I have no idea, but, i'm sure others will be along to help you out.
I've included a link to more RRD information below.
To place your pics directly into your thread without using a link.
Place your arrow on the pic you wish to place into your thread. You need to copy & paste the HTML code that pops up directly into your thread. Each separate pic has a different HTML code.

Here is a link that might be useful: reconizing RRD

Table of contents for the RRD info link I posted above.

Here is a link that might be useful: Table of contents (RRD info)

Oh thank you very much, jim1961! I did find the table of contents and have read through the FAQs, tons of the information, and looked at the photos. I can't see the larger views (clicking for larger view brings up a 404 not found) so I am still unsure. (I'm going back to the chapters on the history & effects on commerce later.)

I've added a new picture to the album and I think I understand now how to embed it (thanks!)

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The rosebush midsummer 2009

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Earlier today (terribly blurry; wrong camera setting)

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Closeup of distortion

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Second closeup of distortion

I will try to get some better shots of the canes tomorrow.

Get a good sharp picture of where the unusual shoot connects to the underlying cane.

That something is eating the newest growth complicates things. I think most of the leaf distortions are because of their having been eaten while they were trying to grow.

Could you give the folks at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis a call? There is a group there with the state dept of agriculture who specialize in disease diagnosis. Dr. Chip is especially good at diagnosing RRD and he would also be able to look at the original material and see if there are any signs of midge. I mention midge because I see some burnt crisped bits on one bud and the wonky main bud doesn't look RRD-ish, it appears to have all its parts...without opening it up....it's not going to open into a pretty bloom, but it looks like the parts are right. One spray from near St. Louis was so sick that the buds were hollow and had three layers of sepals and no petals or any other parts, but that was on a plant that had been sick for several years.

I will give the Missouri Botanical Garden a call - thank you! When I went out to take photos of the unusual shoots connecting to the main cane, I discovered two more strange things that make me think it is NOT in fact RRD:

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Here is where the two wacky shoots come off the main cane

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Something has chewed right through the middle of this bud. Sorry - this is the clearest shot, and cropped. (I need to learn how to work the settings on this camera.)

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Distorted bud is now dripping black ichor. I suspect whatever ate the bud in the photo above this one may be doing this.

Here is a more clear shot of its shape today
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I have a ton of photos some terrible, some not so bad, but only uploaded a few of the best ones to this album - should I just upload all of them even if I'm now confused about exactly where they are in relation to the affected canes? (Just to the album, not display individually within a forum post, I mean?)

I am going to call the Botanical Gardens next and will ask for Dr. Chip. I'll let you know what he says/they say. I now doubt RRD is involved, thanks to you, anntn6b, and will find out what is ailing this. It really wants to push out new, but small blooms - and many of them are succeeding... Thank you so much for the help!

Followup (sorry about posting twice in a row) - I did call the Botanical Gardens' Horticultural Answer Service (as I could not find information to contact Dr. Chip directly). This wasn't terribly helpful, alas - the man who answered the phone kept advising me to Google images of things but could not seem to follow my directions to look at either this thread or my photo album. He was very nice. But the first thing I did was to Google for images and information, so that advice was not very helpful.

He finally recommended that I take samples and photos to St. Louis, but as I have a transportation issue (and my photos are now on my PC) I have sent an email to plantinformation at mobot with links to the photos and to this thread. I'm hoping that I will receive an answer via email & that it will not be necessary to travel... though it may end up being the best thing to do.

I don't see the option to edit my previous post. I suspect it is bad form to post three times in a row but I have an email reply from the kind people at Mobot, new photos and have nabbed the culprit!

It is NOT RRD! I thought it would be best to post a.s.a.p. in case any local folks were worrying.

Email:
Hello:

Roses, flowers and buds, are often damaged by feeding insects. It is usually not possible to identify conclusively the responsible insect solely from feeding signs. Beetles frequently cause bud damage similar to that shown in your examples. Consider the rose curculio as a possibility. It and similar pests can be controlled by spraying with an appropriate insecticide.

Thank you for visiting Gardeninghelp.
Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Information (jas)

So I Googled images of the rose curculio and headed outside with the camera. I took some terrible blurry photos of the tiny larva or caterpillar (not a beetle) that I found inside the 'weeping rosebud' and then clipped it off & put it in a zip-lock for better photographs.

It doesn't look like anything I can find so far in my image-Googling, but here it is:

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The Culprit Exposed

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Close-up of Markings (cropped)

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Close-up 1

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Close-up 2

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Close-up Crop 2

Any idea of what this is? So far my searching returns nothing that looks at all like this and I will feel silly if it is a common and recognizable thing...

Wow! That is a weird looking creature! Glad to hear it is not RRD!
You may want to post those insect pics in a new thread.
York Rose knows a lot about insects.
Title your new thread: Please help me ID this insect pest or something like that.

Thanks, jim1961! I will post a new thread with just the larva/caterpillar-related photos, with a new title that clearly addresses the insect ID request.