MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

Lest I sound as if I’m complaining too many weeks in a row about March and its fickle weather, let me first express my concern for the daffodils and all the birds that thought summer had come on Saturday when the temperature — at least outside my house — stayed at 62 degrees Fahrenheit for a good part of the day. Monday’s brief snowstorm must have come as a shock — not that I minded, of course.

The snowdrops have been blooming, appropriately enough, and the daffodils look as if another few warm days would make them burst into blossom. The day before the “summer day,” I’d taken a walk through the icy snow and mud on a back road, and wished for spring. The pothole situation on my dirt road has reached a low point, so that if I can get where I’m going by bike or foot through a woods path, I’d rather do that than drive on my road one more time. When the snow melted on Saturday morning and I saw how dreary the world looked — my yard looks as if it went through a battle and lost — I almost welcomed the snow on Monday for the way it covered up all the worn-out landscape, at least momentarily.

The other reason I didn’t mind the snow was because of the time change. At the last potluck some of us were complaining (more complaints! Well, it is March) that we weren’t ready for daylight saving time to begin yet, for it to stay light until 7 p.m. Being light so late in the day makes me feel as if I should be more productive, and I might feel ready for that sometime in April, but I definitely don’t feel it yet. All those gardening projects — I just don’t have the energy for digging around out there yet; I’m too accustomed to staying inside cogitating. Anyway, some of us decided it would be best to wait until the beginning of April to change the clocks, so just beware if you make plans with certain Chappaquiddickers.

The second annual Lights Out Martha’s Vineyard is more to my way of thinking. On Saturday, March 28 we can join 931 cities and 80 countries in turning off our lights for the hour between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. — more information next week on this attempt to demonstrate that we can take action to save electricity, reduce carbon emissions, and help preserve our natural resources. And we can all sit quietly in the dark for an hour.

Sad news came of the death of John Tyler, known as Zing. He was 94 years old. He and his wife, Mary, Edo Potter’s first cousin, spent many years living on Chappy at Pimpneymouse Farm, first in the Camp and then in Drakes Nest. They moved to Farmingdale, Maine, about four years ago to be nearer their sons, John and Henry, who used to work on the Island.

When Chappaquiddick children used to trick or treat together on the island in the 1980s and early ’90s, they’d pile into the back of a couple of pickup trucks with their parents and drive to designated houses, one of which was the Tylers’. We would crowd into Zing and Mary’s tiny living room for some treats and appreciation of costumes, and they’d take pictures of all the kids.

Edo says, “Zing was enjoyed and respected by many. He was always ready to help anyone who needed it, whether it was fixing a stove or a car. He loved to fish off the beach and had many friends there.”

The Massachusetts Democratic party is reaching out to encourage voters — Independents as well as Democrats — to express their views about what are the major issues, and what the party’s stand should be. The Martha’s Vineyard Democratic Council (MVDC) is holding a platform hearing on March 14 at 10 a.m. to about noon at Howes House in West Tisbury, so people can express their views.

Paddy Moore, vice chair of the council, says, “Anyone can come to talk about what they would like to see included in the Democratic Party platform. We are particularly eager to hear from voters who were reenergized by the Obama campaign and want to see changes in our national policies.” People can also send recommendations directly to the Massachusetts Democratic Party by e-mail to platform2009@massdems.org. Elected Island delegates to the state convention in Springfield in June include Christina Brown, Rhonda Cohen and Carlene Gatting from Edgartown.

The Farm Institute’s Work Income Sharing Project (WISP) invites kids ages 11 to 15 to learn how to plan for, plant, tend, and harvest vegetables. The program runs until June 12 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Once the vegetables are brought to market in late spring, the young farmers will reap a share of the financial returns from sales. The summer season of WISP will start on June 22 as a weekly five day session. Other spring programs include Farmers-in-Training (FIT), and the Saturday program for ages five and up who just want to spend time on the farm doing chores, taking care of the animals and helping to break in the new greenhouse. For more information and registration for all programs, go online to farminstitute.org or call Sidney Morris at 508-627-7007, extension 104.

The next potluck at the community center will be on Wednesday, March 18, and Melissa and Rob Kagan will host it, with help from their daughters Ilana and Sasha. The potluck begins at 6 p.m. and all are welcome.

Other signs of spring: off-islanders seen on Chappy, skunks mating on the main road, and a surprise lamb at the Farm institute.