Fall Back

This past weekend on the Weather Channel, with the outdoor snowstorms overtaking much of the Northeast, Jim Cantore, the channel’s most hyperbolic newscaster, stood in the snow outside Harrisburg, Pa. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, thundersnow, as he called it. Mr. Cantore was so taken with this phenomenon, evidently extremely rare, he needed to compose himself.

“I need a moment,” he said live on camera and turned away as seconds of silence ticked by.

Here on the Vineyard, the weather was not so extreme. There was heavy wind and rain, but no snow and only a short loss of power in isolated areas. Once again the Island was spared. But perhaps this is reason enough for us to take a moment to acknowledge the weather. Why wait until the most common responses are complaints about the cold and snow?

This past week did not fall along the lines of predictability. Days of heavy rain and wind gave way to skies so gray they appeared like tombstones. The following day brought glorious blue skies, the air so crisp and clear it was as if the color had taste.

Each day was a clean slate and every shoe, boot and bit of clothing was called into service. Summer with its diversity of activities and seasonal residents has definitely given way to nature’s unpredictable side, dipping into the characteristics of several seasons before settling in for the long Vineyard winter.

This weekend will see the end of Daylight Saving Time and that extra hour of sunlight at the end of the day. Like a thick blanket, dusk will begin to settle before the workday ends and soon enough just past the afternoon school bell. Another sure sign that we are moving toward winter and that soon the weather will find a more stolid identity.

There is an old Daylight Saving mnemonic to remember which way the clock turns; fall back, spring ahead. Handy, but on closer inspection helpful advice too. If spring is an outline for readying oneself, Tigger-like, for the coming season of plenty, fall is Pooh Bear inviting us to take a moment and spend time by the fire.

After all, at least for one day, there is an extra hour at your disposal.