Orchid Society show and sale

Yesterday, Pat dropped me off at the Student Union Bldg. at the Uni to attend the Orchid Show and Sale. I have not been for a few years. This year seemed smaller than the last one I attended. Some glorious displays though. I came away $113 lighter of pocket and 6 new plants. One is the Ludisia pictured above -- grown primarily for its colorful leaves. Another one I now have is the Paph. (lady slipper) Ho Chi Minh pictured above. Its a lovely fat light pink slipper. Mine should bloom next year. I have a mini cattleya - Psyche, a phalenopsis, Porroglossum hystrix (tiny) and a Tris andreettae (tiny). I was home before noon, and could not seem to keep my eyes open all afternoon.... so tired. My thyroid meds need adjustment, so hopefully when I get on the higher dosage I should be zipping around again.

I got quite a lot of things done today. Including going to Cannor Nursery and getting the stuff to plant the orchids in... 4 three litre bags each at $8.00. Also picked up 4 cedars and 4 choice perennials, dill seeds, pot trays. This ran to over $100 so I got the Cannor membership to get the 10% off, and the $25 rebate on the order over $100. (Membership is $20 and includes free delivery (not including gravel mart). So, $96 later I am set for the Spring, I think.

When I got home with this an hour later, I transplanted up the new orchids and read up on them on the internet. Also soaked the old pots in 10% bleach solution, then scrubbed them, and soaked again in sink full of clean water. Hopefully, this will kill any diseases that may have been in the old soils. I have a few clay pots left over and now a few extra trays. In the past few years a few of my orchids have died. I might be overwatering them, or at least letting them stand in water. I think they should drain freely and be watered more often. Who knows what happens to them when I am on holidays. I have not seen any scale on the plants since the last time I cleaned them, so I hope this is under control now. I must pay attention to fertizing the plants -- orchids, anyway -- more often.

I have been spending at least half an hour a day on the cat. It is going to be glad to see Andy and Tara home, I guess. I don't care for this cat. It shreds the sofa, scratches and bites... thinks it is playing, and does not have a very nice dispositon at all.