It finally happened. We’ve gone into actual late fall in relation to the chilly temperatures. I saw on the news that my hometown and surrounding area received five feet of snow. They got the usual weather as a result of Lake Erie effect snow. This is not a common occurrence for us here on the Vineyard. The Blizzard of ’78 comes to mind, but not much else.

The annuals that I could not bear to pull up finally succumbed to a hard freeze. Nicotiana, lantana and even a few zinnias were doing their very best late in the season. One good thing about the cold is that the pests on the kale have finally died.

One member of the cabbage family — spigarella — did not seem to be bothered at all by aphids, cabbage worms and who knows what all. I have tons of baby leeks. This is the third generation. I planted the grandparents from seed three years ago. Some went to flower the following spring. I never got around to transplanting most of those children but pulled and ate them anyway. They never got to the size of store-bought but nonetheless were delicious and “free.” Hopefully this season’s babies will produce and I’ll not need to buy seed again.

Speaking of buying seeds, I’ve been overrun with catalogs already in the post office box. Didn’t they used to arrive after Christmas? Then again, thanks to our consumer economy, every season is rushed.

I’ve told family members that all I want for Christmas is for them to come to the house and take something.

On Tuesday, I took a trip off-Island for a medical appointment. It is astonishing how many workers commute daily. How early must they leave home to make that first boat? I missed my calling in marketing. They are a walking advertisement for Carhart and Thermos.

Violet and I took a trip to the newly-opened farmstead at Beetlebung Farm. The barn, from New Hampshire, was reassembled over the last year. They are milling grain and have a variety of Island-raised products. I found some beautiful celeriac. I forgot to grow it myself this past summer and was happy to incorporate it into some vegetable dishes. It’s more dependable than celery to grow and keeps for quite a while after harvesting. The leafy tops can add flavor to simmering stock pots.

On the subject of stock pots, I am a big fan of always having stock on hand. Our family eats a lot of home-raised pork and chicken, therefore, we always have bones to pick, so to speak. Tired, but not yet spoiled, vegetables can be tossed into the pot as well as still green and thriving herbs from the garden. After straining, the liquid can be cooked down to a rich base for all sorts of meals.

I do not get nearly enough credit for not saying everything I am thinking. To wit: I’m keeping my comments short concerning the brouhaha over the pardoning of Hunter Biden, who would not have needed to do it had Kamala won. The promised retribution administration would not go well for a recovering addict. After the pardoning of Charles, father of Jared Kushner, by Trump, he was given a sweet ambassadorship. Oh, and doesn’t the right and the NRA think gun background checks are an infringement on one’s civil rights?

I hope Joe Biden gets an entire set of World’s Greatest Dad mugs from Santa this year.