Despite the fact that it is snowing and gusting very hard here, it will be gone in a few days. After Nemo, the snow melted quickly and gave way to warm sunny days and dry, brown grass. While the rest of New England will have to deal with weeks of snow, Nantucket’s sand plain grasslands and scrub oak forests will get the exposure they deserve. It was a walk and a bike ride along Cliff Road past Tupancy Links that inspired me this week. Its only a dog park, but the rolling open space contrasting with the high pressure sky and the ocean in the distance… Makes you realize this island really is as special as people say. Its different, it feels different than a more familiar Cape Cod. The remoteness makes it exotic. Not technically ‘exotic’ as environmental scientists classify things, but exotic nonetheless. Exploring the nature of this island is and will be the most enjoyable and informative aspect of my time here.