Nearly all of The Trustees of Reservations beaches on Chappaquiddick are now open to over-sand vehicles, including Norton Point. There are a few terns still nesting at Cape Pogue gut. Call the TTOR beach access hotline at 508-627-8390 for up to date information. You still can’t get around the corner at Wasque Point because the beach is too narrow there. It seemed odd to me that sand had not accumulated in that area. This is the spot where overnight Norton Point finally reconnected with Chappaquiddick just a few years ago. So, I looked at the historical imagery of Wasque on Google Earth and it turns out that it has been fairly narrow for two decades. Back in 1995 there was a beach over 100 feet wide there. The forces of nature are fairly consistent.

Hurricane season is upon us. I check Mike’s Weather Page a couple times a day during the season. He shows maps of what are referred to as “spaghetti models” of a half dozen computer generated likely tracks of potential tropical depressions and hurricanes. The good aspect of a hurricane is that it comes at us at about the speed of a leisurely bicycle rider. Plenty of time to get out of the way, put the lawn furniture in the cellar or even get the motorboat out of the water. Nevertheless I like to know a week or so ahead of time if we will be dealing with a big storm. The most recent substantial hurricanes actually formed just south of the Bahamas. That’s pretty much right on our doorstep. That really cuts down on our lead time for getting ready.

Foreign Film night at the Chappy Community Center will show the German film Pina, a 3D documentary about world renowned choreographer Pina Bausch, on Friday August 11 at 8 p.m. Apparently 3D was the only way to effectively capture the dancers’ motions.

The CCC will hold its annual meeting on Saturday August 12 at 9 a.m. New officers and board members will be elected. This is a wonderful opportunity to show support for the folks who operate the CCC and learn a little bit about how much time and effort is involved in making all those good events and activities happen. If you can’t make it to the meeting you can fill out a proxy form ahead of time by visiting the CCC office daily between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

That Saturday evening at 7:30 the CCC will host The Manhattan Chamber Players performing Mozart, Fung, Devienne and Mendelssohn. There are still lots of CCC events and activities planned. See the website calendar for a complete listing. Here are a few highlights.

Chappy’s own Suzanne Douglas will perform at the CCC on Saturday August 17 at 7 p.m. She will sing a collection of jazz standards and original compositions in celebration of the legacy of distinguished scientist Dr. Jewel Plummer Cobb, who was her mother in law.

The Chappy book club will be discussing Tracy Chevalier’s novel At The Edge Of The Orchard on Wednesday August 23 at the CCC at 10:30 a.m. It’s the story of a family who settles where their wagon got stuck in the muddy, stagnant swamps of 1830s Ohio. The family must cultivate 50 apple trees to stake their claim. Father loves the apples for reminding him of an easier life back in Connecticut while mother prefers to take refuge from the brutal frontier life in the applejack they make. It’s a compelling story with Johnny Appleseed, giant sequoias and the California goldrush all playing a role. One of the club members just returned her copy to the library so we know that there is at least one available on the islands. The author has been published 19 times since her first novel came out 20 years ago.

Do yourself a favor and pay a visit to Mytoi Garden. The painted and snapping turtles have become accustomed to the sight of humans and you can actually get a close up look at them now. Last spring, when they first came out of hibernation, at the first hint of my sneaking up on them they all plopped back into the water at once. Even during times when the garden is full of people it is a restful place for me. It’s an easy place to take house guests and you can send them off on a Cape Pogue lighthouse tour from there as well.

Send Chappy news to peterchappyferry@gmail.com.