Chilmark is mellowing with the warm weather that so recently arrived. The fields are greening up and the smaller trees are ripening, but we still have a gray aspect until the leaves bloom — soon, we all hope. Some up-Island residents are very much in appearance most late afternoons as the deer chow down on the new grass in many Chilmark fields. There seem to be many more than usual braving exposure by coming out of cover to feed.

The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School’s Minnesingers will give a concert on Saturday, May 9, at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, May 10, at 3 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at the high school. The annual spring concert, An American Songbook, is presented by the Minnesinger parents’ group. The tickets are $10 and $7 for students and seniors and are available at the door.

The Chilmark library will host a book talk on Wednesday, May 20, at 5 p.m. Ed Merck will talk about his new book, Sailing the Mystery: My Journey Into Life’s Remaining Chapters. The talk is free and open to the public.

Anne Slater is inviting friends and family of Bruce Slater to attend a memorial service for him to be held at the Abel’s Hill cemetery on Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m. Bruce was in Chilmark for many years and is missed by his many friends.

Work continues on the jetty repair in Menemsha. The better weather may speed things up a bit.

Coco Adams is in town for a few days, renewing friendships before returning to her home in Plymouth.

Bette Carroll is home from the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and enjoying brief visits with her many friends.

We are invited to join the staff at Santander Bank on May 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. for a potluck with food and drink to make the best of the closing and to wish them all a happy future beyond the bank. They will also display some of the local art that has been shown at the bank over the years. Kim, Carrie and Nikki-Lou invite us all to a final art show and farewell party. Good luck to all!

Dave and Catha Carlson will be at their Peaked Hill home this weekend. They are coming from New York city to visit Catha’s parents, Bob and Barbara Day, in West Tisbury.

Caleb, Chris and Celia Slater will visit me for the Mother’s Day weekend, and I hope all other mothers out there get some attention this weekend.

It is shaping up to be a busy weekend as more businesses are opening. Betsy Larsen has her popular fish market open now and Pandora’s Box is displaying the latest in summer fashion.

I find I have been living with a general uneasiness unrelated to my usual spring pressures and I have figured it out. They are moving our lighthouse! Can they do it? Do they know how? What will happen? So I now have one more thing to worry about.

And, one last note of welcome to the babies . . . the United Kingdom has its princess, but in Chilmark, the Marshall Carroll family have their new-to-this-world baby chicks. Good luck to all! How well I remember the excitement every spring of the delivery of a tray of chicks to be tucked under our big oil stove, awaiting their feathers and the good weather to put them outside. It is amazing what could be ordered from Sears!

I am happy to report that Chilmark has kept the old tradition of hanging May baskets on the doors of unsuspecting folk continuing into the 21st century. I was thrilled to be a recipient, and I heard of several others on May 1. Many thanks to those of you who have kept the old ways alive!

Send your Chilmark news to: slaterjn@comcast.net.