this is why cats are evil, just FYI

[edenfalling]

When my mom visited on June 8th, she brought me a random pepper plant -- I guess because I was already growing my own peppers and her gardening leans more toward flowering plants than toward edible vegetables. I photographed it on June 11th. As you can see, it was oddly low-set, but very full-leafed and obviously flourishing.




I put it outside on June 18th, to keep my onion company.






Two days later, something beheaded it. I am pretty sure, in this case, the culprit was one of my neighbors' cats rather than a passing squirrel. The dirt had not been disturbed at all, you see, and squirrels just aren't that casually cruel in their destructiveness.




However, a few leaves at the base of the main stem survived, and as the plant has not yet died from shock, I have hopes of its eventual recovery. I moved the plastic info stake closer to the remnant leaves on the off chance that it might serve as a vague deterrent to further attacks. We shall see what happens.