The rain has fallen to an easily measurable amount. In between drops, the sun occasionally peeks out and shines on the green grass below. The roots soak up the water and the blades race towards the sky so quickly that you can almost hear them stretching. The growth of the greenery has coaxed the landscapers out from their wintry slumber. Thanks to all those who are capable of wielding a mower, the air smells of freshly cut grass.

Pleasure boats have begun to trickle back into the harbor, perched eagerly anticipating a summer of adventure: trips to Long/Picnic Point for a quick lunch, Tarpaulin Cove for an afternoon swim, Cuttyhunk for ice cream, Second Point to drop in for a surf sesh or the Brickyard for a few quick casts. The mysterious ocean ebbs and flows calling to us all for a variety of reasons.

The lobstermen — Wayne, John, Steve, Chris, Bob, Paul, Carl, Scott and Tim to name a few — have their early morning departures on autopilot once again. On vessels with names like Summer Dawn, Esther’s Pride, Merlin, Endeavor, Sherry Lynn, Royal and Helen L, they travel out to sea looking for their small colorful buoys dotted on the horizon. Lobsters crawl into the kitchen to feed on bait then move into the parlor to digest. Escape vents will allow them to depart if they are too small to be retained.

Just like the schoolie bass, the college kids have begun their migration home for the summer. Andrew Ruimerman traveled home from Roanoke, Va. for a visit after graduating from Roanoke College. He will be spending his post-grad summer in the Old Dominion state but managed a trip north with his girlfriend Kimberly. Chris Mayhew is home from his sophomore year at the University of Rhode Island and sister Maggie is home from her freshman year at the University of Vermont. Delilah Quinones is home from Johnson & Wales University and older sister Isabella is home from Wesleyan. I’m guessing youngest sister, Zora, loves having the big kids under the same roof. Adelaide Keene is home from her sophomore year at Regis University in Colorado. Adelaide’s trip home turned into an adventure when she and Mom, Hillary Noyes-Keene, hopped in Hal and Ann Noyes’s car and drove east. The grandparents had the ease and simplicity of boarding a plane and snoozing their way across the country. Adelaide and Hillary had a mother-daughter road trip of a lifetime that took them through some really fabulous spots. Ask them about it.

Don’t forget, Saturday May 18 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. is the USCG Station Menemsha open house. Come one, come all, rain or shine to meet the Coast Guard members — Justin Longval, Robert Parent, Adam Smith, Josh Boytek, Travis Von Dessonneck, Joel Behr and more. Not only is this the perfect opportunity to meet and greet, but the doors will be open to the station and boat house. A highlight will be the touching down of Air Station Cape Cod’s helicopter slated for 11 a.m.

Noah Glasgow has lit the science world on fire this spring. He recently won first place at the Massachusetts Science and Engineering Fair, and at the time of my writing he was boarding an airplane headed for Phoenix, Ariz., to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. According to his Mom, Molly, in addition to his scientific research, Noah wrote a grant proposal and was awarded $2,500 from the Marjot Foundation. This award will be split between Noah, Falmouth Academy where he is a sophomore and the WHOI lab where much of his work is done. Things wrap up in Phoenix today so stay tuned for an update in next week’s column.

Another calf has been born to the herd at the Menemsha Inn. Rowan, the Red Devon, welcomed her first calf just in time for Mother’s Day. The folks at the inn are in search of a name, so if you have any brilliant ideas be sure to share.

Send Chilmark news to squidrow@vineyard.net.