August

As promised to calendar holders. I am writing the story behind each month's calendar photo this year.

AUGUST

So when you call your friend and ask "where are you?" and he names a beautiful, coastal island--Martha's Vineyard in this case--say what you're thinking.  Tell him, "Lucky guy!  Wouldn't I love to be on the Vineyard right now."  Because the next thing you know, he'll be asking you to come, to join him for his weekly Wednesday working rounds.  You'll be picking a Wednesday and before you know it, you'll be waking up at dawn in his baby daughter's room to get on the road, to make the first ferry over.  Then you'll be bopping from chef to chef across that pristine, treasured island trading sharp knives for dull ones--on a personal tour, by the way, in the process--in the excellent company of your best buddy, snapping photos all the way.  And when his work is done, you'll see:  it won't be too hard to convince him to hit the beach (first time! in how many years of working this route?)  for sunning and swimming and maybe a little sea glass hunting, until the time comes to board the ferry back to the mainland, on which ferry you might toast icy cups of beer to the perfect summer day, then join in--cavort, dip, rise and fall--with the gulls en route.  Do take the camera out.  Do try to catch their antics on film.  You'll find it's great and contagious fun when your friend joins in. And if you see a sailboat aglow with the sinking sunlight, be sure to snap that too.  Later, you'll hardly believe you got it.  But you did, you were there.  You watched that boat sail.  It was that perfectly idyllic.  You'll recall just how much so every time you look at its image, glad for this adventure, glad for your dear friend, your playful hearts.