Like many people, I was so happy to have all the rain we got on Sunday. My plants were happy and so was I that I did not have to water, and the ground certainly needed it. Now we have comfortable days where you can wear a T-shirt and be happy. Plus, sleeping at night is easier.

Happy Birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons to those school children who celebrated their day. Now the gamble is on as to when I get to the school and get the birthday new list.

Fall is still showing its signs: pumpkin spice is back on the menus, the sound of geese early in the morning and early evening has started, it is getting lighter later in the morning making it hard to get up those early mornings, the traffic is much less, the lines at the post office are not so long so you don’t mind finding the yellow slips in the box, and Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy have started their new season.

The big sign of fall is the start of the Martha’s Vineyard Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby which starts Sept. 14 and runs through to Oct. 19. Both men and women will be busy trying to catch the big one, and the piers will have lots of fishermen jigging for fresh squid. Starting time is midnight on Sept. 14.  Good luck to all.

While searching for news, I was taking the dog for a walk and I realized the news was in my own front yard. The Edgartown School has started the construction or reconstruction on the new playground/recreation field. The men came in with the temporary fence, and the playground is closed from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. They tore out the slides and swing sets and have turned up the whole area. I looked at the plans online to see what will be going in that area, and from what I have been told it has changed again so time will tell.

I also looked to check out what was going on where the new Boys & Girls Club is going and there is more fencing there and there is a trailer for the construction office and a porta-potty. So, I am assuming that construction will start soon. It is going to be a busy area for some time.

I was looking at the pictures of the new Ocean Club restaurant in Vineyard Haven. My parents did their banking there and I remember always being intrigued by the big safe. So, when I saw the pictures, I was so relived and impressed that they did not remove the safe and made it into a beautiful wine safe.

Congratulations and best wishes to the owners of the restaurant and thank you for preserving some history of the building.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.