Friday, July 16: Sunny. More than a dozen large sailboats race to the west side of East Chop in midmorning. Mostly blue skies. A couple seated on beach towels at Owen Park pass the sunscreen. Muggy in town. Breezy afternoon on the water. A sailor’s festival under a tent takes over Owen Park in late afternoon. Steel drum music coincides with a colorful sunset.

Saturday, July 17: Still, quiet morning. Lagoon Pond is flat calm beneath blue, hazy skies. A fleet of catboats leaves Vineyard Haven harbor after breakfast for a day of sailing. Light breeze picks up in the late morning. Choppy seas off West Chop. Dozens of large sailboats cross Vineyard Sound in a race. Stiff wind in the afternoon. Light air at night.

Sunday, July 18: Hot and sunny. A long, patient line at Art Cliff Diner early in the morning. Sunny skies. Colorful beach umbrellas line Oak Bluffs beaches. A parasailing boat speeds across Nantucket Sound, its chute aloft. Afternoon skies are hazy. Windy afternoon. Lilies bloom near Ocean Park.

Monday, July 19: Early morning dog walkers fill Edgartown’s downtown streets, joined later by joggers and bicyclists. Sunny and humid, another July dog day. Heat-loving geraniums fill flowerpots and window boxes.

Tuesday, July 20: Mostly sunny. Clouds cover the western sky in the afternoon. Less sunshine. Rod and reel fishermen gather in the shade at Memorial Wharf in Edgartown.

Wednesday, July 21: Hot and muggy. Temperature in the low 80s. Hazy, large patches of clouds block the sun in the afternoon. Thunderstorms arrive after dinner. Heavy rain in Edgartown for a short 10 minutes.

Thursday, July 22: Bright lightning after midnight. Thunderstorms in Vineyard Haven and across the Island overnight. In the morning the heavy, hot weather finally breaks. Cool and dry. Low humidity. Sky is deep blue over Chappaquiddick. Beach grass is lush along State Beach.

M.A.L.