It was practically a heat wave on Monday when the temperature got up into the 40s. We spent some time outside.

It’s remarkable how a person can get smug about tidying up the yard and out-buildings. The facts tell a different story. Items simply get moved to new locations.

George Carlin’s stand-up routine about “stuff” is the ongoing story of my life. Part of it is my parents’ upbringing during the Great Depression.

When Jason Carter told this anecdote about his grandparents at Jimmy Carter’s funeral, I was baffled by the audience’s amazement. He said they have a rack for drying used plastic bags. I’m amazed that everyone doesn’t think to do that! Shirley Kennedy once told me she’s washed bags old enough to vote.

I guess I have a few garden related observations. Most fall under the category: “I wish I had done that.” To wit, Calicarpa also known as beauty berry could have been cut to the ground. Spirea has tons of dead sticks which are obvious this time of year. I hope I bundle up on the next sunny day and attend to that unpleasant task.

Apologies to my next door neighbor on this page but I have to talk about birds, specifically turkeys. They seem to prefer certain areas here in Vineyard Haven. One is the area between Woodland and SBS. They often stop traffic with their comings and goings. Recently, I pulled over to take a phone call in the area and was entertained by a large flock.

The males were doing their best to attract the dozens of young females. I wonder why or how their heads turn blue during the impressive display. There always seems to be at least one individual with a deformed foot, hobbling along with the crowd.

Back home, I’m hoping to chain myself to the desk for the annual end-of-the-year business work. Since I do not use the computer, I need to go through endless piles of tax receipts.

I am trying to not only accept the responsibility but also have profound gratitude for “stuff” and a home. This brings me to some thoughts about the California wildfires. As a gardener/home-owner, I’ve been thinking about some preventative measures. For example (and I’ve mentioned this countless times before) think twice before planting the highly flammable ornamental grasses too close to a dwelling. Be extremely careful about outdoor fires.

I have told this story before. One time, while sitting around a campfire on a windy day, a plastic outdoor patio chair blew into the fire. It went up like an oil refinery — billows of black smoke and embers more than 30-feet tall — all in a nano second.

No prevention could have stopped the unprecedented inferno in southern California. Literally, it must be hell on earth. What’s really terrible is the disinformation and pure political animus. The red-blue divide state divide is completely unacceptable in such a crisis.

The many acts of human compassion and kindness has become the order of the day. Hopefully, folks will be able to get back to some sort of normal with all of our help.