I took advantage of this past Monday’s weather. It was my last opportunity to make bread before the onslaught of full-on gardening. Early that morning right before the thunder and lightning rolled through, the sky became so dark and foreboding that I actually feared we might get a tornado. Pity the poor folks in the Midwest and South. It is a real danger for them especially in the spring. Let me say, once again, how much I love the Vineyard and its weather.

New life is everywhere. Several business establishments have freshened up their ornamental pots and boxes. Morrice the Florist is looking cheerful. Donaromas at the Eden location next to Woodland Market has all their spring wares on display. Heather and Vineyard Gardens opened with color all over the place.

Hopefully I’ll purchase some pansies and adorable tete a tete daffodils for the entryway.

There are a nice couple of blooming heathers at the State Road end of Causeway Road.

My star magnolia popped over the weekend. I’ve noticed a few large ones in my travels — in front of the Hebrew Center, at the Olsen place in North Tisbury and a pink-tinged one at the Grace Church sign at the Main street and Woodlawn intersection. Why, I wonder, do they have a stupid stop sign there? It seems so odd and random. I noticed the one at the library has been thankfully removed.

I never got around to cleaning up some hydrangeas in the fall/winter. They are in need and looking unkempt. I whiled away a morning worrying dead stalks loose on a couple of large specimens.

The pastures at Nip ’n’ Tuck Farm have greened up long before my pathetic lawn. Decades of cows and horses certainly helped.

I do not recall my hellebores being quite as spectacular. They have begun spreading all over the place. I’ve had them for several years but this is the first year they have taken off.

I brought some lilac branches indoors. They have formed some flowers which are only about two inches long and lime green. This is curious as the shrub itself is a regular purple old-fashioned lilac. At any rate, they are very nice in a vase.

A few weeks ago I mentioned the loss of several potato plants due to a hard freeze after the tender greens had emerged. Wonder of wonders, they came up again. Guess I’ll be more aware of the weather forecast and cover them if a cold snap threatens.

I cannot stop watching news coverage of the devastating fire at Notre Dame de Paris. Just this evening (Tuesday) I heard that the 400-year-old organ may be saved.

It will take a worldwide effort to get enough funding to restore the grand lady.

One good thing, there have been merciful Trump-free days of news for a change.

How about that Bill Weld?