Betsy Wice asked about this year’s butterfly count. The Vineyard’s butterfly count took place almost a month ago, on July 17. Six people participated including yours truly. It was hot, in the mid-80s, which is good for butterflies, but the wind was too strong. Butterflies don’t like to be blown away, so stay grounded in high winds.

When the groundhog awakens from his long winter nap tomorrow at
dawn, he will rise from his hole in the ground and think he overslept.
If he lived on the Vineyard, he'd think it was already spring.

Forsythia are in bloom, and in the past week there have been
sightings of honeybees and, in West Tisbury, a butterfly. Snow drops are
in bloom in various places from Edgartown to West Tisbury.