Nature & Science
As the bay scallop season begins, reports and forecasts are in from the five Island towns that have a fishery. And if the predictions from shellfish biologists are accurate, scalloping in Edgartown, Chilmark and Aquinnah will be solid this year, while Oak Bluffs and Tisbury may be a step off from last year.
The Dukes County office will be selling antlerless deer permits for the hunting season this year.
First and foremost I would like to thank all my friends and family for making my 70th birthday an occasion that I will never forget. The food that people brought; the pig, chickens and ribs cousin Everett smoked; the Strugglers and the Chickie Babies that played for us to sing with and dance to, all added up to a memorable affair. Again, many thanks!
The brightest planet in our sky, Venus is a beautiful sight early in the morning. The planet was visible last weekend over Edgartown harbor. It was so brilliant, it looked like an airplane approaching with landing lights from the east. With the Edgartown Lighthouse flashing red and the Cape Pogue lighthouse flashing white, Venus easily outshined them both.
What’s up tonight? The answer is definitely Jupiter throughout October. Have you noticed the solar system’s largest planet in the night sky this month? In the last few weeks, Jupiter rose in the late evening, climbing higher into the heavens and dominating the sky. Early risers can also see Jupiter before dawn, approximately 60 degrees above the horizon in the constellation of Taurus the Bull.
Citing unruly crowds and a drain on town resources, Oak Bluffs selectmen Tuesday called for changes to the annual Monster Shark tournament held at the Oak Bluffs harbor, including a greater police presence and working more closely with event organizers. But selectmen voted against putting a petition to change the tournament to catch-and-release only on next year’s town election ballot, which will require petitioners to gather support from 10 per cent of registered voters.
Almanac
A comprehensive guide to weather and tides on the Island.
Vineyard Gardener
I guess this past week weather-wise is called a January thaw. We did not really experience it the last several years as December was unseasonably warm.
Farm & Field
Beige and brown and tan and black, with horns spiraled or semicircular or in undulating waves, a legion of goats marched up the hill toward us, bleating in anticipation of fresh grass and leaves.