Chilmark has literally been in a fog all week, with some heavy showers along the way. All our open spaces are very green now, with turkeys on display in most fields and deer everywhere even during daylight hours. Many colorful birds are back at feeders and the conversation most shared is whether or not your hummingbirds are back. What a great place to live!

Chilmark school welcomed May with the traditional outdoor Maypole ceremony, a wonderful dance of sorts that wrapped the pole in colorful ribbons in a festive act with roots deep in history. Their joy in the performance was obvious and exciting to share. Then students observed another old Chilmark tradition of taking May baskets to the senior townsfolk. Again, promoting joy and an excitement for the arrival of spring.

Marshall and Katie Carroll opened their home for a festive dinner party to celebrate the newly-earned citizenship of Genc Brinja. Genc has been a Chilmark resident for several years now, having come from Albania. The evening was festive with lots of red, white and blue and many good wishes. We are happy that he likes us well enough to become a U.S. citizen and we welcome him.

Congratulations to Bella Flanders Thorpe, who rode at the Mystic Valley Hunt Club Dressage Show at Gales Ferry, Conn. last week and won a well-deserved champion blue ribbon. She rides Reina, a Hanoverian horse owned by Bella’s trainer, Tracy Amaral Olsen of West Tisbury’s Woodbe Farm.

Jessica Campbell is home from her studies at the University of Massachusetts and is on her way to join her sister Mariah in Spain. Mariah has now completed a semester of study in Spain and the two will tour a bit before returning to Chilmark and their summer jobs here. They are the daughters of Beth Campell of Tabor House Road.

The Chilmark Library will complete a series of lectures about mid-century architecture on Wednesday, May 10. Peter McMahon will lecture on Modern Architecture on the Cape and Islands and some case studies in preservation. The lecture will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the library.

The Chilmark Store will open on May 17; hours will increase as the pre-season moves along. It is always nice to have our shopping options increase.

The Menemsha Texaco will now restrict the sale of tobacco to those 21 years or older. The Chilmark Board of Health is working to make this an Island-wide rule. It does appear that the public education in the U.S. about the dangers of smoking seems to be effective. Once you travel in other countries, the larger number of people smoking is very noticeable.

David and Trissie Vives of Spain and their children, David of Los Angeles and Karen, also of Spain, are at the family home on Middle Road for a spring vacation and reunion with Chilmark friends. Trissie is the daughter of Sheila Price who now resides in Virginia. The family will travel from here to a reunion with Sheila later this month.

The Chilmark Community Church continues to offer pizza nights on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. All are welcome at no cost.

The ever-popular Chilmark Chocolates will open on Thursday this week.

No need to miss lunch in Chilmark now that Josh and his beloved food truck are closed for the season. The time-honored Galley will open on May 18. Their hours of operation will increase as the month advances but how nice to have them back.

Fred Hotchkiss will tell us more about horseshoe crabs at the Vineyard Haven library on May 9 at 7 p.m. He will lecture on Horseshoe Crabs: A story of Beach trysts and Blue Bloods. Fred is director of the Marine and Paleobiological Research Institute.

Welcome to Razmus Ruel, born on April 23 to Nettie Kent and Colin Ruel of Chilmark. Razmus weighed in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces, and is happily welcomed by his great-grandparents of Chilmark, Jim and Roberta Morgan, and his grandparents, John and Barbara Armstrong. Cheers from us all.

Congratulations to Robert and Linda Coutinho, who are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary this week. Cheers from us all.

Send Chilmark news to slaterjn@comcast.net.