Nature & Science
By LYNNE IRONS
I am pleased to report on the success of my new vegetable garden. Now granted there were several dismal failures of individual crops but all in all it was great and worth the effort. I was thinking about the point of it all. Indulge me as I wax philosophical. I don’t think it matters if your garden is beautiful or productive — if you enjoy it. If it becomes a chore or guilt-producing it’s time to lay down your shovel.
Mum’s the word.
If you must speak, then sing out to the queen of autumn, the chrysanthemum. This quintessential fall flower is ubiquitous during this season and offers blooms of many colors.
Chrysanthemums are a very large group of plants with over 150 diverse species in the genus. Ox-eye daisy, feverfew, pyrethrum and Shasta daisies, along with many other plants, are chrysanthemums.
The Leonid shower gets its name from where ancient astronomers believed it originated: the meteors appear to radiate from the zodical constellation Leo. Modern-day astronomers know the meteors only appear to come from the constellation. These small particles of debris entering our atmosphere and burning up are in orbit around the sun; much closer than the distant stars of Leo.
Wow, how time flies! Once again it is time to start planning for the 50th annual Christmas Bird Count, which will be held on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010.
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
Nov. 6 55 38 Trace
Nov. 7 48 29 .00
Nov. 8 59 41 .00
Nov. 9 63 37 .00
Nov. 10 65 53 .00
Nov. 11 65 51 .00
Nov. 12 54 47 .00
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 53º F.
Over the years she has sold a lot of eels and given out a lot of advice about how and where to catch fish.
And last month Ruth Meyer, former longtime owner of Larry’s Tackle Shop and a quiet unsung hero in the fishing community, was inducted into the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby hall of fame.
On a rain-streaked morning last week, Ms. Meyer sat at her home in Edgartown and recounted a few memories. “I didn’t choose to run a fishing tackle shop because sales was my profession. I inherited it,” she said.
Almanac
A comprehensive guide to weather and tides on the Island.
Vineyard Gardener
I guess this past week weather-wise is called a January thaw. We did not really experience it the last several years as December was unseasonably warm.
Farm & Field
Beige and brown and tan and black, with horns spiraled or semicircular or in undulating waves, a legion of goats marched up the hill toward us, bleating in anticipation of fresh grass and leaves.