Monday will be the first of July. June has been mostly cool and pleasant, so it doesn’t seem possible that it could already be July. But traffic and people, lots of off-Island license plates, our two local newspapers thickly full of events, and a general air of busyness make it obvious that summer has arrived.
Heavy rains have finally given way to a glorious weekend. Mike and I took Nanuk for a beach walk, figuring that the rains and heat may have lessened the number of ticks we saw the last time there. Nan seemed to come home with perfectly clean fur after a swim, and with no ticks. It was a beautiful walk, but the pond is too high for there to be any beach to walk on. We saw Nick Bayer later on, and he said he had seen preliminary work being done, so it looks like the opening should be cut soon. Nan met a nice playmate, a black lab named Riley. There’s nothing better than coming home with a tired dog.
Please note my annual reminder: Do not leave your dog (or any pet or child) in a closed car this time of year. It heats up fast, even if you had your air conditioner on before turning off the engine.
The Saturday morning lecture series at Vineyard Gardens continues this week. The subject is “Season Extenders,” and begins at 11 am.
The arts are alive and well in West Tisbury, “the Athens of the Island,” as Polly Murphy always referred to our town. Sunday, June 30, three local galleries will be opening for the summer season. Allen Whiting will be opening his Davis House Gallery with a reception from 5 to 7 pm. After opening day, the gallery will be open Thursdays through Sundays from 1 to 6 pm and by appointment. Phone number is 508-693-4691. Kara Taylor will be hosting an opening reception from 5 to 8 pm at her gallery on South Road. Both artists show their own work. The Field Gallery, opening from 5 to 7 pm, will showcase new work by Rachael Cassiani and Tommy May.
At the West Tisbury library:
Thursday, June 27, 4:30 pm, Daniel Aaron will discuss his new book, “Spiritual Leadership: The Art of Transformation.”
Saturday, June 29, 3:30 pm, Justen Ahren will read from his newly released poetry collection, “A Machine for Remembering,” about his experiences while volunteering with refugees living in Moria refugee camps in Lesvos, Greece, in 2018.
Monday, July 1, 11:30 am, Kanta Lipsky will lead her Balance Workshop. Family and teen movies will be shown at 6:30 pm. Free movies and free popcorn. At 9 pm, everyone is invited to the Grange for an evening of stargazing with Mark Lovewell. Children are welcome, but must be accompanied by a mature caregiver.
Tuesday, July 2, Mac Pro Paul Levy is back and holding drop-in assistance with your Mac questions and problems. He will be at the library every Tuesday and Friday morning from 10 am to noon. At 10:30 am, Jennifer Burkin will offer a Kids Comic Book Workshop for ages 8 and up. Preregistration is required. 8- and 9-year-olds must be accompanied by a mature caregiver. At 3 pm, Laura Jordan will lead her Little Bird Music Class for kids.
Wednesday, July 3, 4:30 pm, there will be a book launch for “Writing Through: An Anthology of Poems from the Magic Pencils,” written by students from Cambodia, Singapore, and Vietnam. Writing Through is an international educational charity founded by Sue Guiney, who will read from the book and show a short film about the organization.
The library will be closed on Thursday to celebrate the 4th of July.
The Red Cross will hold a blood drive on the island on Tuesday, July 2, 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, at the P.A. Club in Oak Bluffs. Their plan is to come to the Vineyard every month through December. To make an appointment, call Ilona Metell at 561-985-3668, or go to the website,
Two sunny, dry days in a row have made good weather for haying. I always love seeing the green fields with their rows tossed and ready to be gathered into bales or rolls.
Have a great week, and enjoy the sunshine.