From mostly flat terrain down-Island (eastern end), to hills up-Island (western end), you will find the Vineyard a beautiful place to explore with a bike.

  The dark lines on this map indicate the main bike paths.  You can of course bike the other parts of the Island but those roads are shared with cars.  From short rides flat rides like the 3 miles from Edgartown to South Beach (Katama), or long hilly rides like the 20 miles across MV from Oak Bluffs to Aquinnah… you can find a terrain and mileage that meets your criteria.  Martha’s Vineyard is 100 sq miles, it cannot be biked in a day.. at least not to my knowledge. 

One of the prettiest bike paths is the 6 mile stretch from Oak Bluffs to Edgartown… for a good part of the ride the ocean is on one side and Sengekontacket Pond on the other… it’s just lovely.  Another pretty ride is the 8.5 mile ride from Edgartown to W Tisbury which goes alongside the state forest  

You can rent bikes at several locations in Oak Bluffs, Edgartown and Vineyard Haven.

   So get a bike, grab a map and let biking on the Vineyard put a smile on your face. 

                                             Happy Mother’s Day                   

   On Saturday, June 14, 2008 the MV Chamber of Commerce will hold its first ever lighthouse challenge.  This is a great opportunity to see all five lighthouses of Martha’s Vineyard. 

Tickets include admission to four of the five lighthouses… West Chop is closed due to unsafe conditions but the grounds are open.  The $95 ticket includes the opening night reception as well as the Sunday morning awards ceremony.

Click here to find out more information about the challenge and read about the history of the lighthouses. 

This is a great way to not only see the lighthouses but to enjoy the beauty of the Vineyard as well.

My friend Seamond is the daughter of the last lighthousekeeper at West Chop… I am hoping she adds one of her delightful and informative comments to this post.  Take it away Seamond…

A few images of the Vineyard in April.

Carly Simon, who is a long time resident of Martha’s Vineyard was in NYC to perform at Joe’s Pub on April 29th, the day her new CD “This Kind of Love” came out.  I was lucky enough to be there and share in the excitement of the show. 

Joe’s Pub is very small and intimate, it’s dark and cozy but not exactly photo friendly… I did my best.

Accompanying Carly were her son Ben Taylor, Jimmy Webb, Peter Calo, Jimmy Parr, Ben Saw and a beautiful young woman whose name I’m sorry to say I forget (I think she’s Carly’s manager) and if I forgot anyone I’m truly sorry.   The almost two hour show consisted of a blend of new songs and old familiar ones. The title song from “This Kind of Love” is very lush and I love the Brazilian beat.  They brought down the house though with a new arrangement of “You’re So Vain” which in the opinion of everyone there, should be recorded.

As is usually the case when you’re having a really good time, it eventually comes to an end.  I’m glad I was there, congrats to Carly on a wonderful new CD and here’s to friends she helped bring together. 

  The Agricultural Society was begun in 1858. The Agricultural Hall, or Ag Hall as it’s commonly known, is located in W Tisbury.  This building is a 100 year old post and beam barn that was transplanted from New Hampshire in 1997 piece by piece.

       This picture which hangs in the entry foyer of the Ag Hall depicts a barn raising scene. 

   Posts and beams.

   The inside of the building is huge.  This is where the annual MV Agricultural Fair is held every August.  Weddings, artisan shows, pot luck suppers, and meetings are just a few of the things the hall is used for. 

On Sunday, the day after the festival we were invited by Susan and Patrick to visit the farm and see the babies who were too young to be at the festival.  Oooooooooohhhhhhh, just look at these sweet baby faces. 

The moms kept an eye on us, especially on Chappy, but let the kids come and sniff at us and let us pet and snuzzle them.

Oregano is Logan’s favorite and it looks like the feeling is mutual.

Susan and the kids.

And so there you have it, just a few of the babies born so far this year.  All the names for these cuties were herbs and spices.  Among them, Basil, Chive, Sage, twin girls named Saffron & Sassafras, Cilantro, Tarragon, boy and girl twins named Rosemary & Oregano, Juniper, and dear sweet sprig of Parsley who we miss.  (If I forgot anyone I’m really, really sorry).

  The Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm held its first fiber festival this past Saturday, April 19, 2008.  It was a smashing success in my opinion and of everyone I talked with.

  The people behind the success of the farm and the festival are Susan Gibbs and Patrick Manning pictured here with Patrick’s younger son Logan (older son Harry isn’t pictured).    Susan and Patrick and many others worked tirelessly to put together a terrific event, there wasn’t anything they could have done differently… including the stunningly beautiful day they ordered.  A 70 degree, bright sunny day with a gentle breeze in the middle of April on Martha’s Vineyard… the weather gods were kind indeed.

The sheep and goats and the older kids (goat, not human) were already out and about when we got there a little before 10 am.  In the picture to the right you’ll notice they’ve closed ranks around one of the young kids and are all focusing their attention in one direction. 

 They are staring at Chappy, our Boykin Spaniel who to them is a predator.  Chappy on the other hand is looking at them increduously and wondering, what the heck are these animals? 

 Whenever Deb and Chappy moved to another spot the sheep would move and face them… it was really interesting.

    I’d never seen sheep sheared before and it’s very interesting.  The sheep look almost in a Zen state while they’re being sheared and having their hooves clipped.  The wool is mostly in one piece when the shearing is finished, it’s amazing. The wool is so soft you can hardly feel it and it’s still a little warm to the touch.

  This is Patrick holding Basil, kid number 4 born in February (if I’m wrong about this Susan I’m really, really sorry).  Basil is the softest creature I’ve ever touched, next to Chappy of course.  He quickly charmed all the shareholders and everyone wanted to hold him a get a little kid kiss from him. 

 A before and after picture… unshorn to the right, naked to the left.  They really seemed happy to get their coats off.

 Chappy not only met sheep and goats but an Island dog named Fritz.  Each time they saw each other their tails would wag and they’d do a little bit of playing.

 Among some of the festival goers were Sally Taylor, her husband Dean Bragonier and their son Bodhi.

 One of the many nice touches that Susan and Patrick thought of was having the shearing stop for lunch.  It gave everyone a chance to meet up with one another and socialize a bit.   They set up long tables in the entry of the Ag Hall. We wound up eating with Susan and this delightful group of shareholders, who all pulled out their knitting after we ate. We met so many nice people and it was hard to remember everyone’s names except for 11 month old Nora and her mom Kate.  The incredibly delicious food was provided by the Scottish Bakehouse… I had one of the best turkey/Swiss wraps ever. 

 The shearing is done, the day is winding down and so is this post.  I have lots more to add so stay tuned but in the meantime enjoy some pictures here and go over to my daughter’s blog at Chappy’s mom to enjoy her posts and pictures about the festival.

Check out the articles from the Wall Street Journal and the Vineyard Gazette.

Just returned from a short but very sweet weekend on MV.  The reason for going was to attend the MV Fiber Farm’s first fiber festival and it was fantastic. 

Posts (yes, plural) and pictures to come in the next day or so…. stay tuned.

   The sign to the ferry in Woods Hole.

   The ferries themselves ready to go.

   Off to the Vineyard… will be back in a few days.