Katama Delight of Martha's Vineyard

18/10/2024

"Is there anything better than sunsets on the Cape and Islands . . .

Catch both sunrise and sunset right on the water if you time it right . . . "

Steamship Authority @ www.steamshipauthority.com.

Photograph: SSA Bosun Joseph Graca

29/09/2024

Island Light: Fall Days
The Vineyard Gazette / September 29 2024

“Dawn broke foggy this morning, and the Steamship Wharf in Oak Bluffs will be lined with children for the Kids Derby. This week kite surfers raced through whitecaps on Sengie taking advantage of September winds. Further inland some leaves are just beginning to turn, dropping scarlet and yellow leaves onto moss carpets. In the meadows and along the hillsides, goldenrod has emerged in great waves of lemon and ochre.

Fall is a wonderful time on the Vineyard.”

Photograph: Morning fog on the water's surface and beneath the Oak Bluffs Fish Pier, by Tim Johnson

More photographs: https://vineyardgazette.com/photography/island-light-fall-days

23/09/2024

Visit beautiful Martha's Vineyard . . . .

15/08/2024

The 2024 Fair is here . . .

It’s time for the 162nd Annual Martha's Vineyard Agricultural Fair!

Thursday August 15 through Sunday August 18
10 am to 11 pm (6 pm on Sunday)
The Agricultural Hall and Fairgrounds

Featuring: rides, games, animals, contests, displays, food, and FUN!

Visit: https://www.facebook.com/mvagfair/

Illustration: MV Chamber of Commerce fb post

10/08/2024

Scenes from Martha's Vineyard: August 2024
The Vineyard Gazette / August 8 2024

"How is it that August on the Vineyard can be so different from July? It’s all about location in the landscape of summer . . . "

Photograph: Cooling off in the rolling waves at South Beach by Ray Ewing.

More photographs: https://vineyardgazette.com/photography/scenes-marthas-vineyard-august-2024

05/08/2024

Island Light: Into August
The Vineyard Gazette / August 4 2024

“ . . . August is the epitome of all things summer . . . “

Photograph: Crowded dinghy dock at Tashmoo. Tim Johnson

More photographs: https://vineyardgazette.com/photography/island-light-august-1

02/06/2024

Glorious beach roses at State Beach . . .

Photograph by Michael Blanchard, Michael Blanchard Photography, https://michaelblanchard.com/

11/05/2024

“ . . . Last night was beautiful on South Beach. Seems like forever since I was there last. The clouds and sun set darkness against light. The clouds eventually won the moment, but the sun never gives up! A good reminder when going through rough patches . . . “

Photograph: Michael Blanchard of The Crossroads Gallery

Visit: https://www.blanchardphotomv.com/

10/05/2024

The 2024 Ag Fair poster . . .

"Happy Fair Friday! This week, we are SO excited to share our 2024 Fair poster! This year's poster is by Traeger di Pietro, a year-round island resident and full-time artist who has entered the Fair poster contest close to twenty times.

His poster captures the magic of the Fair—rides and ribbons, livestock and loved ones. We especially loved the red lettering on the bottom, which harkens back to the Fair posters of the early- and mid-1900s. We can't think of anyone who better represents what the Fair means to our community."

Visit: https://marthasvineyardagriculturalsociety.org/the-fair

19/04/2024

Spring Flowers in Bloom Around Island
The Vineyard Gazette / April 18 2024

See:

Springtime blooms are groundbreaking.

24/03/2024

Island Light: Gruntled
The Vineyard Gazette / March 24 2024

“It’s an odd fact of the English language that certain words appear only in their negative form, their prefixes attached with etymological epoxy. We hear only of dis-gruntled postal workers, although plenty of their happy counterparts can be found smiling behind the counters of Island post offices. And the progress of the sun toward its annual appointment with spring temperatures is described as in-exorable, although no adjective of the sort befits the weather of March. Island weather lately has been a series of lurching mood swings, as if March suffered from some meteorological bipolar disorder.

The details of March vary from year to year, but we know how this story ends. The end of our in-exorable winter, and the return of daylight and warmth. We’re entirely gruntled about that.”

Gruntled: to put in good humor (modern usage, OED)

Photograph: Chickens stay close to their coop in Katama by Tim Johnson.

More photographs: https://vineyardgazette.com/photography/island-light-gruntled

12/03/2024

Let me count the ways . . . traveling from Boston to Martha’s Vineyard . . .

14/02/2024

The beauty of a winter snowfall . . .

The Vineyard received between 6 and 9 inches of snow Tuesday. It was the largest snow storm of the season.

14/02/2024

"The streets of Edgartown whited out by today's snow storm".

Photograph by Ray Ewing
Martha’s Vineyard Magazine
https://mvmagazine.com/

11/02/2024

Island Light: Looking Ahead
The Vineyard Gazette / February 11 2024

"Already the light feels different, more abundant, brighter. It brings with it warmth, even on cold days, along with the scent of new life. February has just begun but already there is a subtle shift, a whisper of what is to come. Listen closely."

Photograph: Illumination night - winter style by Tim Johnson

More photographs: https://vineyardgazette.com/photography/island-light-looking-ahead

07/02/2024

Land Bank Opens James Pond Preserve
The Vineyard Gazette / February 6 2024

“James Pond Preserve, a 13-acre parcel next to Lambert’s Cove beach in West Tisbury, opened last weekend . . .

“It’s a very beautiful pond-side hike through a grassland with long distance water views,” said land bank executive director James Lengyel. “It’s just an exceptional property and the land bank was so lucky to be able to purchase it.”

Trails traverse open woodland, grassland, swamp and coastal dune environments, land bank ecologist Julie Russel said, and the trail system takes advantage of hilly high points to give walkers a view of the range of habitats.

“You walk up, and you have this great view in the shade of these big huge trees, looking at James Pond, and you can even see over to the dunes,” Ms. Russell said.

The organization also constructed a public kayak launch, giving visitors access to James Pond.

“It’s a lovely little pond, with not a lot of activity on it,” Ms. Russell said.

There are 12 parking spots at the trailhead off Lambert’s Cove Road. During the busy season, between June 1 and Sept. 15 those spots will be awarded via an online reservation system. There will also be a limit of 110 individuals at a time during the peak season, monitored by an on-site staff member, she said . . .

“It’s an exceptionally beautiful beach, but the preserve is so much more than the beach,” he said.”

https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2024/02/06/land-bank-opens-james-pond-preserve

28/01/2024

Island beauty . . .

“Love in the mist . . .
I found this on the Lagoon, just now!”

Photographer: Caroline Dee Thornton, West Tisbury

28/01/2024

Island Light: Winter’s Wonders
The Vineyard Gazette / January 28 2024

“Only three days left in January and the Island now enters a final run through the back side of winter. The weather of our wintry season has been anything but predictable to this point. All the patterns seem confused and perhaps it will remain so until the gathering of another Vineyard spring . . .

Stay tuned to this season. More surprises may be on the way.”

Photograph: Unsettled skies over the Cow Bay beach cabana by Tim Johnson

More photographs: https://vineyardgazette.com/photography/island-light-winters-wonders-0