At the Point by Janis Hewitt - The East Hampton Star

    When I woke up to the sound of rain hitting the drainpipe outside my window yesterday, I snuggled further into my blankets and went back to sleep. For the first time in the 25 years that I've lived in my house out near the Montauk Lighthouse, a trace of rain is seeping up through the wood floor in our living room. The weatherman said yesterday that it has rained 14 out of the last 18 days. Oh, rain, rain, go away!

    Montauk is very dependent on the weather. It predicts if we'll be crowded on summer weekends and whether several outdoor events will be able to move forward. I'm supposed to have a yard sale on Saturday, and as there's an 80-percent chance of rain we've already decided to cancel and put it off until next week. I hope the weather will cooperate -- I need to de-clutter and clean out my house!

    At least the sun shined last weekend, which was a big one out here in Montauk. There was the annual Harbor Festival and an old-timer's dinner at the Montauk Yacht Club on Friday night. As the sun set in the west and produced a pink and purple sky, boats rocked gently in their slips at the nearby marina. Ten salty fishermen and women were honored and each spoke of days of yore. They spoke wistfully of the blue marlins and giant swordfish that they've caught, the likes of which are rarely seen on the docks at Montauk anymore.

    People flooded the dock area for the festival. It was mostly a street fair with vendors and jazz music at Gosman's. The weather was warm and cloudy, and the fair gave visitors something to do. As soon as it was over, though, the rain began again. Weather forecasters are predicting a strong chance of rain through the weekend and into next week. Enough is enough!

    I miss the early days of summer, when everything is just turning bright green and a good part of the day is spent outdoors. I miss the beach days that my friend and I sneak in before the crowds come. I miss the newly blossomed flowers that usually smile pointedly up at the sun. The garden roses are turning brown quickly and are slumped over from the weight of the rain. The pansies in clay pots on my deck are shot, their smiling faces no longer happy.

    The highlight of last weekend was the annual blessing of the fleet, in which all the boats parade past various religious leaders to be blessed at the beginning of each season. Wreaths are thrown overboard for those in the community who passed away in the past year. Just as the blessing was about to begin last year, a ferocious storm blew in with thunder, lightning, and pouring rain. Most of the boats stayed tied to the docks. No word on whether the unblessed boats had a good season or not.

    Once the wreaths were thrown, all the boats blew their horns in tribute, and it was a solemn, touching moment for Montauk. But then the boats on the outskirts of the gathering started the traditional water-balloon fight, which, I expect, will soon be just a memory. It's a controversial issue right now because environmentalists are saying the rubber from the balloons could hurt sea life. How could it not?

    Quite a few boats, including the one I rode on, chose not to participate in the water-balloon fight this year. It seemed the honorable thing to do. Hoses were still used to spray other boats, and that was good, harmless fun. People, mostly kids, are going to get upset if the water balloons are banned from the event, but that's too bad. Our ecosystem is very sensitive right now, and anything we can do to help it should be done. And besides, I've raised three children -- they'll get over it.