The steady procession of blooms has started, and hummingbirds have arrived to enjoy the feast. They particularly love the beauty bush in front of Mum’s house, and she is delighted when she sees them buzzing by. The ones that visit us will buzz our heads when we sit too close to their preferred blossoms. I am happy to oblige and move our chairs, and add more potted flowering plants. Hummingbird feeders are lovely, and a commitment I am not making this season.
I am planting more flowers than vegetables in the garden, and adding fruit trees and bushes and places to sit, so I can invite friends to come for a visit and have conversations while I weed and feed.
Thanks to Laurisa Rich for alerting me to the May 26 launch of Beach Befrienders in Aquinnah. Laurisa has been working on this with Vineyard Conservation Society for months, and I look forward to signing up: In collaboration with our town libraries and DPWs, and brought to fruition by dozens of volunteers, this spring VCS is launching an exciting new beach cleanup initiative — Beach BeFrienders! There are two ways to participate.
On the fourth Saturday of every month, May through October, from 8 to 10 am, a volunteer will be at a preselected location with bags and gloves. They will also handle disposal of the trash collected.
Or “BeFriend a Beach” anytime and anywhere you like! Stop by any Island library and pick up one of our special VCS trash stickers (available mid-May). Put that on your collected junk, and the transfer stations will take it free of charge. Thank you for helping protect our Island beaches!
May 27: Aquinnah, Philbin
June 24: Chilmark, Squibnocket
July 22: Oak Bluffs, Inkwell
August 26: Edgartown, South Beach
Sept. 23: West Tisbury, Lambert’s Cove
Oct. 28: VH/OB, Eastville
I love the Chilmark library, and sent them two book suggestions. The first is by recording artist Roxy (Roxanne Emery), whose songs are on my choretime playlist. Roxy recently launched the terrific ADHD Love accounts on TikTok and Instagram, with her partner, Richard Pink. In it they describe how they support each other. The book they wrote together is “Dirty Laundry: Why Adults with ADHD Are So Ashamed and What We Can Do to Help.” The Audible version is narrated by the authors, and is terrific.
The second is “Eccentric Lives: The Daily Telegraph Book of 21st Century Obituaries,” by Andrew M. Brown. This London newspaper’s latest collection of funny, cheeky, and brief obits was reviewed in the New York Times in December. I am still catching up on actually reading the book reviews I saved to read later, and am so pleased to come across this title while we as a family draft our father’s full obituary.
Don’t miss the Chilmark library’s Monthly Tea Club. This month, on Thursday, May 25, at 3 pm, they taste Darjeeling black tea. Pick up your tea previous to the discussion, and either brew beforehand, or brew during our monthly Zoom meeting, where we will discuss the taste, origin, history and producer of the specific tea in hand (or cup). Email tthorpe@clamsnet.org to sign up, receive your tea, and get the Zoom invite. Free. Sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Library. Call 508-645-3360 for more information.
Many thanks to Julie Flanders for doing the weekly pizza runs, and those who assisted each week with table setup, cleanup, and delicious salads and deserts this spring for the Chilmark Church’s Pizza Night. It is wonderful. Join us next Tuesday, May 23.
May 30 at 6 pm will be the final community meal, an Italian feast cooked by Tom and Janet. There is always good food, good company, and good games. Bananagrams, anyone?
If you have any Chilmark Town Column suggestions, email Claire Ganz, cganz@live.com.
