Could this be the beginning of a flower spike? (dendrobium catenatum)

[Roberta]

Your patience is rewarded!

[bil]

One point, in most of the places I have read, a winter rest doesn't mean stop watering (there are possible exceptions like catasetum for example, and maybe some dens), but usually the rest means that you stop fertilising when the plant stops growing, and start it up when the plant starts to grow in spring.