Roses in November

Autumn on the Vineyard this year has been an up-and-down tale of weather, as if the Island had been gripped by some environmental personality disorder, with cold rain for days at a stretch, then suddenly turning mild and sunny for many more days on end. The first killing frost arrived quite late last month, but we might not have noticed since the wind has been a near-constant companion, rattling the windows and at times the thoughts.

This is a time of transition, when Islanders, well accustomed to spending large amounts of time outdoors, turn their attention more inward. Hardy scallopers are still out on the ponds and walkers of every description dot the land bank properties, brushed with the last bits of spun gold and russet, but as the days turn brisk — and short — the lights are on in the house by midafternoon, where there are many things to be done. There are windows to wash — the better to see out through the long winter. Freezers full of blueberries and blackberries picked in the heat of summer are ready to be converted into half pints of jam for presents at the holidays and spreading on toast come the frosty, snowy mornings that inevitably lie ahead. Thanksgiving is six days away; beds are made and ready for the arrival of children now grown and grandchildren just born who are the symbol of everything that is new and right and wonderful with the world.

So what do we have to be thankful for?

Looking back on the year nearly now gone, the news has been up and down just like the weather. Summer was blistering, hotter than anyone had seen for many years, and it began with the July fire that destroyed the Coast Guard boathouse in Menemsha. And while the fire was devastating, no one died or was even injured in the blaze, and for that we can thank the swift and comprehensive response from Island firefighters, beginning with the volunteer team in Chilmark so ably led by fire chief David Norton.

Business-wise, summer was better than expected as the national economy remained firmly stuck in the doldrums, showing once again that the Vineyard has a way of weathering ruinous economic storms, perhaps partly through self-reliance.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the resurgence of small farming, on land and at sea, which is something to be thankful for and to be encouraged. Dollar for dollar, agriculture and aquaculture will never replace construction, but they will feed us and give us a way of life that is healthy and sustainable and respectful of the land and water. It’s right here within our grasp, the simple lifestyle that’s all the rage in a very complicated world, and the Island would do well to continue to pursue it with a vengeance.

And so as November slips away and oaks and maples shed their leaves creating a wholly new winter skyline, pink and yellow roses are having a last bloom along quiet side streets in down-Island towns.

It’s almost as if they are saying, “Thanks, it’s been a good year after all.”