On the Island, we measure and treasure the months of quietude, the resting period before the approach to the summer season begins, and it causes us to come up short to realize that February is more than halfway done and spring is little more than a month away.

So far the Vineyard winter has been manageable — hardly mild, but certainly less intimidating than some in recent memory. The pleasures of the season, in fact, have been unmarred by crippling storms. There's been some cold, but a New England winter would seem a cheat if it lacked all bite. Our sly satisfaction now is that the days are beginning to lengthen, and by more than a minute or two. Nights still are longer, but the annual triumph of light is beginning, and the perception alone can cause spirits to rise.