My housemate, Jackie, and I jumped in the car on Saturday afternoon when we were supposed to get a thunderstorm and went to State Beach to watch the storm come across. We got there and people were scurrying off the beach and there was a huge dark cloud over the ocean. We waited for the light show only to watch the clouds disappear and not one drop of rain. We were so disappointed. Hopefully, we will get another chance.

Happy birthday to all who celebrated their day this past week. Big balloons go out to Harley Snowden who celebrated August 24; Anna Rodrigues, August 25; Cali Grow and Dani Grow, August 26; and to Rayssa Donato and Zackery Perry, who celebrate their day on August 28.

I am seeing so many parents taking their kids back to college. Aaron and Heidi Boyd took their daughter, Lauren, to Plymouth State College for her freshman year. Good luck Lauren and have a great year.

Aiden Araujo, who was the floral delivery man at Donaroma’s, and his brother Logan are up in Maine at Bridgton Academy.

It is hard for me to report a lot of things going on, which I know is not much, but I, like most people, have been home pretty much unless I am at work. The reporting of Illumination and the fair has been a prime subject as we were always catching up with friends we had not seen all summer.

This summer is so different. I look at social media to try and keep up and I was delighted to see lots of things posted this past week.

It seems many people in Oak Bluffs who missed Illumination did their own version in their yards with their kids. Lanterns hanging on trees in their yards, different colored lights around different objects – they were all great and creative and, most importantly, a family project.

After talking about the fair at the old fairgrounds, people have posted pictures of past fairs and events. Ken Goldberg has posted some great pictures of people I have not thought about in a while. Sandy Fisher posted many of the horse pull and of her dad, Fred, who ran the event for many years. The pictures brought back so many great memories, you could almost smell the cotton candy, and the tempura stand, and hear all the rides going around. Hopefully, we will be back at the fair making new memories next year.

This is the week many people would be heading back to their off-Island homes, but this year I am hearing people are staying a lot longer and some even till Christmas – some are not leaving at all. But for those that are leaving, I wish you safe travels and a healthy winter.

Have a great week and keep the home candles burning.