There’s a lot that can be said about November. Sometimes November is full of that autumnal glow that lies low in the sky and casts long shadows and wraps everything in its path with what looks like warmth. Sometimes November rides in like a storm swell on a barreling hurricane leaving nothing but wreckage in it’s wake.

November didn’t come in quite like the lamb or the lion, but in our seaside community it made its entrance more closely resembling the lion. November 2 had whitecaps breaking on Menemsha Beach, 40 mile per hour winds and blowing sand harsh enough to eat the paint off your car. The folks from Station Menemsha headed out the channel to do some heavy weather training.

The crew stopped by the Texaco for a few snacks and a quick chat before donning their drysuits and helmets which is a must for the excitement of heavy weather training. I watched them head out the channel — snapped a couple photos, too — and thought to myself I’d likely vomit before even making it to the bell buoy. They headed northeast rocking and rolling. I watched till I lost sight and a while later they reappeared and rode a wave right back in through the jetties. I kind of wish I had a stronger stomach because, to use teen lingo, that looked totally sick (the equivalent of 80s awesome and 50s fab).

A big shout of thanks to the members of the Chilmark Volunteer Firefighter’s Association for hosting drive-through Halloween trick-or-treating. Kids in costume made the loop in the backseats of their family cars and were greeted by decked out firefighters who extended treat bags with long tongs. The first to kick off the candy consumption was four-year-old Gwendolyn Oskan who plays the part of Doc McStuffins as if it was real and not just a costume. The lover of stuffed animals has a magical and nurturing personality just like the costume she wore.

Another big shout of thanks goes out to Marie and Danny Larsen, Jennifer LoRusso and Joel Glickman, Claire Ganz, Margaret Maida, Linda Coutinho, Sarah and Bob Nixon, Janet Weidner, Tom Ruimerman, Liz and Kevin Oliver, Stanley Startzell and Debbie Zetterberg, Colin Ruel and Nettie Kent, Barbara and John Armstrong, Rebekah and Joshua Thomson, Annette Cingle and Scott McDowell, Dardy and Sean Slavin, Hillary and John Keene, Marshall, Bradley and Brooks Carroll and the crew at Station Menemsha for joining together in theory to facilitate contactless trick-or-treating opportunities for our young fairies and goblins. A huge thank you to all of the families who adhered to all of the guidelines and strolled Menemsha with their kids in such an organized, family-friendly, distant and respectful fashion.

Some fabulous costumes strolled under a full moon, but a few stood out. The Dardy, Sean, Quinlan and Corrick Slavin as Jack, the Beanstalk, the goose that laid the golden egg and the giant, earn a thumbs up. The most enthusiastic was Jack Lenkner in his dinosaur costume. He and his very skeptical sister, Greta, dressed as a duck, were escorted by their parents Travis and Erin. A couple of other noteworthy costumes were worn by Annalee and Hudson Wike. I could see their smiles peeking up across the top of their masks as they gathered candy under the watchful eyes of parents Beth and Chris.

The Nixons at the Menemsha Inn certainly earned overachiever status at their drive through spot with cobwebs, creepy birds, and The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown projecting for passersby to enjoy. Colin and Nettie had music and a creepy eyeball projected onto the side of the gallery. If you’re on Instagram check out their account and catch a snippet of the eye. If there was a quintessential scene award it would go the the Keenes. A six-foot wood and sawhorse table adorned with twinkling lights, pumpkins, hay and a witch (Hillary) rocking in a chair on the porch really set the tone for fall in New England.

Pam Goff shares that chilly New England weather is driving the outdoor worship back to Zoom until the sanctuary is ready for safe use. You can find the link to join Sunday worship on the home page of the Chilmark Community Church website.

There’s a lot of great virtual stuff going on at the library. Check out their website or email Tracy at tthorpe@clamsnet.org for the scoop.