Longtime readers of this column may recall references to the ‘Hally Jolivette’ cherry tree that has bloomed in my yard for many years. I have described its petals as delicate, the palest pink that turns to white, with darker pink stamens. It has stood at the center of a long garden bed, its branches spread above a groundcover of myrtle, through which a procession of snowdrops, ‘Thalia’ narcissus, scilla, and bleeding hearts mark the early months of spring.
No longer.
I noticed some branches on the ground next to the driveway when I came home from work last Monday, and heard a chainsaw close by, always an ominous sound that never bodes well. Mike was in the yard, wielding said chainsaw, and all that was left of my tree was a bare trunk still standing upright, awaiting its fate. “I thought you asked me to cut it down,” he said.
This has happened many times over our long marriage. I am no longer angry, merely resigned. These things happen. In an ideal world, my husband would never be allowed to use a chainsaw unattended. If left to himself, he would live in a barren wasteland. No trees, no artfully placed shrubs or flower beds, nothing to impede his mowing, or provide fuel for a possible brush fire, his latest complaint. All I could say to him was that I’ll have a good start to my column this week.
I was reading Sunday’s Washington Post, and clicked on an article titled “A loving tribute to Ernie Bushmiller, cartoonist of ‘Nancy.’” It turned out to be a review by Michael Cavna of “Three Rocks: The Story of Ernie Bushmiller, the Man Who Created Nancy,” a new graphic biography of Bushmiller by Bill Griffith. It was a pleasant surprise to see a familiar name in the article. The reviewer wrote, “Legions of Jaimes’ fellow cartoonists hold Bushmiller in the highest professional esteem, among them Paul Karasik and Mark Newgarden, who in 2017 published their deep-dive paean to Bushmiller, “How to Read Nancy: The Elements of Comics in Three Easy Panels.”
The Jaimes referred to is Olivia Jaimes, a pseudonym used by the first woman author of “Nancy,” who took over writing and drawing the strip in 2018. I hadn’t realized that several cartoonists had kept Nancy going after the death of Ernie Bushmiller in 1982. Jaimes is the latest, and has gotten kudos for updating the strip for the 21st century.
The nicest surprise came later in the day, a phone call from Emily Wetherall. Emily had been a friend and neighbor for many years before she moved off-Island. Professionally, she had been West Tisbury’s community health nurse, and led the Parkinson’s and prostate cancer groups at Howes House. She asked about several of her old friends, and wants them to know she hopes to make a trip to the Vineyard soon to renew those acquaintances.
The library will be closed on Monday, Sept. 4, for Labor Day.
Gina and Ally Uricchio, authors and illustrators of “The Art and Voice of Autism,” will be at the library for two programs. They will lead a rock-painting workshop for kids and families on Friday, Sept. 1, from 2 to 4 pm. Materials will be provided for everyone to paint two rocks, one to take home, and one for the library garden. Gina Uricchio will speak about their book on Saturday at 3 pm. Also on Saturday, a bubble party from 11 am to 1 pm will feature crafts, lawn games, face painting, and more.
Somehow it doesn’t feel like September yet. The sun is shining. It’s warm. The garden is still growing.
If you have any West Tisbury Town Column suggestions, email Hermine Hull, hermine.hull@gmail.com.
