My friend Teri and I noticed something during last Sunday night’s rain storm. There was some thunder and lightening, and the cat Teddy walked up and down the length of my sleeping body, then curled up near my head. Silvio and Lil’ Bit, my two dogs, did the same thing to her body during the storm. Is this a typical pet reaction to thunder and lightening? Dr. Michelle Gerhard Jasny, please let us know.

The rain was needed, but, oh, how beautiful these days have been! Sure, it was hot Tuesday, so much so that the Thrift Shop had a sign up — Too Hot! Closing at 4 p.m. today. Still, it has been a remarkably mild summer. And now we get our Island beaches back!

Bill and Jan Stokes hosted a fabulous barbecue on Monday afternoon. Nonna, Teri and I attended along with the usual suspects, Laurie Marotta, Paul and Marge Howes, Jim and Trude Hart, Mareda Gaither-Graves and Shane stopped by long enough for us to sing happy birthday to him. Laurie was also working on a planting project in her yard. As we left full and happy to return home, she shouted out that in her digging, where she intended to put a new tree, she came across a buried box spring. Here’s to gardening on Martha’s Vineyard.

From the corrections department: May I be destined to never again catch the brass ring at the Flying Horses for neglecting to inform you in the last column that my young neighbor, Shane Vanderhoop True Little Eagle, turned eight on Sept. 1. Shane has a wonderful new scooter to prove it.

It is not too late to sign up at the library for the annual fun run/walk around the Chop on Sunday, Sept. 14. I’ll see you there.

Also on Sept. 14, the Martha’s Vineyard Hebrew Center is having an ice cream social from 4 to 6 p.m. A new youth group is forming and you can look into it at the party. Remember, the High Holy Days are almost upon us and you need to reserve seats for them.

My young friend Whitney at M.V. Holistic Retreats notified me that from Labor Day until the end of September a special discount is offered for the next holistic retreat. If you bring a friend to the scheduled seven-day or 14-day detox retreat you get $500 off your bill. Call Whitney or check out mvholisticretreat.com.

My favorite September donation is to the Touchdown Club. While I usually shop locally, I happened to be at the Edgartown Stop & Shop last weekend and ran into some of our dedicated team members selling the Touchdown card. Did I say donation? This is actually a helpful little discount card that saves you lots of money on-Island. Contact the team.

It breaks my heart that Sally is selling Beadniks. What a beautiful job she has done with that store! The good news is she wants to sell it in its current form; we would love to have someone as interested in beads and beauty as she is take over the reins. Your business to retire to on island? Could be.

Confidential to Lyn K: Nonna has just finished reading Erik Larsen’s book, Thunderstruck, about Marconi’s discovery of the radio. I am about to begin it. What Mom and I like about Mr. Larsen’s books is they are all so well researched and read like fiction, but they are not.

Anniversary bouquets go out to Arvi and Pam Bahal on Sept. 9. Bruce and Robin Bailey celebrate many years of wedded bliss on Sept. 10. Woody and Phyllis Williams mark their day on Sept. 11.

The birthday bandwagon pulls along Leda Giatti and Stephanie Knight today. Tomorrow is a party for Sharon Duncan, Arthur Bailow, Michael Dutton, Erica McCarron, Janet Stiller and Carrie Stokes Lau. Sept. 7 is for Christopher Chambers Jr. and Lynda King. Sept. 8 honors Kate King and Dan Larkosh. Sept. 9 is shared by James Anthony Schofield, Ted Desrosiers, Joan Didato, Ben Sweet and Bob Klein. Sept. 10th shines on Heather Goff. And on Sept. 11 Mary Alice Jannace, Julian Hickman, Amanda Klein and Nicholas Bourgoin take the cake. Many happy returns.

Send your Vineyard Haven news to: iklean@yahoo.com.