“I’ve never seen a moon in the sky that, if it didn’t take my breath away, at least misplaced it for a moment.” –Colin Farrell
The May full moon is known as “the Flower Moon,” and this year it will also be the first supermoon of 2022. That means the moon is within 90 percent of its closest approach to Earth, so it appears larger and brighter. Along with this, there will also be a “Blood Moon,” or total lunar eclipse. This is a pretty rare event, when the moon is on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun (full moon) AND the tilt of the earth’s orbit lines up perfectly with the orbit of the moon. The eclipse should be visible starting around 9:30 pm on May 15, and should peak just after midnight on May 16. That will be the time to see the full “Flower Supermoon” at its most spectacular, so take a nap on Sunday so you can stay up!
Don’t miss “Annie” onstage at the Oak Bluffs school for 3 shows this weekend!
Oak Bluffs’ own Marion Cardoza will turn 101 years young on May 12!
Dolores Borza took a group of family and friends over to Mashpee in one of her “Homegrown Tours” buses to surprise Marion with a fabulous celebration, complete with balloons, flowers, gifts, and cake. Marion was delighted, and so happy to see everyone. If you know Marion — and I’m pretty sure everyone does, whether she fixed your truck or gave you a parking ticket, or drove you to school in the yellow bus, or guided your children at the school crosswalk or served you a drink at the P.A. Club — you can send her birthday greetings at P.O. Box 2361, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557.
I have to compliment Dolores on her newly painted bus — blue and yellow for Ukraine. She told me she plans to donate part of her tour proceeds this summer to relief for the people of Ukraine.
Climate Action Week wraps up the week with events about cooking: “The Joy of Cooking for a Healthy Planet” is Friday, May 13, at the FARM Institute, from 11 to 12:30 pm. Our library is hosting “Consuming Less for the Sake of the Planet” both in person and via Zoom, also on May 13, at 1 pm. That will be followed by “Home Energy Assessments” at 3 pm with Cape Light Compact. At 8 pm on Friday, the Ritz is hosting a concert, “Artists for Climate Change.”
Check mvclimateactionweek.com for more events. The final event will take place at the Grange Hall on May 14 from 10 am to 2 pm, with activities, food, and music. The goal of Climate Action Week is to inform and inspire us all to move forward with changes of our own.
I got my second COVID booster vaccine last Friday, and I have to thank our hospital again for making this so easy for us. I had a bit of a reaction to this one, felt like I had a sudden bad cold for two days. Gave me an opportunity to drink ginger ale and read, and I’m glad to have the added protection.
Get the shovels out and gloves on — the first annual Island-wide Garden Competition begins on June 1, and runs through July 31. This event grew from a few neighbors holding a friendly competition to this five-category event, with a panel of judges and a handcrafted award to be presented to the winners in August. It is free to enter, and the rules are simple: Your garden must be on M.V., and only amateurs can enter. See mvgardencompetition.com for details about categories and to enter.
I often walk through the cemetery, it is so lovely and well-kept, and it is obviously rich in Oak Bluffs history. On May 21, you can join local historian Tom Dresser for a fun, informative, and not-at-all-scary cemetery tour. Meet at the front entrance to the library, on Pacific Avenue, for the tour, which begins at 10 am. The tour takes an hour, and is about one mile of walking. Tom will be giving tours monthly through September; check the library website for dates.
Happy May birthday wishes to Shirley Washington on the 12th, Kelli Pecararo on the 14th, and Marie Doubleday on the 17th.
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