Friday, July 18: Hot and muggy. Temperature rises to the high 80s in the shade, hotter on Ocean Park. Oak Bluffs harbor is a kettle full of boats and waves. Breezy afternoon offers relief from the heat. Youthful swimmers jump off the Big Bridge all afternoon.

Saturday, July 19: Sunny and breezy from the southwest. The wind picks up to 20 mph. Choppy seas for the start of the Vineyard Cup races. Wind increases in the afternoon. Hot inland. A large sailboat blows its genoa off East Chop. Summer eve in Vineyard Haven harbor. A forest of tall masts are in the inner harbor.

Sunday, July 20: A light breeze in the morning. Little dinghies go back and forth across Vineyard Haven harbor under partly sunny skies. In late morning, pedestrian traffic bustles in downtown Edgartown. Blooming flowers. Fisherman stands with a pole at the end of the Edgartown Lighthouse beach.

Monday, July 21: Mostly sunny. A beach day for Island youngsters at the Bend in the Road Beach in Edgartown. Dark blue water in Nantucket Sound, accented at the crest by the white froth of rolling waves.

Tuesday, July 22: Increasing clouds. Oklahoma forest in Vineyard Haven is bathed in dappled sunlight. A car drives down a dirt road and leaves a dusty trail behind. The air is humid and the dust lingers for a while.

Wednesday, July 23: Light breeze from the north. Cloudy. Light fog extends out into the open ocean. No rain. Wind shifts to easterly and then southerly in the late afternoon. Clouds increase. Lightning fills the evening sky at 9 p.m. Thunderstorm arrives in Vineyard Haven after 11 p.m. Heavy rain. Storm ends more quickly than when it arrived.

Thursday, July 24: Sunny morning. Rain showers and sunny skies midmorning. Skies darken and the air thickens with moisture as dark clouds pass overhead. An unsettled day.

M.A.L.