The rush of summer is over, the crispness of fall is in the air and the tsunami of summer visitors have returned the island of MARTHA'S VINEYARD to it's permanent residents... I'm certain they're happy to get their island back although they miss the commerce! And...Michael and I return (as we do each fall) to a place where our family and dear friends have had years of memorable times. We traveled there each summer with Michelle, our daughter, until she was on her own. Now, she's introduced HER family to our tradition. Perhaps it will become one of theirs as well!
It's hard to pinpoint exactly WHAT we love about Martha's Vineyard...what beckons us to return year after year. I think that now, it's the quiet pleasures: walking on the empty beaches; seeing the well-used, weather-tested fishing boats tethered to the wharves as well as the few boats still in the water, docked and rocking gently with the rhythm of the waves; strolling along the near-empty streets and meandering into the few equally empty shops; not needing reservations at our favorite restaurants and revisiting our own special landmarks...places we've grown to love through the many years of our visits...the sculpture garden, Menemsha, the Victorian "Gingerbread" houses...we love the feeling of breathing the salty air and the ambiance of Martha's Vineyard. Fall is a beautiful time to visit...the trees don their autumn coats longer than ours do in Central New York and they are gorgeous. We look forward to our next visit, whether it'll be in the spring, summer or fall.
"Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree."
Emily Jane Bronte
