Some up-Island residents are very much in appearance most late afternoons as the deer chow down on the new grass in many Chilmark fields.

Chilmark is celebrating Earth Day today as I write and with some extra gratitude this year ... we can now see the earth! And, as it always does at this time of year, earth is producing many blooms. Even the skunk cabbage growth is welcome to our eyes.

Everett Poole and Diane Smith are on Lucy duty while dear, sweet Jane Slater is a tad under the weather. She’s only planning to be down and out for a couple of days but, nevertheless, you’re stuck with me this week. Conrad and Jane Neumann were up for a visit from North Carolina, and only agreed to return because they were successful in convincing Jane to let go of a few chores and simply repose. Well wishes to you, Jane, see you here next week.

Chilmark continues to thaw although the temperatures are a challenge to the sunshine that is trying to do its job. We still have a wintery aspect, but our snow cover is beginning to be a memory.