Labor Day falls on Monday and it marks the last long holiday weekend of summer. This holiday forms a boundary between the fading of summer and the gathering of autumn, a moment that blends two seasons into one.

Now the year moves on, through this holiday turning point and on to a season that reminds us the great summer exodus of people homeward bound is underway. Even as new visitors come for this Labor Day weekend, the rhythm of Island life is governed by  an old Vineyard equation: departures outnumber arrivals at this time of year.

The signs of a changing season are everywhere. The crowds grow thinner and the choke of traffic becomes less aggravating. An occasional parking spot pops open here and there. Water temperatures stay warm enough to invite swimmers to a shoreline less crowded. The days ahead bring those high blue ocean skies and a bright glitter to the waters around us.