16,438 days

Impatiens parviflora
(Small-flowered Touch-me-not, Smallflower Touchmenot, Small Yellow Balsam)

i've been trying to think of a good "birthday blip" for a few weeks now...

i'm not sure what the first single i ever bought was - it could have been both "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth Wind and Fire and Devo's "Whip It" - but i get the feeling my sisters' bought those... i sold all my 45s a long time ago, and i always preferred LPs anyway...

the last single i bought as a download was Cage Against the Machine's "4minutes 33 seconds" but digital virtual nothingness does not a good blip make...

F bought me a tour of the Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile today which was great (highly recommended) but none of my pictures came out terribly well... this was followed by coffee and cake with friends (thanks E-R & D)...

SO ANYHOO i've been trying for ages to get a decent picture of this non native (as it is apparently scarce in Scotland). it in quite shaded woodland that only gets dappled sun mid morning... and today i managed it! woo hoo!

Happy Birthday too to Michael Gove who i discovered is the same age as me!!! oh well... onward and upward :-)