What I am about to say is unpopular but that has never stopped me in the past. I did not get enough winter. It’s been so nice most days that I did not get enough down time to simply putter around the house. There are several tasks left unattended that will now wait until 2020!

To wit: my attic will be here to annoy my children in the event of my untimely demise. I know I have every piece of macaroni they ever glued on a piece of paper.

On Monday morning I was in the Vineyard Haven post office dressed in my usual multiple layers, including long underwear. There were a couple people dressed in shorts and flip-flops. I love the Vineyard and the eclectic group of hardy folks who hang around here in March.

I finally started some serious pruning. The grape arbor was in need. Thankfully, my son, Jeremiah, had sharpened all my clippers. They are like new. Anyone can drop off their rusty dull snips at Vineyard Gardens and he will have you back in business for a reasonable price.

I have been hauling my flats of cold weather crops out into a cold frame. I pull back the plastic during the day so the plants can become accustomed to wind and sun.

Just like every aspect of gardening, there is always some sort of problem which tests the good humor of even the most cheerful among us. The cats found the nice warm flats and took a long afternoon nap. Little jerks. They do, however, keep voles and rats away so I guess I have to accept flattened seedlings.

I was saddened on Tuesday to hear of the devastating loss of the barn and livestock at Flat Point Farm. My grandparents Kate and Bill Irons lost their barn in the 1960s. They lived three miles from us down in the valley. We could see the red glow from our house. It was a loss that they never quite got over.

Just a few nice days and I have early crocuses all over the place. This is the tommasinianus variety. Mine are mostly purple. I’ve long ago forgotten the exact cultivar. I believe I planted a mere 25 tiny bulbs decades ago. They have filled in the entire bed and have gone rogue out into the lawn. The same is true of my snowdrops. There is a huge patch of them where the originals were planted and there are off-shoots some 30 feet away across a pathway.

Shortly, the Species tulips will flower. They are very short and almost look more like crocuses. I have both the Bakeri “Lilac Wonder” and a bi-color yellow and white. They do not seem to be bothered by the deer.

Speaking of deer, I hope I locate some Bobex in the shed shortly. One night and all could be lost. Last year they ate all the hyacinths and waited patiently to take every single tulip bud just as it was about to open. I cannot believe we are in the first week of spring and I’m already complaining about critters.

Violet is here for her spring break. We’ve been moving woodchips and compost around. We can no longer feel our arms.

I’m finally adjusting to the time change. I confess I had been hitting the sofa by 6:30 p.m. or so last month. Here it is almost 7 p.m. and I’m still tending to some outdoor tasks.

As a lifelong Democrat I cannot believe I, once again, must defend a Republican with whom I never agree. Our president, over the weekend, went insane on Twitter and, again, disrespected John McCain. Didn’t his parent ever tell him not to speak ill of the dead? Probably not. Clearly he missed several of life’s lessons that the rest of us learned in our youth.

It’s particularly rich that he brought up the senator’s college grades. Michael Cohen testified that he threatened Trump’s high school and college to never bring up Donny’s scores and grades. Let me say again, John McCain gave his all for the country in the Hanoi Hilton during the Vietnam War. Donal Trump had “bone spurs” and a rich daddy.

He wasn’t even a hippie or a conscientious objector. Then again, he’s never had a moral compass. He shows us every day his character, or the lack thereof.