Nature & Science
Tomorrow, students at the Edgartown School will have a choice at lunchtime: chicken salad sandwich or peanut butter and jelly. And on Thursday, they will have another choice: tossed green salad or a salad of mozzarella cheese and tomato.
Chicken or peanut butter, tossed or tomato salad, may not seem like a weighty decision, but for Edgartown students the choice will also be an opportunity to choose locally-grown, fresh food over a meal made from imported ingredients.
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
August 29 79 58 .00
August 30 77 65 .04
August 31 77 65 .17
Sept. 1 82 59 .00
Sept. 2 81 59 .00
Sept. 3 75 62 .00
Sept. 4 76 58 .00
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 73º F.
The most stressed-out fish of the sea, the false albacore, made an appearance a week ago. They scared the bonito away and now it seems as though both are absentee.
False albacore and bonito are among the fastest swimming fish of these waters from late August to October. They are a finicky warmer weather fish. It is hard to write a sentence about one without mentioning the other in the same paragraph.
But the prevailing northeast winds of the last few days have cut down on a lot of the boat fishing.
A crescent moon appears tonight low in the southwestern sky. The moon is approaching the southern most zodiacal constellation Scorpius. Tomorrow night, the crescent moon appears under the red star Antares, the brightest star in the constellation.
Two of the most popular recreational fish will soon be off limits to commercial fishermen. The commercial bluefish season ends tomorrow. The commercial striped bass season ends on Tuesday.
This is the first time Massachusetts fisheries managers are closing the commercial season on bluefish. Using landing data, the state estimates the 516,619-pound quota for bluefish in the state will be taken by tomorrow. Fish markets may carry the fish beyond the date, but it won’t be for long.
What are white-winged crossbills doing in Aquinnah in September? What are white-winged crossbills? First things first: a white-winged or two barred crossbill is a member of the finch family. Although they are relatives of American goldfinches, house finches and purple finches, the crossbills are built differently.
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.