It’s finally raining, a softly falling rain, not the heavy nor’easter that has been on the news all week. Maybe it will change. Maybe the rain will get heavy, and wind will whip tree branches and anything else not lashed down. For now, it is a gentle sound outside my windows.
I have been thinking about Renee Balter ever since I found out she died last month. She always seemed so full of energy and life, always with a new project to start. Her art, too. Much of it depicted her love of Oak Bluffs. Victorian houses. Oak Bluffs traditions. Color, energy, light, life, all incorporated into paintings and assemblages. Renee’s life will be celebrated at a gathering at the P.A. Club this Saturday, Oct. 18, 2 to 4 pm.
Also on Saturday is the No Kings demonstration at Five Corners, V.H., from 1:30 to 3 pm.
Woody Bowman, David and Libby Fielder, and Marjorie Peirce are the West Tisbury members of the organizing committee for this Sunday’s 35th annual M.V. CROP Hunger Walk. Meet at St. Augustine’s Church in Vineyard Haven at 1:30 pm to begin the three-mile walk. To register:
bit.ly/MV_CHW, or call Woody at 508-958-7058. They have already raised $14,439 toward their $40,000 goal.
Jay Segel/Pond Road Project’s latest collection of 19 new songs, “Seasons, Cycles & Songs” will be released on Oct. 20. Subjects will be familiar to many of us. “County Fair” is a paean to our Agricultural Fair. “Kissing With My Eyes Closed” is a reminder of the sweetness of love. Listen on any streaming platform.
Special events at our library include:
Saturday, Oct. 18, 10 am, a creative writing workshop on Zoom with Moira Silva and Sarah Carey. Register at wt_mail@clamsnet.org; 3-4:30 pm, an artist’s reception for Richard Limber; 5:30 pm, ACLU forum “Know Your Rights;” 7 to 10:30 pm, “A Night Under the Rainbow” Teen Pride Dance at IWYC-Building D/111, Edgartown Road, O.B.
Sunday, a concert by Island band Bhakti at noon, and a talk by West Tisbury author Bruce Bullen about his new book, “In Hilldale,” at 2:30 pm.
Monday, the LGBTQ Book Club will meet at 5:30 pm to discuss “Interesting Facts About Space.” Sign up and request your copy of the book at wt_mail@clamsnet.org.
Tuesday, 11 am to noon,”Work From Home, From the Library,” for remote-working caregivers and their children. Wi-Fi and childcare are available. “Birth Story Sharing Circle” will meet at 11:30 am. The program will include lunch. Register by calling the library, 508-693-3366.
Friday, Oct. 24, 3:30 pm, West Tisbury Emergency Management Director Jennelle Gadowski will present the second talk in her series, “Ready Together: Community Preparedness.” This is National Cybersecurity Month, so she will address recognizing and protecting us from online threats.
The rain is coming down heavily now, and the wind is picking up. The colored leaves and branches, caught up by the wind, give the impression of living in a Joan Mitchell painting. What a lovely effect.