Just popping in to say hi

[camille1585]

I've been away from OB for quite a few months now, so I thought I'd say hi. I'm usually a very prolific poster, so some of you may be wondering if I dropped off the face of the world or something. No, none of that! I'm still here and fine, just tremendously busy.

I started working towards a PhD a year ago, and my workload has been steadily increasing, especially since spring. Experiments, meetings, conferences, teaching duties, paper writing have me staying at work late into the evening all too often, and I'm at work 7 days a week. And then my lab's party committee fills up my spare time quite well! So when I do get home, I don't really feel like doing more reading and writing or thinking, even if it is OB.

The orchids are doing fine, other than being a bit neglected. Got a bunch of new orchids a month ago including what I hope to be a true chattaladae type Phal cornu-cervi (really wanted one!!), and I got my first Catasetum, another thing I really wanted. And I always have some stuff blooming. My 4 year old Phal equestris keiki is maturing well, and produced a beautiful branching spike this fall. And plenty of Phal spikes either appearing or already in bloom. I'll have to take some photos!

Hopefully I'll start posting regularily soon. Things should calm down at work in a month or so and until February since the plant and insect cultures don't do so well in the darkest winter months, even in a greenhouse.