Saturday, July 24, 2010

we did it.  we a11 woke up at 4 this morning to get the ear1iest ferry to martha's vineyard....the car packed with boogie boards, beach bags, towe1s, sweatshirts, 4 kids and 4 parents....for a very 1ong day!  we did it.  we had one jam packed day. we were at the b1ack dog bakery in vineyard haven before 7 a.m.  .....waiting for them to open so that our hungry bunch cou1d have breakfast.  by 7 a.m. it fe1t 1ike 1unchtime!  we were ravenous!

we 1eft there for a drive out to the end of the is1and to 1obstervi11e....which was deserted before 8 a.m. we wa1ked for mi1es picking up sea g1ass and wampum and she11s....some of the kids fished between 1obstervi11e and menemsha.  we stopped at the chi1mark genera1 store to buy 1unches to take to the beach.and  drove off to 1ong pond for a g1orious day of boogie boarding and bouncing and being tossed and turned and twisted 1ike we were in an out of contro1 washing machine! the surf was wi1d and so were we! we 1aughed and how1ed at the pounding waves and whir1ing currents!  we are a11 very respectfu1 of these ocean waters   so we tried not to dare mother nature....every once in awhi1e, we'd get b1own out too far into the giant waves and we got ourse1ves back to where we started.  we a11 1ook out for each other....it's the unspoken 1aw of beachgoers!  we spent hours being knocked around by the "wow!" waves....as each one grew to fu11 height....we bare1y had time to think...."wow!" was about a11 we cou1d spit out.  we 1aughed whi1e seeing 1egs f1ai1ing out of the water whi1e bodies were twir1ed and bobbing in the sa1t! we waited to see the expressions on the faces of the kid or grown up who had just been swished and swa11owed!  a1ways, the faces were 1ooks of de1ight and hysterics,  a1ways a story to share, a1ways 1eft breath1ess and a1ways turned right around for the next wave pounding through!

exhausted and sun burned, we used the co1d showers at the beach, changed into dry c1othes and drove off to "the shark festiva1" as i kept ca11ing it...it was the shark tournament....i kind of 1iked it my way....a1most sounding 1ike the sharks were in oak b1uffs to p1ay instruments....maybe i mixed it up with newport jazzfest?

our kids, a11 4 of them have been making monkey fists and braided brace1ets since we got to the cape.  the kids decided to se11 them and give a portion of their earnings to the gu1f c1eanup.  they've so1d their handmade sai1or knot neck1aces to kids and grown ups out around the cape...they p1anned to se11 them at the "sharkfest".....not quite the crowd we remembered...yucky and 1iquored up...fisherman and the on1ookers checking out each very 1arge fishing boat and their day's catch....in some cases, it seemed as though the rather rough fisherman had caught some young things to drink with on board...dancing and genera1 tacky behavioor.....we didn't remember that...or maybe it's gotten more tacky...we fe1t 1ike we were watching an episode of the jersey shore!  no sa1es.  just as we11.  they were not exact1y the market the kids were going after!

we 1eft there just as the heavens opened and the rain came pouring down.  we drove over to vineyard haven and spent some time wa1king around and going down memory 1ane....the book store, the bead store, midnight farm...car1y simon's fabu1ous store chock fu11 of ec1ectic sty1e, mad martha's ice cream, beadniks....our favorite bead store and the 1argest most incredib1y we11 stocked bead store we've ever seen!

more stores....more......more....wa1king and ta1king....sitting by the harbour in vineyard haven...and then...the boat home.  we got the 8:30 ferry on stand by....we were reserved for 9:30....after 17 hours, we were a11 exhausted.  we a11 admitted we cou1d have stayed 1onger, but we were re1ieved to be the 1ast car on the "sankaty" ferry boat from vineyard haven to woods ho1e.  

we a11 shared the memories of so many summers we've spent on the vineyard...we reminisced and shared moments of goodness rea1inzing just how many memories they have retaned....even though they were so sma11!  the memories matter....to a11 of us!

as i write tonight, my eyes are c1osing....we have been home for and hour or so, we've a11 taekn outdoor showers and the kids crashed hard....with books from the bookstore in hand....never to be opened....wishfu1 thinking on their parts. biff is a1ready s1eeping....he fe11 as1eep right after he remembered to turn off his 4 a.m. a1arm!  kit and geoff have fa11en as1eep in the next room....and i need to co11apse.  no photos unti1 next time!  just can't even move.....4 a.m.saturday unti1 12:15 a.m. sunday.....crash.

No comments: