August — there’s something about this particular month that brings about an atmospheric unease. Long humid days make you long for the Earth to spin a little faster and make the evening come a little quicker to offer a little relief.

August is a month that makes you want to retreat to the subterranean basement and the coolness it offers or, perhaps, to the air conditioned space of the Chilmark Library. If you need an excuse to wander in, then Daniel Schlotzman can offer just that. At the house his grandparents, Frances and Elliot Lehman, built on Prospect Hill in 1976, over a series of summers and during the winter of 2021-22, Daniel and Sam Rosenfeld wrote a book. Daniel took advantage of being in town while writing. Long walks in Menemsha Hills or jaunts over to Lucy Vincent Beach were the perfect escape from putting pen to paper. Although Sam enjoyed a series of nice visits to town while they were writing, Daniel will fly solo at a book talk on Wednesday, July 14 at 4:30 p.m. before heading off to the Democratic Convention a few days later.

August cool down options, as we all know, include a dunk in Vineyard Sound, wave jumping at Lucy Vincent Beach and so many possibilities in between.

Mary Gibbons and Mike Curly have steamed into the harbor on their boat Optimist for the annual two-week visit. It’s now a scheduled thing to align their visit with Meet the Fleet (Otto Osmers won the shucking contest again FYI) and daily swims, dingy adventures up the pond and more. They know how to beat the heat.

John Keene and Wes Brighton felt the wind in their hair last week when they put the throttles down. There’s been a friendly rivalry between the two about just how fast their slow boats go. They finally decided to make a “thing” of it and partake in what was referred to as the Race of the Century. John in his boat Hillary Ann II, revved his engine as he came out of his slip, while Wes on the Martha Rose took his time coming off the commercial dock. The two made their way to Dog Fish Bar and counted down from five. Off they went and, although there was a little discrepancy about where the finish line was, John passed the bell buoy first and was declared the winner. Raffle tickets were sold as a benefit for the MV Fishermen’s Preservation Trust and, not only did the winners get to tag along for the ride, but John’s visiting sisters Lisa Kerns and Katy Mettell did, too.

Also back in town for a sit-a-spell on Squid Row is the man fondly know as “New Jersey’s Dan Ryan.” Dan stopped by the other day bearing a gift. I was the lucky and grateful recipient of a Track a Shark bracelet. As soon as I get the app installed I will be sure to alert you to my shark’s whereabouts.

Bella Thorpe was at home for a minute and managed to catch up with cousin Brooks Carroll and childhood friends Fynn Monahan — who made a quick trip to town himself from Colorado — and Tegan Fenner. Bella has spent the summer in Vermont, where she will be entering her senior year at UVM, training with her horse Bella Ymas and squeezing in some non-equine fun stuff. I don’t know all of the specifics, but Bella did share she recently qualified for three classes at a regional dressage competition this September. Stand by for the full scoop.

The 20-somethings barbecued with a few more friends, a few more cousins and shared plenty of laughs and stories. Having them together makes me long for the days when they were, oh, maybe six or seven. Climbing trees, pool parties, catching creatures along the dock, eating ice cream and taking outside showers until the hot water was gone were all highlights. I am thankful each day knowing they are still connected.