Over the weekend, while the bright sun and cool breeze hinted that this strange summer was drawing to a close, Dan Miller dished out seafood platters at his East Boothbay eatery, Lobsterman’s Wharf.

In between pointing out the napkins and ketchup to visitors from away, Miller reported that an inspection of his building, which once housed the East Boothbay Post Office, revealed the presence of mold and some structural damage.

“It is nothing we can’t repair and plan to do so. We planned to paint the building every five years, and that was scheduled for October and still is,” he said.

Does this mean the post office customers will return to the location they patronized for years? No one knows.

Meanwhile, customers who get their mail at EBB post office boxes must drive into Boothbay Harbor to get their bills, ads, and letters seeking donations. Customers who have their mail delivered by carriers did not see any change.

The locals and summer folk wonder what the post office will do. Some fear it will close, although postal officials say they have not decided on the future.

Miller says it has been a strange summer for his family’s eatery.

As much of the country sweltered in 100F heat, our peninsula experienced rain, rain, drizzle, and an occasional storm. For a region depending on tourists from away to patronize restaurants, like Lobsterman’s, it has been a thin slog.

“It has been good when the sun is out, but it is tough to make up for June and July,” said Miller.

For years, Labor Day was the end of the summer season. Not anymore.

With luck, the weather will continue to allow tourists to visit our attractions through (and after) Columbus Day, Oct. 9.

Like Miller’s scheduled October paint job, Maine DOT plans to begin its long-awaited overhaul of the Southport swing bridge over the Townsend Gut in late September with construction slated to start on Oct. 2.

For much of the next two years, the 84-year-old bridge will remain open, although much of the time it will allow a single lane only.

Jason Stetson, the civil engineer project manager, pledged the bridge will always be open for emergency vehicles.

He said bridge workers will monitor emergency radio traffic to make sure police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances will be able to get to and from the mainland.

The bridge will be closed to marine traffic on Oct. 2 and reopen on May 17, 2024. Marine traffic will be blocked for a second time on Sept. 30, 2024 until May 17, 2025.

Stetson said workers will take special care not to evict the ospreys who have nested on the upper truss of the center section for the last several years. After the birds migrate to the southland to their winter quarters, the nest will be removed and reflective tape will be installed on the upper truss to discourage them from rebuilding in the spring.

For summer residents, the end of the season is usually marked when Boothbay Region Water District shuts off seasonal water service to their cottages. This year it is Oct. 19.

But the shutoff will not be the end of the season for the water district.

Contractors have begun digging trenches as part of a $4 million project to run a water line along Route 96 from the stoplight across the street from Hannaford Supermarket, up the hill, down the hill, and back up to Bradley Road and Back Narrows.

Jon Ziegra, the district’s general manager, said the project has been in the works for several years. It is needed to provide water for fire protection.

A federal grant provides about half of the cost of the project. The other half was built into the customers’ water bills.

Still in the wings is the $89 million proposal to upgrade the local schools.

The proposal plans to remove and replace the high school building, renovate the elementary school building, and construct a maintenance facility.

School officials and staff will ask the voters to approve or reject the measure at the Nov. 7 general election.

Finally, here is a late summer question.

Did you crack your bedroom window open when you turned out the lights on Friday night?

I did, and at dawn, I found a light wool blanket wrapped around my aging bod.

We finally experienced what used to be a conventional Maine coastal weather feature.

The days are warm. When you go out in the evening, the sea breeze slinks in from the ocean, the temperature drops, and you throw a sweater over your shoulders. Perfect, just perfect.