We’ve been enjoying lovely fall weather here on the Vineyard. In contrast, I’ve been watching the next hurricane heading for Florida’s West Coast.

I pity the folks who are in the path. By the time the paper hits the newsstands, there will, no doubt, be some serious damage.

Back on the Island, the poison ivy climbing up trees in the woods is deceivingly pretty this time of year. Hopefully, no one picks it for a fall arrangement. On the other hand, the Virginia creeper is pretty and safe. I have one on the top of my garden fence, which is easily 30 feet long.

A nuisance is multiflora rose. It can get enormous. Its claim to fame is about five minutes of spring bloom. For some reason, I choose to cut it back without protective clothing. This may fall under old dog, new tricks.

This brings me to a sad segue. My extremely elderly dog, Lucille, died on Monday. A rescue cross between a German Short Hair Pointer and a Dachshund, she was 18 years old. Violet and I have been grieving. A dead dog brings up all deaths and memories of the hound of my youth: Emma Jones. There was a picture of Robert Douglas and the aging original black dog hanging in its namesake restaurant, the caption read “One Fine Dog.” Ditto for Lucille.

I got baby chickens via the US Mail this past week. We took a photo of one next to a dahlia that was eight inches across. This is the season for dahlias. Some are breathtaking and the fall light really enhances their beauty.

I have tons of tiny blue asters in the perennial beds. I suppose they are weeds, but I leave them since they are great fillers. Who am I kidding — they get left because I rarely weed.

I’ve noticed quite a few dead skunks on the roads lately. I guess they do not see very well. Poor things. I’m fond of them. They eat rats and mice. I try not to surprise or bother them.

In Pennsylvanian, the roadways were often littered with dead deer. No highway workers came along and picked them up.

There are some nice Montauk daisies at the down-Island Cronig’s parking lot. Also known as Nippon, they last for a long time as the cut flower. I’m not crazy about the smell, but they work well as a perennial landscape plant. They bloom starting in late September. It’s best to resist pruning until early spring. Lavender Russian sage and caryopteris also like to wait until spring before cutting back.

In August, I tossed a package of sugar snap peas will-nilly into a bed of kale and beets. They are producing enough to enjoy if they can be located in the tangle. I realize I am the queen of repetition. It is a character trait developed as a result of having children. They tend to never listen. At any rate, it’s time for a walk around the house. Remove shrub branches touching the structure. They will be wind-driven in winter to rub on the shingles.

I’m experiencing quite a bit of anxiety given the soon-to-be held national election. There is much discussion concerning the state of our democracy. We do not even have a true democracy. To wit: the electoral college. Blue votes in Massachusetts and red votes in Kentucky are a given. The election gets decided by just a few “swing states.”

Republicans have only won the popular vote once (in 2004) in 30 years. That 2004 vote was still dependent on the 9/11 attacks. I noticed Al Gore and Hilary Clinton did not reside at 1600 Pennsylvania avenue, regardless of winning the popular vote.

Don’t even get me started about the United States Senate. Wyoming’s 600,000 or so residents have two senators, the same numbers as millions of Californians. It would be nice to get back to real Republican party, so we could have some healthy debates and choices.