JO-ANN TILGHMAN

508-627-7669

(tilghmanjb@aol.com)

Planting of the spring and summer vegetable garden has long been a Chappy tradition, even if that garden consisted of a lone tomato plant. In years past some families were able to send help down to plant the vegetables that would sustain the family throughout the summer. Other families may have had someone local put in their garden, while still others found the opportunity to work the soil themselves very satisfying. As the desire for truly fresh produce has grown folks are back to clearing a small (or not so small) patch of ground to grow the vegetables they prefer.

Lily Morris has let me know that the Edgartown School has added themselves to the rolls of those planting vegetable gardens and this Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. the school is having family garden day with a rain date of Sunday the 14th. They hope to have the new swing set to play on and to be able to install new stepping stones. The garden day will be a time to celebrate the school’s new vegetable garden and the school is looking for famlies to be in charge of the garden for a week at a time throughout the summer. Garden day will allow volunteers a chance to familiarize themselves with these garden responsibilities. Hot dogs, hamburgers, baked goods and beverages also be available.

In case you haven’t heard, Bob Fynbo has developed Chappy Wireless, that allows for wireless computer access to any point on Chappy as well as covering the inner and outer harbor. If you are without wireless access you can check out ChappyWireless.com for additional information.

With the summer season quickly approaching Dot Dropick has announced that the first book for discussion at the Chappy Book Club will be The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship by Jeffrey Zaslow. All are welcome to come to the CCC on July 8 at 10:45 a.m. (after the pilates class) to discuss the book and to see old and new friends.

At last week’s potluck dinner new Chappy resident Robin McGee celebrated her 50th birthday. Robin comes to Chappy from Texas but grew up and got her first horse at the age of fourteen in Pennsylvania. Her love of horses has never wavered and she is spending this summer caring for the Marwari horses belonging to Francesca Kelly. Robin and Francesca met in India where the Marwari’s are an ancient breed of desert war horse that while spirited, is also a calm breed to handle. Currently Robin oversees the care and well-being of six mares, two stallions, and two foals. The foals brings the current Chappy horse population to fifteen, not dissimilar to the early 60’s when the Potters, Stevens, Joan Silva, Virginia Osborne, Virginia Packard, Ginny Murray and Tom Tilghman all rode. Other horses residing on Chappy today are the Potters’ three horses, Connor, TP, and old reliable, Max. Donna Kelly has Jet who also boards at the Potters, and Katherine Monterosso has her horse and two miniature donkeys.

The final potluck dinner of the spring season will be Wednesday, June 17 and will be hosted by Ellen and Bob Gurnitz. Appetizers begin at 6 p.m. with dinner beginning at 6:30. Remember to bring a dish that will feed your family plus four.

Among the early summer visitors on Chappy are Curry Jones of Concord, N.H. who will be staying at Wasque Farm off and on throughout the summer and Susan Brooks and Mike Merritt, from Boulder, Colo. who are back on Chappy for their annual June vacation.

Last and certainly not least, Daryl Knight, president of the Chappaquiddick Community Center, has announced that the CCC has received the deed and title to the land across from the CCC for the tennis courts. Bill Brine has worked tirelessly for six years to clear the title to that land in order to be able to give the land to the community center for their own tennis courts.