Gifts that keep on giving

   Two years ago about this time, a friend was leaving for Florida for the winter and dropped by my home to visit for a few minutes. She had her trunk full of things, one of them she pulled out and handed to me - a small galvanized bucket with a bunch of leaves and bark at the top of it.

An orchid she declared. She couldn't take it with her. Did I want it? Doubtful since I'd heard orchids were difficult to grow and one of my "darling" cats had knocked one off a shelf earlier that year effectively killing it, I hedged. She urged me to take it and somewhat reluctantly I gave in. I stuck it in the north window in the kitchen - lots of light and cool nights - I'd done my research. After a couple of months of largely ignoring it, I noticed a shoot sticking way out towards the window.

That year it graced me with 42 or more lovely fuscia blooms.

Last year it offered 56.

This October I was excited to notice that my north window was beginning to show results again. Yesterday I took the photograph above as I set the plant in a westward facing window along with a little green orchid (below the larger one) that had similarly put out a bud or two. Some of the earliest buds were beginning to open.

This morning I was greeted by the nearly open petals of two delicate orchid blossoms. I keep my house on the cool side, it seems healthier and I use a wood burning stove for most of my heat... so the blooms will open slowly and last a long time. Many months in fact.

This accidental present has brought so much joy and pleasure that this morning I needed to share its beauty.

Hope you have something wondrous to share today as well - it makes the world seem a much nicer place.