We need the rain. I know we have had a lot, but if you dig in the ground, the soil is still like powder. So we need a slow, steady rain — at night would be ideal, then we would all be happy.

My friend Jan called me to tell me I made a mistake with the birthday of a young boy she knows through his mother. She told me the little boy’s birthday is in August. I told her no, and that I have the school list and maybe they got it wrong. So I looked, and sure enough, I skipped the July page. I apologize to all for the long list, but I know that the kids like to see their name in the paper.

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Abner Oliveira, July 1; Charles Fenske, July 2; Matthew Gonsalves, July 3; Ella Willoughby, July 5; JJ Polleys, July 6; Parker BenDavid, Matthew Schoenberg and Maximillian Vaughn, July 7; Ashley Brasefield, July 8; Mathew Fish, Emily Gilley, Erin Gilley and Annabelle Thomas, July 9; Amy Maeda, July 10; Madeline Chronister, July 13; Hugo Burrows, July 14; Ashlynn Meader and John Murray, July 20; Riley Craig, July 21; Georgia DeRoche, July 24, and to Owen Kleinhenz who celebrated July 25.

Kerry and Bob Branca welcomed a new member to their family on July 14, Jacob Kent. He joins two big sisters, Laila, age 5, and Allie, age 3. Grandparents are Betty Branca of Canton, Mass., Sandy and Mike Joyce and Annie and Ray Long, all of Edgartown. His sisters adore him and we are all excited to welcome a little boy into the family! Of course his uncle is Donaroma’s very own Brendan Long.

Renowned singer-songwriter Cindy Kallet will perform a concert Sunday, August 3, to benefit the scholarship fund of Fern & Feather Day Camp at Mass Audubon’s Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown.

The 7:30 p.m. concert at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury is part of Fern & Feather at 50, a yearlong celebration of the day camp, a special place for children to learn about and explore nature.

In addition to Ms. Kallet, a former Felix Neck teacher-naturalist and Fern & Feather counselor, featured performers will include Grey Larsen, Ellen Epstein and Michael Cicone. Tickets are $20 for Mass Audubon members; $25 for nonmembers. Tickets at the door are $30. For more information, visit www.massaudubon.org/fern-feather-fifty or call Felix Neck at 508-627-4850.

Appraisal day is on Friday, August 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum library, 59 School street. You can join appraisers from Skinner Inc. who will evaluate your prized objects in a summer version of a popular off-season event. Items may be consigned for sale by Skinner with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the museum. Reservations are required, and you can call Jessica at 508-627-4441 extention 117 for more information. Appraisal of one item is $15, or three items for $40.

I love hearing the baby birds on the feeders learning how to eat. Their moms and dads are very patient as they eat, and the babies are pushing them to feed them. It is also the time when the mothers look frazzled trying to keep them near. But like humans, the babies — now teenagers — will be “leaving the nest” soon and maybe they will get back to some kind of normal life.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.

Send your Edgartown news to: kathleencase@comcast.net.