Ginny Jones called to tell me about a pair of ospreys that have returned to their nest on the Great Pond on March 17, right at their usual time. Ginny said that Danny Bryant recorded their arrival every spring during his lifetime, noting that March 16, 17, or 18 was customary, March 24 the latest date in his notes.
The earliest daffodils are out, too, blooming along south-facing stone walls or foundation walls. We have the little Tête-à-Tête in our backyard, and big buds on several of the larger varieties.
My niece, Charlotte, has been sending me daffodil and tulip bulbs for several years on my November birthdays. Watching them come up and discovering each one is like having a second present every spring. So far, rabbits haven’t discovered the tulip foliage. Fingers crossed.
Exciting news that garden centers are beginning to open. I drove by Middletown and Vineyard Gardens the other day, happy to see “open” signs, and gates open. It will be Easter this Sunday, with egg hunts, family gatherings, and pots of blooming bulbs.
All are invited to the egg hunt in the field behind West Tisbury Fire Station 1 on Edgartown Road this Sunday morning at 11 am. Bring your basket, and wear your running shoes.
The library’s egg hunt is always a big deal. It will be on Saturday, March 30, this year, beginning at 10:30 am SHARP. Please gather outside the front entrance, and remember to bring your basket. The event will be held rain or shine.
Many of us know Richard Tripp from the Friday antique shows during the summer at the Grange. What many of us didn’t know is that he is also a weaver and admirer of Native American crafts, who has written about his experiences as a teacher in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He will speak about his recently published book, “Lessons in Zuni: A Pueblo Memoir,” at the West Tisbury library on Thursday afternoon, March 28, at 4 pm.
Music Street Musicians will perform at the library at 4 pm on Saturday afternoon.
Tuesday, April 2, a.k.a. “Tiny Tuesday,” from 3 to 5 pm, will be an opportunity to learn to use a microscope with librarian and naturalist Elliott Bennett. Bring in your own tiny specimens to examine. Microscopes will be provided.
“Spring into Well-Being” with Shanta Gabriel, will be at 11:30 am on April 3.
Beach BeFrienders have planned a cleanup of the Edgartown waterfront for this Saturday, March 30, from 2 to 6 pm. Lighthouse Beach, the Chappy Ferry, and Wilson’s Landing on the Edgartown Great Pond are the sites. Included is a two-part bird tutorial offered by BiodiversityWorks. Part 1 will take place on Zoom from 2:30 to 3 pm on Thursday, March 28.
Part 2 will be part of Saturday’s beach cleanup, meeting between 2 and 3 pm at Lighthouse Beach.
Beach BeFrienders is looking for volunteers to meet at the West Tisbury library to make the kits they give out at their cleanup events. They will meet this Thursday, March 28, from 3 to 4 pm. For more information about this, and the cleanup and bird watching tutorial, look at their website: vineyardconservation.org.
The League of Women Voters M.V. will host an in-person forum on Tuesday, April 2, at 7 pm for candidates running for election in West Tisbury. It will be held at the West Tisbury library. Candidates will give a brief presentation, and answer questions from the audience. The program will be filmed by MVTV. It may be viewed on MVTV channel 13, and on demand right up to Election Day.
If you have been curious about our emergency services, or want to meet our Tri-Town EMTs and check out their gear, you will have that opportunity when Tri-Town Ambulance holds an open house for three afternoons at the Public Safety Building. Dates are April 2, 3, and 4, from 4 to 6 pm.
A reader recently commented that I don’t write enough about what’s going on at the school, what our young residents are up to. I would like to oblige, so I am asking families and school personnel to please let me know what achievements, what special programs, you are working on, and what you are thinking about. This is an open invitation with no time limit. Let me know by the Friday before the next week’s column comes out. “They are our future,” as I was told.
If you have any West Tisbury Town Column suggestions, email Hermine Hull, hermine.hull@gmail.com.
