"Surviving the century"

Our annual Science Festival kicked off today, and we went along to hear Martin Rees. As before I found him brilliant, but infuriating. It consoled me to know that, like the rest of us, he's "a worried member of the human race." But are we all? I do wonder.

The first half of the lecture analysed cogently - though some of his conclusions stuck in my throat - our present situation and the immediate future outlook. But then Lord Rees took off into the way ahead ("... if we  get through this century"). "The post-human era beckons," he told us, and we were asked to consider whether we should feel guilty about exploiting robots.

You - or was it just me? - were left feeling what's the point of seeking to improve our present situation, by (inevitably) so very little... Late though it is, like Voltaire, I should perhaps just be off to cultivate my garden. (I photographed this peony of Caroline's there this morning, using my new whizzo camera: the family presented me with it for my birthday!)

Our garden - forget the Chelsea Flower Show

My cousin Bruce wrote recently from New Brunswick about the serious flooding near where they live. "Many streets in the city of Fredericton have turned into canals and families and animals down stream have been evacuated. One farmer had to move 140 milking cows by barge." Here, we have been spared any torrential rain so far. Indeed, it's been dry apart from some rain at the weekend, which has helped our potatoes, beans and sweet peas to put on growth - the photograph was taken early this morning. We are eating our leeks, spinach and rhubarb; and the roses are beginning to look good. Caroline's yellow tree peony has been magnificent this year. We are praying there will be no late frosts, as our bedding plants have mostly gone out now (for the benefit of those being brought round by our selling agents!).