On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 09:17:25 -0500, "Ray"
wrote:
Fortunately, it wasn't a total
wipe out (looks like the heat went off right at dawn), but I have a lot of
trimming to do while on Christmas vacation.

Glad to hear your only trimming.

Who: John and SuE on the Front Range in Colorado.

We moved here from Chicago in '83 with a temperature controlled
truck and a load of large Cattleyas, a few Paphs, a couple of
Cymbidiums and Encyclias.

We have been growing over 30 years (can't agree on the date).
Anyone know when in the 70's Illinois Orchid Society hosted AOS
at the gardens in Glenco? I volunteered and held the door so
people could unload cars in February "Chicago Snow & Cold."
Spent all day being teased by a gentleman named Don Cox. That
spring I helped him repot and at the end of the weekend had 50
Catt backbulbs and a mentor.

We lost the collection to a broken thermostat that allowed the gh
to get so cold that the plastic water pipes burst. Trying to
empty the gh was so depressing we just fixed and pipes turned the
water back on and left some of the pots hanging until summer.
When everything was cleaned out there were still 50 plants alive
in the collection.

We now consider the freeze an "opportunity" to change the
direction of the collection. My collection turned to Ascda and
vandaceous, from it's Catt base. John has always favored Paphs
and Phrags once he discovered them.

John is retired from "I've Been Moved" and I finally have the
time to travel and have become a student Judge. We now make most
AOS shows. Don't look for us in '06, we will wait until the WOC
for FL. I am planning to be in Madison judging at the Orchid
Guild's Show in February.


SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php