Red Dahlia

It is very hot again and all I did outside this morning in the garden was re-pot some house plants. Then I got out the cushions for the swing hammock and I have spent a lot of today catching up on my reading. It is now too hot to stay outside, even in the shade on the veranda where the hammock is placed.

According to Mr A, the temperature, measured on a reliable thermometer is 43 degrees Celsius, although this was measured just under the veranda roof, rather than the air temperature. This reading was taken about six feet above the top of the hammock, which is probably why it is now too hot to stay outside; the air temperature is reading 28 degrees Celsius. However, both cats are outside sleeping in the shade under one of the cherry trees in the orchard; they have a higher body temperature than humans and so will not feel as hot as we do, although they do have a fur coat, which they cannot remove.

Today's picture is of a red Dahlia. Some of you may have seen my earlier blip where I sorted out a border; the sticks in the border indicated where the dahlias were planted; this is the only one which is in flower so far.



So that I remember next year.

All day yesterday I kept thinking I should remember something, perhaps a birthday or anniversary. This morning when I spoke with my daughter, she reminded me that it was twenty-nine years ago, on 13 July 1984 when the 'Band Aid' concert was being performed, that she dislocated her left knee for the first time; she was riding her bicycle at the time. Many dislocations as well as two operations eventually sorted it. I wonder if, like Oliver and Victoria she was growing faster than her muscles were able to keep up with her growth spurt. This was not considered at the time, but seems to be the stock answer these days when teenagers dislocate something.