A pickup truck on the Chappy ferry last night captured the essence of this time of year. The bed was overflowing with bikes, beach chairs, fishing pole and bags of various shapes and sizes, all tied down with a solid rope. As the truck pulled onto the ferry and the driver paid the captain for the ride, two young brothers tumbled out of the back seat and onto the deck. They perched on the benches, leaning over the railing to take in the short passage across the dark harbor. Once the boat was pulling into the slip, the two boys scrambled back into the truck, eager to finish the last leg of their journey. It was with such sweet anticipation that these two boys crossed the harbor to Chappy; a nighttime ferry ride is always magic, but particularly so when it is done only a few times a year and signals the start of summertime vacation. I think I saw these same two brothers at Chappy Point this afternoon, bathing suits on and fishing nets in hand, easily settling in to Chappy time.

Margaret Knight, a longtime year-round resident of Chappaquiddick, remembers these childhood rides to the Island well. Her family always had a competition to see who could be the first spot the Bourne Bridge and the winner pocketed a nickel. The family dog would start to bark continuously a few miles out from Woods Hole, egging on everyone’s excitement.

Over the next few weeks, many of our neighbors will be returning to the Island and settling into the rhythms of summertime. We are lucky on Chappy; even with a dramatic increase in population, the little island stays fairly quiet over these peak months. The crowds are only really felt at the ferry, where long lines build quickly, particularly on the best beach days. Many a Chappaquiddicker has said, “I am never leaving Chappy this summer!” I have heard Lucy Leopold state this twice already this season and Elizabeth Barnes has a goal of leaving only once a week to pick up the bare minimum of supplies. Indeed, the hecticness and sometimes frenetic energy of summer on Martha’s Vineyard can very well be ignored down the long dirt roads of Chappaquiddick.

As I write this on Monday, we have another wet week coming up. The crops at Slip Away are loving all the rain which has been well timed with the many plants and seeds going in the ground over the past few weeks. Chappy is particularly green, the trees and grass vibrant. All this rain really makes one appreciate the sunny days; when the sun makes an appearance, everyone I come across has an extra pep to their step and can’t help but exclaim, “beautiful day!”

The new head gardener at Mytoi, Marc Fournier, is leading tours of the garden every Friday at 11 a.m. and welcomes volunteers that day as well. Swing on by to see the last of the azaleas and rhododendrons in bloom and to say hello to a turtle or two. My daughter and my mom have been making regular trips to visit them so you might catch them there, too.

The first annual Chappy Point to Point roadrace is coming up on Sunday, June 30 at 8:30 a.m. This is a five-mile race from the wild shores of Wasque to the ferry at Chappy Point. All proceeds will benefit the Trustees’ Martha’s Vineyard Fund and the Chappy Community Center. Although according to the website registration is already closed (the max was 150 runners), you can find more information about the race and donate to the event by googling “Chappy Point to Point.”