What A Befitting Start ..
To our Saturday, and the weekend. I got up on Saturday morning, was letting Molly outside, getting her fed, grabbing coffee and all that kind of fun stuff. I looked down at our breakfast table and saw our photo album from our wedding still sitting there. I was going to grab the album and move it to a different location so I remembered to put it away.
That’s when I noticed something ..
I noticed Molly‘s little face.. staring back at me through the chair (upper left-hand corner of the photo). She’s such a cutie pie. My eyes refocused and I looked at the orchid sitting in the middle of the table. I’m always looking at the orchids waiting for something new to develop, and some thing had. I noticed that pepper sympathy orchid was again spiking!
A tiny little bloom spike is beginning to push through the side of the orchid plant just above the leaf node. This is so exciting because the current blooms have yet to fall. I’m sure they will soon, but it won’t be long until it’s blooming again and that’s pretty awesome.
Right now you have to look pretty close for the spike, but it’s quite visible. Below is a better picture. You can see the little glove shaped bloom spike pushing up through the leaf material almost directly in line with how the leaves protrude out from the center stem of the plant. The roots, on the other hand, grow out perpendicular to the leaf growth pattern, more on the sides of the plant.
Here it is visible. The new bloom spike is emerging on the left, above the leaf, while the root is emerging toward the right, on the side of the stem.
I call it the sides of the plant because the leaves tend to grow in an alternate pattern on the same plane, in a fan shape rather than a circular pattern.
You can see the fan pattern very well in this photo below.
The Phalaenopsis orchid, like the one I have here, is considered a monopodial orchid. Monopodial’s also include the Vanda type orchids, but I do not own any of those. These types of orchids grow leaves off of each side from a central vertical stem. I believe, and don’t quote me on this, that you can expect one or two new leaves every year. I look for New flower spikes to occur just above the old spikes, in the next intersecting leaf node, or 2 or 3 leaves down from the newest leaves. I think that’s a good rule of thumb when keeping an eye out for new flower spikes.
Remembering Pepper..
The ironic thing about Pepper's Sympathy Orchid.. blooming again, is that we met with the couple who gifted us this white Orchid, last night for dinner. We hadn’t seen them in a few months so it was nice to catch up. They are great friends of ours who are always there for us, so that makes this orchid all that more special. They knew how much we loved orchids, and how much pepper enjoyed investigating them and how that was a special part of our lives.
I can not predict the future of anything.. regardless, I am loving that this orchid is doing so well. I can’t make any promises that it will continue its stellar growth streak, but will do my best to keep both her alive and peppers memory going. I think about Pepper every day end it still hurts having lost him. We keep his ashes, a photo with poem, and a little imprint of his paw close by. I wish I could hold his little face in my hands again, but just being able to see it every day, even though only in a photograph, helps get me to the next.
When the original flowers fell from the white orchid, peppers sympathy orchid, we gathered them up and placed them in with his ashes. In a weird way it helped me move on a little bit more than I had already. Some people may think that is a bit strange, but we all have our ways of dealing with loss and sadness. I don't think there is a right or wrong way of doing that, unless it involves hurting one's self or others.
This post was not meant to be about how I feel today.. and about the loss of Pepper, however sometimes when we write that’s the way things go; Not scripted, not false reality, but rather a real moment in time as it’s unfolding. I really really really really really really really really really really really miss my buddy boy.
It was nice to get together with our friends.. last night and talk about this very thing. They have suffered more than one loss as well and understand the feelings and emotions that come along with such an experience. Having a close friend who understands the pain you’re going through is priceless. Not that I wish others feel the same as we do, but it’s nice to sit and talk about it, realize it happened, know others can understand the pain, and move on…
We spoke briefly about the loss of our pets, then enjoyed our company together knowing that there’s still a lot of life left to live.
The pets (our children) we have lost, will always remain in our hearts and never be forgotten.
Did I say that I am really looking forward to watching that new bloom spike develop?!
