Loved the pictures, Jane. The hydrangea is gorgeous. Tell Nancy I have 3 of them, one is blooming now, same color as yours. The other 2 are much smaller - don't have them in the right spot yet. The small lavender flowers with the dark markings is a musk mallow - malva sylvestris Zebrina. It gets pretty tall and reseeds abundantly. I like them as "background" plants because the leaves are large and quite attractive. The other plant that you described as a cross between a snapdragon and a pansy is torenia, I think. It was really too small to be certain. I don't know where it came from - not here, I don't think. I had some a few years ago and I don't think it's a perennial. Can't imagine it reseeding and having tthe seeds sprout 2 or 3 years later! Anyhow, it's named after Olaf Toren, a Swedish missionary who discovered it in China in the 1700's. It does pretty good in our hot and humid summers.

Speaking of hot and humid - YUCK! Supposed to get thunderstorms today - don't I wish! Ellen and Scott are on their way to Lynchburg now with Katie's "stuff" for her appartment. She will still have her dorm room and dining privileges, so we know she won't starve or be cold (or hot) and will always have a place to go to. They will be back late this afternoon and then Scott will go back to Fredtown. Ellen says she will stay over a couple of days which will be nice.

Somthing is eating my tomato plants! It must be something tall as only the top parts are gone. I have never known the deer to bother the tomatoes so can't imagine what is going on with them. The leaves are curling up too and I can't find out about that either. It's driving me crazy - I even dreamed about it last night.

I am now reading the last of the 7 new books, The Garden of Last Days by Andre Dubus III. Just started it - hope I like it. I have enjoyed the others very much, Lottery was just a nice, nice story. In the Woods could have used come judicious editing - just went on much too long, The Commoner was pretty dry. Katie left me her copy of Malcom X which I have meant to read for years now, so I will start that next. Dad and I had a conversation about how in the world the German people could have allowed Hitler and his regime to gain so much power so I recommended Stones From the River to him, which he has just started.

Well, that's all the news from the homefront. Oh yeah- one more thing - haven't caught the little siamese kitten but we did catch a cute little bunny. Set it free.

Nancy - will get Joey's birthday card in the mail this week!