How I celebrated My Birthday

[Lorraine]

So Wed. was my birthday and one of my gifts was a "field trip" on Thursday to an unknown destination. In the car..drop of the dog to doggie day care...drive along the Florida turnpike, exit and take the Tamiami Trail. I still don't really know where we are going...pass the everglades air boat rides thinking this could be really cool...pass the Indian Reservation...still think this trip is going to be cool...after driving 96 miles we pull into the Gallery parking lot of Clyde Butcher....way cool!!! Sign said "Closed" My poor husband was treating me to a picture of a "Ghost Orchid" that I could pick out. I did see some alligators next to the parking lot. Apparently they had just changed their hours from seven days a week to four .. Fri, Sat, Sun & Mon. . We get back in the car and I'm still thinking this is a cool gift, I can order a picture online.

On the way home I mention that RF Orchids Greenhouse is closeby (Homestead 18 miles. away)and I've been wanting to go there for the last 2+ years. So we set the GPS to RF (it's pre-set for me anyway) and it is beautiful. I found the following divisions that I had on my wishlist

C skinneri var. alba
Rhyncholaelia Digbyana
& I could not resist Bc St Andre (C dowiana v. aurea x B nodosa'Susan Fuchs' FCC/AOS) 2 spikes on it

I can't wait to go back for a visit.

I even found a couple nice pieces of teak wood for mounting. The Dig. is already on one of them.