I’m writing this column on my living room sofa under a warm wool blanket with Nelson asleep in a nest by my feet. It was barely 50 degrees when we woke up. The dogs are curled into tight balls on their dog beds.
Although the sky is overcast, there will be no rain today. Everything is dust-dry, the grass brown, leaves shriveled to conserve what little moisture they can. Mike’s truck kicks up dry clouds of dust when he drives in and out during the day. Saturday night’s promised rainfall left barely a coating in the rain gauge. It had sounded so promising. I can’t believe we are not in a drought.
Mike and I met Ethel and Ralph Sherman years ago at SBS, then remember Ethel behind the desk at Dr. Westover’s office. We have loved her jams and perfectly-arranged vegetables at the Farmers’ Market, along with advice, and her way of making me feel like the most welcome sight in the world. I can’t believe she is gone. My condolences to Ralph and their family, and to everyone who feels the world emptier for her loss.
Walter Ashley was another presence in our lives. Mike always enjoyed his visits with Walter and always learned something. The two of them discussing the finer points of chainsaw repair is an image that makes me smile. He helped Mike restore our 1978 Power King tractor one winter. He was the guru, and will be sorely missed by a large number of people. We will be at the Ag Hall this Sunday between 1 and 3 o’clock to join Connie and their many friends and to celebrate Walter’s life. Hope you can make it, too.
Pam Thors sent a reminder from the Community Preservation Committee that proposals for 2015 projects are due tomorrow, Sept. 19. You may file your application for eligibility with Pam at Town Hall, or file electronically atwesttisbury-ma.gov/cpc/index_cpc.html. You can email any questions to cpa@westtisbury-ma.gov. Calling Pam is a little more complicated, as CPC doesn’t have its own phone. Call Executive Secretary Jen Rand at 508-696-0102 and she will help get you to Pam.
If you have always wanted to know more about electric vehicles, you will have your opportunity this Saturday, Sept. 20. Vineyard Power and Cronig’s Market will host the second annual Electric Vehicle Plug-In Day at the down-island Cronig’s parking lot from 9 am to 12:30 pm. You can view, test-drive, and learn about the vehicles (including a motorcycle) and about rebates and tax credits.
Ellen Weiss called this morning to invite me for a beach walk and to take a break from household chores. She is preparing for the arrival of “three ladies from Thousand Island Park – we call it TIP” – a Victorian campground resort established in 1870 on Wellesley Island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River near the Canadian border. Ellen spoke there last year about our Camp Meeting Association in Oak Bluffs. She met Trude Fitelson, Julie Mathieu, and Katherine Zimmerman — her guests who will arrive on Tuesday, to study the Oak Bluffs Campground and how it is being preserved. They look forward to spending time with association members and studying the campground. Hopefully, they will have time for a beach walk. They will bring their findings back to TIP as part of its preservation process.
Don’t forget the Saturday-evening performance of Arnold Rabin’s play What do people talk about when they have nothing to say? at the West Tisbury library at 7 pm.
Susan Bellincampi will speak about her new book, Martha’s Vineyard, A Field Guide to Island Nature, at the West Tisbury library on Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 5 pm. Susan has been director of Massachusetts Audubon’s Felix Neck Sanctuary since 2006, and writes the weekly All Outdoors column in the Vineyard Gazette.
Vineyard Colors photographers Moira Fitzgerald and Yann Meersseman will be at the library on Thursday, Sept. 25, to speak about their photographs and exhibition currently atop the stacks. The program begins at 5 pm.
Beth Kramer just called to tell me about Richard Knabel and David Stanwood wanting to give the library a vintage rosewood Steinway that David has restored. She said that everyone at Jonathan Revere’s memorial had so enjoyed having musical accompaniment during the celebration of Jonathan’s life that this idea was born. There are frequent musical programs at the library, and a piano would be a wonderful thing to have. If you are interested in contributing to this gift, please call Richard at 508-696-9134.
I am partial to flowers that smell wonderful, and find myself frequently reminiscing about fragrances from my childhood or from special occasions. It has made me indulge in one extravagance the year round; I always have fresh flowers on the table in our living room. The highlight of this summer has been Krishana Collins’s lilies. Every week there seems a new color in her display and every week I carefully choose my bouquet: the most beautiful, the one with the most buds still to open. Their perfume carries throughout our house, and I am filled with happiness and gratitude for this small gift.
