Monday Morning Doings

Leroy and I headed out early for our walk - on a plu-perfect Vineyard September morning - to see what we could see. Leroy's interests are quite simple: trucks! Dump trucks, garbage trucks, bulldozers - the louder the better - with extra points for trucks hauling trailers loaded with lawn mowers; my main interest today was to head over to Chappy to grab some shots of the Memorial Wharf reconstruction project from a water's-eye view. We were rewarded with not only a fun ride on the ferry (Leroy's first) and a great view of the wharf project, but the first thing we came upon, right out of the chute, across the street from Grandma's, was John Anderson prepping the monument for the new flag pole. The orginal flag pole was removed a while back due to the fact that the flag, while being raised and lowered in certain wind conditions, was precariously close to nearby high-voltage wires. The new flag pole, scheduled to be installed next week, is reportedly shorter, eliminating the possibility of the flag or rope coming into contact with the electrical wires (which have also been insulated).

What's the Difference?

So I'm not seeing a lot of difference between the Corona lock-down of March, April, and May and the lock-down to avoid the tourists and traffic that we Islanders are forced into every June, July, and August. This is the time of year when Islanders go nowhere, except between the hours of 6:00 - 8:00 a.m. (the only time it is even barely tolerable to go grocery shopping, tying in nicely with covid-19-designated geezer hour), and mostly live on spaghetti, tuna fish, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I am hunkered down at home, mostly in the back of my house due to the traffic on Main Street being faster and louder than ever, and the massive (truly obscene and completely out of scale for this neighborhood) new house going up across the street (my third straight summer with major construction going on next to me, but this one takes the cake). I do get out on my bike most afternoons and ride up to the Bend for my swim, and if I manage to get up early enough I'll take a walk or bike ride through town before it gets busy. Today was such a morning, and here are the results (and this bright summer's day will also get me back on my bike this afternoon for my swim).




Early morning light, Edgartown Harbor. Today will definitely be a swimming day.

Steaming out to the fishing grounds.

Chappy Ferry, doing her back-and-forth thing.

George Joubert, prepping horseshoe crabs for the conch pots. Did you know that horseshoe crab blood is used to treat cancer?

Around Town, October 2019

I'm making a concerted effort to get out more, and to remember to take my camera with me. Today was a gray day - kind of blah for the spirit, but just the kind of day I like for photography. Not a whole lot going on, to be honest, but I was glad to run into a little local color - Michael and Clinton - while continuing to acclimate to a new camera.













I was happy to see Michael down at the docks, and, as always, he was eager to sing me a song. 



Clinton, a Fisher in name and in trade, in search of bait fish. 











                                                   Signs of the times.

People and Colors, June 3

My friend Becky came over tonight and we went for a walk, with our cameras, downtown. Honestly, I'm so tired of passing person after person on the sidewalk who stares straight ahead, silently. From now on, no matter what, I'm saying hello. Come on, people - what is this, Zombie land?




"Wow, Do you always wear colors like these? What's the occasion? Are you a Buddhist?" "No, this is just what I do. I'm from Boston, here on business."














Mike is here on vacation, staying at his family's Campground cottage, and was determined to catch a scup for supper. A Church of God pastor, Mike's pastoral work involves teaching inner city teenagers to read, kids who are part of the fallout of the collapsed economy. Mike's been on sabbatical for the past four months. "I miss my kids".


"I will make you fishers of men."