Journal Entry: 6:16 a.m. I'm out in the garden--an ivy-covered fence behind me. I brought my flowers out and set them on the small table I'm sitting at. I will have to get use to the traffic noise that comes with city life, or perhaps it will make me appreciate my "quiet" life at home.
Tashmoo Beach is on our agenda today. We encounter these wild turkeys on the drive to the start of our walk there....
You can drive to the beach but we park the car and walk the path that follows the dirt road....
We are near. The trees part to reveal Lake Tashmoo in the distance. The lake opens up to Vineyard Sound. This is where we are headed....
The road passes houses in the woods then runs behind a strand of houses on the beach....
It is 8:30 and the beach is deserted....
....I have my bag and am looking for sea glass and interesting shells. All I've found so far is a discarded plastic bead necklace....
....and lots of bird tracks....
I'm enamored by the ebb and flow of the water. Later in the day when I find a copy of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's "Gift of the Sea" on Rosemary's bookshelf and begin reading it, I will think of this moment....
I see the ferry is bringing more seekers. I sit on the beach and write in my journal for awhile....
....until another lady and her poodle show up. The poodle's name is Chloe. She must know my puppy dog is back home, so she comes and licks my face then runs off to catch up with her mistress....
It is time to leave. This is the shore of the lake as it curves around back toward the island....
We head back through the woods at a fast pace hoping to outrun the mosquitoes....
We are back at the house and wait until 10:30 to go in search of the used book store near Oak Bluffs. We find it, but it does not open for another 15 minutes so we drive into Oak Bluffs and find this lovely bandstand in Ocean Park where their 4th of July festivities are held. Susan Branch has written a wonderful post about it....
Houses like this line Ocean Avenue around Ocean Park....
After a quick trip back to the book store we drive into downtown and park. I look for postcards and souvenir gifts to take home. I love the flower boxes on the front of these two stores....
We look for the MV Chowder Company that Ken read about in the tourist information to have lunch. I cannot eat all of my sandwich so I will take it home to have for one of our at-home suppers. Then we head for the Gingerbread Cottage Museum. We pass all these cute houses with the gingerbread trim....
At the museum we see this old-fashioned organ....
....The tour lady thinks everyone has gone except the lady she is telling about the ghost that haunts the house and then she hears the floor boards creaking above. She walks over to the stairs and there I am!
We walk past more gingerbread cottages as we leave....
I wonder about the cats that live at this address....
This one has a scene from the Wizard of Oz painted along the porch's faceboard....
Look what is tucked into the flower bed....
The gardens are so pretty....
The history of the Methodist Camp Meetings that created this community can be found here. Susan Branch has written another wonderful post about their Illumination Night in which paper lanterns light the porches to celebrate the end of summer. The evening is filled with picnics and singing in the Camp Tabernacle.
We are tired, but we are not done with our day! We go back to the house to drop off my doggy bag then walk into town (Vineyard Haven) to browse more shops and buy our supper at the Black Dog Bakery (ham and cheese croissants) to take back to the house to eat. We spend the evening planning tomorrow's adventures.
Continuing to enjoy your tour of MV ... and wondering if Tashmoo Beach is where Susan and Joe head on their morning walks, as that view in the clearing looks familiar. Thanks for sharing more about the Gingerbread houses in Oak Bluffs; I fell in love with the idea of Illumination Night when Susan first posted about it. You must have had a truly delightful experience on the island. I'm looking forward to the 'next installment!'
ReplyDeleteSharon in Alabama
Hi Sharon, I'm so glad you're enjoying my posts. I feel like Susan in wanting to take all the girlfriends on my trip to Martha's Vineyard. ☺ I don't know how she managed to do her England Blog WHILE she was on that trip!
ReplyDeleteTashmoo Beach sure does look like the Woods Walk.