Carol Carrick, the well-known children’s author whose books have had a cherished place on family bookshelves and in children’s rooms in public libr

Connected. Privileged. Honored. Thankful. Full.

Those were a few of the words the Chilmark School fourth and fifth grade class used in their class blessing at the school’s community lunch Friday afternoon. The lunch was the last of the school year in a series of gatherings organized by Island Grown Schools and volunteers.

Brian Weiland is with the band.

Exactly which band is highly variable.

Determining the band or for that matter the instrument Mr. Weiland plays is a little like a game of musical Mad Libs. Drums with The Daytrippers, a Beatles cover band. Mandolin with The Flying Elbows strings group. Guitar with Apocalypso, a self-described CalypsoRock band. Hammered dulcimer with the Misfits of Avalon, a traveling Irish-Celtic ensemble.

The Vineyard community will always have a strong love affair with its four lighthouses. Nearly all of the local ones are still standing, though some have been moved. All but one of the lighthouse keeper houses, though, are no longer with us. Automation ended the era of climbing the stairs to the top of the tower each afternoon to light the beacon.

Fresh produce, flowers, lemonade, egg rolls, coffee and Kevin Keady on guitar with some haybales to sit back and enjoy the show with — it can only mean one thing. The West Tisbury Farmers’ Market is back in business. The only thing left to say summer is here is a dip in the ocean. Come on already, ride the waves.

Despite the meek promise of a cold spring, summer is really coming. While I have barely gotten around to swapping out my winter closet with summer clothes, my mind has been on other signs of the changing seasons lately. Like delicious spring greens, fresh herbs, asparagus pushing up through the spring earth, sweet peas on their way and strawberries calling my name. I’m an Island girl after all, and a farm girl too, so nothing sends spring into summer more than fresh vegetables and fruits at my fingertips.