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In his famous 1805 poem “The Last Rose of Summer,” Irish Poet Thomas Moore is melancholy as he considers the single bloom of the season a metaphor for those of us left behind as loved ones depart. As I studied my own “last rose of summer” this weekend, I considered Moore’s metaphor as I was reminded of all the people, the laughter and the love that graced our rose framed patio this past summer. Like Moore, I was a bit melancholy that it came and went so quickly. But, the strength and beauty of this single rose also had me considering the wisdom of the Divine Miss M (Bette Midler) who reminds us in her hit single “The Rose,” that with a little love from the sun this winter this rose will re-appear in mass come spring.
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Fall is one of the best times of year to be on Nantucket. Even as we bemoan the end of a fun-filled summer, we celebrate the slow-down, the ever changing and thinning foliage and the opportunity to re-connect with local friends and neighbors. People ask all the time what we do all winter on the island. Our response is always the same…we work, we play and we enjoy every square inch of the little body of sand we call home.
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With the luxury of an extended Indian Summer these past few weeks, there have been terrific opportunities for long walks on the beach and through the color splashed moors. We’ve been scalloping and clamming, bike riding to Sconset and snuggled under cozy blankets by the firepit in the evenings. The slower pace allows all of us who work in the service industry to exhale a little, take time to stop in for an overdue chat with the shop owners or join a colleague for a cup of soup on a Main Street bench.
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It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with old friends at local restaurants like the new Greydon House where the pub style bar affords comfort, charm and a trip back in time with their vintage martini and champagne stemware. The food is positively exquisite by the way…some of the best on the island! It’s equally nice to return to some favorite fall and winter places where locals look forward to catching up – like Fifty-Six Union or The Seagrille on Friday night or the famed steak night at the Miacomet Golf Club on Saturday.
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If you’re some of those enthusiastic day-trippers or weekend revelers who got the memo that Nantucket is the place to be this fall, plan to take advantage of the multiple opportunities to see the island on two wheels with a Nantucket By Bike tour or enjoy it on foot with a Nantucket Walk About excursion. There is no better way to experience the sheer beauty of the island. If you’re lucky enough to live here and enjoy these activities every day, by all means do it! Go outside, inhale the salt air, reminisce about bygone summer days, but don’t miss a single opportunity to savor the here and now of our island paradise.
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Smell the roses!
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