I’m writing on Monday this week as I’m on a road trip mid-week. I’m already whining about possible rain while we’re on the highway.

Sometimes a person should not look at weather forecasts. Most of the time they are wrong anyway and it causes unnecessary angst.

While attempting to leave Vineyard Haven during Beach Road Weekend, there was plenty of time for rubbernecking in the traffic. The house opposite Delano Road has a few wonderful sunflowers peeking over the fence.

I have some in my garden that are absolute magnets for adorable goldfinches.

A few weeks ago I cut all the bug-damaged leaves from a row of collards. The chickens enjoyed them. Now there is a new crop of perfect leaves. Hopefully, they will meet all my winter need for greens.

My first planting of green beans has seen better days. I pulled them all up as well as the zucchini plants. I got a couple more meals and a new area to receive buckwheat.

Recently I complained about no longer having a gas stove with a pilot light. My ability to dry foods was cut short.

I purchased a food dehydrator and have been experimenting. I started with some tomatoes. Cut in half and placed on the trays (six of them), they took about 12 hours or overnight.

They came out perfect so I got inspired next I tried some Jimmy Nardello peppers. They were red ripe. I removed the stems, seeds and membranes. They may be too dry so I think they can be chopped — say, in the coffee grinder — and used like paprika.

Next I attempted some thin slices of patty pan squash. I salted them for an hour or so to remove some of the water. They are edible but not quite wonderful. Oh well.

In other food news, I received baby chicks this week. These are meat birds that should be in the freezer in just a few months.

I order them from Murray McMurray Hatchery, a company in Iowa. I’ve ordered from them for many years. In fact, I haven’t eaten store-bought chickens in almost 50 years. I’m not saying this to brag or apologize; it’s simply a fact. I cannot bear the thought of living conditions in our national meat industrial complex.

Anyway, they are two dollars a piece and will be more than two pounds in six weeks. If I let them go until four or five months they dress out at eight pounds.

They hatched Monday and I got them via the U.S. mail on Wednesday. They can live a couple of days with no food or water. This is a design of nature. If they had a mother, all the babies would not hatch at once. The first hatchlings would have to wait for their siblings before Mom would take them out for food and water.

Mine are now a week old and eating nonstop. Veritable eating machines. They are still inside under a light but hopefully can go out to their pen in a few more days.

I suffered through most of the G.O.P.’s first presidential debate.

I was somewhat impressed with Nikki Haley. She educated Vivek Ramaswamy about global politics, national security and the importance of ongoing aid to Ukraine.

He was super confident in his cluelessness and had impressive teeth.

All but two of the candidates would still support an indicted felon even if he was found guilty. What a world.