It got warm so fast, almost 80° over the weekend. Some of the early pleasures to enjoy: wearing shorts and sleeveless tops, reading on my porch, coffee or lunch on the porch, walking barefoot, weeding, picking bouquets. My favorite is watching the daily changes as our yard and surrounding woods green up, preparing for summer.
There have been beautiful mornings of lavender-gray skies, misty and mysterious, or cobalt-blue-sky mornings that make a cloudless backdrop to the emerging oak leaves. My sky views will soon disappear, sunrises and sunsets blocked by thick foliage until autumn.
Welcome to our newest columnist, Taylor Stone, artist and writer of the Tisbury column. I enjoyed reading your introductory column, and look forward to your weekly observations of life down-Island.
There was a band concert last Thursday evening at the PAC that Iyla and several of her friends were in. Iyla is learning to play the saxophone. This was her first concert. The eighth graders wrote and performed their own music. One, played exclusively on xylophones, was spectacular.
It was a special treat to see Pat Waring, who was at the concert with her daughter, Diana, to watch Diana’s daughter, Hazel, perform.
The Martha’s Vineyard Horse Council held a horse show at the Ag Hall last Sunday morning. I went to watch Iyla in several divisions. I am accustomed to watching her ride during her lessons, but seeing her, and all of the riders, dressed in their formal show clothes was impressive. So was seeing the skill shown by riders, children and adults alike, as they walked, trotted, cantered, and played games on horseback.
The Polly Hill Arboretum plant sale opens this weekend, 9:30 to 4 pm. Take a stroll while you are there to enjoy peak bloom of rhododendrons and azaleas.
“Preparing for Extreme Weather Together” is a Climate Committee program of island-wide importance, to be held at the Oak Bluffs library next Saturday, May 30, 1:30 to 3 pm. All of our towns have been awarded a $50,000 state grant to design and implement protocols for dealing with extreme weather events, such as blizzards, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, and severe heat. In preparation, the committee has interviewed residents, especially vulnerable elders, people with disabilities, homeless people, and other at-risk residents to hear their concerns. The program will update everyone on progress made, and planned projects toward addressing these priorities. The program will be both in-person and on Zoom. For information, call 508-693-9433 or email oakbluffslibrary.org.
Jennelle Gadowski of the West Tisbury emergency management department will present “Wildfire Ready: Protecting Your Home, Family, and Community” at the West Tisbury library on Saturday, May 23, at 3:30 pm.
Other library programs include:
An invitation to kids 8-plus to play Capture the Flag on the Field Gallery lawn on Wednesday, May 27, at 1 pm, as it is a half-day at school. Melissa Knowles will lead “Living Love: Story and Grief Circle,” at 5 pm. At 5:30 pm, the Memoir Book Club will meet to discuss Jeanette Winterson’s book, “Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?”
Thursday, elementary and high school “Book Buddies” will meet at 3:30. The MVRHS Building Committee will host an information session at 4:30.
Friday at 3, Peter Halperin, Jim Orr, and Hudson Bausman’s “Group Therapy Concert” will play country, blues-rock, jazz, and more.
MV Community Seed Library will hold their annual seedling swap on Saturday, 10 to noon, on the library porch.
The library will begin closing on Sundays through the summer. It will be closed on May 25 in honor of Memorial Day.