The heat has been turned back on, the sweatshirt and winter slippers are back and that extra blanket is on again. I know that as much as we are ready for sun and warmth, we do need the rain. It has not rained enough to get the ground wet enough for those plants we want to plant.

Happy Birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Edmund Cottle, Hayconny Da Silva, Gabryelly Ribeiro and Janaya Tucker, who all celebrated on April 22; Yago Santos Silva on April 24; Alexis Lavigne on April 25; Maeve Leahy, Jackson Lucier and Alexia Vieira on April 26; Amelia Drummond and Hudson Smith on April 27; and to Sophia Pereira, who celebrates her day on April 28.

As promised, spring has some more signs. The Dairy Queen opened this past Friday, with much delight to people young and old. Yes, it is school vacation and I did not see the stream from the school to the DQ, but the Boys and Girls Club campers made a great showing.

Edgartown Seafood opened Thursday the 27th and Among the Flowers is opening May 1. John’s Fish Market opened on Wednesday the 26th. It certainly is worth the trip to Vineyard Haven for their fried clams.

A big thank you to all who volunteered to clean up the Island on Earth Day. I saw three people walking up and down my road in the pouring rain. Thank you all and job well done.

Driving into the Stop & Shop last Wednesday, I was happy to see the parking space I usually like to park was open. But much to my surprise, it was not a space. They moved the fence again and if I had not been paying attention, I would have driven right through it.

We have all been patient with all the construction, which I heard from one employee will not be completed until December. I am hoping they were wrong because it will be a long summer trying to shop and not lose your mind. We will see and take it one day at a time.

I have been feeling like I’ve had writer’s block with my column lately. My mind went to Bunny Brown, who wrote this column for years back in the 1960s and ‘70s. She did not use a computer, nor did she have an electric typewriter. She had the good old manual one that I believe is still in the Gazette office. She always knew the comings and goings, and she never missed a birthday of many people in town.

I often wonder how Bunny got all the news as there were no emails or texts to be sent — though of course there was the phone. I believe she communicated with townspeople the old-fashioned way: she sang in the Federated Church choir and of course there was the grocery store. Thank you, Bunny, for being a trailblazer.

Welcome back to all the vacationers who traveled during school vacation. If you want to share your adventures with us, we would love to hear from you.