Nature & Science
Tomorrow morning’s last quarter moon rises in the eastern sky at close to midnight. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Taurus.
Betsy Wice asked about this year’s butterfly count. The Vineyard’s butterfly count took place almost a month ago, on July 17. Six people participated including yours truly. It was hot, in the mid-80s, which is good for butterflies, but the wind was too strong. Butterflies don’t like to be blown away, so stay grounded in high winds.
Farming on Martha’s Vineyard has become more than a just a career path for a few determined individuals whose parents were farmers. It has also become a trend for many young people who want to know where their food comes from and want to grow it themselves.
“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”
I couldn’t agree more with Lewis Grizzard, the American writer and humorist who had a taste for one of the more divine elements of summer.
He and I are not alone in our fondness for this fruit. John Denver sang of his affections:
“Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes
What would life be like without home grown tomatoes
Locavores and garden history enthusiasts, take note: John Forti, the curator of historic gardens at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, N.H., is on-Island this week to offer two programs on the plants, people and history in New England.
On Tuesday, August 16 his talk Heirloom and Native Plants: A Living History, will look at how heirloom and native plants forge a link to our regional garden history and culinary traditions. The talk is hosted by Polly Hill Arboretum. Tickets are $20, or $10 for arboretum members.
Hellgramites prefer that you neither fish nor cut bait.
Either activity could lead to their demise. Hellgramites are the larval form of the dobsonfly, an aquatic freshwater insect that anglers know is a good bet and even better bait to catch bass or trout.
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.