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Katy and Chappy are my granddogs… their mom is my daughter Deb..
This is Katy (Katama) our Boykin Spaniel, she was our first dog to go to Martha’s Vineyard… actually our first dog to ever go on a vacation with us. Here she is on the Islander in May 2000, looking happy and eager to get on with her adventures.
She enjoyed her first dip in the ocean… running and barking and trying to catch an elusive wave or two.
At Katama/South Beach, the place she was named for she was a little unsure of the waves so she mostly romped along side of them.
A quiet morning at Edgartown lighthouse was nice after going to the beach, shopping and meeting people. Unfortunately it was Katy’s one and only trip to MV… a year later she was hit by a car and died at only 20 months old. Did you ever see such beautiful yellow eyes. She was a sweetheart and we miss her and love her.
And then along came…
Chappy (Chappaquiddick) our second Boykin Spaniel and our first boy dog. His first vacation, in May 2002, at age 10 months was of course to MV, and he loved the beach too.
And Sengekontacket pond which is a little calmer then the ocean.
Relaxing at Vineyard Haven harbor is fun too… watching the ferries arriving and leaving and sometimes meeting an Island dog to chat with. This by the way is his mom Deb’s favorite picture of him.
Chappy had to visit the place he was named after too so here he is with Deb on Chappaquiddick.
Two of the places we’ve stayed with Chappy are Bradys NESW and The Island Inn, they’re great place to stay with or without your pet. Chappy says a few of his favorite stores are – Good Dog Goods in Oak Bluffs… the treats there are wonderful (especially the cheese ones and the peanut butter ones) and the people always remember him and sometimes get down on the floor to play with him. He also recommends the Black Dog for their dog biscuits… he says they’re droolicious.
Chappy’s been known to visit my blog from time to time… here are a couple of his posts:
CLICK HERE for “Chappy Visits MV”
CLICK HERE for “Vacationing With Pets”
- by Joan -
Full size pictures.
#1 -
Inside ferry looking towards the Vineyard
#2 – 
First Congregational Church, West Tisbury
#3 – 
Arcade Building, Circuit Ave, Oak Bluffs
#4 – 
East Chop Lighthouse
#5 – 
Ocean Park
#6 – 
SSA dock in Vineyard Haven
#7 – 
Aquinnah Restaurant
- by Joan -
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
Leave your guesses in the ‘comments’ section. Full size pictures will be published in a few day, come back and see how you did 
- by Joan -
Harbor
Ocean Park
Circuit Avenue
Flying Horses (oldest carousel in the US)
I love all of Martha’s Vineyard but I find that most of my favorite places and favorite things to do are in Oak Bluffs. Maybe it’s my growing up there as a summer kid. Maybe it’s because it’s the most eclectic of the six towns on MV. Maybe it’s all of the above and more.
An editorial a year or so in the Vineyard Gazette asked “which town is the wealthiest on the Island?” It goes on to say that ” there are two varieties of affluence — the wealth that is concentrated in private coffers, and the wealth that enriches the public arena.” “The leaders of Oak Bluffs often complain that their town lacks such high-tax properties as the waterfront hotels of Edgartown and the vast estates of Chilmark, but instead is home to many of the Island’s public, nonprofit facilities — the regional high school, ice arena and hospital. To this list, we would add a public park system which is arguably the jewel of Oak Bluffs, unparalleled anywhere else on the Island, and also the national treasure of the Camp Ground. None of these things are great generators of tax revenues — but think how improverished the Island would be without any of them.”
Oak Bluffs hosts two of the summers biggest events… Illumination Night in the Camp Ground on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 and the Fireworks at Ocean Park held on Friday night, August 16, 2013.
You can take a flight of fancy on the Flying Horses the oldest platform carousel in the United States… shop along eclectic Circuit Ave… or eat in many of Oak Bluffs restaurants and cafes.
Oak Bluffs is a party town and yet a family town… it’s hectic and lively and yet quiet and serene. You certainly won’t find a more interesting town on Martha’s Vineyard then Oak Bluffs.
LINKS:
(Oak Bluffs Calendar of Events)
- by Joan -
May’s calendar picture is of the steps going up (or down) to the beach in Oak Bluffs. This was my favorite beach when I was a kid. I took this picture in Oct 2010.
- by Joan -
“I am, and always will be, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter. I had the good fortune to be born to a different kind of childhood. I didn’t recognize this fact back when I was small. I thought that everybody lived like we did on our little island of Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts, which in itself was a life apart…” Seamond Ponsart Roberts.
These words were spoken by my dear friend Seamond Roberts who just had this book published.
Seamond grew up here at West Chop lighthouse on Martha’s Vineyard – can you think of a more perfect spot to spend your childhood.
A couple of years ago I did a post about her called ‘Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter’… CLICK HERE to read it.
My copy just came today and I haven’t read it yet but I have heard many of Seamond’s stories and they are delightful, riveting, heart breaking, touching and humorous… you’ll love it.