Yup.. I SURE AM
Thank you for swinging by my blog and checking out the post. Have a great day!
All words, pictures and art pieces are the sole property of B D Miller Gallery, unless otherwise noted and credited, and are not to be reproduced or copied without the prior written consent of B D Miller Gallery.
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Your the BEST! 😊
I've always had difficulty differentiating out a flower spike from an aerial root, thanks for making that clear.
Hmm.. I know that the pain of such loss never fade away from memory, they just erupt at unexpected times. Oh that last image is so cute and it shows how much you would be missing your little boy.
A little clearer for Phal's at least. hehe.
The last image is one of my favorites of him and me, even though it's not that great of a photo. He was such a cuddle bug at times. He would always go to be when I did, and curl up next to me.. at least for five or ten minutes or until he got hot. lol.
Pretty clear I would say.
Sometimes it isn't about the photograph itself , it about what comes out forcefully through it. The love the bonding is so visible in that photograph.
That is so powerful!
Pepper 🤍🖤 This is so touching. 🥺 not really a big fan of pets until I gotten my cats. You have truelly a circle of good good friends. PEpper will be more happy knowing that PEOPLE REMEMBER HIM That way. HUGS 🤍🤍🤍
Glad you have Molly to cheered you guys up!
How do your orchids got sunlight? Do you bring them outside? Once, in a while?
So very true. We are blessed with beautiful friends and family. Pepper was a great dog loved by all. Thank you for the kind and compassionate words. 😊 and yes.. Molly is cheering us up every day. We adore her.
I leave my Orchids right where they are. They (Phalaenopsis Orchids) do not like direct sunlight. They prefer bright environments, a tiny bit of air movement, high humidity, and to be left alone. lol. I just leave them alone until they need repotting. Great Question!
Love for each one is very different, as are their personalities how they affect our lives and are like losing a child.
Having a big heart, perhaps time to find another, offering a new home to any pet saves them from never knowing the love of a family.
Gorgeous photography and heart warming outpouring of mans love of a pet. Orchid is fascinating Pepper took center stage for me @bdmillergallery
Awe yes.. Just like Pepper to steal the spot like from my Orchids. 😌 He will always have a special place in my heart and mind. Your comment was very touching and greatly appreciated. It is a rainy morning on the East coast today. The Hurricane is moving up and away from us, but leaving a few lingering storms behind. The wet weather makes me depressed and compounds the sadness I feel when missing him. Your beautiful comment helped bring a smile to my face.. Thank you for that 😊
So beautiful and well behaved for portrait photography, how could he not steal ones heart?
Glad to hear that hurricane has moved off, yes the weather has a profound effect on our emotions.
Cheer up and stay safe!
That is great to see that he orchid is going to flower again! I am finally starting to haul in some produce in my garden. I am really excited about that. I hope you are all able to stay safe from the storms that are hitting the coast.
We just got a bunch of rain from it. The wind wasn't so bad, but Hurricane season is just starting to pick up. Hopefully we don't have another Sandy or Irene for a while. They sucked. But that's the trade off for living near the coast I suppose. We have pondered buying a place at the shore for some time, but affordability aside, the storms or chance of your investment washing away, scares us a bit too much right now.
Quite impressive! That orchid is quietly and slowly growing. It’s trying to surprise you all of a sudden but you are too sharp! LoL
Hahaha.. NOTHING gets past me! lol. Your too funny @kaminchan 😆 I wish I was as sharp as I was 10 years ago.
Thanks! LoL
Conversely, I had a plant die this weekend. Alas.
Nice to see the orchid is thriving!
WHAT!!??!!?? NOoooooooooo... lol. Yeah, plants die sometimes. Sometimes quicker if the animals attack them. haha. I am happy with how well this Orchid has been doing. Let's see if I can keep it going. 😐
It's true. Houseplants that live in near proximity to felines typically have a shorter lifespan than those who don't.
*!(&@% cats.
🤣
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STOPThanks again! 😊