Words and numbers were flying through the minds of those at the Chilmark library this past Saturday afternoon, as 15 adults and 3 youngsters gathered for the Crossword and Sudoku Challenge. Outdoors it was chilly, with snow in the air. Inside the warm library, tables were clean, pencils were sharp and the place was quiet, all set for an afternoon of indoor puzzle fun.

It took about 30 minutes to bring out the winners. Steve Auerbach of Oak Bluffs won for completing his crossword puzzle the fastest. George Balco of Tisbury won in the sudoku contest.

On a blustery, cold February day, the 47-foot Coast Guard motor lifeboat out of Menemsha pitched and rolled in Vineyard Sound. Strong, chilly winds coming up from the southwest had kicked up big swells off Menemsha Bight to nine feet and off Quick’s Hole to 12 feet.

In Sengekontacket Pond in mid-February, there is no competition for shellfish. Kyle L. Peters, 47, of Oak Bluffs had the pond to himself.

Mr. Peters was fishing the flats, tolerating the wind and the cold, working amid drifting ice.

About a quarter mile away, Mr. Peters had an observer. A harbor seal sat on the beach at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary for most of the week. The reclining seal occasionally turned its head to watch Mr. Peters in his distinctly bright orange overcoat.

Saturday was a vintage homecoming night at the American Legion Hall in Vineyard Haven. More than 60 mostly graying friends, all of them young at heart, gathered for a home-cooked pork dinner.

Rows of tables were set with white paper tablecloth. Artificial flowers in little vases were evenly spaced on every table. The conversation throughout the hall was spirited. Men showed up with pressed slacks and ironed shirts. Many of their ladies came wearing dresses and a few wore lipstick.

A 10-year-old Vineyard project to raise money for disadvantaged in Haiti reached a milestone this year. The locally funded Haiti Fish Farm Project has raised more than $100,000.

Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere. Margaret Penicaud of Vineyard Haven and her close friend Jeanne Staples of Edgartown have been working closely with others to bring changes to the lives of some residents of that distant Caribbean country.

Anyone can buy a boat, a quahaug rake and a shellfish permit and go quahaugging. And anyone can use a rod and reel to catch a fish.

But it is a rare person who can scratch a living as a fisherman, from youth through middle age and do it with the spirit and dedication of Robert (Bob) Flanders, who died this past weekend.

Thirty years ago, when I was an aspiring young journalist, I went to Menemsha with my camera trying to take the great picture that would launch my career.