Poppies, purple crawlers, and blue lips

My big anemone, Val, just ate a whole family, mother and kiddies all together! Val's looking fat and happy, if a bit blue around the lips.

I'll tell the whole story tomorrow, with photos of the family in happier days.

For now, here's the mystery ten-legged thing I posted the other day. (I shouldn't really have called it a critter in the title, should I? Not exactly fair.)

No, not a sunflower sea star.

And here's the photo, with background.

Poppy seed pod, half ripe.

And here are a few younger poppies, not gone to seed yet:

Saturated sunlight.

A flaming cradle for that ten-legged, purple "thingie" in the centre.

Poppy and a half. With buds and ferns.

So, tomorrow, then, the sad loss of an entire blue family.