Thanks to all who responded. Yes, my eye began slowly working it's way back to normal. After the first day, it had gone down to about half the size it was the night before, and was starting to show some response to light. By the second day, I was able to focus my eye again, and by the third, it seemed normal, if not still slightly sensitive to light. Those first 2 days I had to wear sunglasses even in the house because even the sunlight coming in the windows was painful. Definate lesson learned here, I think when working with these plants from now on, I will wear gardening gloves, as a precaution that I wont absently wipe or scratch my eyes, and be sure to wash thoughoughly upon coming back inside. Very scary indeed when you make a living as a freelance photographer and only have one good eye. (I was born with an abnormality of my left eye, looks perfectly normal but is basically just window dressing, can't do more than distinguish color and light with it) I couldn't imagine giving up our brugs, our yard is always vibrant with the colors of them, and on nights like last night, with literally thousands of open blooms, you realise why you do all that feeding and watering. We had a candlelight dinner and a movie on our lanai literally floating on clouds of the most wonderful perfume. Earlier in the evening just after dusk we were returning home with the windows open in the car and could literally smell our place before we arrived in front of the house. Appearantly the weather has just been on the perfect side for them this winter, as the trees are just bending under the weight of as many blossoms as they can possibly hold, with flushes coming one after the other. I haven't slowed my feeding scheduel yet, as it's been pretty much in the lower 80's still all the time, and have had to do quite a bit of pruning, both of side shoots and branches that are getting on the roof and in the gutters. So I should have plenty of cuttings if anybody wants them who didn't get some of the plants I had earlier, they went amazingley fast. Dave

Very fun post. Once again, I like your gallery photos. My favorite is your seedling. Christine

I grow a lot of bromeliads in my pergola, and most of them require protection from the sun. I also have a few epiphyllum in partial shade, but they can handle a bit more sun than the bromeliads:

Do you have to pick the new rug now? It will be much easier if you're not trying to "design" it. That is, to choose everything ahead of time based on what should work. If your granite went in today, I'm assuming that your backsplash isn't in, your little items aren't out on the counters, and you haven't finished the other little touches. If I were you, I'd use the rug that's already there for awhile and settle in to the new kitchen. Let Auntie Ann give me that wonderful clock that I never would have chosen, etc. And when I was all moved in and settled, and had time to think about the family room, then I'd look at the final kitchen and the family room and get something new.