Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Day 74 July 26

By Al

Herb had to read reports for some hearings on Friday and Carol had to take the ferry and bus to Boston for some business, so Sally and I decided to explore the island.  We were going to rent a scooter, but rain was in the forecast.  We decided to get a day pass for the bus system instead and travel by bus.  Martha's Vineyard has a very well developed bus system.

We first went back to Oak Bluff to look around the Campground some more.  Truly amazing houses.  They are an art gallery in themselves.



Then, Sally got to go to a quilt shop.  I am sure she will tell you about it.

Finally, we took a bus to Aquinah.  This is the west end of the island.  There was a very strong wind out of the west.  It was a real opportunity to feel the weather.  We ate a a restaurant with out door seating, however we declined the adventure and sat inside.  Things had to be anchored at the outside tables.  It is also called Gay Head because of a very large cliff overlooking the ocean. 




We met Herb at the Chilmark library to hear a presentation by Alan Dershowitz.  He was to speak on how the Supreme Court and the United Nations are taking away our rights.  He started out by say that he was a law professor and was going to use the Socratic method.  This means randomly calling on people to ask them questions such as "What is a right?"  This brought back memories of law school and it was interesting that even 37 years later I still got tense.  Anyway, he didn't call on me, so it was okay.  I am not sure anything was resolved.  It is very hard to define a right.  It is almost as if anything can be a right or nothing depending on who is deciding.  It was interesting, even if there were no final answers.

Carol was supposed to return on the ferry, but didn't get back until about 8 PM.  We had reservations for dinner at the Grill on Main in Edgartown where the kitchen closed at 9 PM, so it was a quick dash to the restaurant. I have to say it was one of the best, if not the best meal I have had since coming to New York.  I highly recommend it to anybody on Martha's Vineyard.

Sally's Day
Riding the bus was fun.  There are 10 routes, and each route serves only a small potion of the Vineyard, meaning that a trip from one end of the island to the other may require three buses! The busdriver will drop you off wherever you ask, and the next time he comes along the route, you can wave him down to pick you up- personalized bus service! It was a wonderful way to see much of the island.

The Vineyard has one quilt/knitting shop.  A small selection of fabric.  However, I have recently taken a break from quilting to knit a bit.  I purchased some yarn from island-grown sheep.  It is a  pretty and useful souvenir.  I think it was the only thing we bought besides food.

I especially loved the houses in Oak Bluffs, and am posting lots of pictures of them

We also attended a African-American Cultural Fair in Oak Bluffs.  There is a substantial community of African-Americans which was established many years ago.  (Louis Gates was speaking the day after we left.) We heard a speech by a college professor about challenges of African-American children in school.  Her ideas applied to all children- how to deal with a teacher who puts down a child a lot, how to deal with discipline issues.













Which one would you like to live in? I like the bottom one with several balconies and a wrap around porch.
Sally

1 comment:

  1. I choose that first one, rose colored, with the tall, boxy 2nd floor. Thanks for the offer!

    ReplyDelete