Will I ever get consistent with this?

Sorry friends, for the long absence.  It's been busy at work and extracurricular activities, but slow in the knitting world for me!  I am still working on my not-so-secret shawl.  I'm not yet halfway done, and I have 3 weeks to go.  ooof.  Luckily, I do have the pattern memorized, so I don't have to worry about looking and remembering where I am.  I don't have photos at the moment, so let's talk about other things, shall we?

Project Knitwell - Well, I went to the introductory session and a training, and now I am waiting to start the background process to volunteer at the the Children's Hospital!  The Ronald MacDonald House was also another opportunity.  However, they were only available Wednesday evenings, and supposedly that's a climbing/ yoga day.  We've been failing terribly at this climbing thing tho, so we'll see when that starts up again!

Plants - oh my, I seem to have accrued a rather large collection of orchids!  We had our Production Facility Open House the other week:

The Desert House!  Just because it's an arid environment, doesn't mean it isn't full of amazing variety!

The High Bay area.  This is where our Garden Court trees are located, as well as our Titan Arums.  No arums are stinky right now, but the citruses smell divine!

I spent time in the Carnivorous House and the Desert.  Neither of those rooms have anything to do with orchids, but we do have a "Pot-an-Orchid" station during the Open House.  We had two stations this year, and for some reason, two types of orchids!  And BF and I each get one plant.  So my current role call of orchids is the following:

Iwanagara Apple Blossom "Carmela" (4 plants?)
Wilsonara Aloha Sparks "Halloween" (2 plants)
Oncidium Twinkle "Pink Profusion" (2 plants - from last year)
Phalaenopsis pulcherrima var. champorensis (1 plant - from last year)

I'm not quite decorative with these guys yet.  Still working on it.  But check out the height on the Wilsonara!  I also think these are supposed to be separated to prevent disease...maybe?

One of the Twinkles did bloom last year, in November:

These blooms held on for a while too!  I have another spike slowly making its way out.  It's taking a realllly long time.  Maybe I should fertilize?

But everything else remains a mystery to me.  I did some research today, because I do want to repot last year's plants, and properly plant this years.  I need to purchase fine-to-medium fir bark, sphagnum moss, and perhaps a humidity tray.  It's hard to keep it humid in my apartment in the winter, or even warm!  Also, turns out sphagnum decomposes within a year or two, so I think it's time to repot the Twinkle and Phal.  I also would like to get a Wardian case, but those are stupid expensive, so I'll probably find some other cheaper terrarium.  I also think I know what kind of cactus I have: Gymocalycium denudatum.  I plan to repot this guy too, because poor thing looks terrible.  Luckily I have a friend with both pearlite and vermaculite, so I should be good with this guy once I get the bark and moss.

Just as a shout-out, it's the Orchid Festival at the USBG!  Stop by before April 17 to see an amazing display of orchids!!  Some look so amazing you'd think they were fake!  Also in the west gallery is some amazing artwork of the flora in our National Parks!  Some amazing artwork to be seen!  That is up until October 2, so you've got some time.

Alright, I think that's about it today.  Very little knitting, much more plant activity!  Also, yesterday we went on a 10-mile hike in Susquehanna State Park, with the Capital Hiking Club.  What a great group!  Also, convenient.  Love the convenience.  Take a gander below of the end of our hike.  Have a great week!

The Susquehanna River!

A dangerous path