MARGARET KNIGHT

508-627-8894

(margaret02539@yahoo.com

The weather is one topic we all seem to agree is worthy of discussion, especially these days when it feels as if we’re closer to August than Christmas. Generally people follow an observation about the incredibly mild day with some version of the statement, “We’re going to pay for this later.”

There’s a general consensus that things aren’t quite right, that this won’t last (which makes sense in December), and that tomorrow will probably bring a snowstorm that will bury us until March. I have to admit I subscribe to this fatalistic thinking, at the same time as I’m soaking up every minute of sun outside with no jacket and pretending I live in a different climate than I do.

Growing up, I remember believing that climate was something that didn’t change even over centuries. Now, not only is climate visibly changing, but I notice miniclimates all over the island. One day recently at my house all the surfaces were wet with beads of dew, but just a quarter mile down along my road at a lower elevation, it looked more as if there had been a frost. I’ve noticed that the first frost at my house often comes weeks later than some other places on Chappy. I think we expect our lives to be like climate — slow moving, changing little over time — but in so many ways they act more like weather: unpredictable, changing from moment to moment, with nothing to rely on in terms of permanence.

Island weather is consistently variable. When I left my house on Monday, the air was mild and the sun shining. On the way to the ferry, I passed patches of thick mist obscuring Brine’s Pond, hovering over a marsh or caught in the branches of some trees off in the woods. At the ferry a huge, low cloud full of moisture turned the weather cool and damp for five minutes while it passed overhead. On my way to the big ferry, I saw parking lots with thick mist gathered only over the pavement.

The Vineyard Haven harbor was as still as a summer morning, with reflected sunlight shimmering on the sides of the boats as the ferry slipped through the quiet water on its way to Woods Hole. I’m always glad to see Naushon come into view, grateful that even though I can’t go there I can enjoy its unbuilt upon shorelines. That day Naushon looked as if winter had come, compared to my yard, where the grass is as green as it ever gets. On Naushon the tall grasses showed tan against the purple-brown of the bare bushes and low trees. Off-Island was unremarkable that day, with too many shopping malls full of giant stores where I wandered about trying to orient myself for most of the short time I’d allowed for shopping. I think I’m too old for shopping off the Island.

Happily this weekend, Edgartown offers itself up for low-key consumerism or simple enjoyment of the convivial spirit during its annual celebration of Christmas in Edgartown. Our town looks cheery with lights and greens, thanks to the highway department and all the others who took the time to decorate. From Friday through Sunday there are fairs, craft sales, a parade at 11 on Saturday, concerts, tours, open houses, horse and carriage rides and many more events — even a Flip-flop Festival. (Yes, it’s all a bit commercial, but wouldn’t we rather shop in a pleasant place like Edgartown, where our spending helps support the Island, than at one of those off-Island malls?) From 5 to 6 p.m. on Friday, the West Tisbury Church Hand Bell Choir that I ring with will be playing carols on the porch of the Harbor View Hotel for the lighting of the Edgartown Lighthouse.

The movie at the Edgartown Library on Tuesday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. is The Prince and the Showgirl, with Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe.

The Community Center celebrated the Chappy ferry captains and crew with a potluck this past week. There is no potluck scheduled for next Wednesday, but put the Christmas Eve dinner on your calendar for Dec. 24.

The Chappy cell committee met again at the town hall last Friday. Tim Carroll and Chuck Hodgkinson came from Chilmark to talk about the process they’ve been through to acquire a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) for their town and Aquinnah. It was a long and rocky road, but hopefully they will have the system in use by March. The financial climate has changed enough since Chilmark started the process five years ago that Edgartown may have a harder time finding someone to build and pay for a DAS on Chappy. We hope to have a Request for Proposals (RFP) shortly, and then we’ll see how things stand in the world of cell companies.

We have one confession regarding the CCC’s crosswalk sign reappearance. Jed Dowlin e-mailed me, saying he “stole the sign, took it to Ohio for five months, cared for it, then returned it to the roadside to be discovered by your friend, Marvene. Mystery solved. That or Bob Enos had a hand in this!! (don’t count DONNA out).” It was signed by Jed and Fionna, his ever-faithful dog. I think it’s more likely that Fionna took the sign than Jed. Maybe someone else will come forward . . . .