For many people, pets become cherished and loved family members. Dogs, especially, take on human-like qualities and have that sixth sense, knowing when their loved ones need a little extra cuddle or feel when they can take that opportunity to be a little more rambunctious to prompt laughter. Tiki was that type of companion for Judy and Ted Mayhew. You often would spot her out for car rides, enjoying the breeze. You often would see photos from her travels in recent years to the Florida Keys, where she’d lounge on the porch overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Sadly, Tiki’s life on earth has come to an end and she will be missed. So sorry for your loss, Judy, Ted and the rest of Tiki’s human and canine companions.

Kara Merry has been puttering in Pandora’s Box over the past couple of weeks, slowly getting ready to open up shop in May. This week she’s been in California with her youngest daughter, Josie, doing a little college touring. While on the West Coast they visited with Josie’s big sister Lucy who lives in L.A. What fun.

Doug Seward had Creekville open a bit this past week. He has some one-of-a-kind pieces in the antique shop. The weather was nice enough for a couple of days to have the display doors wide open, which was promising for two reasons. Propping the doors open wide leads to better display of goods but it also blows the winter out of the space and lets the spring in. Here comes that summer air sooner than we can say hop, skip, jump.

Congratulations to our Aquinnah neighbor and my kids’ cousin Alexandra Taylor who participated in and completed running the Boston Athletic Association’s 126th Boston Marathon. She was one of approximately 30,000 runners to lace up her sneakers in Hopkinton and make her way through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton, up the noteworthy Heartbreak Hill and into Brookline, then down Boston’s Boylston street across the most memorable part of the course know as the finish line. Way to go, A.T.: we are all patting you on the back for a job well done.

According to Emily Broderick, the Vineyard Sinfonietta is back in action. The group, whose current members include Chilmark resident violin players Mary Sossong and Emily herself, gather at the Howes House Sunday afternoons from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Ed Greenebaum joins with his bass whenever he’s in town, too.

The Sinfonietta’s usual repertoire includes classical music, such as the 3 Bs — Bach, Beethoven, Brahms — as well as show tunes by the likes of Arlen, Gershwin and Rodgers. It has become a tradition to include Bach to the Beatles in their concerts. According to Emily, the group is open to musicians of any age, including students. If you play, bring your instrument and a music stand to the Howes House.

Suellen Lazarus, Chilmark town affairs council’s board chair, emailed me the other day to share her excitement about the Chilmark Community Center’s new summer program executive director. Keira Lapsley, chairman of the middle school history program at Fieldston School in New York city, has extensive experience in running summer camps and will bring with her, in addition to experience, a true sense of excitement, energy, enthusiasm and organizational skills.

How about what all the weather reports and news channels were highlighting as a rare spring northeaster earlier in the week? Spring in New England sure can be variable with shirtsleeves one day and down parkas the next.