They are still recovering from the "babysitting" disaster. Most leaves are gone, but the buds are growing and swelling. I have to assume that's a good sign. Defoliation was mentioned and to be honest, I have no clue what that process is, will look into it. But could this be the "natural" version of that process? I sure hope so. I've got too much invested in this grow to give up or have it fail. Also, I learned my lesson on having someone else care for my girls while away, so I purchased a self-watering system to use next time I need to be away.