Last week’s warmer weather lit a fire under me, finally. Violet and I got out in the yard for some much-needed pruning and raking. Some blooming crocuses were uncovered. These are the species variety of very early bloomers, also called tommasinianus. Mine are soft lavender in color. Over the years they have spread like crazy, including into the lawn. The bunnies tend to enjoy them, so an occasional dose of Bobbex will help.

In the fall, I haul all the potted house plants and geraniums into an unheated back room. With barely any attention (or water), they languish until spring. After danger of frost, they are back into the bare garden spots for the season. Recently I noticed a crocus in one of those potted plants. I cannot imagine how it got there. I picture a squirrel transporting it up there or did it reseed? I don’t think that is possible, since they are long gone under ground by the time summer rolls around. At any rate, it is a mystery of nature, which both confuses and amuses me.

I spent quite some time this week doing stupid stuff. For some reason I am loathe to throw out sprinklers and Bobbex sprayers that don’t work. I pretend that any day now, I will fix them. As if!

I hauled out the hose, sat on a stool and tried each and every one. I’m happy to report I filled a trash can and now have several working items for the upcoming season.

Also on the agenda has been the using up of the stored produce from last year’s garden. I had several perfectly fine butternut squashes. I peeled them and tossed the chunks into some pork stock with onion and garlic. A quick blend with the hand-held blender produced a few days worth of soup. Besides some onions and a few sweet potatoes, I will be starting from scratch any day now.

At least 20 years ago, I made a vegetable garden for a home owner in Vineyard Haven. The property sold to a new owner who had me change the garden to flowers. A few neglected garlic bulbs continued to thrive and bloom each year. I liked seeing them so I worked around the growing patch.

The area of newly sprouted garlic plants is at least 300 square feet — oops! I began digging them to replant as single plants this year. Each clove should produce a decent bulb if given some room to grow and good fertilizer. I hope I don’t have to open a farm stand.

Speaking of which, there are great local farm stands on Island right now offering early salad greens, kale, collards, carrots and turnips. Given the state of our world—it’s really time to grow at least some of our own food.

In 1953, we got our first television set. The first thing we watched was the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. I can still remember every detail. The next week, I got measles. It was a long 10-day stay in a darkened room unable to watch that new TV. I was lucky to have survived the childhood diseases that ran rampant in the world at that time.

Here we are though, back into it. RKF Jr.’s anti-vax ideas have taken root in some sectors. Now, we have measles back. I wish I could muster up some anger, but I’m too sad.

In Ancient Rome, there was a tax on the rich to pay for free bread to be given to the poor. In time, authoritarian populism took root. Society began turning against itself. There was erosion of norms and concentration of power. Eventually, Julius Caesar emerged. As we recall, it didn’t actually end well for him.