As Islanders pile on sweaters and scarves and fleece jackets, our falling foliage places other Vineyard dwellers in an even sharper light: a line of birds perched on the golden weathervane atop the Federated Church in Edgartown, a squirrel scampering over a Vineyard Haven lawn, clutching one more nut for burial. Our next season stands waiting in the wings while the late autumn sun races through bare limbs, casting the Island in stark, chilled light.