So I head to Martha's Vineayrd to start my internship with The Nature Conservancy. It may have been one of the best choices I have ever made in my life. Not just was the place spectacular, the Hoft Farm (the place I stayed for the two months) was nostalgically cozy, and my roommates were lovely! It was the perfect summer.
I spent most of my days killing Moth's in the name of conservation. It was quite cool because I got to work with cyanide. The Nature Conservancy Office had a basement that I worked in with Megan and Robin (My housemates who were working on Salt Spray Research) One morning, I had gone out into the woods to set up some traps... Then I found myself on the ground waking up from a nice sleep in the middle of the forest. I had fainted or something... Not sure really. I had been out for about an hour or so. It was really weird! My friends were convinced that I was abducted by aliens. I had no choice but to agree. Just in case, though, I carried gatorade around with me at all times... a form of anti-alien drink, if you will.
Martha's Vineyard had the most wonderful scenery and amazing beaches. As for the Hoft Farm, it was once an old farm house which was converted into housing for interns. The grounds is next to Duarte Pond on Lambert's Cove Road and includes a rustic barn. The road upto the farm went through a shimmering meadow and then pierced through a grove of Pitchpine. Wine berries grew throughout the property and were made into delectable desserts by the Crew.
The first day I stepped into the Farm I was greeted with warm consideration. They were having their usual group dinner and I came just in time for dessert. Strawberry Pie!!! YUM. We all took turns cooking dinner and come to think of it many of memories revolve around food.
Well, now that I think about I should introduce my house mates. My roomate was Andy Pulte, Student of horticulture in Nebraska. He found a cat with a jingle bell collar.. he called him Scout. He also found a duck with a deformed leg... He was named Lamy. Andy worked at the Polly Hill Arboretum. His co-worker was Sarah Johnson. Sarah Johnson was from North Carolina and had the demure of a southern bell... with the southern drawl. Sarah and I had some late night excursions to the candy and icecream shops in Vineyard Haven and Edgartown. She was always getting calls from her family and her beau. Then there was Megan and Robin. They had both gone to Earlham back in the day. Megan was getting her PhD at Tufts University and Robin was hired as her assistant. But, they were more like partners in crime. They had access to a very pricy private beach on the vineyard. They had tock competitions with each other where they would collect all the ticks that had accumlated on their clothes and placcing them in glass vials. Whoever had more by the end of the season wins!! Megan and I are birthday buddies, and she got me listening to Lyell Lovett. Robin was always a source of happiness... always happy and was ready to go out and do something. Then there was the caretaker of the Hoft Farm, John. John was very strict, but he had a kindness to him that you couldn't help but like. Almost a boysish charm. He liked hunting with a bow and arrow. We had venison on the barbeque one night :) Amber, did some stuff with the firecrew... I actually forgot exactly what she did, but she's from California too. She's moved to Berkeley now. Megan, Amber, and Robin always went on swimming excursions at Seth's Pond and Amber had this secret beach that she knew about. Laura Dunleavy, a fellow TNC slave, literally did nothing just like I did. Our supervisor wasn't very organized so we spent a lot of time waiting and drinking cokes... Laura's drink was Diet Coke. We decided that Diet Coke is "Nature's Drink" There was also Reese, who was as skinny as a pocky stick. He ran and went to look at raptures. He likes the word "Insipid" Roberta come in to do some plant surveys. She was always a great source for information.
This page will be updated as I remember new things
