Second flush

Most of my flowers have suffered sadly from the weather this rotten summer, and today I noticed that the rose (Josephine Bruce) that had given me such lovely blooms a couple of months ago is about to produce several more - presumably a result of my loading home-made compost onto the bed last year. Its little thin stem was bowing low under the onslaught of this morning's rain, so rather than leave it to droop outside where I won't be sitting looking at it any time soon I brought it in to delight at dinner, when it sits between the lit candles on the window-sill.

The little brass snuffer visible beneath it was a 50th birthday present from my dear friend Colin, who found it for me in an antique shop.