This morning at breakfast, my grandson William said, “I wish Christmas came once a month.” Well, William and all of you, dear readers, Christmas will not come once a month, but on Southport it will be coming this weekend at the Southport Memorial Library.

On Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can shop for many original presents: handmade crafts, quilts, origami, jewelry, Linda Brewer’s "special" handmade ornaments, Jack Allen's granite cutting boards, wine bottle holders and unique wooden pieces, and many handcrafted knitted and crocheted items.

A number of Southporters are looking forward to Dave Berry and his Vegetable Boat arriving at various venues around the island. Assuming the boat is in “ship shape,” Dave plans on beginning his summer schedule July 17.

His first stop on this side of the Sheepscot River is Cozy Harbor at the Pratts Island dock about 11 a.m. By noon he will be at the Town Landing in Newagen. Next he crosses the Harbor to Squirrel Island at 1 p.m. and then to Capital Island dock at 2 p.m.

Those who remember Dave’s visits from years past know his vegetables are fresh, as are flowers, chickens, oysters, goat cheeses, pesto and a variety of baked goods. You can easily spend a goodly portion of your food budget, enjoying the largess of summer and local food efforts along with the novelty of shopping at the dock.

As I type on Monday, July 8, your tax dollars are working to shovel rocks and dirt into an ever widening gully at the south end of our property off Route 238. With the frequent rains the bank along that portion of the road has increasingly given way.

From a quick conversation with the workers I learned that they diagnosed the problem, which is not new, as soft shoulders. They have no plans to construct a culvert to carry the run off. I was relieved to see them because two right tires off the road in that section could easily have sent a car tumbling into our woods.

I understand that the wine tasting at the Southport Yacht Club Friday evening, July 5, was a great success. And to beat the heat many patrons have enjoyed the outdoor seating at Oliver’s.

For us and for many families I am sure the several days without rain over the holiday weekend allowed outdoor eating at home as well for which the Sherrills were especially glad.

We had about 25 family members around and about our yard on the Fourth eating hamburgers and hot dogs and then almost as many returning for a lobster bake on July 5. At the Island Store the most popular items were cold sandwiches, potato chips, bottled water and beer.

With our few days of exceptionally hot weather, many people came to Hendricks Head Beach to cool off in or near the water, reminding us how vital the beach is to many of our summer days.

With the property that includes the beach for sale and therefore the good possibility of the beach being closed to the public, I hear that some people are circulating a petition to ask the town of Southport to take whatever action is possible to keep the beach accessible to the public.

Now that the mid-summer holiday is past, we can look forward to continuing fun on land and sea. Those few of you who get this paper early on Wednesday evening may read this information in time to run to the Southport School at 5:30 p.m. for the free Southport Island Association (SIA) cookout, followed at 6:30 p.m. by kickball, a half-hour earlier than usual.

Last week’s game, according to our grandsons, was well attended and a great success. Not only do the children look forward to this activity, but I assume I speak for many parents and grandparents grateful for an opportunity for their offspring to put down their i Pads and run off some energy before bedtime.

Do remember the next SIA event on July 15 from 7 until 8:30 p.m. at the Southport Town Hall. Dr. Dykstra Eusden, professor of Geology at Bates College, will talk about the geologic processes that created the Southport landscape we see today.

And then remember the Southport Methodist Church Fair on Wednesday, July 17, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. You will find lobster rolls to eat beginning at 11:30 a.m. at the Southport Town Hall and treasures to buy both at the church across the street and the Town Hall.

You have one more Monday, July 15, from 9 a.m. until noon to bring items to the church for sorting and resale. No clothing please, but you can now put clothing in the blue box at the Dump for the Free Clothing Closet, which will open July 20, behind the Boothbay Harbor Methodist Church.

If you have some free time to volunteer for the Clothing Closet, you will receive a training session, and then work in teams of two or three to sort the donated clothing collected in the Blue Box, hang the selected items in the Closet, and open the Closet the following day at 10 a.m. and close it at 4 p.m. Teams work either on Tuesday/Wednesday or Friday/Saturday.

Each team will be scheduled to serve once every two or three weeks. If your heart is calling you to help our neighbors and you think this might be just the service opportunity you have been seeking, please contact Kit Sherrill at 207-633-0672 to sign up or ask for more information.

The Newagen Inn continues to provide summertime entertainment. From 7 p.m. on Sunday, July 14,Gabe Tonon will be playing at the Pub, followed by Dave Gagne on July 18. Wednesday, July 17, from 7 until 9 p.m. storyteller Deborah Freedman will be telling fairy tales. This ancient form captures our need to believe help always comes, and we are good enough just the way we are.

She has been creating fairy tales for others and performing them at special occasions since the mid- nineties. Freedman is described as weaving these tales with the natural world so that it becomes our partner in the dance of life. She is also the founder of MOOSE (Maine Organization of Storytelling Enthusiasts).

A little further in the future, July 26, from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., consider attending the House and Garden Tour sponsored by the Boothbay Harbor Garden Club. Three Southport houses will be featured, the Coulombe house on Pratt's Island and the Leonard and the Woods houses on Dogfish Head. Transportation to Pratt's Island will be provided by bus from the Southport School. Tickets are available at the Chamber of Commerce for $20 before the day of the tour and $25 on the day of the tour.