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 first meeting was small and we hope that the numbers will grow. The seed idea for the group was to get out of the house during this cold and snowy winter to spend some time with neighbors and friends. The bonus is that you can get some sewing done. Call the CCC at 508-627-8222 if you have questions or just need a little bit of encouragement to attend.

For the next nine weeks I will be sounding like a broken record with constant reminders about the ferry slip repairs scheduled for the week of school vacation in April. During that week the ferry will only carry passengers. The loading ramp on the Chappy side must be removed so the bulkheads beneath it can be replaced. With the ramp removed vehicles won’t be able to access the ferry. The ramp will be removed first thing in the morning on Sunday, April 17 and will be back in place by Sunday, April 24 at 6 p.m.

There is lots of sand movement at Wasque. The whole barrier beach is moving northward. This may also be happening for most of the length of Norton Point. It’s just very easy to see it at Wasque because the old channel is getting noticeably narrower with each storm. There is one area where the channel is only a dozen feet wide. Last summer most of that stretch was a hundred feet across. At very low tides the Wasque end of the old channel is cut off from Katama Bay. That would be the creation of the next swan pond. It will be much smaller than previous swan ponds. If the barrier beach reaches the sand shelf at the base of the bluff, perhaps there will be a way to drive onto the beach at Wasque and cut the length of the trip into town about in half. We shall see. So far none of my predictions have come true. Every change out there comes as a surprise. Of course after it happens, it seems perfectly logical.

The beach has been drivable, except when the beach has been snow covered or flooded by wash-overs. The staff of TTOR keeps a very close eye on its condition. If they put up a sign indicating that the beach is closed you can trust them to have your personal well being at heart. Even when it’s open to traffic you need to be vigilant. The stability of the beach can change abruptly. You don’t want to drive through a wash-over or on snow-covered sand. Better to turn around if you are not completely sure about proceeding.

With the marshes and ponds icing over it is time again to consider what to do if a dog falls through the ice. First, call or go for help. If you go out on the same ice that couldn’t hold a dog, instead of being its savior you will become a victim with no way to call for help. If there are two or more of you there, one goes for help while those at the edge of the ice carefully consider what can be done without becoming victims themselves. You will be thinking that you just have to do something and do it quickly. But keep in mind that a dog can survive a dunking in icy water a whole lot longer than a human. Call 911 or 508-693-1212. Wait for the well-equipped and well-trained fire department to come to your aid. Don’t feel embarrassed about the situation or that you don’t want to be a bother to anyone else. Emergency personnel have spent many hours practicing ice rescue techniques. They are eager to help out.

The temperature last Tuesday at noon was 50 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was at daybreak on Sunday. Brine’s Pond is completely frozen over but not very thick. Caleb’s, Cape Pogue and Poucha Ponds and the south half of Katama Bay all had a skim of ice that blew ashore in the high winds Tuesday afternoon. A week of steady subfreezing temperatures and we could have a repeat of last winter’s ice problems. Fortunately, this year the beach route provides emergency access.

Send Chappy news to peter@chappyferry.net.