Blizzard 2013

I was grateful to have woken up warm, with power - my kids around the corner on the so-called Katama Line, not so lucky - and was happy to bundle up and head out the door, for art's sake, you know. At 7am it was still snowing, blowing, and bitter cold, with nary a soul save for Peter and Brad, the ferry guys - God bless brave and sturdy men - and a couple of plows and a police car. Happy to be back home, heating up the griddle for French toast.

Christmas in Edgartown

(More here.)

Prepare Ye

I've had my eye down on Main Street the past few nights - looking for, missing, and wondering about - the town's annual Christmas display. When I was a little girl, Bob Bassett and his father-in-law, Bill Silva, would be downtown stringing the wires for the trees the weekend after Thanksgiving. In later years, Bob's son Tom and crew - including Tom's son Jake and brother-in-law Danny Kaeka and Dan's son, Finn, took over the task, and as was the tradition, always on the weekend after Thanksgiving. You could practically set your clock to this annual event (and if you're keeping track, that's four generations of Christmas light stringers).

At last, Monday morning - a perfect day for working outside, as it happens - found the Christmas crew out in full force.









Ed Willoughby and Stephen Woodbury of the town's highway crew carefully prepare the stands and fit each tree to its stand. These unique lattice-work stands have been holding the town's Christmas trees since at least 1950, making them (and me) practically antiques.


After just the right amount of whittling, the tree fits perfectly into the stand.


Ethan keeps a watchful eye on the activities, and more importantly, he keeps his eye out for any interesting trucks or police cars that may be in the area.

Street Troubador

I left the house yesterday afternoon - camera on shoulder, just in case. Not much happening downtown, except for running into Mike - guitar on back - who was headed down to Memorial Wharf to do a little strumming and singing. The irony of course, is that Mike lives at my house, so I didn't really need to go anywhere to photograph him playing his guitar. Oh well, it was great seeing Mike in his element. The only things missing were an audience and a little warm sun. Oh, I get it - methinks the two are directly related. Mike is now Edgartown's un-official street troubador, taking up the slack where Dave Corcoran left off.

It was a fine concert, though hampered somewhat by the cold. Mike definitely has his own inimitable style - his gravely voice being reminiscent of Tom Waits - and I loved the song he wrote about giving the rooster the day off. Word has it, Mike has quite a following in Costa Rica, his home for the past ten years, and for whose climate he is beginning to yearn.