Lately, I’ve been at a loss for a good lead paragraph. I tend to choose some weather-related commentary. Why should this week be any different?

I take my small hound dog everywhere in my truck. She is a huge wimp. Every time I open the door she begins to shiver in fear that I might make her go out in the cold. This is despite the fact she has on her little jacket. On Monday it got so ridiculous I gave her my cashmere sweater. Honestly, P.T. Barnum had it right — a sucker is born every minute.

I swear, I’m never mentioning another product. Everything I’ve ever liked gets discontinued or the manufacturing of said product is shipped to China. It’s never as good or the same. The most recent example is a Sharpie marker called Rub-a-Dub. It usually hangs in the laundry soap aisle at Cronig’s or Shirley’s Hardware. It’s the only one that does not smudge or fade when marking plant labels. I’ve been inquiring lately as they are out of stock. Debby from Shirley’s did some research and sure enough they are no more.

I like to use a few perennials in window boxes and ornamental pots. Then, at season’s end, they can be moved, dirt and all, directly into the perennial border. That way the dirt gets used and clean-up is much easier than the trip to the compost pile. One of my favorites for this is the lime-green heuchera, aka coral bells. There are several cultivars that can be used — Lime Ricky, Harvest Lemon, Lime Marmalade or Citronella.

They look good all winter and do not need cutting back. In early summer they have sweet, pink, tiny flowers. They are especially nice in full shade as they brighten the area.

Another nice perennial that is tall and spiky for the middle of a pot is crocosmia. The Lucifer cultivar is a well-known attractor of hummingbirds. When transplanted into a garden it grows in size and is quite impressive over the years.

I’ve been digging huge clumps of grass which I neglected to weed out of my vegetable garden all summer. The pigs are thoroughly enjoying them. They toss them about for quite awhile before polishing off all the greens and roots.

This month’s Edible Vineyard had a great article about food waste in our countyr and how to do our small part in solving the problem. Pick up a free copy. Speaking of articles, last week’s Science section of the Tuesday, Nov. 1, New York Times had a speculation about the purpose of the change of colors in autumn leaves. Four evolutionary explanations for the phenomenon were offered as food for thought: 1) Colorful leaves could attract birds and animals to the tree’s fruit to disperse the seed; 2) Perhaps the color warns animals away from defensive poisons in red leaves; 3) Maybe pests laying eggs prefer drab plants; 4) Possibly the red leaf acts as a sunshade helping leaves send nutrients into storage.

Whatever the reason, it is a beautiful time of year with the low light shining through the many colors.

I write this column on Tuesday evenings. I do it in long-hand. Bill Eville from the Gazette is kind enough to pick it up on Wednesday mornings at my house, and then types it up into the computer back at the office. I am grateful every week for this service.

It is now in the wee small hours of Wednesday morning and after several anxiety-ridden hours on the sofa watching election returns I see the unacceptable is about to happen, and I will need to accept it. To say that I am disappointed would be a compliment to my true feelings. Guess I’ll rummage around in the junk drawer and find my “I never thought I’d miss Nixon” button.