The wall calendar that hangs beside the kitchen telephone, or on the wall behind the home office desk, is a dutiful thing. First and foremost, it lays out the days of the month with the pleasant organization of a numbered grid, so that we might make plans, set goals and schedule the chaos of our lives to the best of our ability, however futile such endeavors may be. As days go by, calendars let us watch, one “X” at a time, the moments that make up our lives disappear into the ether, a reminder that though the days of the week and the months of the year are set on repeat, we continue our headlong plummet into the blinding uncertainty of the future. Time is fickle, mercurial; but as yesterday is already gone and tomorrow exists only west of Tonga, the calendar helps us to structure life’s volatile chronology into something we can read and agree upon.

But the wall calendar is more than memento mori and mausoleum for ambitions unmet: above each month, an image, usually appropriate to the season, colors the columns and rows below, lending theme and character to their otherwise dreadfully uniform matrices — excepting, of course, February, whose gently vacillating length excites school children and confounds the work-a-day once every four years. The calendar is enlivened by the images it contains, and often mate time with space, giving each month a sense of place, a stability of station that helps to break the 365.25 days of the year into something beautiful, informative or at least palatable.

The Vineyard is a place where, for many, time is a luxury, with three weeks’ salary being paid for weeklong visits. The memories created in these seven August days will span a lifetime, but often, it is too short. Returning back to New York apartments or landlocked university dorm rooms, Island visitors often will pin up a reminder of the magic of their stay, if not out of pure sentimentality then perhaps to count down the days remaining until their return to our shores as well. Likewise, seasonal residents of many years can take pleasure in the familiar vistas and locales, covered in snow or fall foliage, while on retreat in warmer, less “dynamic” climes. The charm of the Vineyard calendar is particular, and is likely one of only a few calendars with more copies sold in the middle of the year than at the end.

For those of us who live here the year round, 12 prerecorded glimpses of what is already happening outside our windows may not be the most convincing selling point for a Vineyard calendar. But two things common to year-round Islanders are a strong local pride and willingness to support the artisans and institutions that make life here not just livable, but worthy of celebration. And many of the calendars available do give a percentage to local entities in need of funding, and so, as the new year approaches at speed, the Vineyard calendar becomes a simple solution for both the last-minute gift buyer as well as anyone who needs an attractive look at the year ahead.

The following is a sampling of some of the many calendars available across the Island in bookstores and businesses, online and elsewhere.

The Island for All Seasons: Vineyard Haven resident Max Bossman’s photographs of Island life are familiar in content but uniquely elegant in their execution. His 19-month calendar costs $14.95 and is available at the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore and at his Web site, maxbossman.com.

Catboat Calendar: Hobby photographer Jim O’Connor and his wife, Kim, proprietors of West Tisbury catering business Chefworks, are catboat enthusiasts. Last year, Mr. O’Connor self-printed a small run of catboat calendars and did very well at the Catboat Association meeting in Groton, Conn., and has printed a new calendar for 2010. Cost is $24, not including shipping. For details or to place an order, call 508-693-6520 or e-mail joconnor@vineyard.net.

Alison Shaw: The notable chronicler of Martha’s Vineyard’s very best face has released her very first calendar, a 12-memento mori month 2010 affair available exclusively at the Alison Shaw Gallery in the Oak Bluffs Arts District on Dukes County avenue. Cost is $10; For details, call 508-693-4429.

Vineyard Seadogs: Lisa Vanderhoop, a photographer who with experience in nature documentary production for National Geographic, ABC, PBS and others, shoots dogs on, near or in Vineyard waters. The calendar concept began when Ms. Vanderhoop was out with her husband Buddy, charter fishing captain, and their Weimaraner puppy, Amos. Since then she has captured thousands of cavorting canines, and the calendars have only grown in popularity. Cost is $16, and calendars are available at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Good Dog Goods, Rainy Day, Alley’s store, Cronig’s Market, Edgartown Books, Craftworks, Larry’s Bait and Tackle, Bowl and Board and SBS. A portion of proceeds go to the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard. For details, visit vineyardseadogs.com or call 508-645-3201.

The Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary Calendar: Penny Uhlendorf compiles this calendar from images of creatures taken by Island photographers both local and abroad. The calendar is available at Alley’s store, Cronig’s Market and at the Felix Neck gift shop, with all proceeds benefiting the sanctuary. For details, call 508-627-4850.

MVZOO: A playful collection of original artwork by artist Kevin McGrath depicts Island life through anthropomorphism. Just as people can occasionally behave like animals, Mr. McGrath’s animals behave like people. Another bargain at 16 months, MVZOO costs $14.99. For details or to order, visit mvzoo.com.

Edible Vineyard: The new Island magazine dedicated to living and eating locally has released a 2010 calendar featuring the work of staff photographer Elizabeth Cecil. Appropriately gastro-centric, the calendar is an excellent guide to the rhythms of Island agriculture and the preparation of its bounties. Cost is $11.95, and it’s available at Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Rainy Day, Alley’s store, Cronig’s and Tony’s markets, Edgartown Books, LeRoux at Home, Educomp, Bowl and Board and SBS. For details, call 508-693-2425 or visit ediblevineyard.com.

The Vineyard Calendar: Photographer Peter Simon’s iconic images of Island life are paired with quotes from everyone from Godfather of Grunge Neil Young to President Obama. Each month also marks the anniversary of notable events from Vineyard history. Cost for Mr. Simon’s 23rd calendar is $18.50, and you can find it at Bunch of Grapes, Edgartown Books, the Simon Gallery in Vineyard Haven and at petersimon.com.

Savor the Moment: Della Hardman was a beloved Island personality, artist, educator and Gazette columnist for many years. Her contributions to Island life are being celebrated in a 2010 calendar, published by the Oak Bluffs library and filled with photographs by Islanders selected in a contest held this past summer. A portion of proceeds from sales benefits Featherstone Center for the Arts in Oak Bluffs, and the calendar is available there, at the library, and at businesses across the Island. Cost is $20. For details, call 508-693-9433.

Vineyard Pinups Fish ’n Chicks: In the style of the kind of thing you might find in a 1943 Army motor pool, this calendar features photos of Island women, with an emphasis on legs. A portion of sales from this 16-month calendar goes to the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group. Cost is $20, and it’s available at the Oak Bluffs General Store, Knickers, The Green Room, both Larry’s and Coop’s Bait and Tackle shops, Alley’s, Bluefish and at vineyardpinups.com. For details, call 508-560-1413.

Remember, whether your calendar features sows in the snow, berries in a basket, or babes in bikinis, time marches on. No one ever stated this better than the Persian polymath and calendar reformist Omar Khayyám did in the Rubaiyat:

“Alike for those who for TODAY prepare,

And those that after a TOMORROW stare,

A Muezzin from the Tower of Darkness cries

‘Fools! Your Reward is neither Here nor There.’”