Martha's Vineyard Summer 2014 |
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In 2010 my wife and I rented a house in Orleans and spent a wonderful April vacation exploring the length and bredth of Cape Cod. We even decided to go for a day trip out to Martha's Vineyard and we were so enchanted by the place that we decided to return in 2014 for a full 2 weeks of rest and relaxation. Susan and I had never gone anywhere for this long before and we were both a little unsure of what we would find, but it turned out to be the best vacation we have ever taken...hands down! . |
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Philbin Beach Because we rented a house in Aquinnah, we were technically residents of that wonderful town for the two weeks we were there. Thus, for a modest fee, we were allowed access to one of Martha's Vineyar's best beaches. Free of snack shops and far, far away from restrooms, the clean sands of Philbin beach were a wonderful place to sit, read, eat, and take photos. Each time we went we spent at least four hours just relaxing in the breeze. |
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Important Life Lessons! Susan and I were on a vacation, but the birds were all busy living their lives. Sandpipers that had just finished their breeding season in Canada were constantly walking up and down the beach, ring-billed, herring, and black-backed gulls were gliding over the sand looking for unattended sandwitches to steal, and the ever-present ospreys took every opportunity to taunt me as they flew overhead. Then, one day, a remarkable little drama unfolded right in front of our favorite spot. A pair of herring gulls went through an elaborate "dance" together, which I later read about. It turns out that these birds were probably teenagers and they were on a date. They were practicing all of the complex maneuvers of gull courtship and they even went so far as to exchange a lovely beakfull of seaweed with one another. This bird, making quite a lot of noise, was following the other in what looked like a highly choreographed sequence. It was fascinating to watch!
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Lobsterville Beach Just down the road from the house that Susan and I rented was another magical spot called Lobsterville Beach. The sand here was soft, but the sand did not extend out into the water, which was dominated by a cobblestone bottom that made swimming less than pleasant. However, there was no denying the area's amazing potential for photography. So, I would head down to the water very early in the morning, or in the afternoon while Susan luxuriated in a siesta. This was one of my early-morning photos. |
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My Vacation Nemesis! Not since the green heron incident of 2008 has a bird managed to cause me such frustration. It actually became something of a joke between Susan and I because more than once I found myself shaking a fisted hand at the sky and muttering, "you bastard" as an osprey would fly by. My mission was to get a photo of an osprey with a fish in its talons, but it proved to be something more of a challenge than I had prepared myself for. Still, it is thos moments of great trauma that one really remembers and to this day Susan will occasionally make the gesture and mutter the words in an effort to get me to laugh...and it always works!! |
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Copyright 2015 William Danielson |
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