On Monday John Lee stood in the Tabernacle, excitedly talking about the second annual Martha’s Vineyard Jazz Festival. It was the same place he first came up with the idea. He pointed to the front few rows. “I sat in these pews with my daughter and visualized having a festival,” he said.

At the time there was nothing on stage. He was simply sitting and dreaming.

I must deviate from bird news to speak of other winged creatures, the snowberry clearwing and the hummingbird clearwing. These two belong to a group known as the sphinx moths and they mimic hummingbirds in shape, size and behavior. They have been everywhere this summer. The hummingbird moths are about an inch to an inch and a quarter long and their swept-back wings are about two inches long. Snowberry and hummingbird sphinx moths’ wings are mostly transparent, boasting black or reddish orange borders and veins. Both these hummingbird moths feed with a long hollow, straw-like proboscis, which they keep curled under the head until they are on-site ready to sip nectar from a flower.

My mom is trying to ruin my life. A simple sentence that has become a catchphrase for generations of young people. But one of these life-ruining moms recently embraced her status and wrote a children’s book in honor of her role as the so-called villain in her daughter’s life.

Last Saturday night’s rain made me completely happy. It was a serious downpour. Sunday morning was refreshing with all the green world at peace once again. No amount of irrigation can equal a nice rain. It’s remarkable how quickly the lawns bounce back. Some were so dry it felt like walking across potato chips.

Poet Terrance Hayes, a former college basketball player, prepares for all of his readings as if they were basketball games.
“I have got to bring my A-game,” he said. “If you score by making dunks, or even if you are playing great defense, people can be appreciative of what you are doing if you are doing it in an exceptional way.”

Night fishing is one of the hidden pleasures of the Vineyard. Travel along the beach during a bright sunny day and there are a few anglers out there trying to catch the big one. Visit the same place, hours later at night, and there is a community of quiet fishermen. The beach may seem eerie at night, but there is a lot of good fishing going on. And sometimes it yields some surprises.

Friday, July 27: Partly sunny in the morning. Cloudy late morning. Edgartown inner harbor is a forest of masts and big sailboats. Outboard powered dinghies crisscross the harbor like ducks on a pond.

Most of the time the Aquinnah Public Library lies dormant. Activity in the center of Aquinnah takes place at the town hall, not at the little red schoolhouse building across the street.

Dukes County Veterans Agent Jo Ann Murphy is cautioning Vineyarders to be wary of telephone solicitations to raise money for veterans.

Ms. Murphy said that she’s heard from a few people who have received the phone calls, but she has not been contacted about any fund-raising endeavors that will go to Island veterans. “I haven’t heard anything,” she said. “Well, who are these people?”

“There are a lot of scams out there,” Ms. Murphy said. “I would just be leery of it.”

00 Black Point Beach Lot in Chilmark sold for $315,000 on July 27.