Oak Bluffs, the biggest little town on the third largest unconnected island on the east coast, is not the only one to have a song named after it. (New York and San Francisco come to mind.) Little information is available about Etta Godfrey, who wrote The Oak Bluffs Galop [sic] in 1872, which highlighted the Victorian pastime of “bluffing,” moonlight strolls down the boardwalk to Lover’s Rock.

Oh, boy! I have butterflies in my stomach, or perhaps a couple of crows. I head off into the wild blue yonder today for another white-knuckle flight, but the reason I’m traveling is really worth it. I’ll let you know next week how it all comes out. For those of us terrified of flying, it was anxiety-ridden enough before, but I’ll never forgive the terrorists for making it so unpleasant now. Stay tuned.

What beautiful spring weather we’ve been having, but now we are going to get some much needed rain. The trees are bursting with their vibrant colors and we need them to stay that way. Mother Nature will take care of that.

Offered by
Karen Overtoom
Real Estate
This 5 Bedroom home is sited on 3 acres of lushly beautiful land not far from Beetlebung Corner. With Ocean views from most of the home’s 1,963 square feet, the house is flooded with sunlight, has a roomy, open floor plan, & 4 large bedrooms plus the “crows nest” office/bedroom/studio tucked at the top of the stairs.

Well, the orioles (birds, that is) have returned to town. The late Emma Whiting had records to prove that they always return by the May 12. Anna Alley spotted one at our feeder yesterday morning. Bird watchers will be keeping a keen eye out all weekend.

Chilmark is deep into openings and new beginnings. Most of the town businesses are either opening this weekend or next. The Chilmark Store will open May 10; The Bite and the Galley, both Menemsha eateries, will open May 16, with Beetlebung Café following on May 20. The Beach Plum Inn restaurant is open from Thursday through Sunday for the next couple of weeks, and the Home Port Restaurant will open on Memorial Day weekend.

Spring — aha! The temperatures have been in the mid 60s this week. The first hummingbird arrived at the feeder on Sunday. The lilacs are beginning to bud and, finally, many lawns are once again green. The Aquinnah Shop is anticipating opening day on Mother’s Day.

This time of year, it is not unusual to find an abundance of watercress in and around the woods. Watercress is available in many places on the Vineyard where there are streams of shallow moving water.

Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) is an aquatic leafy green vegetable that tastes peppery like a Nasturtium leaf or flower. It is stupendously good for you and this time of year, when we have only been seeing kale and more kale, it is a welcome addition to our daily greens. It seems like just what our bodies are calling for, nutrient-wise.

A planetary lineup takes place right after sunset later this month. Three readily visible planets, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury will hug the western horizon early in the evening each night over the Memorial Day weekend. But the elements of the lineup can be seen now, and in the nights ahead Vineyarders can watch two planets come together.

Tomorrow night, about an hour after sunset, look toward the west. A thin crescent moon appears beneath the brilliant planet Jupiter and above Venus. The three are in the zodiacal constellation Taurus.

When Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt hits Island stores this summer they’ll do so with the help of the Martha’s Vineyard Women’s Network, which awarded the new business a $2,500 grant this week. The small business grant is given to a business person looking to expand or start a new business on the Vineyard. Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt was chosen out of about 20 applicants.