved stabilizing with rescue jacks a van that had flipped over, lifting it off the ground enough to cut its roof off. Meanwhile, younger firemen were in Edgartown attending a Firefighter 1 class.
Katherine Long and Tom Vogl spent last week in New York City, visiting friends and enjoying the sights. They saw an exhibition of paintings by Gustav Klimt at the newly-refurbished Museum of Modern Art. Katherine was quite excited by Klimt's landscapes, having only seen the wonderfully stylized figures for which he is so well known. Back at home, she was looking for a book of Klimt landscapes and readying for a weekend visit from her mother and sister, Katherine and Mary Ruth Long.
Alan and Joyce Brigish had company for the weekend. Their daughter, Jackie Parker, and her children, Ashley and Kevin, all came from Berkley Heights, N.J. They spent Saturday morning painting at Featherstone, then had lunch at the Plane View.
Tara Larsen has lots to celebrate this week. Her birthday is November 14. On the 16th, she and her husband, Stephen, mark their sixth wedding anniversary. I wish you many happy days ahead.
November 16 is the birthday of friend and artist Nancy Furino. May it be the best ever.
Hospice of Martha's Vineyard is looking for craftspeople and artists to donate handmade gifts for their annual Handmade From the Heart Sale. Jewelry, needlepoint, knitting, paintings, photographs, cards, toys, ornaments, cakes, cookies - all will be welcome and appreciated. Items may be dropped off at the Hospice trailer at Martha's Vineyard Hospital, or call 508-693-0189 to arrange for someone to pick them up. Handmade From the Heart is held at the Dr. Daniel Fisher House on the Saturday of Christmas in Edgartown weekend. This year, the date and time are December 12, from 10 am to 4 pm.
Last week I reported the tragic and untimely death of our neighbor Bob Fischer's 12-year-old golden retriever, Cody. Friday afternoon, Bob drove into the yard. I was outside, so walked over to his truck. The window rolled down and there was Bob holding the cutest golden retriever puppy I have ever seen. Cubby Fischer has huge paws, a pouf of golden fur on the top of his head, and a tail that wags a mile a minute. He and his new dad are clearly in love, and I couldn't be happier for them both.
