Here it is — a rainy Tuesday afternoon. I just came indoors from an NPR driveway moment. They were talking with people who had just survived the evacuations in fire-ravaged California. My takeaway was: rain is good — even cold, windy rain.

There is still much to be enjoyed in the gardens. The three varieties of garden mums at the righthand entrance of SBS have looked good for weeks.

The fall colors on the oak leaf hydrangeas is particularly nice. Notice all of them in the down-Island Cronig’s parking lot.

There is a beautiful rose on a fence near the Edgartown Road just as you turn onto Mt. Aldworth. I think it is a fairy. Then, also I believe some Betty Priors are in full bloom up the drive-through at the Martha’s Vineyard Savings Bank. Also, there are some osteospermum and Marguerite daisies are still in bloom. Mine have all frozen. Downtown Vineyard Haven seems to enjoy its own microclimate.

As I mentioned last week, beech trees are the last to lose their leaves. A trip up West Spring street shows them off.

I’ve lived on the same property for over 40 years. For many years, I would stop along the road and retrieve bagged leaves. I needed to improve the soil on the place. One year, I got dozens of bags with nothing but maple leaves. I dumped them out on the edge of the driveway. Seedlings began appearing the next spring. Now I have at least ten beautiful maples over 40 feet tall. Once again I repeat myself: isn’t nature grand?

I started some foxgloves from seed back in March. Because they are biennial, I did not expect them to bloom until next year. I was surprised and delighted that they came through for me this past spring. I cut the spent stalks back to the ground and walked away. Here it is almost Thanksgiving and they are blooming again. Granted the flower stalks are only about a foot tall but what a pleasant discovery as everything as everything else is starting to look tired.

A couple of fun news items from the vegetable garden. A few years ago a forsythia randomly appeared in a patch. For some reason, it is in full bloom this week, still sporting green leaves.

Ever since I discovered celeriac and how easy it is to grow, I stopped torturing myself with vain attempts to grow celery. It was always too stringy and bitter. I discovered a perfect head of it growing in the row of celeriac. It must have been a mistake in the seed package. It’s so good, I have to rethink my previous disdain.

Oh, one more thing. There is lovely goldsturm rudbeckia blooming at the entrance to Cronig’s. I love that plant. Do be careful, however, it tends to spread like crazy.

I was going to poke fun at DJT this week for refusing to honor World War I veterans at the French cemetery. You know — either feared getting his hair wet or still can’t figure out an umbrella. It’s no longer any fun. It’s just embarrassing.

I’ve met all kinds of people in my decades on earth but I really cannot recall anyone so self involved as our President. His behavior post-midterm election has been scary and ridiculous. Both George W. and Obama took their rebukes in 2006 and 2010 with grace and a measure of humility. DJT does not know the meaning of those words.

I never cared for any policies of Ronald Reagan but the guy could smile, tell a joke and empathize with others.

I hope a couple of Supreme Court seats and a big tax cut for the rich are enough to let the current G.O.P. in Congress sleep at night.