In case you thought we were still enjoying summer, there is one group of scientists telling us that we are already in autumn. It is the climate scientists, earth scientists and meteorologists who base their labeling on the weather patterns, who are the bearers of this information.

We were always told the seasons changed when the Earth tilts toward or away from the sun. This is the work of astronomers, scientists who think big and far away.

If you really care to keep the astronomical dates, you have to look it up to see whether the shifts of seasons takes place on the 20th, 21st or 22nd of the changeover month. With the meteorological option, naming the season on the first of the month is easier to remember.

Fall, the earth science people say, has been here since the first of September. Winter will start Dec. 1, and spring begins March 1 — except that we all know that spring on  Martha’s Vineyard begins around the middle of May. Or even later. Which means a short summer. The new meteorological summer, they tell us, starts June 1, but we know it is truly spring around here until deep into June, when school gets out. Ah, but the autumn here glistens and lingers often until the start of the gift-giving season.

Summer ended on much of the Island last week, when so many visitors left for home. But we ran into a lively summer crowd in Menemsha the other day. Several people were swimming. Boys were playing catch on the sand, moms carefully watching over their the little ones at the water’s edge. Souvenir hunters were eagerly surveying the shops along Basin Road. The wooden dock was lined with humanity, soaking up sunshine and gazing out over the fishing boats and beyond.

I went with Leah Smith for lobster rolls at Larsen’s and among the unfamiliar faces we encountered, we spotted a couple of locals along the wooden sidewalk. You know how exciting it is to run into someone you actually know on this rock during tourist season.

We ran into Ed Sussman who was showing his god-daughter the sights. Farther along the walkway we saw Katie Upson who was enjoying a visit with her daughter, Martha Barlow, here from Florida. This week Katie’s son Dan Upson is visiting from Florida, along with her daughter Molly Cunningham, who lives in Canada.

Our neighbor Sig Van Raan was feted and celebrated last weekend at a party at the Grange Hall in honor of Sig’s 80th birthday. Old friends came from near and distant ports to join in the fun and recollections of their 1960s heyday. Some forgot about their creaky knees and danced well into the night.

Town fathers are urging us to attend the special town meeting Tuesday, Sept. 16, at the school at 6 p.m. The agenda is short but the need for a quorum is critical. (And I apologize for posting the wrong date last time.)

Welcome to the neighborhood Owen Smith Gothard. The little guy is the son of Grace and Josh Gothard, and was born Aug. 19.

Congratulations to Geraldine Brooks for winning the 2025 Library of Congress prize for American fiction, and happy birthday to you on Sunday, Sept.14.

Birthday greetings go to Evan Fielder on Monday, Sept. 15, and another neighbor, Susan Block, Friday, Sept. 19.

Congratulations and happy wedding anniversary to Sean Conley and Terry Mello, Friday, Sept. 12. And to Brendan O’Neill and Linsey Lee on Saturday, Sept. 13.