Fall has knocked on the door and we’ve let her in. With her, she’s brought rain, wind, bursts of sunshine and Bonito blitzes at the jetty. Fall sets the table with warm chowder, hot tea and the intense desire for hot chocolate with a whipped cream dollop.

Ida and Luma Mayhew, frequent Squid Row visitors with their folks Molly and Matt, have made the transition from Italian Ice treats to warm chocolaty beverages before hop, skip and jumping off to the beach for afternoon shell-hunting sessions.

Booker Wiesner has taken to fishing and, despite the rain and wind, took some casts along Dutcher Dock with his dad Elisha.

Andrew Noyes, fly rod in hand, traveled from Colorado to wet a line. Although Mother Nature hasn’t been completely cooperative, he managed to find a shoreline spot where he could nestle in the lea with his mom Ann Noyes to keep him company. He also convinced his sister Hillary to don her foul weather gear, board a center console and head out the jetty and around the head. She is a braver soul than I’d have been, reappearing at the dock somewhat wide-eyed. Oh, the things we will do for family.

Linae and Bob Schroeder have returned for a little derby action with their Seacraft and their pup Magic. Linae tends to be a bit more of a land lover, but Bob, if given the opportunity, plants himself on his boat from sun up to sun down. There are far worse addictions than fishing.

The jetty has been the place to be, lined with familiar faces that converge under the Green 3 day marker each derby. Sarge, Brian, Brad and more have become regular derby fixtures over the years joined by plenty of locals including Adam Knight, Annette Cingle, Owen Singer, Walter Greene, Joey Huang and more. Some days, when the fish are really biting, I can hear the laughter and excitement billowing through the air. It’s nearly as fun being on the periphery as it is in the thick of it.

Julie Flanders ventured to Saugerties, N.Y. to cheer on daughter Bella Thorpe as she performed in her last year as a junior/young rider at the Region 8 Dressage Championships. To say Bella and her amazing mare Bella did well is an understatement. Bella was humbled as she was declared champion of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports young rider team test and the intermediate 1 junior/young rider classes. Way to go, Bella.

Happy 50th anniversary to Ruby and Paul Iantosca who celebrated on Sept. 15. The happy couple recognized the occasion with a fantastic meal at the Outermost Inn joined by their children Christian, Justin and Alisa and their families.

Cake, ice cream, homemade chicken chowder and warm pressed sandwiches on Squid Row were all Cory Medeiros needed to celebrate his 25th. A few casts were taken amidst gusty winds and a very high tide. Excerpts from the comedy Super Troopers were watched and a lot of laughs were had.

With the discontinuation of IGI’s organic waste composting pilot, the Chilmark Board of Health recognized the need for action. Utilizing the MA Recycling Dividends Program’s grant funding, the board has subsidized two types of systems to help Chilmark residents divert food waste from general trash. The units currently subsidized for Chilmark residents are the Food Cycler Eco 3 and Eco 5 and the Orbis Earth Machine compost bin. A Food Cycler is currently and successfully in use at town hall. The full scoop on the program can be found at: chilmarkma.gov/board-health

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