Our yard is already covered with leaves. They swirl around me, falling silently, as I walk up the driveway for my newspaper in the morning. I love the daily-changing color of our woods around me, the smell of damp ground, the sound of leaves dry and crackling underfoot.
We had a bit over an inch of rain last week, the welcome answer to every gardener’s prayers. More showers are predicted through the week. We’ll see what we get. After complaining nonstop about the lack of rain all summer, I walked outside in it, then came in to sit by a window and feel moist air blowing in on my face.
The Living Local Harvest Festival and Antique Power Show is this Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Ag Hall. A whole day of events is planned, along with displays of everything from working steam engines to low-energy lightbulbs. There will be food and music and information about everything. Pumpkin carving, too, and crafts, games, animals — lots to inform and entertain.
Ann DuCharme, education director at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, has planned a special table of educational craft projects for kids to learn about Nancy Luce, legendary West Tisbury poet and raiser of much-loved and -lauded chickens at her Tiah’s Cove Road farm, who would have celebrated her 200th birthday this year. An exhibition about Nancy Luce opens at the museum on Nov. 7.
Other special events include a lecture about “Local Options for Reducing our Carbon Footprint” at 10 am, the local wild food challenge at 11, Nature Connection Mentoring at noon, seed saving at 1 (a group on the Vineyard is starting a seed-saving library), and Holly Bellebuono of Vineyard Herbs and Herbal Medicines at 2. George Hartman will be on hand in the Antique Power Barn to tell you everything you ever wanted to know about tools and the steam engines that are his passion.
Musicians are invited to an open-mic stage from 3 pm to 5 pm. Then comes dinner, Island-raised pork and veggies, and dancing to the music of the Flying Elbows. Dinner and dancing is $15.00 per person, and you are asked to bring your own table setting. Parking is $5 to benefit the Martha’s Vineyard Charter School’s Local Meat project.
There will be a free screening and discussion of “Open Sesame: The Story of Seeds” at the Film Center on Friday evening, Oct. 3, at 7:30. Leading the program is Ken Green of Hudson Valley Seed Savers.
Mary Beth Norton sent me an osprey update this past week that included a photograph by Lanny McDowell. Take a look at ospreytrax.com. The bird in Lanny’s photograph there is DJ.
Geraldine Brooks will be at the Katharine Cornell Theatre this Sunday, Oct. 5, in conversation with Nick Bunker, author of “An Empire on the Edge: How Britain Came to Fight America.” Their conversation begins at 4 o’clock. It’s free and open to the public.
Earlier on Sunday afternoon, at 3 pm, David Rhoderick and the choir of the West Tisbury Church will perform a “Concert of Two Continents.” The program includes Antonio Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and Randall Thompson’s “Frostiana: A Series of Seven Choral Settings of Poems by Robert Frost.” Admission is $15.00, and includes a reception in the parish hall following the concert. Students may attend for free. The concert is sponsored by the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber Music Society.
ACE MV classes begin on Monday, Oct. 6. You may look at course listings and register online at acemv.org. There is a late fee charged for registering on the first day of class.
Patricia Cliggott has planned an event at her home, 129 Indian Hill Road, for the Columbus Day weekend. Called “Shine,” it supports the efforts of filmmakers Len and Georgia Morris and their project to help end childhood poverty one transaction at a time. The Morrises will be on hand to talk about their project. Lynne Whiting and Lisa Magnarelle Magden are participating with Patricia in the sale of clothing, art, and local and imported items. All are welcome next Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, Oct.11-13, from 10 am to 8 pm.
West Tisbury artists will be interested to know that the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and Featherstone Center for the Arts announces its second “Island Faces” exhibition of portraits painted by Island artists of Island residents. The opening is planned for June 12, 2015.
The evenings are coming earlier now. I notice that I’m putting on the porch light before Mike comes home, 6:30 last evening; last week it was 6:45. I need to turn on lights in the kitchen to cook dinner now, but it feels cozy, and I like Mike to know he’s welcome home by lights when he drives into the driveway and sees us all waiting for him.