If you read the Farmers' Almanac or any other pamphlet, book or magazine, you may stumble across the words, “If anthills are high in July, the coming winter will be hard.” I’ve seen a lot of ants and fairly substantial anthills. What have you spotted?

The crew at station Menemsha welcomes MK3 Jody Bowen to the team. He made his way to Menemsha via an aids to navigation team in Alabama.

Ed Levy and Julie Tischler made the rounds this past week with their kiddos Jonah and Ezra. Although grandfather Bernie Levy of Newton and Prospect Hill was not in the mix this week, he came up in conversation time and time again and it was as if he was with us and not a phone call away.

Karen (Katzoff) Pollak, although traveling with others, stopped by the Texaco for a visit with her three year old, Leo. After traveling from Pennsylvania, they spent numerous quality hours on the beach, digging and tossing rocks into the water, not near people, and making the most fountain-like splashes. Ahh, to be three.

Paul Iantosca has visited Squid Row with granddaughters Nora and Autumn a few times over the past week. When the kids are in town, Bumpy makes the most of their visit, putting all other family members aside. Nora spotted the Texaco touch tank on the dock after its yearlong Covid hiatus and gleefully proclaimed it was finally back. Crabs were caught and released multiple times and a tiny flounder even made its way into the tank for a quick visit. It was, of course, too small to keep but an observational visit was fun for all.

Courtesy of Mom Liz and big brother Solon, Hollis and Delilah Oliver ventured off-Island to a weeklong adventure at Camp Burgess & Hayward. Coincidentally, West Tisbury kiddo Reed Cabot is there too.

Welcome to the Bernhard family, who have happily settled back in to their Carroll Lane home after spending the winter and spring in London. Jill, Ted, Lily, Charlotte and Katharine have been spotted bustling about at various locales such as Squid Row early morning coffee, kayak adventures and work. Lily and Charlotte are both counseling at the Chilmark Community Center this summer and serving up fuel, snacks and sweets at the Texaco. There were some grandparents in the mix this week, too, but their names simply aren’t flowing from my brain to the keyboard. Perhaps I’ll recall what they are next week.

Lois Glazer, a dear old friend who spent good quality time in Menemsha with Jane Slater, Bette Carroll, Gladys Flanders and more, ventured to town last week after a number of years away. She had a wonderful sit-a-spell with Jane, passing the time with a display of reminiscing chit chat. Lois had taken it upon herself a few weeks ago to call the Texaco for a little help tracking with Jane down. She was so pleased that their visit came together that she stopped by for a hug and chat with me. I’m always pleased to call a new face friend.

Mary Kate and Dick Bluestein are back at their Larsen Lane home for the summer. I had the pleasure of catching up with their son Andy after he had the pleasure of helping his folks settle in. I also had an opportunity to have a quick conversation with Mary Kate. Lucky me. Congratulations to Andy’s girlfriend Laura Scrimgeour, who recently graduated from a general surgery residency.

Marshal David was one of those regular summer fixtures on Squid Row. He visited most weekends for the past 50 years or so, swirling into Menemsha Harbor on his trawler, Echo, more often than not with children and grandkids in tow. He often overlapped visits with dear friends Barbara and George McLaughlin on Grumpy and Cookie and Louie Baptiste on Rhonda’s Revenge. He was a seasonal regular on Squid Row, sitting and sipping coffee between conversations. On a good night, you’d find him there equally engaged in conversation over a Klondike bar. To say we’re going to miss him is an understatement. Condolences go out to his extended family and friends.