The Vineyard part two.

Growing up I don't think I was even aware of the existence of Martha's Vineyard. I suppose it was just an idyllic little place known to local New Englanders who found it a nice little getaway that's not too far from home. I don't know if it was the filming of the first Jaws movie or the fact that a couple of Presidents chose to vacation there but it has grown as a tourist attraction over the years. I myself first gave thought to going there only a couple of years ago. Until then I was only aware of it when President Clinton stayed there for a bit back in the 90's. One day it suddenly hit me. Here's a place that's not all that far away and if you go before or after the summer rush is relatively inexpensive. I would never go there in the summer because 50 to 75,000 people invade the place during the summer. I have a friend who lives on Cape Cod and I have been there many times during the summer and it's just a mass of people. Fortunately after he moved there he knew all the back roads so getting around wasn't that much of a hassle. I would go there for the weekends to fish. Strictly freshwater as there are many lakes and ponds. My late Uncle Sam had a place on the upper Cape that we would go to when I was growing up. It's taken me a lot of years, plus getting a camera to appreciate all that I have around me. For years I just took it for granted. Yeah there's a lot of history. Yeah there were and are many firsts that happened here. Sure it's a major educational and medical center. It's also crowded with a screwy road set up that certainly contributes to our reputation as notoriously bad and or rude drivers. As a local I can tell you it's true. I do feel bad for out of stater's who come here and try to get around. It's pretty bad sometimes. Still if I want to getaway,  say Cape Cod or the islands, it's an hour and a half drive and a 45 minute ferry ride and you're in a different world.

Despite my injury, which will eventually heal, I enjoyed my stay on Martha's Vineyard and wouldn't hesitate to go back in the fall. I even decided before I left that I would take the plunge, literally, and go for a swim in the ocean. I haven't done this in 35 years or so. I didn't own a bathing suit so I grabbed a pair of shorts as a substitute. I should have inspected them before I packed them. When the time came to hit the beach, I went to put them on and discovered that the zipper was broken. I didn't want to walk down to the main drag and pay $20-$25 for a bathing suit so I could spend an hour in the water. I decided to put a long t-shirt on and take it off (the t-shirt that is) when I got to the beach. Fortunately at this time of year there aren't many people on the beach. The last thing you want to hear is,"The Buick is out of the garage." Of course my lady friend thought this was hilarious. I guess it was. I decided it was time to brave the water and a certain amount of embarrassment and take the plunge. The water was surprisingly warm, relatively speaking, 55-60 degrees. Normally, minus any storms the ocean around there is quite calm as it was when I went in. I stayed in about 15 minutes realising that after all the years I still knew how to swim. An luckily for me there were no embarrassing incidents when I came out of the water, if you know what I mean. I went back again the next day, the day of my injury, and went in again. Sea water can only help.

As of this writing, I can get around OK. It only really hurts when I get up after sitting for a while. Once I work the kinks out I can walk around fairly easily though I do have to be careful and breaking into a trot or run as I do on occasion is definitely out.
Below are 4 videos from my 5 days on the island.

 So to wrap all this up, I would say learn to appreciate where you live. The fact that while I was on the island I saw license plates from New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Nevada, California, New Jersey, Florida, Alabama and the rest of the New England States tell me how special this place is.  Enjoy the uniqueness that the place you live has to offer. I have grown to really love where I live in the last few years. I have learned to appreciate what makes this state and the surrounding states special to me. Despite the high cost of living, the infuriating road structure, the sometimes not so nice people, the high taxes, and way too left leanings of politics, this is a wonderful place to live and I am fortunate to live here. Thanks Mom and Dad for choosing Massachusetts and the Boston area when you left the old country to start a new life in America.

I'm limping outta here.