Though January has just begun, the month has gifted us with a whole new vocabulary.

A blustery overnight storm that passed over the Vineyard Sunday and Monday downed trees and roughed up seas. Ferries were cancelled for most of the day, but began running again at about 5 p.m.

Over time, it seems that February is warming faster than other months — perhaps it should be renamed Marchuary.

As long as there is at least six inches, there is life between the snow and earth.

In a word: dry. The year 2016 saw widespread drought conditions over the second half of the year on Martha’s Vineyard, not good for local farmers, but maybe not bad for a resort Island that depends on good beach days.

Rain really does have a scent, and our ability to smell it might be a holdover from times when rain could mean survival.