Featuring Jay's Journal – more than a photo blog
Today has been lovely, with temperatures around 20°C. At 5.30 this afternoon, with the sun hidden behind the clouds, the sky looked very interesting. I looked around, then directly above my head and noted a small rainbow-like arc. I called John to have a look and managed to get two photos.
It is a circumzenithal arc or “smile in the sky”.
Moments later it had disappeared.
A month or so ago I visited a garden centre with a friend, both of us with an eye for a bargain, bought a couple of plants reduced to 50 pence each. I bought a sweet pepper and an aubergine both looked healthy with buds. I came 
home and planted them in the ground. I then decided to do some research and realised they were both greenhouse plants and as I suspected it was very late in the season. I don’t have a greenhouse, but recently bought a plastic cloche from the pound shop to protect the plants as the nights are getting cooler.
To see the pretty flowers on the aubergine, a first for me, has been enough of a reward for my initial investment. Rio 
thinks I bought the plastic cloche for his warmth and comfort.
After taking the above photos, I was walking up the path and the echinacea’s beauty caught my eye – stunning!
At the end of June, the Church I attend had a visit from missionaries, at
the end of their interesting talk we were offered a gift. Inside the attractively tied tissue paper was a small mixture of seeds.
I recognized poppies and calendula seeds. We were asked to plant them somewhere suitable and see how they grow.
I sprinkled them on a newly cleared patch of ground, covering them with soil and watering the area.
Five days later already one or two seeds had germinated, the nasturtium 
grew quickly but was pecked off by a bird, another seedling was crushed when I was watering.
Twenty five days later most of the seeds have germinated, I recognise a Californian poppy (Eschscholzia californica) and I am looking 
forward to seeing them grow and flower.
I suspect there may be some weeds growing too, I will be able to remove those.
