In mid-July, I received an unexpected photo of Cameron Bunce and his son Elliot of Rock Hill, South Carolina, cradling a striped bass on a dark Martha’s Vineyard beach. The photo capturing Cameron’s pride and Elliot's sheer joy and excitement was one of the best compliments I’ve ever received.

"One obvious issue with the impoundment is that the water is heated to an extreme degree by exposing a limited flow through to a wide, shallow area."

Notwithstanding the raptor’s fierce yellow eyes and sharp beak, his lonesome expression was enough to make a honkytonk jukebox sing a sad country song.


Winter Storm Hernando — even Google has no explanation for the name — hit during the February school vacation week, Martha's Vineyard’s absolute quietest time of the year.