The Fresno brag table was not done by Fred on the 2nd of Oct.  His substitute asked people to tell about their plants, much as we do in Bakersfield.  Fortunately there were not a lot of plants, because this can take a long time with a club as big as the Fresno one. 

Rob Skillin spoke on the Colorado Plateau cacti.  His pictures were excellent and he interspersed plants and landscapes quite well.

On the 11th and 12th, of course, we had the annual show and sale in Bakersfield.  It went well, but it is a pity the East Hills Mall is so sparsely populated.  Perhaps its regrowth will continue.

Coming home on the 14th, we found a large (14 inch shell) tortoise in the street in front of our house.  I rescued it and brought it to the BCSS meeting that evening.  It was suggested that it was an African tortoise (perhaps a leopard tortoise?) rather than the local desert tortoise.  The next morning animal control came and took it away.  The officer that came said he once took a larger one.  At 80 pounds it took two officers to handle it!

At the BCSS meeting that evening we were led by Jack Kelley as our acting president.  Maynard gave an excellent talk on Madagascar which has inspired me for the future.  His interspersing of information about the island in general with pictures of succulents was certainly an approach to be copied.