An Orchid Show

I know it's going to be a wonderful day when it starts with a beautiful sunrise. Yesterday, the sunrise as I went out the back door to start morning chores was truly lovely. I went back in and grabbed my camera.



I had to be done with chores on time that morning because friends were coming to meet me for a trek to an orchid show and sale. I love orchids. But the only appropriate place I have for them is on the kitchen window sill. Right now, the kitchen window sill is full of orchids plus the three small poinsettias I bought over a year ago. They are budding and will bloom this spring, when poinsettias should bloom. Poinsettias are "short day" plants which means they begin to set buds when the days get shorter... and therefore open when the days are getting longer. Greenhouses control lighting to make poinsettias bloom in time for Christmas. I'll be happy to have them bloom whenever.

But that means I have no room on the kitchen window sill for more orchids. I don't need more orchids anyway as I'm not taking proper care (fertilizing, repotting) of the ones I have. But I'm always so tempted when I go to an orchid show and sale. The last one I went to I forgot to take my camera so my excuse for bringing home a blooming orchid that year was to show Johnny. (Any excuse in a pinch.)

This time, I took my camera. But left the battery at home in the charger, where I'd put it after taking sunrise pictures... so it would be fully charged for the orchid show. Fortunately, my friends have a camera that uses the same kind of battery and friend John had brought an extra with him. So I took orchid photos... and did not buy a thing.












Some were covered in flowers....












And some were whimsical... These made me laugh...



Since my orchid loving friends, Barbara, John and Velta, are also bird loving friends, we stopped at Baskett Slough on our way home and scoped out birds. They were more distant and difficult to photograph than orchids. It must have been a sleepy afternoon for these Dowitchers in front of a sleeping Mallard, sleeping Northern Pintail, and sleeping Green-winged Teal. Way in the distance through the haze, a lone swan turned its back on the camera. A lovely white Great Egret gave us a close-up view as it flew right over our heads, but I wasn't quick enough with the camera to capture it.





When I arrived home, Johnny asked to see my new orchids. When I told him I'd bought none, he seemed disappointed. No worries, dear. There will be another orchid show after my poinsettias have bloomed and faded and been moved this summer to the (unheated) jungle room... leaving room on the kitchen window sill...