I've already had a few baby squash withering low on the stalks of all the squash … usually happens with high heat of near 100.  We've had only a few days of such instead of the weeks of high temps.  Completely the flip of what you folks have endured in the midwest (I'm really sorry!).  Am bettin' that each of you have had record heat which, from my usual past experience in hot CA, kills summer squash or weakens the poor things so the bugs or, ick, powdery mildew finds 'em.  Rarely do they make into September here unless one can plant a fresh batch and get the seedling through the heat.  Planting them late was taking a chance.

My mutant bush looks quite healthy thanks to our unusually mild summer (lots of mid-80 temps), but the female blooms are simply wierd and new leaves are growing in twisted whirls.  No bugs present so doubt there's a disease.  Just plain odd!

Update on the mutant scallop squash: the one bush is actually beginning to produce baby squash but in odd bundles of baby squash, male flowers and leaves in crooked elbows of large leaf stems.  Some of the baby squash is embedded in the base of its own flower.  The poor thing appears gender-confused as to what the blooms should do.  Its sister bush (I have two growing) is growing relatively normal scallop squash on the main stems with the occasional long stem male flower showing a heavy base suspiciously shaped like a baby scallop.  Otherwise the two plants are huge!

As soon as I retrieve the camera from daughter, I'm going to attempt cutting off one of these odd stems for a close up picture.  This may be one pack of seeds I'll forgo keeping for next year although its been quite the intrigue this year despite the low production.