settling in

Although I have been back in Albuquerque for over a month, and I have moved back into my old house, I'm still settling in. My orchids are telling me that they are unhappy with this situation. It was only this past week that I've been able to (mostly) put the orchidarium back together. Since it was taken apart for the move, I realized that the drain pan had shrunk and that water was getting around into the stainless steel bottom and making an anoxic decomposition zone (i.e. a cesspool). So off to get a shower pan liner, cut it to shape, then wait for a day over 40 degrees when I'm at home during daylight hours so that I can use the toxic glue outdoors (not to be used under 40 degrees). Once that was done, it was cleaning the pieces, assembling, then using silicone caulk to seal the joints, then installing the lights and the fans. Whew. Here it is reassembled, but realizing that I need to replace the fans, which have become too noisy. I also have discovered that someone has finally made LED lights as a grow light and although expensive to purchase use much less electricity. I could even get a solar panel to run the thing. Orchid growing is not a hobby for the sustainably minded, but I find it so enjoyable that I can't resist. Knowing this makes me that much more diligent in recycling, reusing, and putting up with my hybrid car. I had to get rid of most of my orchids during the move, so now I'm wondering what to get. Ah, choices, choices (rubbing hands together with glee). A Neofinetia collection? Some lusciously extravagant Cattleyas? Maybe a Paphiopedilum collection? Except now I'm thinking of putting in some alpine strawberries.