-- Who am I and What Is My Gender?
Eric, Male

-- Where am I? Where do I grow?
San Francisco, I just moved into a new apartment with a small shared
backyard! I plan to grow cool to cold growing species - primarily
masdevallias, pleurothallis, and maxillarias out in the back. I've got a
couple art-shade phals growing in the kitchen, they're fun to dote on while
tooling around the kitchen.

I have been a volunteer for OrchidMania (www.orchids.org) for about 4 years
now. Most Sundays I can be found working at our San Francisco greenhouse.

-- What do I grow?
In the past, I've had as many as 150 plants in a very large Victorian flat.
Then the Lean Years when I could only grow a very limited number in my north
facing bay window - about five orchid plants and a slightly higher number of
houseplants. Bloomed every one of the orchids, though! Not much actively
growing now due to the move to a new apartment, but plan on growing cool to
cold growing andean species such as masdevallia, pleurothallis, maxillaria,
etc. I have space for a couple dozen most likely - a nice, manageable
increase.

-- The decade of my age?
3rd

-- How long have I been growing orchids?
About 5 years.

-- My biggest orchid accomplishment(s)?
Reblooming anything (but definitely not even close to everything!) in my
collection. =)

-Eric in SF
www.orchidphotos.org

I'm Ray, male, 53 years old.

I've been growing orchids since grad school, so that makes it 30 years at
this point.

I grow anything that catches my eye, but am particularly fond of slippers,
all sorts of vandaceous plants, encyclias and odd-ball species.

I suppose most would say that my greatest accomplishment has been coming up
with semi-hydroponic culture, but to me it's not throwing in the towel after
a heater failure on a seven-degree (F) night that wiped out a 20-year
collection of stuff, including irreplaceable plants I collected while
traveling the world on business. I have another opportunity to test my
desire to go on right now, as my propane supplier was kind enough to run me
out of fuel on a 5° night just last week. 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.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!

I suppose most would say that my greatest accomplishment has been coming up
with semi-hydroponic culture, but to me it's not throwing in the towel after
a heater failure on a seven-degree (F) night that wiped out a 20-year
collection of stuff, including irreplaceable plants I collected while
traveling the world on business. I have another opportunity to test my
desire to go on right now, as my propane supplier was kind enough to run me
out of fuel on a 5° night just last week. 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.


Ouch, Ray... Had almost the same experience the day after thanksgiving.
Fortunately I checked the gauge on the tank, which was reading zero
but not quite at zero... Had a firm (but polite, of course) talk with
the driver who delivers my fuel, who had been out two days prior
delivering fuel to my neighbor... He knows to check my tank now.

This reinforces my thought of last night, which was... "Maybe I'd better
get my kerosene turbo heater set up in the greenhouse today, just in
case". And I'll check the propane tank, too.



--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit

Sorry about that Ray,

No matter how many backup systems and alarms we put in, greenhouses find a
way. It is a crazy business taking crazy people. It does not take very
much bad to make the whole greenhouse look very bad. Maybe the trimming
will not be as much. (Polly Anna mask up) You know, maybe the cold will
kick some stuff that you have not seen for a while into bloom. (mask down)
Otherwise, Solstice and happy other holidays.

Pat


"Ray" wrote in message
. ..
traveling the world on business. I have another opportunity to test my
desire to go on right now, as my propane supplier was kind enough to run
me out of fuel on a 5° night just last week. 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.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!

You know Pat, it's really weird.

I have ascocendas that are dead, but they are right next to others that came
through unscathed. Even some in spike!

Mushy phals next to others in spike that look happy as clams. A colony of
paphs in a large pot - some spikes lost, others continuing to open.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!


"Pat Brennan" wrote in message
...
Sorry about that Ray,

No matter how many backup systems and alarms we put in, greenhouses find a
way. It is a crazy business taking crazy people. It does not take very
much bad to make the whole greenhouse look very bad. Maybe the trimming
will not be as much. (Polly Anna mask up) You know, maybe the cold will
kick some stuff that you have not seen for a while into bloom. (mask
down) Otherwise, Solstice and happy other holidays.

Pat


"Ray" wrote in message
. ..
traveling the world on business. I have another opportunity to test my
desire to go on right now, as my propane supplier was kind enough to run
me out of fuel on a 5° night just last week. 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.

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Artwork, Books and Lots of Free Info!

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

Hi All

Just an observation or few.

I second the motion that Kathy Barrett is more than just a pretty face.
(not that I've ever seen it) But she tries to hide her abilities under
a bushell (or whatever the metric equivelent is).
Anyone who has seen the effort Kathy puts in to Orchid Safari etc.
would agree.

And she's a character too regardles of the decade of her birth, and
characters are few and far between in this day and age and should be
accepted gratefully for what they are. Bless you my dear and long may
you do what you do so well.

And Jo....who some would like to find the Albany pitcher plant for
them... lives in the best area for Australian Native Orchids in the
whole of the continent. Half her luck.

And the compliments of the season to all

Tony