Taking Deep Breaths of Summer

As we approach the end of summer and our exodus from the island, I breathe deep gulps of sea air. Enough to hold me over for a while. We’ll be back later this fall, but with darkness falling earlier each evening and the hint of a chill in the air, it feels like I need that sea air to last me a long time. Back in my suburban neighborhood, I don’t smell the ocean very often. Occasionally a coastal storm blows the sea air to our neighborhood, but those blows are few and far between. Like one of the seals … Read more

Illumination Night on Martha’s Vineyard

Illumination Night on Martha's Vineyard, Lanterns Lit Around the Tabernacle

In the darkness of the summer evening, a glowing lantern is carried down the Tabernacle’s center aisle. The person carrying it reaches up to the roof and hangs it with the other lanterns surrounding the Tabernacle. At this signal, the lanterns throughout the Campground’s gingerbread cottages come to life, dazzling the crowd gathered for The Grand Illumination Night. … Read more

Visiting Chappaquiddick, Martha’s Vineyard

Green Marshes, Visiting Chappaquiddick, Martha's Vineyard

Spring’s arrival in New England was unusually slow and I am dreaming of summer. Lately I’ve been remembering a wonderful day that I spent on Chappaquiddick last summer. The small strip of land is sometimes a peninsula, sometimes an island and part of Martha’s Vineyard. Visiting Chappaquiddick is an escape to a New England coastal paradise.… Read more