What with all this chilly, wet weather, some locals have been heard to grumble. Oh, not just about the weather. Hey, that’s the topic du jour at any good mug up. The dang problem is that what with bundling up and all, you can’t tell who’s a tourist.

Usually, if the weather is at all warm — like, say, 60 degrees — we locals have been known to strip down to T-shirts and even, gasp, shorts. In shorts, it’s easy to tell a Homerite. Look for the shocking pale legs that haven’t seen a tan since permanent fund dividends were high and tickets to Hawaii were low.

Not lately, though. We’re back to good old-fashioned summer weather, cloudy with chance of rain, rainy with a chance of clouds, chancy with rain, period. It’s the kind of weather old-timers like to brag about. Not that we’re complaining, of course. After snowdrifts 50 feet deep and weeks of subzero cold, anything above freezing can’t be all that bad.

So unless this weather gets better — and it will — we’re just going to have to separate the tourists from the locals the old-fashioned way: ask them. If you see a stranger, strike up a conversation and get to know them. Either they’re one of those East Enders who only get into town every two months, or it’s someone on holiday from Bayonne, N. J.

You’ll see a lot of either these days, since the Homer hermits are down from the hills, and Holy Alcan, there do seem to be a lot of RVs in town. Make a new friend, and hey, if you’re lookin’ for something to do, try out some of these Best Bets:

BEST IT’S ALL DOWNHILL BET: It started as just another Spirit of ’76 summer event, but danged if after 30 years, the Homer News still puts on the Spit Run. It’s all part of our master plan to encourage our readers to get a cardio workout and stay in shape and, well, live long lives so you keep buying papers. What better way to appreciate the Spit than to run or walk it all the way from Homer High School? The run starts at 10 a.m. Saturday. Check-in begins at 8:30 a.m. Free registration ended Tuesday, but at $5 it’s still a deal, and there’s no fee for kids 12 and under.

BEST TRIM THAT JIB BET: If you see sails on the horizon this weekend, it’s not an invasion of pirates or the return of Capt. Cook. Nah, that would be the 10th Annual Land’s End Regatta, the Homer Yacht Club’s big summer sailing race. The regatta starts at 1:30 p.m. Saturday and continues at 1:30 p.m. Sunday. You can catch the action anywhere on the beach, but the big party Saturday is at Land’s End Resort with a barbecue on the deck after the Spit Run.

BEST OUT DAMN HAWKWEED OUT BET: They’re sneaky. They ride the wind and set down roots, scaring away native flora. If you see bright orange flowers or other nasty plants in your crop circles, hey, fight back. Join the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District’s Community Invasive Weed Pull at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. Meet at the Kachemak Bay Campus parking lot off Heath Street, and bring gloves and digging tools.

BEST P-E-R-S-P-I-C-A-C-I-T-Y BET: In case you missed the bulletin, word nerds are the new cool. Spelling bees? Way hip. If you read “Bee Season,” you’ll love “Akeelah and the Bee,” a movie about a girl who dares to go the distance. Catch the 6 p.m. showing Friday at the Homer Theatre, and help support Pop Warner Football.

BEST KEEP A LID ON IT BET: What with king salmon, razor clams and clamming and rhubarb, it’s already time to start canning. You want to make sure your pressure dial gauge is adjusted right, so swing by the Homer Farmers’ Market on Ocean Drive from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and get those canners checked. While you’re there, check out the fresh produce starting to come in.