PETER WELLS

508-627-1577

(peter@chappyferry.net)

Adeline Mae Chandler took her first breath at noon on Friday, May 3, to the great delight of her parents Abigail and Curtis along with grandmother Sharlee, who arose very early that morning to be by her daughter’s side for the birth of her first granddaughter. Adeline weighed in at 7 pounds, 2 ounces and measured 19 and a half inches long. She was welcomed home by her big brother, John, grandfather Jack Livingston and Uncle Jared. Sharlee’s cheeks must be tired from so much smiling. I recall that at their wedding, Abby’s maid of honor said that when she met Curtis she knew that he and Abby would have very cute kids. She was right. The proud paternal grandparents are John and Julie Chandler of Oak Bluffs. Adeline’s Uncle Zachariah and Aunt Jessica will soon be providing a cousin for her and brother John. Adeline was born at the time of low tide here in Katama Bay; therefore I predict that in her nature will be the desire to see what lies beneath the surface as she goes through life.

Our own Caleb Enos recently performed with the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School Minnesingers on their tour in Croatia. We were fortunate to see the show repeated this past weekend at the high school. I was quite surprised to see an Enos singing and dancing on stage. I believe that Caleb may be the first male member of the Enos family to do so. In my preliminary research I googled “Enos males dancing” and absolutely nothing came up. So there you go. His cousin Jeff has played the part of Mother Ginger in the Nutcracker, but that mostly involved sidling across the stage. Caleb sang right out and performed complicated dance moves in half a dozen numbers with as many costume changes. He was even in the front row in one of the dance numbers. I am proud of Caleb and admire his bravery and accomplishments. Following the show, Caleb presented a rose to his sister Lucy Rose, who will be entering high school next year. There wasn’t a dry eye among the Enos entourage.

The Slip Away Farm self-service farm stand is open Friday through Sunday weekly. Lily Walter plans a spring open house at the farm on Saturday, May 18, starting at 4 p.m. Local foods will be served and everyone is welcome. Extra parking will be available at the Chappy Community Center just across the road. For those who have been away all winter, you will be treated to the sight of freshly plowed, harrowed and planted fields stretching from the roadway back to the woods. The Slip Away farmers are a very ambitious bunch.

Chappy’s younger children and their parents gathered aboard the On Time II last Sunday for a lunchtime harbor cruise. Before setting out they toured the engine room to see firsthand what makes the ferry go. They peered under the ferry to observe the swinging of the rudder and spinning of the propeller. Many took a turn at steering while underway. We get this group together for an activity as often as possible.

The shadbush is in full bloom. In some parts of Chappy it seems as if half of the bushes are shad. These foggy days help it stand out amongst the other vegetation. With the warming temperatures has come some very thick fog. At sunrise we can see clearly all the way to the Cape but as the morning warms up, the air becomes opaque. The fog forms in distinct banks appearing as dense as cotton. One day from the ferry point I could clearly see Cape Pogue Lighthouse but the yacht club was hidden.

I visited Mytoi Gardens early in the week. You can practically hear the buds of the rhododendron squeaking open. The snapping turtle pair has been doing a lot of smooching lately, turtle style anyway. I expect that we’ll see some cute little baby snappers this summer. The painted turtles were basking along the shores of the pond, but plopped into the water as soon as they saw me. The stream is flowing for the season, which is sure to attract frogs. The garden cleanup project last Saturday was a success. I commented to Mytoi staff gardener Chris Hart that everything looked fine now. He gave me a long list of projects yet to be done, such as mulching, path and stair repairs. Watch for announcements of future project days.

The Trustees Of Reservations have many activities planned for the summer starting Memorial Day weekend. Check their website or call 508-627-8390. To volunteer to help with projects such as beach cleanups, go to the TTOR website and choose “volunteer.”

The next Chappy Community Center potluck will be on Wednesday, May 15, with appetizers beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner shortly thereafter. Sally and I will be the hosts. I will be personally insulted if you are not there.

Will Geresy reports that he smelled squid at Wasque. You know what that means. Soon, lawns will be left unmowed and chores left undone. Clothing will be stained black with squid ink. Freezers will become overstuffed with frozen tentacles. But if it’s in your DNA, you have no choice but to go squidding.