The Survivors............

...............of nearly 30 Cosmos I planted!!! The first 10 I planted survived 2 nights - on the 3rd day, 4 bare stalks only remained. I then planted 10 more - next morning, 5 bare stalks, and yet another 10 - same again 2 days later! This called for drastic action and although I do NOT like using it, my neighbour had some Organic slug Killer which he used for me. The results were not 100% successful but I now do have about 14 growing and beginning to flower as you see. Maybe I should have given up but I do so like Cosmos and they last well in the house as well.

I THINK I am just about ready for the Builders who are supposed to be coming on Tuesday to try to sort out various damp patches in the dining room- I am not looking forward to it! As my regular Blip-pals will probably remember, my little cottage is really little and it is impossible to move furniture from one room to another - they will just have to pull everything into the middle of the room and work round it. The worst of it is I think they will have to remove the old plaster. I have warned them! All my bits and bobs and pictures are now stacked up in the bedroom - heaven help me if I have to get up in the night! Am keeping everything crossed.

The weather has been quite nice today - both sun and cloud but temperature in the low 60s.

Before I close, may I say how horrified I am to learn of the dreadful fires in Arizona where, in dreadful circumstances, 19 brave Firefighters have died - I can do nothing - but my thoughts are with all their families, their colleagues and friends and all those have had to be evacuated from their homes.