We had it all. Ida kept us on our toes. Wind, rain, thunder and lightning, water spouts, tornado warnings...it was a long night. But in the end, we were all safe.

We are also thinking of those in the southern areas that were devastated by Ida. How lucky we are.

However, I am done with that kind of weather.

With the new school year starting, I do not have the list of names for birthdays yet, but I wish all that had their special day this week a very happy birthday and a lot of big balloons.

“Hurray Hurray, it’s Labor Day” was the first email I got from Jan Norton. We were both excited to have less crowds and traffic. Times have changed and the Island is still busy, which is a good thing. But we remember the days when everything went quiet on the first Monday of September. Now the tour buses will pick up and the Derby will be starting.

It is such a pretty time of year as the sky seems to become more blue and the clouds more prominent. I remember my dad loving the sky as he fished, whether it be day or night. We always wondered if he really paid attention to his fishing pole: he was always looking up to the sky.

Robert Culbert, Island birding expert and Bird News columnist for the Gazette, will guide a birding excursion at one of his favorite avian “hot spots” in Edgartown. Social distancing will be observed. The program is free but registration is required. Registrants will be emailed directions to the meeting place. This program has been generously funded by the Friends of the Edgartown Free Public Library.

The mums, asters and cabbages well be in this week. This is when I always say the nursery looks like Munchkin Land, with all the fall colors. They are beautiful and the nursery looks like a fall carpet. I have been in stores and there are displays of pumpkins, table decorations in fall colors and pumpkin spice everything is rising.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.