It was so wonderfully warm and sunny on Tuesday that I saw a honeybee on my crocuses. Crocuses are carpeting the property right now. They show up in the most random places. I certainly did not plant them in the middle of the driveway or right next to a tree stump. Snowdrops are also everywhere and I’m seeing the greenery of daffodils.

My 18-year-old dog is spending this spring in the heavenly dog park. I miss her. Every year her bathroom spot on the lawn had my only recurring tulips. The deer wisely avoided that area. They (the aforementioned tulips) are already up four inches. Wonder how long before the deer find them this year sans dog poo? Back in the day’s before leash laws, my lab/rottweiler mix spent nights outdoor in a cozy house, free to roam as she wished. I never had a deer problem in those days. Then, as she got old and deaf, Bambi and his entire family moved in.

For any travelers of Middle Road, check out the enormous witch hazel in glorious bloom at Brookside Farm. This is the property directly opposite the Mermaid Farm Stand. They have another generation of long-horned cattle. I remember in the 80s when Buck and Shorty were still alive. Their horns were so long they had to tip their heads sideways in order to fit through the barn door.

In the nick of time, I finally got the fruit trees pruned. It was beginning to get too warm. If you are dealing with a neglected older tree, it is best to only remove a third of what is needed this year — another third next early spring. Cut off all the suckers on the trunk and any new growth going straight up.

I cut several branches for the house. Forsythia bloomed indoors in less than a week. I have noticed the following for several years and have yet to find an answer. When the twigs of a red quince are brought inside, in a week or so they bloom white instead of their fellow’s bright red. I also tried some magnolia branches. They have yet to open and do resemble pussy willows. By the way, a willow branch in water will cause the water to act like a rooting agent for other plants. Who knew?

For the past several years, I have had rosemary make it through the winter. I put them on the south side of the greenhouse with some hay acting like a blanket. This winter’s cold was too much for them. Guess I should start some seeds if I want it this year. I only use it in chicken stock. Speaking of chickens, I was alarmed by the news of a backyard flock in Edgartown testing positive for bird flu. Now that the federal administration has done a 180-degree turn in regard to public health, I feel the lack of reliable information.

Before Dr. Fauci became a whipping boy for the MAGA crowd, we looked to him for Covid updates. Here we are on our own. I’m so sad at the thought that my small flock of chickens may have to be euthanized. I’ve had generations of them for over 50 years. I’m wondering if I should prepare them for the table, so that their little lives will not be in vain. Conversely, I might adopt the old head in the sand approach.

Wouldn’t it be great if all the folks in charge — many with elephantine egos — could try to be the best in humanitarian endeavors? Instead, it seems Elon Musk is just trying to be the world’s first trillionaire at the expense of the rest of us!