The heat of summer is surely here. The air has a heaviness to it. The breezes bring no coolness with them, but they blow through the trees, making the leaves dance beautifully. The heat requires a slowing down, just as the flowers are giving us delights to ponder. Charley and I stay away from the crowds as much as we can, glorying in the joys of fresh tomato sandwiches as we sit on our porch, admiring the garden and the brilliantly colored finches, warblers, and jays who come to the birdfeeder. There are two catbirds, one chubby, one thin, who don’t bother with the feeder, preferring instead to hop right up to us, tilting their heads and making soft little sounds in polite requests for seed-cracker crumbs. They come every day. Sometimes many times.
The bucolic scene was disturbed this week by the sight of a hawk swooping down from a treetop to snatch a rather large rabbit, and then soaring away with the poor creature dangling, headed for the hawk’s dinner. We are reminded, often, of the power of nature, sometimes to our delight, sometimes to our dismay, but nature is always in charge. Here on our homestead, we use no poisons, compost our kitchen scraps, and do what we can to be respectful of the earth and all that live on it. I know that we all have our own ways to love this place called Aquinnah. I confess to a deep love for it, including the hawks and rabbits. I am always grateful that I get to live here.
Traffic is at its summertime worst right now. I plead with you to slow down, keep your powder dry, and don’t try to pass bicyclists unless it is clearly safe. That means not on curves, not when driving on a hill, or any other time when you just don’t know what might be coming at you. If you get caught in a traffic jam, think of it as a chance to just breathe, listen to some music, or look around at the trees and sky. Giving yourself extra time to get anywhere takes away a lot of the stress. We’ll get through this. We will.
It’s a busy week for the Vineyard, with events galore offered up to enhance beachtime. Check out the local newspapers for event calendars and get out there. Me? I’m going to be volunteering at the Ag Fair as part of the Green Team, helping to collect and separate food waste and recyclables from trash. It’s not a glamorous job, but surprisingly fun and surely effective. Last year we diverted almost 60 percent of fair-generated waste. While at the fair, have a great time, look for the Green Team tables, and thank the volunteers.
It’s a dandy birthday week. August 15 is Kate Taylor’s birthday. Kate is a sister of my heart, a treasure for all of us, and I am surely grateful that she got born. Two other special birthday shout-outs this week: One goes to Sowanahsh William Vanderhoop on August 16, and one to Made Crowell on August 19.
