Margaret Knight>

508 627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com)

With all the wind and rain we’ve been having lately, Chappaquiddick is looking almost wintry, most of the leaves gone from the trees. Certain plants, though, seem to like this time of year: the moss in the woods is a brilliant green and the lawns are still looking happy.

November is Vegan Awareness Month (as well as Sleep Comfort Month and Peanut Butter Lovers’ Month — check the Web if you don’t believe it.) It’s also deer week on the Island, which, as of Wednesday, has been a quiet one on Chappy — I’ve heard hardly any shots. Maybe this year more hunters are home tracking down tofu recipes.

The newly renovated On Time III will probably be back at work by the time this reaches print. Peter Wells has been spending the last few weeks helping Roy Hayes at the shipyard in Vineyard Haven where the ferry was hauled out.

However, Peter still finds time to go out in his Shields. His is the last boat in the Edgartown harbor doing any sailing this late in the season.

On Thanksgiving Day Peter sailed out of the harbor, but the wind was a bit brisk out there so he came back and sailed down harbor toward Katama. Somewhere around the narrows there was a slight smell of something burning — he figured it was someone here for the holiday having a fire. He continued on down the bay, skirting the sand bars, and then headed back toward his mooring off Menaca Hill. Just as he came up to the spot with the burning smell, the air filled with the sound of fire engine sirens. He realized he’d smelled the beginning of someone’s house fire. Evidently, the fire was contained in the attic with not much damage done.

Last weekend another sailor, Roger Becker, was part of an impromptu race in Vineyard Haven, where he keeps his boat Gloria in the harbor. His brother and wife were here visiting from Fairfax, Va., and went out sailing with him.

This month’s events at the community center include a potluck on Wednesday, Dec. 5, beginning at 6 p.m. (The regular third Wednesday potluck is canceled this month.) On Sunday, Dec. 9 from 3 to 5 p.m. Everyone is invited to the annual Christmas Tea, a traditional high tea — not to be missed! Plans are under way for the yearly Christmas Eve party. We need volunteers to make hors d’oeuvres and salads and generally help out. Let Sally Snipes know if you’d like to be part of the carol singing.

Abigail Southard and Caleb Enos are in the cast of Miracles of Christmas, a show that includes carols and medieval plays about St. Nicholas. Liz Villard is director and Pat Rose is stage manager. The show will be at St. Andrew’s church in Edgartown on Dec. 7, 8, 9 and 14, and at the Whaling Church on Dec. 13.

Liz is keeping busy; she’s also the light designer for the Nutcracker ballet at the high school performing arts center this Saturday and Sunday. The principal dancers come from the Cape’s Atlantic Coast Ballet and the younger dancers from the Martha’s Vineyard School of Ballet.

Bob and Marvene O’Rourke’s daughter Sara was married to Derrick Prather on Nov. 10 in College Park, Md. Sara’s younger sister Brenna, who calls Chappy her permanent home, was the maid of honor. The chapel where the wedding took place was decorated with autumn leaves, and was a lovely setting for friends and family to witness the ceremony. The couple, who will reside in Baltimore, will be on the Island for Christmas, bringing Sara’s new stepdaughter.

While they were in Maryland, the O’Rourkes enjoyed three plays at the Shakespeare Theatre and soaked up the breathtaking color of the late fall leaves.

For the last few weeks, I’ve been taking a memoir organizing and writing class with Susan Klein, master storyteller. She grew up in Oak Bluffs, got her start telling stories to her students at the town grade school and now performs all over the country. The memoir class is a continuation of an eight-week series she gave last spring at the Tisbury Council on Aging. She hopes to offer more of these classes, and I highly recommend them.

Susan has a great sense of humor and knows lots of stories about Islanders. You can hear some of her stories at the Unitarian Church in Vineyard Haven on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. Her Christmas show includes folkloric, literary and autobiographical tales, and the evening concludes with traditional wassail refreshment.