“EVERYDAY HEROES: The True Story Of A Lighthouse Family” (available on Amazon.com)
Come back and let me know how you liked it… better yet if you want to email Seamond contact me for her email address… she’d love to hear from you… she told me so
- by Joan -
(I’m posting a day in my life as part of a project that
is doing.)
Saturday April 20, 2013 was the 3rd New Jersey Garden State Yarn Crawl.
This was the 3rd one for Deb and me. Deb, by the way, has a great site where she reviews knitting books, go take a look.. Knitting Scholar.com
Now back to our scheduled crawl.
First stop.. The Stitching Bee in Chatham, NJ. Nice shop, nice people working there and they carry Juniper Moon Farm yarn. We are BIG fans of JMF and Susan Gibbs who started it.
Second stop, the beautiful town of Madison, NJ
Madison is home to three colleges… Drew University (where Deb graduated from)… Fairleigh Dickinson University and the College of St Elizabeth…. and
The Blue Purl knitting shop.. this is one of the nicest knitting shops… friendly people, lovely yarns, great location.
Time to refuel… one of us had yogurt, one had coffee and cake – not naming names.
Next stop… Trillium Yarns in Morristown, NJ.
Trillium just moved into a bigger space and it’s gorgeous. Trillium Yarns is large, airy, bright and a cheerful place with a hugh selection of yarns… it’s a delightful place for knitters. Beverly, the owner who is seated at the desk is talking with Deb who is a ‘new’ old friend.
Let me explain that…
Deb and Beverly were among the original shareholders at the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm which Susan Gibbs started before she began Juniper Moon Fiber Farm. Back in April of 2008 Deb and I were at the MV fiber festival as was Beverly… only we didn’t know that until last Sep when we stopped by Trillium and started talking about Juniper Moon Farm yarn. Love these small world moments. Continuing now with regular post.
By now we were done crawling and headed home to walk. This is Deb & Chappy but it’s not from this walk as I didn’t have my camera… obviously this is from a previous walk but the walkers are still the same.
Debs loot… can’t wait to see what she turns it all into.
Refueling time again… 2 slices of pizza and 1 eclair… and then…
Walking it off here… looking at this view…
8 p.m. is movie time on Saturday night… tonight’s feature…
which carries on the yarn theme of the day because look what Rapunzel’s doing…
And so a delightful Saturday in April comes to an end. By the way, Deb says I’m the best mom ever. Know why? Because with all the yarn crawls and visits to yarn shops and fiber festivals…. I don’t knit !! But she does and I love spending time with her.
- by Joan -
Aquinnah – Boats – Chappaquiddick – Dock – East Chop – Flying Horses – Gazette – Harbor – Illumination Night – Jetty – Kite – Lighthouse – Menemsha – Nobska – Ocean Park – Quilt – Rowboats – Senegekontacket sunset – Tabernacle – Umbrellas – Vineyard Map – Whaling Church – Xiphosura – Yard – Zacks Cliffs
- by Joan -
These three words can be applied to life in general, take the time each day to go forth and focus on enjoying some, if not all of it. I’ve been trying for the past few months to do just that, to look where I might not look, to veer to the left instead of the right, to open myself to new ideas and actually listen to people and not focus on what I’m going to say in response. It’s been interesting.
I am not the most patient of people… especially if I’m planning a trip to the Vineyard. I do try to contain myself but it’s hard when my head and heart are so focused on getting there.
I try to incorporate the words seen here in a window display at Sanctuary in Oak Bluffs, into my goal of being calm and not driving those around me crazy with my anxiousness. Does it work? You’d have to ask my family.
IMAGINE – I always imagine myself on MV, it’s part of who I am. I think about where I’ll go and what I might do and where I’ll be staying. I picture myself doing my favorite things and having new adventures.
ENJOY THE JOURNEY– part of the experience of going to MV is getting to MV. The travel routine is pretty well set. There’s always a stop in Mystic, CT for lunch and when Chappy is with us to give him a chance to stretch his legs. One of the favorite parts of the journey is driving down Route 28 from Falmouth to Woods Hole. There’s something about this two lane road that makes me smile and makes my heart race as I get closer to the ferry to MV. Once on the ferry the final part of the transition from mainland to Island begins.
The Islander, everyone’s favorite ferry…
BREATHE– something I almost have to remember to do as I get closer to MV. Once I’m there for awhile I relax… at least my version of relaxing, my family thinks otherwise.
FAITH – I have faith that I will return to the Vineyard. I have faith that I will always find peace and contentment there. I have faith that I am renewed there. I have faith that it will always, somehow be in the lives of my family.
So basically …
but even if I’m not, I’m …
which is a continuous state of mind for me.
What rituals or habits do you have when you’re planning a trip to the Vineyard… and what MUSTS do you have to do once you’re there?
- by Joan -
