What's Going On?

Not much, but I had a pleasant walk on Wednesday afternoon. Love the fall colors and light and air.

Same well-worn path; different views, new faces.

Main Street looks different than it did a couple of months ago. Summer sure is short.

St. Elizabeth's. By request. I'm still working on this - am trying different angles, difficult to get a good head-on shot of her w/o the power lines interfering. Stay tuned.

Fishermen's Pier. Looks like someone unloading bags of conchs at the far end.

I'm very happy to see the scallopers back at the finger piers.

Always a pleasure to see and chat with Floyd Norton.

All is in order.

Marty Kelly, back with his catch.

Yup, it's that time again.

I like Mike, too. He's got the experience, the history, the smarts, the caring - and my vote.

Congratulations, and Happy Birthday

Fisher-woman par-excellence, Estey Teller (photo by Tommy Teller)

See - I told you Estey was a great fisherman. I received this photo from Estey's husband, Tommy, who reports that Estey caught this 16.29 lb. bluefish on Tuesday October 12, and that she was the Grand Prize winner in the Boat Bluefish category, making her eligible to draw for the Chevy 4-WD truck (reportedly worth well over $30K). She did not win the truck - according to Tommy, the truck went to "a lucky guy from America" - but Estey did receive $500, a fishing rod and reel, and a Ray Ellis print (awarded to each of the eight category winners). Oh, and let's throw in a nifty Keurig coffee maker and more fishing gear, not to mention Derby Pin #1, which is also awarded to the eight category winners; "A big deal to derby participants," says proud Tommy.

Also, happy birthday today to Estey - as previously mentioned, she and I are birthday twins - and we are happy to share our day with Cheryl Worden Pinkus, Noel Bagnall, and John Moffett - and countless others, I am sure (wasn't Mona Worden's birthday also 10-22 - dunno, as I am digging that out from a very deep recess in my brain, but it does ring a bell).

I am not ashamed to admit that I am sixty years-old today. Maybe I'll start acting my age at some point. But what's the hurry?

Here's to many more - fish, derby pins, and birthdays - for all of us.

PS - I was just reminded that today is also Tommy and Estey's 55th wedding anniversary - Congratulations!

Long Live the Radio Flyer

State Road, West Tisbury

My little red wagon is long retired from its grocery-hauling duties, having served that purpose quite well in its day. I loved shopping with that wagon, walking straight past the lines of traffic backed up on Upper Main Street in July and August, but it did have one major flaw: it was heavy to pull, even when empty, so hauling a full wagon of groceries home - in those days all the way to Plantingfield Way - took a lot of energy, so I made the switch to a light-weight, folding grocery cart a while back and relegated the wagon to garden and yard duty. I was hoping someday to pull my grandchildren in my Radio Flyer - the super model with wood rails and monster tires - but hauling rocks and dirt, not to mention leaving it out in the weather, has worn the bed down to a fine lace-work of rust, so a new wagon will be needed soon for the babies.

I am of the generation that remembers Lenny Marchant delivering groceries from Connor's Market all over town with his Radio Flyer, and I know I'll never take Lenny's place in the annals of Edgartown Red Wagon History, but at least one person, my neighbor Jim Joyce, did think of me when he saw this video (thank you):

 

Tommy, Estey, and Bruce

Bruce Bettencourt

Bruce Bettencourt, with his fishing boat, Big Boo, has been in town, visiting from Florida. Tommy and Estey Teller went out fishing with him over the weekend, out towards Nantucket - at least that was the plan the morning I saw them heading out. I have not heard a report on the success - or lack there-of - of the trip, but knowing this star-studded gang of fishermen (have you ever seen all those gold derby pins Estey wears? Estey is my birthday twin, by the way), I'm sure they came back with bushel baskets full of fish.

Tommy and Estey

Oatmeal Season, Day Two

Okay, so day two of oatmeal season has not begun so well, my having burnt this morning's batch, which is often the way things go when I am involved with more interesting and creative matters, which includes almost everything. I ate it anyway, though,  because I only have one oatmeal pot and it would have been lunchtime by the time I got it scoured out well enough to cook up an un-scorched serving. I'm not a bad cook, really, it's just that I mostly find that eating, and all the activities that surround it, right down to brushing and flossing afterward, is quite disruptive to the flow of my day. I wonder why we were made so that we have to eat, anyway. Think of all the extra time in the day we'd have if we did not have to: 1. think of what we want to eat; 2. buy it; 3. prepare it; 4. eat it; 5. clean up, etcetera. Maybe someday scientists will figure out a way to upgrade the human body so that we won't be constantly interrupted by having to feed it.

See? Even Stop and Shop knows to put apples, dried fruit, and nuts together.

Stop and Shop's fall apple supply is in.
(And surely, isn't flip-flop season out, now that it's cold and dank enough for long pants and a heavy sweater? Don't get me going on what I think of flip-flops - great for the shower, but how on earth is it possible to accomplish anything in life while wearing these flimsy excuses for shoes that expose the toes to all manner of low-lying obstacles and things that drop, not to mention the extra leg muscles involved in keeping them from falling off?)

Oatmeal Season

View from the Reading Room

I basically eat two things for breakfast: either yogurt with fruit, dried cranberries, and nuts in the summer, or oatmeal with fruit, dried cranberries, and nuts in the winter. These are easy, nutritious, and not as boring as it sounds since I vary the fruit among some combination of bananas, apples, peaches, pineapple, pears, blueberries - whatever is in season - as well as the nuts - either walnuts, almonds, or pecans. Today was the first official day of oatmeal season at my house. It was warm and sweet and stuck to my ribs - a perfect beginning for a cool, blustery, and moody Sunday.

Herring Creek Farm

Dunes, South Beach

October Sky

Yours Truly on Ann Bassett's Vineyard View

Our own Ann Bassett (Ann has lived in West Tisbury for years, but she will always be ours - your homeys are so proud of you, Ann!) has a wonderful program on MVTV called The Vineyard View on which she interviews islanders from all walks of life and areas of interest. Ann taped a conversation with Yours Truly this past summer, the link to which you will find below.

I greatly admire Ann's work - she has definitely found her niche - do you know, all she did was have the idea, which she took to MVTV, and they taught her how to make the program? - and I am honored that she found me a worthy subject (and it didn't turn out half as dreadful as I thought it would, due in large part to Ann's superb production and editing skills).

This show will also air again on MVTV, whose schedule you will find here, or you may call Laura at 508-696-9760.

In my conversation with Ann I talk (and talk and talk - I've seen her show, doesn't she usually talk more?) about Edgartown in the 1950s, my mother, my religious journey, and end with a song.

To view my interview with Ann Basset, go to: The Vineyard View, which link will take you to MVTV's Video on Demand page. Once the page opens, simply type my name into the search box.