I was surprised to go out to the vegetable garden – I hadn’t been there in a few days – and saw a giant sunflower reaching up to sky, riding a morning glory mountain over which it presided.

Wow. I raced Maria to the scene, we each had our cameras out, I bumped into her to get the shot first, but she is tough and bumped me back.

I wouldn’t like to say we are competitive, but sometimes old and primal instincts crop up. I’ve never seen a sunflower as tall as this on our farm, I give another nod to the power of donkey manure.