The Vineyard is at her best in October and this weekend brings the return of Island friends and seasonal residents. For the first time since Labor Day the pace of Island life slows enough to leave time to explore those qualities that set the Vineyard apart from most other communities — a windswept beach, the russet colors of meadows and salt marshes, the quiet walking trails in autumn woodlands and the ancient stonewalls that still mark the old boundaries of another Island and a different age.

Indigenous Peoples weekend is festive, as befits a moment in the year when we first feel the sharp tang of autumn and realize that we can no longer take for granted this season's balmy weather. Each day is a more sharply appreciated gift.

It's always good advice to seize the day. Here, in the sweet center of October, is a moment to be outdoors drinking in the Island's beauty, a moment to pause and breathe deeply here on the far shore of Vineyard summer.