When I was growing up, Daylight Savings Time was six months of the year. I lived 500 miles west of the Vineyard…therefore it was very dark in the morning and light until nine or so at night. Now, we have Eastern Standard Time for a mere four months. I’ve often said that “Daylight Savings” is the night people stealing from the morning people. 

I, for one, like it when it gets dark sooner—I can finally come inside and hit the sofa. It was nice to get some more rain on Monday. We had recently moved some shrub around on a property which, sadly, we discovered too late that the outside water had been shut off for the season. The prettiest scene this week was early morning at the Mill Pond. We’re talking Currier and Ives. The changing leaf colors were reflected on the pond.

There are some pretty vines threading up into trees along the roadsides. Most are invasive and horrible, but nonetheless attractive this time of year. Bittersweet and poison ivy are particularly noticeable.

Last fall, I tossed an ornamental pumpkin into the backyard and never looked back. This spring some baby plants emerged, which produced some odd and misshaped pumpkin. I put them around the place for decoration and, for fun, checked out the price of their fellows in the nurseries. I saved a small fortune because, once more, nature is grand.

We have started the fall cleanup on some job sites. Last week’s wind beat up an entire stand of fabulous dahlias. We salvaged a few for the house, but most were beyond hope. I left the stakes in them so we could find them tubers when it’s time to dig for winter storage.

Rusty at Ghost Island Farm has a bumper crop of butternut squash. Grab a few extras as they keep well over the winter. I’ve started pruning shrubs that are starting to rub on houses. It won’t end well if they rub all winter. It was popular in the fifties for folks to use foundation planting. This was to hide cinder block foundations. Landscape world has carried on this tradition for decades regardless of necessity.

Think twice if you are starting a landscape. Some gravel around the house will prevent dirt from splashing up onto the shingles. Shrubs should be at least three feet away and maintained yearly.

I was happy to attend the “No Kings” rally at Five Corners last Saturday. It was fun and hopeful. I loved to see so many kindred spirits. I am particularly annoyed with Speaker of The House of Representatives, Mike Johnson. I call him “Moses” Mike after he said God came to him in a dream and told him he was Moses. He’s managed several downright lies as to his refusal to swear in Arizona Representative-elect, Adelita Grijalva.

As a professed religious man, one would think he knows that not bearing false witness aka lying, is one of the Ten Commandments.