The bomb guys are back. They will pick up where they left off last fall working at finding and destroying unexploded ammunition which the military used for target practice out at Cape Pogue, both on dry land and underwater. They always seem very calm considering their line of work. One day last fall I inadvertently snuck up on the driver of one of the bomb project vehicles. He was driving the first car onto the boat and didn’t have his ticket in hand as I passed his window on my way to direct the second and third cars. When I went back to get his ticket he was talking to the others in the vehicle. I came right up to his window and said, “Hi!” I may have said it a little bit loud since it’s noisy on the ferry with the diesel engine and the wind and all. He was quite startled at the sound of my voice and said, “Wow, you scared me!” I remarked that I would not have guessed that this was the sort of thing that would scare a bomb guy. Maybe they really are on their last nerve all of the time and just barely holding it together. Anyway, occasionally the pickup truck that carries the explosives for destroying the old munitions will be going across on the ferry. It has to ride alone due to its hazardous cargo. We are assured that absolutely nothing will blow up by accident. Nevertheless, you would be happier as a witness rather than as a participant if something newsworthy should occur.

Mytoi Garden is a very pleasant spot these days. Everything from turtles to daffodils are eagerly coming back to life. There is one particular tree there just covered with very fragrant white blossoms. I’m guessing it’s a magnolia of some sort. It alone is well worth the visit. There was a whole herd of painted turtles in the pond, including a small one which was no more than a couple of inches long. They dove at my approach but the little one went straight to the bottom in the shallows so that I was able to get a good look at him. Both an osprey and a red-tailed hawk were circling over the pond. The only goldfish I saw would hardly be worth the effort for the osprey.

Wasque Point beach is looking pretty healthy at the moment. Hopefully the section right at the corner will build up even more. Word has it that East Beach is wider than would be expected at this time of year. Seems that the beaches in general erode away in the winter and build up during the summer. The Trustees have installed a stairway about 100 yards to the west of the so-called Fisherman’s parking lot. It’s a very convenient way to get down onto the beach. It’s positioned pretty much opposite the end of the old channel so you can walk directly out to the Atlantic shoreline. It’s easier access for fishing and beach combing than the old stairs and boardwalk of the pre-breach days. I would venture to say that swimming in the surf within a mile of Wasque Point in either direction is a really bad idea. There’s always a rip current off that shoreline regardless of whether the tide is rising or falling. It would be a wonderful spot for swimming in Katama Bay, though, as the bay water is warmer than the ocean water and the bottom in that area is still fairly clean sand.

The next Chappy Community Center potluck supper will be hosted by Dorothy and John Dropick. Appetizers and conversation begin at 6 p.m. with the dinner bell ringing at 6:30. Please bring a dish to serve six. There are three more potlucks scheduled for this season. Call Lynn at 508-627-8222 to sign up to be the host.

The Edgartown Highway department turned out in force Tuesday morning to continue with the upgrading of the unpaved portion of the ferry point parking lot. I don’t want to risk putting a curse on the project by saying they are hoping to have it done before this coming weekend.

Traditionally the Chappy ferry starts operating on the summer schedule on the Thursday preceding Memorial Day weekend. This year that would be May 25. If the weather is nice during that long weekend we have summer-like traffic on the ferry, both passengers and vehicles. The Tuesday following is usually shockingly quiet.

Send Chappy news to peterchappyferry@gmail.com.