I’m not positive but I think I have my earliest crocus ever. It was just one poking up between two rocks in the stone wall. The others are up and green. Perhaps the rocks warmed up enough on Monday to keep it along. This variety, crocus tommasinianus, is not to be confused with the later blooming and much larger crocuses such as Flower Record, Pickwick or Jeane D’Arc. These Dutch large varieties will come along several weeks later. It is hard, however, to predict anything at this point since winter as we know it does not exist this year. I’ve had snowdrops blooming for over two weeks, for Pete’s sake.

I feel behind in my spring tasks and should be hanging around the wood stove enjoying the birds at the feeder. I sat on a bucket over the weekend and weeded. It seems wrong but I nevertheless enjoyed myself.

I started some Purple Sprouting broccoli. I’ve never tried it before. It’s an heirloom from the UK that supposedly will winter over next year and form small purple heads. In the meantime the greens are edible all season.

As is my custom, I seeded the entire package. They germinated in just a few days on the propagating mat. Now, I need to separate the babies and hate to waste a single life. There are easily over a hundred. What’s wrong with me? My friends are saints. I’ll be passing them out shortly.

My son, Jeremiah, sharpened a few of my Felco’s. He is available for this service to anyone who phones the Vineyard Gardens office (508-693-8512) for a drop-off location. It’s great to start the pruning season with tools that now seem brand new.

Recently, I was involved in a traffic back-up on State Road. I woman with a purpose was moving quickly along toward the problem. Eventually, she was seen ushering a young deer from the road. It seemed dazed but unhurt. It reminded me to travel slowly since they may jump in front of cars at any time, night or day.

I’m fond of forcing branches. Forsythia will open indoors in just a week. Over a month ago I cut a small piece of my yellow magnolia. Just today I see that one bud is about to open. How fun is that?

Also, the deep pink quince twig has bloomed a pure white. Rarely am I able to figure out the natural world.

Farm Hub lettuce has become available again. Ghost Island Farm and down-Island Cronig’s both are selling it. I spoke briefly to Lynne Whiting at the produce section of Cronig’s who mentioned something about a switch from hydroponics. I need to get more information because it sounds interesting.

Before Bill Clinton left office he pardoned Marc Rich. This was extremely controversial and certainly ill-advised. To his credit, Clinton later expressed regret and to this day it is a stain on his reputation. Many of his fellow Democrats condemned the act.

Not so with the GOP and Donald Trump. Let’s see — Joe Arpaio, Scooter Libby, the Hammonds out in Oregon and now Bernie Kerik and Rod Blagojevich. Honestly, there is no end to the sad and depressing news. Now that he’s been “impeached and acquitted he cannot be stopped.

At this point the coronavirus on cruise ships is more acceptable and easier to process.