The following poem is by Warren Woessner, a birding enthusiast and bard who wanders the shorelines of the Island.

Tearing down old buildings is most often cheaper than restoring them, so the sale of two antique houses to private buyers this week marks a positive turn for historic preservation on the Vineyard.

The Old Parsonage in West Tisbury, a seventeenth century farmhouse believed to be the second oldest home on the Island, and the Warren House, an eighteenth century merchant’s home on North Water street in Edgartown, are both in urgent need of extensive renovations.

When I think of Sheldon, what always comes first to mind is what a nice man he was. He was the epitome of masculine niceness, the kind of person we call a “true gentleman.” And of course he had that Southern accent and gracious manners, which made him all the more charming. He was attentive, friendly, humorous and courteous. That he was smart and well-informed was just a bonus.

Oct. 29 marks the one-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. Had she headed 200 miles farther north of her Atlantic City-area landfall and then taken a left, we’d still be dealing with the havoc left in her wake.

Ever since we had to put down our beloved dog last February, I have lost the will to exercise. Floyd, our yellow lab, was my physical fitness program as well as my religion.