It is snowing! Just a wet flurry but it is beautiful to see it coming down outside the windows. We found our Christmas tree on Sunday and its warm glow adds cheer to the gray morning light. Our tradition is to find a scraggly spruce in the woods around our house, and to decorate it with large, colorful bulbs and a myriad of ornaments. While still in the wild, this year’s tree’s height and width was deceiving. Once we dragged it out of the woods and into our home it towered above us, its branches encroaching on more than half the living room. We trimmed it down a bit, rearranged the furniture and welcomed in the spirit of the season.

Yesterday, my three-year-old and I collected winterberry branches by the Chappy Beach Club and holly along our road to make some swag for our front door. I had high hopes of forming a garland to decorate the sign at Slip Away as well, but most of my greenery was co-opted to construct a fort. And the extra winterberry, left momentarily outside, was demolished by the chickens, who surprisingly ate every berry on the branch. I guess we are all hungry for a little color around here.

Juna and I had a brief pause from column writing just now to venture outside in the snow. Juna asked me sweetly to build a snowman. When I informed her we would have to wait for it to accumulate a bit more before we could do that, she entertained herself instead by licking snow off various lawn chairs and patches of grass. We tramped around awhile, became cold (the younger of us always unwilling to put on enough layers), and headed back inside for a cup of hot cocoa.

Former Chappy resident (and my sister-in-law), Molly Peach Mayhew and her husband Matt Mayhew welcomed a baby girl last week. Ida Peach Mayhew was born on Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. Since then, she has been busy eating, sleeping, growing and cuddling with her parents. Welcome, Ida!

Last week the Chappaquiddick Island Association and the Chappy Community Center hosted the fourth and final session on climate change. Without any other gatherings happening now, it was heartening to see many familiar faces and names on the zoom call. Scientists from the Woodwell Research Center in Woods Hole presented a daunting future and encouraged Chappy homeowners to make changes on their own properties, including planting native species, eliminating fertilizer usage and installing nitrogen-reducing septic systems. The session was recorded and will be posted on the CIA website.

Rachel Self has been stocking eggs at the Slip Away roadside stand every Saturday and Sunday. These beautiful eggs are $8 a dozen, payable by Venmo or check, but no cash.

The 2021 CCC calendar is available for purchase on their website. Be sure to order by Dec. 21 if you would like a pre-Christmas delivery. If you are giving it as a gift, consider adding a Chappy-themed card: Dana Gaines has his holiday cards available for sale on his website coastlinecards.com.

Finally, deer shotgun season continues until Dec. 12. Remember that several sections of the Chappy Land Bank trail network are closed during shotgun season, including the Poucha Pond and Quammox trail systems.