Nature & Science
The only thing that can chill the intense heat of the summer day is the cool sky of the summer night.
By LYNNE IRONS
I cannot seem to catch up or even catch a break. This summer has flown by. Plants that should be blooming now are past their prime. Everything is moving too fast. Now, without a doubt, part of this phenomenon is my advancing age. I know and admit it.
Friday, July 30: Clouds break in the morning. Sunny. Perfect day for the beach.
Saturday, July 31: Not as hot. The air in the morning is autumnal. Temperature rises to the mid-70s. Low humidity. Tomatoes ripen on the vine in Vineyard Haven. Tiger lilies in full bloom in a backyard garden. Shields sailboats race in the outer Edgartown harbor with a stiff breeze from the southwest.
The Vineyard has no fish weirs these days. The trapping technique, catching fish by way of corralling them against walls of branches, timber and spiles strewn with nets, is no longer used here.
On Wednesday afternoon, however, Jonathan James-Perry, 33, a storyteller and historian with the Aquinnah Cultural Center, gave a talk about the use of fish weirs by the Wampanoag Indians of this region. In a time when the ocean was bubbling with a lot more fish than are there now, a fish weir was an effective way to catch fish.
The night skies ahead are promising for shooting stars. The annual big Perseid meteor shower takes place next Wednesday and Thursday nights, but you may see a meteor sooner. Meteors can be seen any night in the week ahead.
Temperature: Precip.
Day Max. Min. Inches.
Fº Fº
July 30 83 67 Trace
July 31 78 60 .00
August 1 78 62 .00
August 2 74 53 .00
August 3 80 66 .00
August 4 83 70 .00
August 5 84 73 .00
Water temperature in Edgartown harbor: 78º F.
Almanac
A comprehensive guide to weather and tides on the Island.
Vineyard Gardener
I guess this past week weather-wise is called a January thaw. We did not really experience it the last several years as December was unseasonably warm.
Farm & Field
Beige and brown and tan and black, with horns spiraled or semicircular or in undulating waves, a legion of goats marched up the hill toward us, bleating in anticipation of fresh grass and leaves.