The change was noticeable just after Labor Day, when Vineyard families had to take their children for the start of school, and the thinning out of the summer population was daily more evident.

The traffic has eased almost back to off-season proportions and parking spaces are no longer rarer than a heath hen. For more than two months, Islanders are like racers who try to run a marathon at the same speed as a hundred-yard dash. We do tend to run out of wind and stamina. But now a calm is settling, and there is time to catch a breath.

Spectacular weather is still ahead, along with events that signal fall — notably the annual Aquinnah Powwow, Tivoli Day, the Wind Festival, and, for a full month, the Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. There's no doubt, however, that the clock has slowed the spinning of its hands a bit, and that's perfectly fine with us.