It was mostly perfect weather for the fair. The first day was overcast, and the fairgrounds were crowded. It did rain on and off on Friday, but the sun shone brightly on Saturday and Sunday. The parking lots were full. There were lines to get to booths serving food and drinks. Events and exhibits all seemed well-attended. Lots of people were wearing this year’s T shirts, which were wonderful colors.
If there was a category for largest squash plant, I think I could have entered it, and won. Every year, some member of the cucurbitaceae family sprouts from our compost pile. It’s always a mystery until fruits form and we find out what it is. We have had butternut and acorn squash, and several varieties of pumpkins. This year, we have the cutest white and orange miniature pumpkins, the kind I like to set on my porch rail and windowsills for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
But it is the vine itself that is the story. It is huge. I can barely get to my compost pile, only by carefully stepping among the leaves. The vines must be at least a dozen feet thick and wide on all sides. It climbs up and over our garden fence behind the compost pile in one direction, then sprawls over the lawn toward the sawhorses Mike stores his staging on. I already have picked more pumpkins than I will need for this year, and have given some away.
The Rebello, Wall, and Wallcox families welcomed their newest member last Monday, August 14, at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Her name is Adelyn Joy Rebello. She is the daughter of Tessa and James Rebello. Adelyn weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces, at birth. “She is a great eater and snuggler. We are getting as much rest as possible, but also loving every minute,” was the report Tessa gave me when I asked how she and James and the baby were doing. Her name means “noble” or “nobility.” Both noble and joy seem to indicate a bright future for Miss Adelyn. She will certainly be loved.
The West Tisbury Community Preservation committee has scheduled an in-person public forum to meet at the Howes House on Wednesday, August 30, at 5:30 pm. They will present information about CP funding and grant opportunities for town projects. Funding is available for open space, public recreation, historical preservation, and community housing projects in West Tisbury. All are welcome to attend.
At the West Tisbury library this Thursday, August 24, at 3 pm., author Antonia Deignan will talk about her new memoir, “Underwater Daughter,” with Martha’s Vineyard Times journalist Abby Remer. Saturday afternoon at 2:30 pm, director Lara Jacoski will talk about “Eskawata Kayawi,” her new documentary about the indigenous Huni Kuin people of Brazil and Peru. They are considered the guardians and protectors of the Amazon tropical forest.
I imagine that most of us have been watching news reports of the wildfires on Maui and wondering what we would do if a similar conflagration roared across the Vineyard. I remember hearing about planning going on for such an event. This seems to be a wake-up call for our Island’s attention.
If you have any West Tisbury Town Column suggestions, email Hermine Hull, hermine.hull@gmail.com.
