I’ve been waiting for months to use the word petrichor as the Texaco’s word of the day. It’s an interesting word meaning a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather. It’s a word that seems fitting as I write.

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 6. It’s raining. The raindrops fall on organic matter releasing that noteworthy smell. It’s also the first day of school on Martha’s Vineyard, so the stars align and it seems a fitting vocabulary word.

He hasn’t been here is about a decade and a half, but Bobby Austin made a return trip to catch up with some friends dating back 40-plus years. He palled around with the likes of Tim Rich, Steve Flanders and Peter D’Amico back in the day and had an opportunity to reconnect with each during his visit here.

He sat on Squid Row a couple of times reminiscing and blurting out belly laughs with Paul and Beth Mayhew — he’d fished with Paul and that’s a story for another day — and seemingly had a wonderful visit. He commented he might be back in a month’s time to do a little more catching up. He’s a retired New York firefighter now and part-time actor.

John Jacobs has returned from Colorado to spend a couple of weeks at his home nestled in on Mayhew Lane. His presence is always good for a little fun conversation and a smile as he strolls Basin Road in his trademark shark cap.

Friends from the College of William & Mary ventured from the D.C. area to celebrate my Bradley’s twenty-sixth with her. Bradley is usually the traveler in the bunch but Mariana Reinstein and Joanna Sperapani hopped a jet and joined in the birthday weekend fun. Their visit was a wonderful excuse for the trio to traipse from one end of the Island to the other, taking in all the highlights between the Gay Head Light and Memorial Wharf. What fun they had.

Jonathan Mayhew brought in some mahi mahi aboard Skillie to dish up on the dinner table. He and his dog wonder Squibby can be seen outbound from Menemsha harbor near-daily. Recently, pal Brian Curry has often taken on the role of first mate. The two always return with stories of the day’s adventure.

Tom and Suzy Tokarz enjoyed a spell on the West Dock aboard their home at sea, Panic Control. The McCaffreys — Matt, Lee, Millie and Madison — were also aboard their home away from home, ReelE Hooked. George and Barbara McLaughlin’s Grumpy was the centerpiece of a little dockside cookout. I managed to pop in an chat for a spell just as the stragglers were beginning to depart.

Meg Athearn and Beth Wike both completed the Falmouth Road Race a short while back. Both returned with smiles on their faces, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

Restring those rods, replace rusty hooks, and get your Derby button because — tight lines everyone — the 77th annual MV Derby kicks off on Sept. 11. As the teens say, “Let’s goooo!”