West Tisbury

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There are cygnets on the Mill Pond. Three goslings, too. New leaves, chartreuse and a soft peachy-green, make colored mounds of the surrounding shrubbery.

Paul Levine and Marie-Louise Rouff, and their entire neighborhood across from Nip ‘n’ Tuck Farm, have been watching a pair of green pheasants, Phasianus versicolor. I called Allan Keith for information. Here is what he told me. They are a color morph of more common pheasants. Originating in Japan, they are common in Hawaii, but not here. They were likely released within the last year. Unfortunately, their chances for a successful nesting are poor, as feral cats, raccoons, and skunks are all predators. He also told me there is a large feral cat population on the island that is responsible for killing huge numbers of birds and small animals. Our pet cats hunt, too, and I was informed that birders wish we kept them all inside.

I had a belated-birthday lunch on Saturday for my friend, Jayne Johnson. Her birthday was April 17, but she was off visiting her family then and by the time everyone could agree on a day, Saturday, May 5, it was. It was a gathering of old friends, easy and amiable. Besides Jayne and me, around the table were Kathy Sollitto, Susie Leland, Sandy Turner, Martha Fleishman, Edna Ofori-Mitchell, Bonnie George, and Suzanne Faith. We ate a lot and talked a lot, laughed and enjoyed ourselves. Kathy’s birthday is May 6, so we all look forward to getting together again.

Our Alzheimer’s walk was Sunday. Fine weather and pleasant company contributed to the walk’s success. Simone DeSorcy and I chatted along the route about her recent trip to Paris. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this cause that means so much to me.

Two upcoming events are planned to benefit cancer support. Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s Junior Varsity football team has planned a community fundraiser for the Cancer Society’s Relay For Life Cancer Walk next Saturday, May 19, 4-9 pm, at the Boy’s and Girl’s Club. There will be a bounce house, face-painting, and other activities. They have set up a website where you can contribute online: www.relayforlifemarthasvineyardma.org.

The MV Cancer Support Group’s “An Evening Under the Stars” will be held at Lattanzi’s on May 17, 6-9 pm. Co-chairs Jane Carroll and AnneMarie Donahue said the event raised more than $49,000 last year that helped Island cancer patients and their families; all the money stays here on the island. Enjoy dancing to music by Mike Benjamin and sampling elegant hors d’oeuvres.

I hope everyone has had a chance to see Lyn Hinds’s paintings at the library. Her exhibition began May 1 and continues through the month. Come and meet her this Friday afternoon, May 11, at 4, at a reception and artist’s talk. Lyn’s work courts the edge between representation and abstraction. Her representational paintings are constructed with the loose and lyrical brushwork and color that define her more non-representational work, as the principles of design, form, and color inform her non-representation paintings. See for yourself.

Vineyard Gardens continues its Saturday morning garden lecture series. Herb Gardens: Plant and Care for Annual and Perennial Culinary Herbs” begins at 11 am.

Ann Rosenkranz invites everyone to the West Tisbury Library this Saturday, May 12, at 4 pm, to meet and welcome state Sen. Dan Wolf and state Rep. Tim Madden. You may remember that we passed a resolution at our annual town meeting that supported getting big money out of elections. The resolution passed in all the island towns and at the state level. Congratulations to all of us for a measure that may help clean up our out-of-control election process. There will be a brief ceremony with members of the public, selectmen, and county commissioners.

The library’s Monday Night Movie, “Appaloosa,” begins at 7 pm.

Alexandra Styron is the guest author for the West Tisbury Library Foundation’s “Speakeasy Series”, to be held next Wednesday evening, May 16, 5:30 pm, at State Road Restaurant. She will read from and discuss her latest book, “Reading my Father,” about her father, William Styron. The book is described as “a portrait of this towering, mesmerizing, occasionally crippled man by his youngest daughter …. wrought with intimacy, incisiveness, integrity, and love.” It will be a great opportunity to speak with the author and to support the library’s on-going capital campaign. Call Carol Brush for information and reservations: 508 693-3489.

Mike mowed our lawn on Sunday. It had the immediate effect of making everything look tidy. The earliest rhododendrons and azaleas are blooming, and I feel like I’m living in a park.