On Fri, 7 Nov 2003 09:05:06 -0000, "{masked}"
wrote:

This morning we discovered that the two larger spikes which were in the
process of unfurling the buds and about 9" have "snapped" off overnight,
halfway up the stems. The break is clean and there is a bead of moisture
sitting on the top of both open stems.

Considering you don't have pets or wayward children, I'll take a WAG
and suggest a mouse, or some similar creature, climbing the stalk to
munch a bud.

bb