(no subject)

[Isabel Tipton]

Good Morning Penpals;
I wrote half a page of a leter to you a couple of hours ago- then the
power went out, and of course I hadn't saved it----
It is raining and wet here, again- the last week has been damp.  the
slugs adore it- I found 11 that is eleven- on one daylily this morning.
I am off to a flower arranging get-together this afternoon.  For over 20
years I have belonged to a small group which does avant garde stuff.
Our numbers are dwindling, our leader is over 80, and we decided to join
another group if they would have us.  They said yes, so the first joint
venture is this afternoon.  Should be fun.  Last night the garden club
was supposed to have a dessert party in someone's garden- cancelled.
Try again next wek.
So my sour cherry cake is for general consumption- and is half gone.
The vegetative growth this year has been phenomenal, as I have probably
told you, and this week of warm rain has not slowed anything down!
Clematis Alpina is blooming for the second time, as is viburnum
Carlcephalum.  Confused.
Last year , remember me complaining non-sstop about Cerinthe Major?
Well this year I bought the more expensive seed of C.major 'Kiwi Blue'.
What a difference- shorter, so not so apt to flop, the blooms are navy
blue, the bracts and upper foliage is electric turquoise in some lights,
burnished navy in others.  Nobody passes it without asking about it.  If
it sets seed like the other, I will have lots to send in the winter seed
swap.  Apparently , self sown seedlings were up and blooming by April
for some lucky people.  We might not get as mild a winter this year, so
may not be so fortunate again.  I have it in several locations, and it
doesn't sem to fight with any colour- particularly good with pink and
pale yellow.
The local news here is full of the fishing season and it's troubles-
Southern BC coho salmon stocks are way down, so the coho season is
closed to all- commercials, sports, aboriginal, you name it.  They are
all in full complaint;, forgetting that spring, sockeye, chum, cod,
halibut are open, and that if they fish the ocean dry what do they then
expect to do for a living.  As a fourth generation conservationist I
find their attitude puzzling.  In gatherings I find myself keeping my
mouth shut, or getting into large arguments- so I try to keep quiet.  I
must be getting old- if I actually wrote that I avoid arguments!!
Neither of my brothers would believe it.
If any of you have access to a gardening mag out of Toronto, called
Gardening Life, take a look at the pictures of Valerie Murray's garden.
Valerie is a good friend, and a wonderful gardener.
The story is in the summer(current) issue.  We swap plants, on
occasion.  They no longer have a driveway- she rents a jackhammer and
turns her teen aged son loose with it!  she also has a pretty generous
garden budget, which helps. But her eye for a plant and where to put it
is really good.
Must get with it, as I have errands to do-  Take care,
Isabe