I was gone for a week. I returned Wednesday to several surprises, some very nice, some otherwise. Have spent today repotting and watering.
A Cattleya jenmanii seedling in a tall 2" / 5cm pot has been valiantly making new growths since I got it from Seattle Orchids in December 2015, often two or more at a time. I kept letting it get too dry between waterings and they all turned black. Then the plant would push another pair of new shoots, which would turn black when I let it get too dry. I moved it today into a 1 quart / liter semi-hydroponic container and found all those black new growths I though were dead were just sheathed over, and are still viable. This is by far the most vigorous Cattleya seedling I have. I also moved to S/H its alba form from Peter Lin at Diamond Orchids, which I bought when he spoke to our club in September of this year.
I moved a Cattleya bicolor 4n Mendenhall x sib, also from Seattle Orchids in December 2015, from the same tiny pot size to S/H. When I unpotted it I found I had two seedlings. Very nice.
A Phalaenopsis equestris blue seedling I bought knowing it needed a lot of TLC arrived with a questionable, brown, tiny new central leaf in the crown. While I was gone it pushed a side growth from the stem.
My Phal mannii black lost a new leaf before I left due to underwatering. While I was gone it began pushing a nice new leaf. This is the plant whose photo you might recall seeing with the caption "glad to see me." It's even more proud now.
The Coelogyne multiflora I got from SVO in June of this year is pushing two new growths.
Also from SVO, and also pushing lots of new growths, are my two Maxthompsonara (Mxp.) Bryon Rinke - one I bought in April 2016, and the other came as a gift in the order including the Coelogyne. This Maxthompsonara is Coleottia (Cta.) Green Tyger ‘H&R’ AM/AOS x Batemannia (Btmna.) peruviana ‘SVO’ HCC/AOS. Coleottia = Colax (Clx., now Pabstia [Pab.]) x Galeottia (Gta.)
I am ever vigilant for spider mites, which are naturalized outside here. I checked carefully before leaving. I came home to a substantial infestation in a lot of plants, even though I had the evaporative cooler running for 8 hours a day, and my entire house was very humid when I returned. I've gone through a fair amount of isopropyl alcohol.
My
MistKing setup in my bathtub performed wonderfully. I had a 32-gallon plastic trash barrel for a reservoir, and the 6 spray heads used up almost all the water during the week I was gone. I had it on for 20 minutes each morning, and 3 minutes each afternoon. I stood plastic fluorescent light box grating upright in the tub, and hung the mounts on that. I will post some photos eventually in another thread, before I take down the setup. I want to use my bathtub again. (I have a second bathroom with a shower stall, but it is much easier to bathe 100 pound / 45kg dogs in the bathtub.)
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Anyone who posts here much would recognize your kind heart. So, if I offended you, John, I apologize. 
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