Friday, August 21: Hot in downtown Vineyard Haven. Secret Service vehicles roll out of the ferry Island Home in early afternoon. Asphalt parking lot is hot to the touch. Police officer waves cars through an already crowded Five Corners. Hazy hot afternoon. Two large helicopters speed over the town. Clear evening.

Saturday, August 22: Cloudy morning. Bands of thin clouds pass over the Island, heading from northeast to southwest. Large waves, turbulent seas, and rising tide at South Beach. Beach is closed. Heavy damp air. Breezy from the northeast. Tropical rain arrives late in the evening, heavy.

Sunday, August 23: Wet landscape. Mostly cloudy early in the morning. Dark gray clouds, remnants of Hurricane Bill, hang over the northeastern sky midmorning. Most clouds are gone by noon. President arrives with family at Martha’s Vineyard Airport in helicopter, under cloudless skies. Hot, temperature in the 80s under the sun. A late afternoon breeze cools downtown Oak Bluffs in time for Ocean Park dog parade. Low sun. Partly cloudy.

Monday, August 24: Mostly clear. Bustling afternoon traffic in downtown Vineyard Haven. Spectacular sunset over Edgartown as seen from the lighthouse; many shades of red, yellow, purple and blue hang over the skyline.

Tuesday, August 25: A hot and muggy morning in West Tisbury. Black-eyed Susans and day lilies decorate many of the yards in East Chop. A light southwest wind lightens before sunset. Sailboats in Edgartown harbor, without auxiliary power are adrift before evening. Crowds gather in downtown Oak Bluffs, in evening summer air. Increasing clouds late. Crescent moon appears amid clouds.

Wednesday, August 26: Sunny. The morning starts out warm. A cool southwest wind brings the temperature down. Breezy. A sunbather’s holiday at Oak Bluffs and Edgartown beaches. Light seas in Nantucket Sound. Light southwesterly, with an occasional stiff breeze.

Thursday, August 27: Sunny and cloudless skies. Not as hot. Temperature in the 70s.

M.A.L.