Mystery flower

First one to guess the mystery flower wins this week's star prize: a lifetime's supply of smugness.

In other news, I could breathe this morning through all the orifices designed for the purpose, which was nice, if brief. I can still only hear through one orifice, but my tongue has stopped bleeding (I might have forgotten to mention that, having been a bit in denial about it. Mr B ran away in horror when I showed him). Anyway, I did manage to do more than lying around today: CarbBoy had holiday school to go to and then there was a very frustrating shopping trip. (A woman was unnecessarily mean about my language capability, even though the person I was actually talking to retorted that she thought my French rather good. My retort was was a perfectly judged use of subjunctive, which felt like an appropriately passive-aggressive response...) Later, a good deal of weeding and a small amount of tomato planting.

The kids have started an army - with bandanas and a very cool flag designed by TallGirl. They spent the afternoon sawing down trees and making sharpened sticks. Let's see how that story plays out.

Meanwhile another two processions of caterpillars arrived (at the kids' sharp stick factory as it happens) and were duly dispatched. I don't enjoy killing nature, but even I can (reluctantly) see that this is a necessity. Mr B thinks that we've overfed the great tits (one of their main predators) this year - they'll be on short rations next autumn to encourage caterpillar foraging. Otherwise we might have to chop down our favourite tree.

Tonight, Life of Brian with the kids ("funny") (more swearing than I remembered) and then some late news for Mr B of the good/bad/not sure variety.