The Beginning of the End

Last night's downpour signaled the beginning of the end of autumn in Vineyard Haven. Today on my walk to the library there were almost as many bare trees as there were leaved ones. Now the color is scattered beneath their partially naked branches, and the warm tones spill out into the sidewalks and streets. It is overcast, so the colors can show their true brilliance, not being overpowered by the sun.

Daylight savings time has left the days much shorter. By 4:31 this afternoon, the sun will have set and the sky grows dark so quickly. Although the skies have been blue the last two days, my mood has been dark gray - the color of wet slate early in the morning. I continue to write (it's really more compiling than writing at this stage), so I'm progressing at a good pace. The rough sketches I had written before have now turned into grainy portraits of Dad's parents and grandparents, both maternal and paternal. These include timelines for their lives and what was happening when as far as family events. Next I'll fill in those things that were happening in the area and in the country to help put their lives in context. Finally, I will do the same thing for Dad's life, or at least his life through the service. I've already decided that this work won't have space for his life after marriage, kids, and move to the West. That will have to wait.