Summer Okinawa

Here is another orchid image, I will add their names when they are confirmed with grandfather. I particularly like flowers which are green or green tinged, this one is particularly gentle. This orchid's name is, Grammatophyllum scriptum, about which wikipedia offers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grammatophyllum

Summer Holiday

Hannah's grandfather in Okinawa has a garden richly endowed with flowers, particularly orchids. On the left is a photo of one of his orchids in bloom. This orchid is called Vanda, for which wikipedia informs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanda

Summer Holiday

We are all now on our summer holidays in Okinawa, at the home of our in-laws. Here you see a photo of Hannah in boxing spirits, jumping and waving clenched fists with a fierce laugh.

Solar Eclipse

Here is one of the images I managed to capture of the solar eclipse yesterday, 22 July 2009, at 11:05. Unfortunately, this being the end of the rainy season, the sky was heavily cloudy, with intermittent small breaks when this was taken. I think the thin cloud actually facilitated the photograph, as when the cloud cleared more there was overexposure, but the images produced are engaging and curious in different, not representation of eclipse, way.

As I edit the original images I will add some more later.

Courgette Stem

Every year a number of my courgettes succumb to some form of stem rot. I had put this down to squash vine borer, and thought the only possible solution was covering with nets. Well this year, the stem of one courgette plant severed, so i dumped it. Only later I learned I should have sliced the stem vertically, removed any insects and then left it suspended in a bucket of water for a week to re-root before transplanting it.

On Sunday, another plant is beginning to rot at the stem. But close examination revealed no insect infestation. The top of the split was sealed, but careful splicing of the plant revealed no insects inside. The bottom of the splice looked open, but I dreaded digging into the roots, certain this would kill the plant. But now my suspicion is this might not be vine borer but some form of rot. We are at the end of the rainy season, and sometimes it has poured for days. Often the rot occurs in the rainy season in these plants. When I looked at the image of a stem infected with squash vine borer there are similarities with this picture, but they do not perfectly match. Opinions please, is this squash vine borer infestation or is it stem rot due to excessive wetness/humidity, or to some deficiency that can or can't be rectified. Thank you.

Squash Serpente di Sicilia

This is the first Squash Serpente di Sicilia harvested, indeed it is the very first I have ever harvested. Here, Hannah is playing it like a guitar, enjoying the fun. Seems this can be cooked as courgette, I look forward to trying it.
The rainy season is ended or ending, and the squash and courgettes are blossoming again, so we look forward to a renewed wealth of fruits.
One of the courgette plants succumbed to squash vine borer so it was buried in the compost heap. It seems that was not the best solution.
Solution, if the stem is sheared, cut back the stem to where the squash borer is removed, perhaps jetting it with water. Then suspend the plant in a bucket of water until it re-roots and replant it. Re-rooting should take a week, and the plant will establish itself again.
If the stem is frayed. Eliminate the worm by spraying with strong jets of water. Perhaps this will need splicing the stem vertically and prying it open. Perhaps the worms will need to be cut, or otherwise destroyed. Then bind the stem back together again and bury it in earth and compost, as it will then re-root and regrow.
These will be the approaches adopted next time, hopefully not necessary.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Dancing hands on the piano.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

Pianist with action bassist.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

This is the hands themselves as the topic of the photo, low iso setting captures the movement as a blur.

Street Artplex Festival 2009

This is a photo of the audence reflected on the piano above the pianists briskly moving fingers.