Nature & Science
Luca Brazzi sleeps with the fishes — that’s a line from The Godfather, of course. But neither Luca nor anyone else really sleeps with fishes because it is debatable whether fish truly sleep at all.
By LYNN IRONS
I attended a potluck supper recently where brussels sprouts were served. I have to admit, they are one of my favorites. I have grown them for years and thought my children enjoyed them as much as I did.
Years later, I took apart my dining room table to discover a little shelf under the top that had rows of dried-up sprouts on the children’s sides of the table. We now have the family joke of using the brussels sprout ledge for unwanted food.
Students at the Tisbury School this week had the opportunity to hear the poetry of a fisherman.
Dave Densmore, of Kodiak, Alas., and Astoria, Ore., was a featured speaker for fifth and sixth graders. He came as a guest in the middle of a whirlwind tour on the East Coast.
On Wednesday evening Mr. Densmore was a featured speaker at a forum on fishing at the Chilmark Public Library.
There are two things fishermen like to complain about: the lack of fish and the weather. There has certainly been plenty of complaining going on inside and outside the derby weigh station at the foot of Main street in Edgartown.
The fish are out there but they are not available to all anglers.
There is a new boat leader in the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby: Lev C. Wlodyka came in with a 46.82-pound striped bass he had caught earlier in the day.
There was drama at the weigh station, according to the officials. It wasn’t just Mr. Wlodyka’s fish that drew the crowds — it was the drama of two other fishermen showing up with theirs at the same time.
All Martha’s Vineyard ponds have been closed to most shellfishing and could remain so for a week or more, as a result of the heavy rainfalls of the past few days.
A mandatory statewide closure was ordered on Sunday by the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), out of concern that oysters, quahaugs and softshell clams could be contaminated by dangerous bacteria.
However, the scallop season will begin in Edgartown as planned tomorrow.
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.