Wonders will never cease. I had some seeds kicking around from 2008. They were stored in less than ideal conditions. I threw a row of Provider green beans into the ground and they actually germinated. The will to live is a powerful force. I’ve heard of a type of wheat, kamut, found in the Egyptian pyramids, which germinated after thousands of years.

It’s official. I am hopelessly behind. The schedule I set for myself is totally unrealistic. The good news is that I do keep moving forward. I put a few tomatoes into the ground. It seems early but I have noticed people putting out impatiens. They seem more tender than tomatoes.

I have seeded some squashes and cucumbers into four-inch pots, but still have them in the greenhouse. The nights are still chilly.

Violet and I took a drive up Main street in Vineyard Haven out around West Chop. I was surprised at the number of blooming dogwoods. These are the real deal — cornus Florida. Supposedly they have a disease which is killing them in North America. It is hard to believe. They look spectacular.

I must compliment the owner and/or gardener of the place just past the West Chop Light on the other side. They have what I must say are three perfectly pruned lilacs — white and dark purple. If you want to know how to prune them, take a drive by. All the lower branches have been removed and the tops are simply loaded with blooms.

The little shop for rent between Island Entertainment and down-Island Cronig’s has a couple of beautiful Montana clematis on the side. They are, I believe, the earliest of the clematis to come into flower. Honeybees are particularly fond of them. They have a wonderful vanilla scent.

My son Jeremiah gifted me with a beautiful yellow magnolia. It is the hybrid cultivar Elizabeth. I’m not going to plant it until after the blooms are gone. I do not want to knock off any buds in the process.

Speaking of blossoms falling from trees, don’t you just love all the pink spent blooms in perfect circles under all the ornamental cherries?

My English hyacinths and Star of Bethlehem are both beginning to bloom. It is a welcome sight, as all the tulips and daffodils are gone and looking pretty sad.

It’s all or nothing with the weather. Last week the incessant wind dried out everything and now here we are facing a week of rain.

I have absolutely no reason to complain. I have been following the Mississippi River flooding downstream. As I write, they have just opened the Morganza Spillway in an effort to save Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Most of the residents facing huge loss of property are resigned to the fact. I admire that resolve. I cannot begin to imagine.

Being foremost a mountain girl, flooding wasn’t something that ever worried us in Rew, Pa. The creeks would swell and rise down in the valley, but we were high and dry, so to speak.

Living on the Vineyard all these years has changed my perception. My brother now refers to me as a “flatlander,” a not too complimentary term.

Flooding on the Vineyard seems confined to Five Corners and an occasional basement.

Why, one wonders, would anyone choose to live on a bayou? Mosquitoes and snakes! The food and music must sustain them. They must wonder about our choosing to live where it snows. To each his own!