The Phal gigantea is alive and well though somewhat sooty and in need of
cleaning. I saw it last week when I went to take care of things in the
rented greenhouse. I have to go back early next week to check on them
again.

The Phal apendiculata, which got awarded last October, just came apart and
may be dead. Actually it did not come apart until I touched it, then all
the leaves fell off at the point where there the leaf joins the petiole. It
was not a rot. The leaves looked pale-ish and dead. And they just dropped
off when touched. Too far from heat to be cooked. I don't think it was the
cold because it was one of the first to be brought in after the fire was
out.

There are several plants that have done this now...two weeks after fire. If
I had to guess, I would say it was the plant equivalent of smoke inhalation.
The smoke was mostly burning plastic and it must of "fumigated" the
greenhouse interior for a few minutes before the fire opened up a big enough
hole in the plastic skin so it was lethal to anything exposed and breathing.
(Somebody has already pointed out that I shouldn't be having any problems
with mites or insects for awhile.)

Anyway, the burned benches are cleared out. The metal pipe structure is
cleaned of melted plastic and soot. and I have the thing ready to be
re-skinned. This was planned for today but it is too windy, so it was moved
to tomorrow.

We are doing alright here. We were very lucky. There is a lot of plants
that were lost and I really don't know yet exactly what was lost. I keep
cringing as flashes of what was on some of those destroyed benches pops into
memory, but the real pain will be when I get everything back and set my
attention to doing an actual inventory.

I am so tired of this. Weary...and this was only a small and localized
entropic event. There is just no explaining the MESS involved to anybody
who has only seen this kind of thing on TV. Fire, winds, floods. These
things don't carry away everything you have...they reduce it to an
indescribable mess and leave it all right in front of you to clean up while
reminding you constantly what it all used to be... The worst part is AFTER
the actual event...

Still, we doing alright here... Things are coming along.

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
news
Ditto.....

Diana

wrote in message
...
how goes the war? cleanup crew straightening up and flying right?
weather's certainly not cooperating...

(you knew we weren't going to leave you alone, right?

let us know if we need to send cookies....

--j_a

ps--your phal gigantea seems to have a fan club out here in
cyberspace--did it make it?