I was so happy with the good amount of rain we received on Saint Patrick’s Day. It had been several weeks since we’ve had any — plus there has been a relentless drying wind for seemingly weeks. My Chappy friend reported a brush fire in her neighborhood a week or so ago. I even heard there were some wildfires on Long Island last week. That’s way too close for my liking.

The rain allowed many more of the spring bulbs to emerge. The later large variety of crocuses is already blooming. Good thing, since the earlier species variety has already seen better days. I don’t like to order mixed colors, but rather put several of the same together (as many as 12 bulbs), then another color near by.

Years ago, I planted white (Jeanne D’Arc), purple (Flower Record) and a purple and white striped variety (Pickwick). They don’t spread as rapidly as the species types, but still make quite a statement.

None of my daffodils are blooming as yet, but Marie mentioned that her mother-in-law’s patch is beginning to show color. Mary Larsen planted them in the 1950’s and they enliven Beetlebung Corner every early spring. I noticed the small ones (I think they are the Tete de Tete variety) blooming on the corner of Union and Main in Vineyard Haven.

Another thing I noticed this week that tickles me is the fenced garden on Panhandle Road just past the corner at the fair grounds. It has a blue and red door at each end of the plot. It’s much more fun than a traditional garden gate.

Speaking of fun, I thoroughly enjoyed Paul Karasik’s cartoon in last week’s paper. It was a tutorial about how to properly split firewood. As a young, single mother in the 70s, I had a wood stove for heat (still do). I was sometimes splitting late at night just to keep the children warm. I broke several handles. I mentioned this problem to Craig Kingsbury, who told me to aim for where I wanted the ax to end up. I’ve never broken another handle. Paul’s cartoon worded it, “aim for the stump.” Great advice, which actually works.

UPS delivered my sugar maple seedlings this week. I ordered 12 (like a nut case). They are two-feet tall, bare-rooted and already showing signs of life. I used a new company — Chief River Nursery Company. I put them into gallon-sized pots and plan to let them get settled and established. I guess it doesn’t matter where I plant them, since I’ll be long gone by the time they mature. I hope my grandchildren and great-grands will make some syrup someday. Supposedly there is a law in Vermont that if you plant a sugar maple on someone else’s land, your children (and their’s) can both tap that tree. I hope that is true.

It’s about to get busy here on the Vineyard, but I’m still running into old friends here and there. We probably won’t see each other again until late fall. I think Cronig’s should set up a coffee bar — folks are always hanging around gabbing.

A friend, who shall remain nameless, sometimes sends me some clippings and cartoons. I keep them in a folder labeled “Handy Quotes.” They are useful since I rarely have an original thought. With the present political situation, I need a break from fretting.

“So long as governments set the example of killing their enemies, private individuals will occasionally kill theirs.”

-Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915).

“Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.”

-Honore de Balzac (1799-1850).

“We’re going to win this war not by fighting what we hate, but by saving what we love.”

-Star Wars

“This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when a baby gets hold of a hammer.”

-Will Rogers (1879-1935)