Too bad the weather does not respond to criticism because it’s been getting plenty of it lately. It’s hard to remember such a wet, windy and chilly April especially after a warm March. The seedlings are refusing to grow. Most are the same size from a few weeks ago. Nevertheless, I keep hoping and planting. My advancing age is beginning to take a toll. I seem unable to prepare more than a bed a day, especially since the weeds are growing like crazy.

Several years ago, I grew some rhubarb from seed. I noticed a very large one with a hollyhock growing in it. Both look so great that I’ll leave them as a mixed marriage.

I have been searching in vain for any asparagus. I expect some any day now from my 40-year-old bed. I planted it before I owned the property. I thought it would be nice for the next occupant but it turned out to be me.

Between Palm Sunday and Easter I purchased three, four-inch pots of miniature daffodils called Tete a Tete. They are still blooming perfectly in my window box. When they finally finish I’ll move them onto the border for keeps. They are a mere six inches tall with multiple blossoms on each bulb. They look like an Easter basket alongside a pink hyacinth and some purple violas.

I rarely have an original thought so I need to give my friend, Marie, credit for this one. Last year she used tulle as a covering on the cole crops. It is completely see-through and keeps the white cabbage moth from laying her disgusting worm.

The ornamental trees at the Mahoney’s garden center at the corner of County Road and the Edgartown Vineyard Haven Road are spectacular. Coming up the little hill from Edgartown is a real treat.

The deer are worse than ever. There were seven of them at my upper driveway in broad daylight. They are enjoying the emerging daylilies and hostas nightly. Little jerks!

With all the at-home time and gloomy weather, I’ve been baking a lot of bread. I used some as pizza crust recently and topped it with spring garlic, leeks, Swiss chard and Grey Barn hot Italian sausage.

Last year’s garden is still producing. How fun is that? It involves some detective work.

Someone could make some bucks this summer with all the closings. How about reviving a drive-in theatre. Some of my fondest memories of the 1950s came from our family outings at the local drive-in. Gord and Betsey would have my brother and me in our pajamas, we would take our own popcorn, watch a few cartoons, fall asleep during the adult film, and end up in our beds at home.

Every day I alternate between denial and irrational freaking out about our present world situation. This week we passed a sad milestone. More Americans have died from Covid than we lost in the Vietnam War. When and if we are able to travel again, it is worth a trip to our nation’s capital to spend the day at the war memorial and understand what almost 60,000 names look like.

For all the attention that DJT likes to give to the national polls he seems to be misinterpreting most of them. All the governors that he insults have at least 20 points on him in job approval numbers. The woman in Michigan is at 70 per cent and he loves to pick on her.

I will give him some credit. He swings back and forth between every issue so when one side becomes politically damaging he can brag that he had the opposite view. He does not seem to remember that we all have the Google and everything is recorded.

I will never understand how someone either in the press or the administration does not take one for the team and call him out. A simple, “What are you talking about?” or even “I’m not fake news and you need to answer the questions of the American people who are your employers.”