A hotter day for some than others!

Phew - what a scorcher! For Oban, anyway. I've been sitting out on the deck and the thermometer beside me registered almost 28°C. OK, that was in the sun, but then so was I! Even with ginger beer and Jane Austen it was pretty hot! Unfortunately my nearest neighbour, some 40ft below and 80ft away, spent 45 minutes on the phone standing outside his house. Why do people always shout when they're talking on a mobile?

My Blip today is the rapidly extending flower stem of the Beschorneria septentrionalis that I bought in Cornwall last October. Can't be too long before it flowers - that will be a sight! Susie is soaking up the sun beside it!

Before lunch I popped down to Homebase to get a few things - and reminded myself once again that I should never go out without a camera. There had been a fire at Buildbase, and there were a couple of fire engines and lots of firemen about. One of our local photographers, of course, was standing outside taking pictures! We passed by on our afternoon  walk and I took a picture through the gate, but the excitement had all gone! I put a pic on as an extra anyway!

I had a quick look around the plant section at Homebase, of course, and bought an orange Ornithogalum which I'd not seen before. That was all that was on the label, but it proved easy to identify when I got home - O. dubium, from South Africa. Supposed to be hardy down to Zone 7 if planted in a dry place against a wall. We'll see!

Quote of the Day:

Louis Wain - “If there's one spot of the sun spilling onto the floor, a cat will find it and soak it up."