Tom Ritter Orchids

I was planning on a road trip today but I was stymied about where to go so I stayed close to home instead. I left early to go out to the Convention Center as it is a pretty interesting building. Unfortunately they wanted $10 to park so I had to content myself with taxi parking and shoot just some outside shots. I'll post one sometime soon.

I tried to find something interesting on the main tourist strip--International Drive; I failed that assignment. I did come across a place called "Fun Spot" with a great ferris wheel and such, but it was off the main drag. A quick trip into the Gap outlet to return some shorts, and then the above pictured stop.

This is Tom Ritter's orchid greenhouse. It is a surreal experience to be sure as the roots hang all about you, and you have these tiny walkways in between at least a thousand orchids. He is infamous in these parts because he has been raising orchids for decades. He is at least in his late 70's, a real country boy in the city. I photographed every orchid I could amongst all the roots and pots.

The gentleman's backside you see is from Savannah, Georgia. He and his wife began collecting orchids three years ago and now have a greenhouse of their own with over 100 plants. I heard her speak and I said, "You sound like Paula Deen," and she replied that she was from the same city. She was very proud of the fact that her little dog she carried goes everywhere with them and has never seen the insides of a kennel. Hmmm.....

Yesterday you may have noticed I posted only the picture. Amaya got my point, it is incredible the marketing tie-ins that are out there. Naturally I didn't buy it, I only took the photo to share. Was Elizabeth Taylor the first to tie celebrity in with perfume?

Bruce is out of town. He's visiting six different restaurants in three days all around the Virginia area. Unfortunately, that leaves little time for sightseeing, only traffic jams. Poor baby.

I'm puzzling about my class schedule for my final semester at Valencia. Three classes, and the internship--I've nearly made it!

Finished reading: On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan. A novella that is extraordinary.
Listening to: Boxer by The National--super cool.