I am writing this week from Jackson, N.H., a small town tucked in the heart of the White Mountains. A snow-capped Mount Washington looms outside the window and the big sky is threatening snow. Having lived on Martha’s Vineyard for many years now, I am not sure I could ever live very far from the sea, but the mountains still have a strong, beckoning pull on my being. It is a comfort to know that they are only a few hours drive from the ferry.

The winter woods here could not be more different than those on Chappy. They reflect an ancient majesty. There is the deep shadow of evergreens, the steep, rocky terrain, the trickle of mountain springs. When snow layers the ground, a silence prevails broken only by the occasional bird call or distant dog bark. On the Vineyard, the winter colors are a mix of muted browns, blues and grays. Dead oak leaves still cling to their branches and the ocean reflects the color of the daily sky. Here, everything is stark contrasts of white and green. Birch trees stand out among their evergreen neighbors and all is bright reflection off the mountain peaks and snow.

We will celebrate New Year’s Eve on Tuesday night, heralding a new decade. I have found myself reflecting on all the changes our little island has seen in the past 10 years and wondering what changes will come with these next 10. In the last decade on Chappy, a bike path proposal was put to rest, a small farm arrived, a new ferry parking lot built. We have seen dolphins

visit the Dike Bridge and witnessed the remains of an endangered North Atlantic Right whale at East Beach. A new cable service sparked public debate as did a cell tower. We have seen tides become higher, and witnessed dramatic hurricanes as well as winter wonderlands. We have watched Wasque, in all its wild glory, shift dramatically, trees toppling into ocean, leaving behind jagged, untamed coastline. A large house was moved from the encroaching sea. New trails have been built, rusty cars removed. The first squirrel made its appearance. And we have said goodbye to residents who, for many years, helped shape the fabric of Chappaquiddick: Edo and Bob Potter, Gerry Jeffers.

Who knows what lies ahead? Only time will tell.

If you find yourself pining for more social time between Chappy potlucks (the first and third Wednesday of the month), the Edgartown Federated Church hosts community meals every Sunday from now through the end of March from 12:30 to 2 p.m. It is a great opportunity to meet some new Big Island neighbors and share a hot meal. A few other Edgartown happenings may interest Chappy residents during these quiet months of winter. The Carnegie, just a quick walk up from the Chappy ferry, hosts a weekly fiber arts stitching circle every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. And the Farm Institute in Katama is offering an All About Coffee workshop next Saturday, Jan. 11 from 9:30 to 11 a.m.. Join Todd Christy of Chilmark Coffee to explore all things coffee: french press, nitro, pour over, light versus dark roast, altitudes, origins. Each participant will receive a bag of Chilmark Coffee.