It’s a week later and folks are still talking about the big storm. I don’t remember wind lasting for so many hours. Reports of 95 miles per hour gusts at the Chappy Ferry were alarming.

There are huge trees down and tons of debris to clean up. I did notice that many of the large trees were hollow in the middle so I guess Mother Nature did some of her finer pruning.

Sadly, I lost my big hoop house. Not only did the cover come loose, but the ridge board broke and many of the actual hoops are down. Everyone is much too busy at their own jobs to lend some assistance.

I traveled around to check out the various job sites. The garden beds were just plain beat up. Too bad, as they were looking great for mid-fall. I suppose I should be relieved as now I can begin the fall cut-backs without guilt. I never can bear cutting even annuals if they are performing. I know some like to be done with the fall work so the winter is worry-free. I’m not one of them.

I like a year-round garden with winter interest and spent seed-heads to attract birds.

I tried a new bean this year. I found it in the Sow True Seed catalogue. This is a company located in Asheville, N.C. that was founded by the Vineyard’s own Carol Koury.

The bean is an heirloom that came from seed saver John Coykendall, It’s called shantyboat butterbean, so-called because it was grown near riverbanks by people living on shantyboats during the Great Depression. It’s a beautiful, mottled red and white bean in the lima family. I have it drying in the oven with only the pilot light.

Speaking of pilot lights, I have an old gas stove that still has one unlike all the newer models. It was quite handy last week during the power outage. Still being able to cook is a big plus at such times. Now the new gas ranges have electric starts. Call me old fashioned but that’s just stupid.

Since we are on the subject of stupid, I need to whine about a daily task in my life that is totally of my own doing. Around Easter, one of my hens continued to set on a small clutch of eggs. She hatched out five adorable babies. I finally moved them back into the hen house with all the others. The mother promptly abandoned them so they have never gone into the coop at dusk like all the others.

Every night, I chase them around, rake in hand, until they head inside. I’m simply trying to save them an untimely death by raccoon. By the time I’m done, I could add quite a bit to the cuss bucket. The real irony is now I think three of them are roosters.

I am actually looking forward to a decent freeze. Now that most of the tender vegetables are beat up anyway, I would love to see the death of the hideous gray aphids all over the kale and collards.

One of my many character defects is the erroneous assumption that other people think like I do. I do not think I am alone in this thinking. It seems to be the human condition. To wit: the results of the Virginia gubernatorial race. It’s very clear that the Democrats are not willing to fight the way the Republicans do. I can offer no more except the media does not help.

Whenever you think that your vote does not count, take a look at New Jersey. As of 6 a.m. on Wednesday, Governor Murphy is leading by 35 votes statewide, out of millions.