"Al Pickrel" wrote in message
news:RHMJj.422$Ah1.73@trnddc08...
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.


How I wish Clinton had never said 'I feel your pain' becasue it cheapens the
emotion. But I do. Hugs from me.

K Barrett