We were supposed to hit 100 today, but thankfully remained in the mid 90s, right now at 8:30ish its cooling off into the high 70s.I just got back from listening to my DSs band at our little outdoor amphitheatre downtown on the river; they have free concerts there every Friday night with various local bands. Took some pics but they turned out too dark I think. Its expected to remain hot through the weekend. September can be pretty toasty here, good for the grapes , as harvest and crush gets into full swing. Im thinking about purchasing a one shot-deal cleaning when I go back into the multiple listing service next month. I just dont seem to be able to get out from these 10 hour days at work-today I was there from 6am till 5pmat least I have no commute , but some days Im just drained when I come home and housework is the last thing I want to do. Id much rather deadhead floppy asters and rudbeckias ! Marian, enjoy your time with your family visitors ! Will you all go out to breakfast at the One Stop ? Maybe this is not till the weekend of the 13th ? Saucy, I think its about time we get some progress pics on all this stuff you have planted, you could even include a shot of the newly dolled up toes... So were the heck has Chelone gotten to the last few days ? Gonna go watch the last 2 innings of the Dodgers. Kathy in Napa

Wanted to let you know I sent my seeds yesterday. Please let me know when they get there. Thanks again for hosting. Hugs, Lisa & Kayla NEW E-MAIL: watchingthegardengrow@yahoo.com

lolita // nabakov even though "lolita" was technically a "nymphet", i'm going with this...humbert humbert

Below is a link to BBC Radio 4 and a reading of 'And His Letters . . .' by the actor Nigel Havers who btw is appearing as Maxim de Winter in Rebecca on the London stage. Perhaps not quite Olivier but he does have that aristocratic 'something' about him. At the BBC site click on Monday And regarding aristocrats, Frieda, maybe some people in the UK feel that a hangman's gibbet should stand outside the House of Lords or that hereditary peers should be replaced by friends of the Government with deep pockets . . . not so different from the old system when you consider how many 'top people's' ancestors obtained their titles. Either way, arriving with William the Conqueror or slightly more recently when various Royal Mistresses demanded positions for their offspring, this group is part of the Establishment. No amount of money, delicacy of character, nobleness of soul makes it possible for the rest of us to join this elite group (and it is amazing how many would like to be Up There). Top actors, pop singers, Party Girls etc hang round the edge but they are almost never admitted into this inner-sanctum. Of course there are some very wealthy people in this bracket; mostly from ownership of land and lots have 'Stately Homes'. Many of you have probably been to Chatsworth, Castle Howard, Warwick Castle etc. who's owners have wisely turned their properties into money-making enterprises. Interesting about the story of the student and her father. Surprisingly over here, for everyone below Royalty if such a thing had happened (a father writing in on behalf of his daughter) any university would have put the application straight in the bin; there is no automatic right of entry to any uni' for sons/daughters of alumni. Re adoption: there are certainly far fewer babies available these days. Although many many more babies are being born 'out of wedlock' (for want of a better expression) this is usually by choice . . . of at least one parent . . . and in both big cities and small country towns the sight of groups of very young females pushing baby buggies, smoking, chatting to boys (the possible fathers?) is very common. Our Govt gives out vast amounts of benefits to this group so the need to put a baby up for adoption is very low and many people only want healthy white children. The Social Services who are usually the first port of call in these matters make the 'process' very very difficult, especially for middle-class couples. It seems that if a child comes from a poorer, perhaps racially mixed background the social workers wants it to be adopted by people from that 'class' without considering whether the child might stand a chance of a better life. Some parents look abroad as I expect they do in the US, but this can lead to even more problems . . . and cost far more than going through the usual channels. When the cases of the Romanian orphans was first aired on TV some people tried to adopt a child, thinking with their hearts rather than...