Mild and slightly fishy. This has been the story of October so far with balmy fall temperatures and derby days stretching on, the shorelines of the Island heavily populated with people wearing waders, tall boots and numbered pins on their caps. Fishing has been so-so, the anglers say, but they’re a cheerful bunch nonetheless, enjoying each other’s company and the meditative act of casting lines on the water. And why wouldn’t they? There’s nothing bad at all about standing in that mystical place where the land meets the sea, and gazing out on a wise horizon.

In salt marshes the groundsel bush is in flower, flashing its silky, silvery blooms as cool autumn breezes ripple off the water. Scallopers are out on the saltwater ponds, pulling up sweet bay scallops. That’s another kind of meditation, available for the price of a shellfish permit. Good for the soul — not to mention the dinner table.

Time, now, for frost on the pumpkin.