Orchids, Orchids, Orchids Part II

Well the orchid show was so awesome I had to go back the next day to shoot more photos of the gorgeous orchids in bloom.  Here are more beautiful orchids for your enjoyment:

Orchids, Orchids, Orchids!

Who doesn't love orchids?  I know people think they are very difficult to grow but really, most of them are not that difficult with the right light.  Phalaenopsis are the easiest and I think paphiopedilum are not too difficult either to grow and get to bloom again.  The tough guys are cattleyas which are much more temperamental and like being outdoors in warm tropical climates.  Now that I have a home in FL, I will try my hand once again at growing these corsage orchids outdoors.  I've been told all you need to do is tie or hang them from a tree and squirt water at them once in a while and they will bloom!  I'm not sure how correct that is, but I'm willing to give it a try.

This morning was the opening of the first day of the big Sarasota Orchid Society Orchid Show and Sale.  I, of course, was the first paying customer in the door!  That made it easier to shoot photos of the gorgeous orchids in the show and also get to the sale tables before they got massacred.  Here are some photos from the show.  Enjoy!

Entoloma Hochstetteri

If you recall my post from last May when I was in New Zealand on business, I managed to sneak away for a short period to photograph a stunning blue mushroom found only in New Zealand.  On my return, I was asked to write a story about my quest to find that mushroom and to send photos along as well, to Fungi Magazine.  Well, the new magazine issue is out and so is my story and a few photos.  I will post it here so you all can read it.  If you are a true mushroom enthusiast as I am, you should subscribe to FUNGI Magazine so you won't miss an issue.  It is well worth the money for the subscription. (click on full screen to read the story)
NewZealandLR

Not your Ordinary Sand Castles!

This year Sarasota celebrated it's first annual Siesta Key Crystal Classic - Master Sand Sculpting Competition.  Twenty three master sand sculptors from around the US were invited to compete at Siesta Key on some of the most amazingly beautiful sand in the world.  Siesta Key is renowned for it's pure white sand and has won competitions for the best sand. At the "Great International White Sand Beach Challenge" held in 1987, it was recognized as having the "whitest and finest sand in the world. "Why you ask?  "Unlike beaches elsewhere that are made up mostly of coral, Siesta Beach's sand is 99% quartz. Even on the hottest days, the sand is so reflective that it feels cool underfoot. It's estimated that the sand on Siesta Beach and Crescent Beach on Siesta Key is millions of years old, and started in the Appalachians and flowed down the rivers and was eventually deposited on the shores of Siesta Key."

So, what better place to have a sand sculpting competition?  Here are some before and then after shots of some of the sculptures which took four days to complete.

Going Wild in the Streets of Sarasota with Chalk

Sarasota has so many things going on all the time but this past Halloween weekend was the first annual Sarasota Chalk Festival featuring artists from around the world.  Enjoy the show: *click on each image to enlarge it