Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. So some mice die and go up to heaven. After about a week God comes by and asks them how they like heaven. The mice say that they love it, but it’s such a big place that they are tired from all of the walking. So God fixes the mice up with tiny roller skates. Then some cats die and go up to heaven. After about a week God comes by to ask them how they like heaven. The cats say they love it, especially the meals on wheels program.

The next Chappy potluck will be hosted by that multi-talented duo Margaret Knight and Sidney Morris on Wednesday, March 2. Please bring a dish for six. Appetizers begin at 6 p.m. with buffet at 6:30.

The Chappy Stitchers had a pleasant inaugural meeting last Friday at the CCC. I have fact-checked all of the gossip exchanged and found no errors or exaggerations. The group will be getting together Fridays from 10 to noon. Everyone is invited, ladies as well as gentlemen. Bring a needlecraft project.

The next Chappy potluck dinner will be hosted by Margaret and Jim Mullen on Wednesday, Feb. 17 from 6 to 8 p.m. The Chappy Stitchers will meet for the first time this Friday at the Chappy Community Center from 10 to noon. All are invited. Bring your needlecraft of choice.

This is a case of good news/bad news. The good news is that we are getting the repairs to the Chappy slip done before things fall apart. The bad news is that the next phase of the repair work will cause quite an inconvenience to ferry travelers.

The next Chappy potluck is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 3, hosted by Marvene and Bob O’Rourke. Please bring a dish for six. We start filling up on the appetizers at 6 p.m. The atmosphere is very cozy in the community center this time of year with the couches pulled up to the crackling fire.

One day last week the Steamship Authority cancelled most of the trips between the Islands and the mainland due to high winds. There was a rumor going around that the Chappy ferry would be closing down. I can understand why folks would find that plausible. If the wind was so strong that the big ferries were having trouble then why wouldn’t the little ferries also have trouble?

Last week I mentioned that the breach was staying firmly closed. But by the time the Gazette went to print The Trustees of Reservations staff had already closed Norton Point to through-traffic.

After the hubbub of two holiday weekends in a row it suddenly seems like the dead of winter. Not much to report. The breach is staying firmly closed. The highway department has been taking down dead trees along the main roads. The newly-seeded grass started to grow on the shoulders down at the ferry point. It’s pretty quiet around here.

On New Year’s Day the Chappy ferry operates on the normal winter schedule. If you believe that you are up to staying out after midnight talk to Captain Bob on your way to the party.