The next Chappy Community Center potluck dinner will be hosted by Judy Buss and Paul Cardello on Wednesday, Oct. 5 from 6 to 8 p.m. Potlucks are held on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Hosts are needed for upcoming potlucks. Call Lynn at 508-627-8222, email chappycc@verizon.net or sign up when you are at the next potluck. Please bring a dish for six.

The 2017 CCC calendars will arrive in late November. Print the pre-order form from the CCC website, or they can be purchased starting Thanksgiving weekend when the CCC office is open.

Chappy book club will discuss Circling the Sun by Paula McLain on Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 10:30 a.m. All are welcome.

The Chappy Store will be open for business for one final weekend from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Nefetiti still has plenty of treats in the ice cream freezer.

The Slip Away farm stand will continue to be open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Columbus Day weekend. Along with the usual farm stand goodies they have a nice variety of pumpkin sizes and shapes.

Lily Walter sends out an email every week to CSA members regarding which vegetables will be provided that week. I enjoy her observations of farming on Chappy and with her permission share a sampling here.

“I was so thankful for the bit of rain yesterday and last night — it was just perfect to water in some of the cover crop seed I spread yesterday morning. So far rain has arrived at perfect intervals to help germinate our cover crops. Right now, a bright green flush of tillage radish, oats, and red clover are coming up in some of the finished sections of our fields. So satisfying. The cover is looking good, but I have noticed quite a bit of geese and deer damage. It is hard to keep them away from the lushness this time of year.

“Has anyone else noticed how many deer there are on Chappy this year? I have been seeing them with much more frequency than years past. They have been getting in our Wasque field all summer, but seem to just dance around and leave without eating much. Last week, we were planting something, and looked up and there was a small fawn, alone, in the middle of our field, looking directly at us. He was as surprised to see us as we were to see him. After a few seconds he turned and bolted, leaping right through our electric fence. 

“Isn’t this weather the best? It has still been warm enough for me to go night swimming the past few evenings, and the phosphorescence are out down by the harbor. I can’t imagine they will hang around much longer as the water and air start to cool, so get out there while you still can.

We harvested all of our pumpkins and winter squash last week, always a fall-feeling task. This is the first year they have arrived on time; in years past, they have ripened by early August, even when I bumped the seeding date back significantly each year. But they were just perfect this year, (no need for Halloween in August this season!), and I was pleased with the amount we were able to harvest. They are now curing in the greenhouse for two weeks.”

The fishing derby runs through Saturday, Oct. 15. The Chappy ferry goes back to the winter schedule the next night, Sunday, Oct. 16. The ferry will then operate continuously from 6:45 a.m. until 8 p.m., then 9 to 10 p.m., then 11 to 11:15 p.m.

The On Time 2 will depart for Vineyard Haven on Tuesday, Oct. 11 to be hauled out of the water at Ralph Packer’s marine railway for Coast Guard inspection and maintenance. The exact number of days that the ferryboat will be out of service can only be determined after it is out of the water and thoroughly inspected by the Coast Guard and by our maintenance crew of Erik Gilley and George Fisher. The ferries must be hauled out every two years for the Coast Guard inspection. This year the On Time 3 will remain in service alone to handle the traffic. Being eight feet longer than her sister, the On Time 3 can handle more vehicles. But with just one ferryboat in service, expect delays during the busy times and give yourself extra time to get to appointments and reservations. You can check the status of the ferry lines on our Chappy Ferry website, chappyferry.com.

Send Chappy news to peter@chappyferry.net.