JANE N. SLATER

508-645-3378

(slaterjn@comcast.net)

Our push through February is demanding that we remain in winter mode. There have been cold and icy days this week past and a sunny and warm day that encouraged even the daffodils to make an appearance. I found several of my flowers up at least a quarter of an inch! It was enough to rally my spirits.

Earlier in the week we had ice and snow making the drive to the early boat a challenge. Ted and July Mayhew were making that run in the early morning dark with a car coming toward them when they realized that they were very close to large animals on the passenger side. Fortunately for all, the steer didn’t react the way most deer do and try to bolt across the road. It was literally a close call but with no damage other than surprise. A further detail of that morning — Coco Adams made the same drive and met the same steer and recorded the meeting with photographs. The animals had strayed from their North Road home at the Athearn farm.

The Chilmark Democrats met at the community center last Saturday morning and, among other things, elected Warren and Nan Doty to be their representatives at the March convention of the party in Springfield. More meetings are planned and will be posted here and elsewhere.

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and will be celebrated all day at the Chilmark library. There will be crafts classes going on all day to help you create Valentine cards and decorations. Stop by and enjoy hot chocolate and a sweet treat as well as the usual activities of Saturday that include the children’s program of stories and music at 10:30 a.m.

Tonight is the Friday night movie at the library at 7 p.m. It will be Nobody’s Fool starring Paul Newman.

The Wednesday program on Feb. 18 at 5:30 p.m. will be a talk by Susanna Sturgis about her new book, The Mud of the Place.

Arlan Wise is back at her South Road home after a wonderful trip to India. She started in Tamil Nadu, the state in the southeast corner of India. She traveled with the Ancient Oracle Tours and went on a pilgrimage to see the Navagraha temples, which are associated with the planets. The group spent the first week in Pondicherry, the old French city, seeing temples and then went inland to see other temples as well as a sari factory, a library with old astrology manuscripts and a place where people create bronze statues. They were granted entry to inner sanctums of temples, where, although they endured the heat, they enjoyed the experiences. The trip ended in the city of Mahabalipurum. Arlan can’t wait to go again.

Sarah Flanders, daughter of Steve and Joy Flanders, graduated from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School in January in the early graduation program. She is currently in Kauai, Hawaii for a few weeks of vacation. She will begin studies at the College of Charleston in South Carolina in September.

Joy Flanders is looking forward to spending the school vacation with her former college roommate in Tucson.

Please remember to e-mail or call me when you vacationers get home to Chilmark. Cheers to all the travelers this month.