Memorial Day weekend is upon us. If it’s anything like last weekend, there will be a few telltale signs to come: sunburned shoulders from a few too many hours at the beach; ketchup-stained T-shirts from that cookout in your uncle’s backyard; red itchy welts from the mosquitoes that enjoyed you while you were enjoying your burger and your hot dog; towels laced with fine grains of sand that deposit themselves at the bottom of your dryer; and so much more. These are but a few of the famous signs of summer’s approach.

But Memorial Day weekend is also a time to remember those who have died in our nation’s service. Flags fly, heads are hung in quiet reflection and flowers are placed on graves as a symbol of respect and honor.

I came across Moina Michael’s poetic response to John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields,” which I always read quietly on Memorial Day:

“We cherish, too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led;

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies....”

Just a reminder: Reverend Belisle and the members of the Chilmark Community Church will host their annual Blessing of the Fleet at 9 a.m., Sunday May 30. The blessing will include commercial, recreational and fishing boats along with the Coast Guard vessels and others. All are welcome to attend the service, which will be positioned alongside Menemsha Texaco. Please bring a chair if you’d rather not stand.

Things around Menemsha Bight have come alive. The grill has been heated up at the Galley and the soft serve machines are chilled, filled and ready to squeeze out some icy goodness. Opening day is always an awe-inspiring event. Thank you to Tony, Jack and crew for being open once again to fulfill the town’s intense needs for soft serve, frappes, burgers, fries, hot dogs and so on.

The Ruel Gallery is open weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the time being. Nettie and Colin have hired their first employee so be sure to say hello to Caitlin, the new face on Basin Road.

The Division of Fisheries and Wildlife was asked by University of Massachusetts to make a bathymetric map of Squibnocket Pond to aid a graduate student who is working with the Wampanoag Tribe on a River Herring project. The project encompasses Squibnocket and the herring run to Menemsha Pond. Caleb Slater was the lucky guy to come to town and assist with the project. He used a GPS chart plotter to collect 10,000 depth/location data points covering the entire pond that will be made into a bathymetric map. The map/chart will resemble those you may have seen with the “bathtub rings” of increasing depth. According to Caleb’s data, Squibnocket Pond is approximately 20 feet at its deepest. Fishermen always ask and now we all will know.

It’s a sure sign of spring when I get my first hug from Emma and Ray Shalhope, one of my favorite couples. The Shalhopes are back at Barn Again, perched at the top of DH’s Hill. We’ve only had the opportunity to catch up a tiny bit, so I look forward to much more.

A big shout-out goes to Chris Mayhew, son of Anne and Johnathan. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island this past weekend. Mom and Dad were lucky to be there and witness it. How do these kids grow up so fast?

Seth Karlinsky is back on the beat, manning the trash cans dispersed around Menemsha Harbor. He does a fine job tending their constant filling and also keeps a watchful eye on the restrooms. It’s a thankless job so please be sure to share a little appreciation the next time you see him, Please do your part and pick up and properly dispose of any debris you might wander by as you travel through the Basin. It’s a team effort to keep refuse at bay. Thank you for keeping Menemsha clean.