Plan on me complaining endlessly about the lack of rain. It’s totally useless, however, as the weather, just like my family members, does not respond to criticism.

Recently I watched a young man on a riding lawn mower moving the strip of grass between the road and the bike path. He was completely enveloped in a cloud of dust. I’m pretty sure no clipped grass was involved.

I am usually on a schedule so I take Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road. On Tuesday afternoon I opted for the scenic route along State Beach. What a good choice. The rosa rugosa were in full and glorious bloom ­— both pinks and whites. Just recently in this column I talked smack about them. I take it back.

It seems early but the locust trees are blooming. There is a large stand of them on the west side of the field below Tashmoo Overlook. There are also nice ones opposite the Hillside Village complex.

It’s worth picking an arrangement of them if you can reach some. The fragrance is heavenly and they don’t last long.

While we are heading into a droughty situation, California has had a tremendous amount of rain.

My friend Mary Vascellero was in Palm Springs recently. She reported it was green and the desert was blooming. I believe it’s been years and certainly a nice surprise.

I noticed the Nip ‘n’ Tuck fields have been mowed; hay was raked and tied into bales. I remembered an experience when I was young. I got an enormous truckload of hay bales from Robert Norton. He has long since gone to his just reward. He showed me how to load 50 bales onto a pickup truck. It was a giant puzzle.

Thanks, Robert. I’ve never forgotten — although not being agile any longer, I am capable of bossing someone younger around.

There are a number of tent caterpillar tents along Edgartown-West Tisbury Road after the Barnes Road intersection, going towards Edgartown. Yikes. That cannot be good for trees along there.

Violet and I took great-grandson Zappa to the blessing of the fleet in Menemsha on Sunday morning. It was an annual event interrupted by Covid. So nice to have it back. A good crowd enjoyed the weather and festivities.

This week’s photos were taken by Violet. The purple are a variety of opium poppy called Lauren’s grape. They reseeded in my hoop house so they are earlier than those outside. They are an annual but will reseed like crazy.

The pink is a perennial Oriental called Princess Victoria Louise. They resent being moved but will live happily for years if undisturbed.

I made a mistake and put a few next to some pink peonies. They clash but I’ve never gotten around to moving the peonies. Errare humanum est.

It’s rich that when Republicans are in power, spending explodes — mostly as extensive tax cuts for the big corporations and the very wealthy. To wit: the DJT administration added $8 trillion to the deficit. That’s with a T.

Then Democrats get beamed for overspending on, oh, you know, food stamps, health care, housing assistance or student loan debt.

My favorite part of all this is the hardcore MAGA base is not rich and could use some of that Democratic financial help.

My Massachusetts share of the federal taxes goes to support those in deep red states. Don’t get me wrong: I’m happy to help but am amazed that we somehow are the bad guys.

On another subject, I am choosing to be willfully ignorant of the artificial intelligence technology. My brain is no longer capable. I still have a flip phone on purpose, use a clothesline outside to dry laundry and read a newspaper.