Nature & Science
Mark Twain had a thing for flies and it was no love affair. Attributed to him are multiple quotes that leave no doubt about how he felt about these flying fiends. In a letter to Albert Paine in 1910, Twain notes that he would prefer to have “ten snakes in the house than one fly.”
Mark did not mellow as he aged. In 1927, he quipped: “Nothing is made in vain, but the fly came near it.”
Why do I have to be punished every time I go away?
Striped bass fishermen who fish at night know what lure and what bait to use and the exact time of slack tide in their favorite spot. But there is a clear disagreement over the moon’s influence on fishing. Striped bass have acute night vision and can see all the small fish as they swim through the moonlit sea.
A thin crescent moon appears tomorrow morning under the bright red planet Mars. The two are in the zodiacal constellation Cancer. Mars is starting to show signs of brightening high in the eastern sky as it gets closer. The planet is 176 million miles away. Last May, Mars was 213 million miles away.
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Sept. 16 80 51 .01
Sept. 17 65 53 .00
Sept. 18 67 57 .00
Sept. 19 67 58 .00
Sept. 20 69 58 .00
Sept. 21 73 60 .00
Sept. 22 77 65 .01
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 71º F.
A landmark study released this week by Mass Audubon portrays a dramatic shift in bird populations in the commonwealth, including a sharp decline in some native species and an increase in other species. And many of the most dramatic changes detailed in the report, such as a decline in grassland species and a marked northward shift in ranges, have been observed on the Vineyard.
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.