Part 135 - Kula Phu Chu entries: rain, seed collecting, and Tsanang La concerns

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SUMMARY:
Diary entries at Kula Phu Chu describe persistent rain and wind, difficulties drying collected seeds, and concern for Tsongpen traveling to the Tsanang La amid snow. Seeds of several species were gathered, and after a brief illness, Jill recovered by the 22nd; a sunny 23rd allowed successful drying and collection including Nomocharis souliei.

CONTENT:
ripe: some of the beautiful spotted saxifrage and a few other things of less importance. In the Primula marsh I failed to find any Prim. micropetala, and of all the capsules of Prim. littledalei I found, only 5 had any seed in them - fairly ripe. It is raining again this evening, but does not look too bad. Locals say a great many Lopas came over the passes this year. They also say that when the Lopas come, they bring the rain with them - true enough this year anyway. Tsongpen has gone up to the Tsanang La, where he will have a very cold and wet time I'm afraid, he has no tent. We are not used to this very strong wind which has been common for the last few nights. One would think it would drive off the rain, but it does not seem to.

Kula Phu Chu
21st September. Kulu Lungma. Rained at night, and all today lightly. The hilltops were all covered with snow this morning, I fear Tsongpen will have a bad time on the Tsanang La. I got a few seeds today, but everything is soaking wet, and I can't think how they are to be dried. There was no sun at all today, and all seeds remain very wet indeed. Jill was her usual bright and lively self all day till after she had her dinner at 2:30 pm. Then she suddenly became ill, and seems pretty bad this evening. She can still wag a tail a little, but is lying without a movement under a blanket with a hot water bottle. I wonder if she has distemper, or whether she got a cold yesterday on Go nyi re. This is the first time I have ever seen her the least bit sick or sorry for herself.

Kula Phu Chu
22nd September. Halt. Rained all night and all day. I went up the valley to get seed of a white P. alpicola, and a small lactuca, both of which I found. Besides a Berberis, there was nothing of interest. Opposite camp I got seed of a good coloured Mec. betonicifolia (Mec. betonica 6520). There is very little seed in P. Dickieana capsules, the masses I saw here in July have all been eaten by yaks and ponies. Rather a disappointing day, the rain continues so steadily, that drying these soaked seeds is a very great problem. Jill has completely recovered, her trouble seems to have been no more than a very bad tummy ache.

Kula Phu Chu
23rd September. Halt. A fine sunny day thank goodness. All or nearly all of the seeds were dried in the sun. We got very good Nomocharis souliei seed, and some enormous bulbs, the biggest I have ever seen. There was a good deal more snow again last night.

(N. souliei seeds 6518. I collected seeds 6517, P. bellidifolia 6515, Prim. calliantha flower 6524.)