The New York Times is loaded with stories about the extreme heat. There are feature stories about migrant workers in Texas and Arizona as well as elderly Italians in sweltering apartments in Rome. Thousands died last summer in Europe during heat waves — and this summer does not look good for them either.

Looks like the Vineyard is the place to be, not that we didn’t already know.

I don’t know why I’ll never learn. Hubbard squash is notorious for attracting squash vine borers. Sure enough, I had a couple that were easily more than 15-feet long, with soccer ball-sized fruit. In two days the plants were completely wilted. I search around their bases and they promptly peeled right off in my hand. The pest loves pumpkins, zucchini and Hubbards. It seems to leave butternuts alone.

I planted this year in an area that had not had any squashes for several years, so I smugly thought I would avoid them. There is no hope once they get a hold. Honestly, it is increasingly difficult to maintain any sort of good humor.

Bobbex on my property is simply an expensive condiment. I sprayed all the hostas so they ate the much-taller flowers.

I heard some jokes last week about how birds in big cities are stealing anti-bird spikes on buildings. This was a segment on the NPR program Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me! (My favorite.)

There were photos of birds’ nests constructed with those spikes as well as other trash discarded by humans. The ingenuity of our avian friends is remarkable.

Every Wednesday I have my four-year-old great-grandson, Zappa. I fed him some cabbage and pork stock soup with bow tie pasta. He’s a very good sport about eating and remarked, “This is making my sadness go away.”

I told him everyone thinks that about eating.

One time during my waitress years I served a very elderly gentleman a piece of Robert Cropper’s flourless chocolate cake. He said, “This is what God has for breakfast!”

I’m trying to get back some appreciation for all the food I do have. Not everyone is so fortunate.

I have a property on which we neglected to throw away the Halloween pumpkins in a timely fashion last fall. They decomposed and birds ate and distributed seeds in the flower bed.

The property owner was tickled so we left them. There are several tiny pumpkins already. We’re all set for fall decorating.

The Republicans hate Joe Biden and are trying to find anything so they can impeach him in revenge.

The Progressives think he has done nothing to push their agenda.

The Democrats think he’s too old.

The problem is messaging. He’s a good and decent man whose ego is intact. He doesn’t need to constantly brag. He has actually done more than his predecessors to take care of our business, infrastructure, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, lower unemployment, environmental legislation and bolster up NATO.

I guess someone younger is what we want? Joe Manchin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Ron DeSantis...oh, maybe a 77-year old indicted criminal. Have mercy.