There haven’t been many rainy days on Chappy this summer. Some sprinkles, but frugally distributed like a greedy ice cream vendor. I suspect most are okay with this paltry precipitation, and I like the sunshine as much as the next guy, but I need my rainy days. Firstly, my grass children tend to thrive when their home is wet, and I love my green kids, so I am happy when they’re happy. Secondly, and moreover, I need the excuse to go dark, to hunker down with a book — held captive by the forbidding closeness of nature.

I am not a book gourmet, or even a gourmand. I read mostly on my phone these days — bits and pieces of ADD-driven selections. I would estimate that I’ve read only 200 books in my lifetime, two-thirds of which were consumed before the age of 20. But they carry a specific weight in my memory — placeholders in a line of time that I can step back into, particularly the hours and years I’ve spent on Chappy.

I rarely buy the books that I read on Chappy, preferring the yellowed pages of tomes left behind. I let my predecessors do the research and choosing, confident that I’ll agree with their taste more often than not. I also like the feel and odor of books that have wintered-over, enduring the summer house chill while their linen and dishware friends rest comfortably covered. And somehow in my odd mind, I’ve linked these Chappy books to shampoos and suntan lotions, the content of each reminding me of the other. Partridge Family Mysteries and Prell; To Kill a Mockingbird and Clairol’s Herbal Essence; Jaws (the Reader’s Digest abridged version) and Coppertone; Cheever, Updike, Exley and Nexxus. So, I’m waiting for you, rain. I need a good book to mark this spot in time.

In other news: don’t forget that this Saturday is the big annual Chappy Community Center fair from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Laura Pla wrote to remind me that the Plumb Tennis Tournament is back! Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9, the tournament will be held at the CCC courts. Please contact the CCC or call Laura at 508-627-6463 for more information.

Send Chappy news to ibwsgolf@aol.com.