Vineyard to Vineyard: We Made It! Time for a Drink

I almost broke the law today, simply by driving through Massachusetts as we did our Jacoby Jones run between the storms.

Massachusetts was the 16th and final state of our eight-day, speed-limit-abiding transnational drive to MV from the Napa Valley, and our sixth state since leaving a Pennsylvania motel early this morning.

I checked my radar app before we departed: It indicated two storms — a nor'easter and a sou'wester, more or less — converging in a pincer manoeuver on exactly where we wanted to go: Woods Hole.

So we left early, with light snow beginning to fall from the southern storm, and didn't stop as we drove into the northern one. There was gas in the tank and we skipped the Starbucks, driving nonstop but carefully and always at or below the posted limits. 

Nonetheless: It was hairy. So after a solid week of sampling the airwaves on the car radio, tuning in Navajo and Spanish language broadcasts at times, this was the first day we just listened to the highway as we drove through increasingly bad weather for the last 500 or so miles of our more than 3,600-mile trip.

And so we missed it when Mass. gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency around noon, with a ban on driving beginning at 4 p.m.

By noon we were hurtling gingerly through increasing snow in the southern part of the state on our way to Cape Cod, where we had a 2:30 p.m. ferry reservation on what proved to be the last boat before the Steamship Authority shut down for the duration.

That's the only way to get cars and passengers to and from Martha's Vineyard, so I am writing to you from a place I cannot leave for the next day or two — even if I wanted to get into my car again, which I really, really don't want to do after more than 3,600 miles in it over the past eight days.

We can't even leave this house: This storm is bad. Luckily for us, my Mom (and new neighbor!) kindly stocked the fridge before leaving for her off-Island weekend date, and my sister made sure the cottage she's lending us was clean and heated when we arrived.

Frankie the cat seems to understand he's in a home after a solid week of motels — he is cleaning himself on the couch.

Paul and I are relaxing, posting messages and charging our devices as the storm buffets the cottage. We are at the intersection of two streets that both end at the water a block away, but there's no danger of flooding here.

I promised a cocktail recipe: Here it is, with a deep bow and curtsey of gratitude to Mark Lucas of Napa Bike, who presented us with a quart of raw honey before our departure last week:

Honey Lime Horizon

1 part honey

2 parts lime juice (we use Joe & Nellie's Key lime juice or another unsweetened brand when we can't get fresh limes)

3 parts vodka

Muddle honey and lime juice until well combined. Add vodka. Serve on ice from the machine, using plastic cups. OR NOT!

Also, this would probably be good with rum, cold or hot. What do you think?I'm off to the big house to see if Mom left any vodka there! Or rum.

What's next for Louisa, Paul and Frankie? Find out at marthasvineyard.patch.com and facebook.com/marthasvineyardpatch.

*— who is not just the governor of Massachusetts but a son of the great baritone saxophonist Pat Patrick, longtime collaborator of jazz spaceman Sun Ra and a great performer I've seen more than once.