Island Light: Of Lilacs
Raising Old Glory at the Oak Bluffs fire department.
Raising Old Glory at the Oak Bluffs fire department.
Tess leaps into the summer season off the Owen Park dock.
Tess leaps into the summer season off the Owen Park dock.
Pouring coffee and dispensing wisdom at Behind the Bookstore.
Pouring coffee and dispensing wisdom at Behind the Bookstore.
Blooming trees at Memorial Park in downtown Edgartown.
Blooming trees at Memorial Park in downtown Edgartown.
Summer frock on display on Main street sidewalk outside Katydid.
Summer frock on display on Main street sidewalk outside Katydid.
Island motorcycle riding group takes a break on Seaview ave.
Island motorcycle riding group takes a break on Seaview ave.
Richard Roy.
Richard Roy.
Military exercises at the airport this week.
Military exercises at the airport this week.
Oak Bluffs junkyard.
Oak Bluffs junkyard.
Cruise ship off Oak Bluffs dwarfs East Chop shoreline.
Cruise ship off Oak Bluffs dwarfs East Chop shoreline.
Dandelion seeds ready to take flight in the spring wind.
Dandelion seeds ready to take flight in the spring wind.
Minnows in Vineyard Haven harbor.
Minnows in Vineyard Haven harbor.
Patty Linn picked up a flat of geraniums at Comsog.
Patty Linn picked up a flat of geraniums at Comsog.
Catching air.
Catching air.
Filming Netflix series Forever in Vineyard Haven this week.
Filming Netflix series Forever in Vineyard Haven this week.
Stars Ali Gallo and Lovie Simone.
Stars Ali Gallo and Lovie Simone.
Now in full bloom of pale lavender, deep purple and white, lilacs belong first of all to springtime on the Vineyard and only then to the rest of New England. And while we do not wish to disparage other coastal areas, nothing matches the sight and scent of Island lilacs for either importance or beauty.
Lilacs lead the seasonal march toward the next turning point, the long holiday weekend, toward the rush of summer when time often runs too fast to catch even a glimpse of the beauty around us. Follow the lilacs and you will discover these days a supporting cast dressed in pinks and whites of wild apple, the brilliance of flowering cherry and the rose tints and creams of dogwood, especially beautiful in this Vineyard spring.
Next Friday, to mark the Memorial Day observance, Island schoolchildren will cast lilacs upon harbor waters in memory of those lost at sea. And perhaps that is the loveliest tradition of all in this lilac season that touches the Vineyard so deeply