Midsummer Orchid

 

My white orchid is in bloom again - last time was back in winter, around Christmas/New Year; so not very long ago at all. It normally lives in my bedroom window, but I just moved it into the kitchen instead. The weather forecasts for the week ahead are now predicting hot temperatures - which may make me want to keep both blinds and "blackout" curtains in the bedroom closed more than just overnight... 

The Midsummer weekend so far has been a bit "mixed" weather-wise. A massive front of thunder and lightning passed in direction NE over Sweden on Midsummer Day. Just around here we escaped most of the drama, though. It also hasn't been really "hot" yet. But it has still been feeling "clammy", and  I've been having headaches + feeling tired - which I blame on a combination of weather, wind and high grass pollen count (to which I'm allergic). So I haven't been "doing" much. I've been out for short walks but not for very long at a time. 

For me personally, because of the allergy (since my teens), Midsummer was never really my favourite holiday. Wise from past experiences, nowadays I try to avoid making any big plans for it... 

Just staying home, in town, can actually have its own kind of quiet charm - as a lot of other other people prefer to escape to the countryside or the seaside! 

Venting

 
Zoomed in from one of my windows this morning around 10 am (with my Sony camera, not the phone). What the birds may have found to eat in the snow and slush, I don't know. 

An old orchid plant in my bedroom has decided to sprout a bloom or two as a bit of an antidote to winter depression.

It's been a day of various weather warnings again. Wet snow has kept falling from the sky all day, and ending up as a messy, grey, icy slush on the ground. I've not set foot outside. 

The whole week has been one of those winter weeks when it's kind of hard to tell one day from another. Yesterday I had to set an alarm to get up at 7, though, as an inspection of our ventilation system was going to be carried out "between 7:30 and 14:00". (7 may not sound early to some of my readers, but to me it is nowadays - at least in winter. Even the sun still does not rise until 8:30 - even on the days when it bothers to show its face at all.) 

I can usually count on "rounds" not to start with me though, as I live in the middle of a building with three entrances... So getting up at 7 I had time enough to both get dressed and have breakfast and make my bed etc before they rang on my door.

It turned out an air intake filter in my study needs changing. The guy said I'm getting no air at all in here now. I think the fact that I've not noticed kind of disproves that, though... ;) (The thing is, I hardly ever have any reason to close the door to this room; and there is a functioning air intake in the living room, just across the threshold.) But the very nice young man carrying a big test instrument from room to room said that he'll put it on his report to the landlord's office, and if I don't hear from them within a month, I should call and remind them. (It's they who are supposed to fix it, not me.)

That I had been up early resulted in me falling asleep for a while in the afternoon instead - which I don't think has anything to do with the air supply not quite being up to scratch, but just proves that there's not much point for me in forcing myself to rise early if there's no special reason...  (So back to my usual morning habits today.)

Indoors Spring

Last week, a florist’s shop close to where I live had a sell-out. (They may open again somewhere else in the future, but then probably not in my neighbourhood.) I’ll miss them; but meanwhile, I decided to take advantage of the sell-out and bought several new fresh indoor plants for my windows. With prices 50-70% off, I felt I could afford to indulge myself.

I also bought more tulips, even though they don’t last long…
All the more reason to take photos while I had them, though!

 

If fresh tulips are short-lived, orchids usually last all the longer.

As do Saintpaulias and Streptocarpus
(African violets and Cape primrose)

Linking to Through My Lens

Macro Monday: Orchid

Orchid in my bedroom window.

For Macro Monday.