The Vineyard is lucky to be an Island full of commercial farms that produce the best of the bounty, supplying Islanders with fresh lettuce, potatoes, tomatoes and blueberries. But the backyard farmer is another part of the mix. While many people trek to farmers’ markets and grocery stores for their produce, other Islanders have only to walk a few yards from their doors.

It was so hot this week that even the waves at Joseph Sylvia State Beach looked limp. A heavy haze rested on the horizon, matched only by the wall of heat and humidity that hit anyone who ventured outdoors, leaving some short of breath. The heat put a strain on the power supply, and on Monday and Tuesday there were widepsread brownouts and blackouts.

Amy Brenneman is a mother, an actress, a writer and a storyteller. On a recent morning visit to the Yard, Ms. Brenneman could be found balancing all of her roles. Between making sure her daughter made it to the Chilmark Community Center, doing a read-through of her new play, and wandering the grounds trying to find cell phone service, Ms. Brenneman managed to find middle ground.

Simon Bollin has given buying locally a whole new meaning. For him, it’s not about where the food comes from or how it’s grown, but what it used to be harvested with.

Antique sellers, artists, glassblowers and jewelers basked in the morning light of the first Chilmark Flea Market last Wednesday, waiting on their folding chairs and backs of trucks for customers and fellow vendors to approach their tables of goodies.

If nothing else, this July Fourth was a celebration the founding fathers would have approved of — a celebration of life, liberty, and above all, the pursuit of happiness. Parade-goers wore ribbons in their hair, held flags in their hands and were all smiles with ice cream dripping down their chins as they eagerly awaited the first floats of the annual Edgartown parade.