Well, we had ourselves a spot of weather over the weekend.

During the blizzard, animals without storm-proof lodging were invited to shelter in the barn at the Agricultural Hall. Goats were the only guests to take up this offer, one pair from Whipporwill Farm and another couple from a private home. Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society vice president Julie Scott told me there was one other goat who reserved a stall but at the last minute Slough Farm came through with a trailer, so he was able to wait out the storm at home. Chris Lyons and Mark DeFeo made this project possible. It’s a great thing to know about for next time.

On Monday, students at the West Tisbury School were surprised by a burst pipe in the walls that quickly flooded the music room. Sympathies to all those who had to deal with this.

With the filing deadline looming, Tara Whiting-Wells wrote to encourage people to run for office. The buzz is all about the one-year term on the select board, a seat left vacant since the death of Kent Healy. There are also vacancies on both the planning board and the board of assessors. I can think of some fantastic candidates for these boards and am hoping for the best.

There are a number of spring-minded pursuits beginning this month, including the 11th Organic Seed Growers Conference, online from Feb. 4 through 11. This is the largest gathering of its kind in the world, with workshops, garden tours and chances to connect with like-minded plant people from just about everywhere. Tickets are offered on a sliding scale.

Also check out the Agricultural Society’s website for lots of upcoming events both in-person and on Zoom. Anna Marie D’Addarie is offering an online Amish Knot Rug class, a wonderful way to create handmades out of upcycled materials, on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. And stay tuned for Backyard Chickens 101 and 102, coming at the end of this month. The details for joining these programs, and a lot of interesting information is available on the society’s website.

The gnomes at Polly Hill Arboretum are hiding under a blanket of snow as I write, but the hunt is on. This activity is so much fun with little people. The gnomes will be around through March.

Be sure and order a Valentine’s Day candy-gram for your favorite child or staff member at the West Tisbury School. This is a student council fundraiser for Harbor Homes of Martha’s Vineyard. Fill out a tag and drop it off with $3 at the front office by Feb. 8. The little bags of candy will be delivered to recipients on Feb. 14 “at the end of the day,” which I like to think was a condition of the teachers’ union.