August Days Begin

This used to be called changeover weekend, when the July people left and the August people came. But the lines of tradition are not so clear anymore when it comes to vacation patterns, and one summer month melts into another much the way one summer week melts into another.

Nevertheless, Islanders know the signs of August. When the roses are past their prime, when black-eyed Susans, wild carrot and rose of Sharon begin to bloom, when the striped bass move into deeper water and the bonito begin to run — that’s August. When sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant ripen in farm fields, when crowds thicken and traffic gridlock grips down-Island towns, when the beaches are full at high noon, when the sunset floods the far horizon in flaming pinks and reds and shooting stars streak across the night sky — that’s August.

When that fleeting thing call summer suddenly turns the corner and heads for September like a runaway tractor trailer on a busy highway — well, that’s just another August.