I'm cursing the Chicagoland Orchid Festival. Place and order with Andy's last weekend thinking I'd get it tomorrow. Since he's there, I have to wait longer. Uggggggg. If I'd known, I'd have ordered from SBOE. I was hoping to spend this rainy weekend mounting it.

This weekend is the Chicagoland Orchid Festival, and I'm praying that the car won't leave us stranded somewhere!

jodik, Not to worry! Have fun!! The expected low temp in Chicago this weekend is a lofty 55°F. Even if your vehicle(s) freeze up, your new orchids won't!

--Stitz--

You're so lucky, Jodi...I'm envious - yesterday I had the sudden crazy idea of planning a last minute trip this wknd down to chicago, flying out from buffalo and staying at some cheap hostel...but then I realized that this festival involves driving, and being under 25 makes car rental incredibly annoying. Have fun and buy lots of plants!

Thanks for the good wishes! As we speak, I'm having my last cup of coffee, before packing up the car to leave... going anywhere is a huge fiasco, what with the dog crates and overnight bags, and we'll be stopping on the way back to fix a friend's well... the husband does plumbing and repair... so that entails packing up the necessary tools, etc...

But, in the long run, it will all be worth it! I'm so excited I could just burst a seam! I've got extra batteries for the camera, and I've got the re-chargables charged, and the charger packed... I'll be sure to take lots of photos of all the beautiful orchids I'm certain to see... this is my first experience at an orchid event, so the level of excitement I'm feeling right now is out of this world!

We will have the tools packed, so if the car should decide to act up, I think we'll be ok... the husband is a rather accomplished mechanic. The only thing I worry about is the dogs in the heat. Being stranded with two dogs is not a fun time, I can tell you!

Any orchids I do purchase will be fine... we're staying with my son, and as long as the grandkids don't pull them apart, they'll make it through!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone! I'm out... Peace... see you all next week! :-)

Jodik
can't wait to hear what you get--and what you put on your wishlist...
nick

Have fun Jodik, and looking forward to photos. Make sure your husband helps to carry your orchids!

Carol

I got my call from Juan Carlos of Orquideas del Valle to get my crdit card info for my order to be mailed out they had brought to the USA for me. He said it was being mailed out yesterday by Express Mail. Isn't that the overnight mail type?,,,,Debbie

I am sooo jealous! I wanted to go so bad this year, but I just took a 3 week vacation. *sigh* there's always next year. Enjoy the beautiful orchids!
~Jem

...I guess Jodik's just been too busy with all her new orchids to update us on her road trip...
nick

Actually, we just rolled back in a couple of hours ago... wouldn't you know it... the car did break down, twice! Once, it blew a fusable link... and then, we got stranded with a blown alternator... which, it turns out, was what was blowing the fusable links! Thanks to good friends and family, we were rescued twice, and got the car fixed.

The Orchid Festival was wonderful! We only went one day, Friday... but it was the beginning of the show, and not busy at all! I was able to spend hours wandering around the greenhouses at Oak Hill Gardens, just taking in all the beauty and wonder that's housed under the 20,000 square feet of glass-covered area! They have so much! And their prices are extremely reasonable!

I was also able to spend a bit of time talking with Cal-Orchid, and I left with a beautiful Paph, in bud! I checked out all the other guest vendors, and saw what they had to offer... really nice stuff!

I had expected to spend quite a bit to get a few nice orchids, but I came away with about a dozen plants for the low, low price of just around $60.00!! What a deal! Granted, many are young plants... but several are in spike or sheath, and the one large plant I did get, a phal, is in full bloom!

Tomorrow morning, I plan on taking all the photos off the camera, sizing and cropping, and uploading for posting. I hope I got some good shots! I think I did...

Right now, I'm unwinding from the long drive back... I managed to catch the chest cold the grandkids both had... so, I'm off to bed early! See ya'll in the morning!

Jodi, glad you're back safe and sound despite the car bad performance!

Please do get some rest and show off all what you have seen. I'm eagerly waiting to see the photos, you bet!

Xuan

Thanks, Xuan! I can finally put your lovely baskets to good use! I'm so excited to fill those with orchids!

It'll take me a few days to completely unwind from the trip... the older I get, the harder it is to prepare for, and then unpack from, even the short weekend trips we take occasionally. But it's worth the bit of discomfort to see something like Oak Hill Gardens and their wonderful spread of greenhouses!

We also spent some time babysitting the grandkids so my son and his wife could have a little break... chasing after two little ones is like exercise! Abby is 3, and Caleb is a big 6 months old! Both are constantly on the move! Grandma is still tired! LOL!

Well... I'm off to clean the kennel. And then, I'll be rearranging some plants to fit in my new chids!