Asked in an interview about five years ago to name his favorite spot in Chilmark, my grandfather almost instantly responded: “The Keith Farm, Middle Road.” He then recalled his process of clearing that land, lamenting that he never had the right tools and remembering how he worked late into the evenings with his tractor clearing stone and trees. He always made sure you knew he barely had enough to make it work, though as he told me the stories I could see in his eyes his conviction that all greatness is achieved with some degree of hardship.

Willy Mason on drums? I have never seen that before. The headliner of Vineyard musicians who fills houses across our nation and in Europe played back-up all night. But Willy was appropriately humble in this company — a gathering of the best of the best of Island musicians. Rob Myers, aka Jellybone Rivers had invited Nina Violet (viola), Brad Tucker (standup bass), Marciana Jones (ukelele), Michelle Jones (electric guitar), Adam Lipsky (piano), Charlie Esposito (clarinet), Slim Bob Berosh (electric guitar) and Elisha Wiesner (electric guitar).

This is what 118 people saw on Sunday afternoon’s otter walk sponsored by the Vineyard Conservation Society: three ducks, five dogs on leashes, a rusted tractor wheel, and four folding chairs with broken seats.

This is what they did not see: otters. But they saw plenty of evidence that otters are alive and well on the Island.

Grace is Hot Meal on Cold Night

Winter gets a bad rap for a number of reasons. Cold, dark, possibly lonely as the Island empties out and more stores say goodbye until spring. But there is always one wonderful aspect of the off-season, as reliable as the spring peepers, the community suppers.