By now we are starting to waltz with the swirl of visitors, enjoying watching people, and have a new name for backseat driving, I Spy.
Baby pygmy goat yoga at Native Earth Teaching Farm is fabulous and hysterical — a wonderful combination of a calm and lighthearted yoga instructor who grounds you, and belly laughs when mama goat starts screaming. As the season goes on, the kids will get more comfortable, and start climbing. We are definitely going back. You can register at nativeearthteachingfarmmv.org/classes.
Thank you to the person who delivers our mail to the box on the road. On Saturday, instead of not leaving the mail in our box, they added a note asking us to remove the bee/wasp nest. At midnight, we took care of it.
We are making a list of places we can walk, rest, and watch people. Menemsha is one of the best. When we are lucky, we spy Jane Slater in her former antique store, visiting with Annette Cingle.
The Copperworks of M.V. moved its art by Island artisans, artifacts, and antiques business out of Capt. Everett Poole’s Fish Plant and Chandlery building into Jane’s. It is welcoming, offers wonderful treasures, and attracts wonderful people.
Belated birthday wishes to Joanie Jenkinson and Connie Williams. Heavenly birthday to Ted Mayhew. Our family is gathering this weekend to honor and remember our father, Robert Ganz, who would have turned 100 on July 27.
The heat seems to have yielded to beautiful summer days.
Last week the spotted yellow-and-black-striped beetles found the cucumber and squash plants. In a panic I called a friend, who recommended compost tea, and told me Allen Farm sometimes has it by the gallon. Two six-packs are started, just in case. While not nearly as much fun as looking for sea glass in the early morning and late afternoon, hunting beetles with a jar of soapy water is satisfying and seems to be helping.
It’s not too early to think about entries for the fair, and the list of volunteer and work opportunities at the 163rd fair, August 21-24, is now available on the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society’s website, marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org/volunteerorworkatthefair, or give a ring at 508-693-9549.
Congratulations to Connie and Preston William’s grandson, Noah Williams, and his friend Andrew Band-Fung. On July 12, Vineyard Family Tennis hosted a Universal Tennis Ranking (UTR) junior doubles co-ed tournament. The tournament was a round-robin format managed by tournament director Ryan Sawyer and VFT coach Noah Van Handel.
All the participants played well, with many matches being decided by tiebreakers. The contest was so close, it required a final 10-point tiebreaker that was won 11-9 by the team of Noah Williams and Andrew Band-Fung, against Ivy Korba and Fiona Hartzband.
Thanks to the team at the VFT for organizing a fun event for kids and their parents.
Sig Van Raan reported on July 20, “One game was played on a cloudy Sunday morning, as the eventual rain shortened that game to four innings. However, the most exciting moment of the game was Ed Eger’s moonshot over the road and into the woods beyond. Ed’s home runs usually land on the road, so they are referred to as Kerouacs (because they are ‘On the Road’). We weren’t sure what to call it when it goes over and beyond the road — perhaps a Ginsburg.”