Monthly Archives: August 2020

Watching Epiphyllum Hookeri, Night Flower to Bloom

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Watching Epiphyllum Hookeri, night flower bloom / open was amazing.   Taking time-lapse video is more fabulous than I can describe and also a challenge.  We set the equipment up in the daylight as I did not want to miss the actual opening as I did last time.  The flower opens around midnight and the next day it is gone, but the tea from the flower is healthy.

A time-lapse is compressed video frames on subjects, where the process is sped up. So when the flower was opening last night, around 10:40pm, it took approximately 28 minutes and this video was compressed into only 23 seconds long Time-lapse. Not too bad.  I sat on my chair waiting and watching for the flower to open.  Then flower bud was getting bigger and bigger until the narrow pointed white petals started to open, the outside of the petals opening first.  Based on one friend, a plant ecologist, moisture content gets into flower bud and pushes petals open so now we understand the process. I was surprised on how quickly and suddenly each petal opened once it started.  Amazing.

Here is another video of night flower blooming at night, this time opening started around 11:30pm, 8/26/2020

Hurricane Isaias Update-8/2/2020

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Hurricane Isaias downgraded to a tropical Storm on 8/1/2020, 5:00 pm NOAA briefing.  So it was a quiet last night. 

8/2/2020, 8:00 am, #42 Tropical Storm, 65 mph wind speeds, 35 miles from south of West Palm Beach,

NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES ABI BAND 13 OR_ABI-L1b-RadC-M6C13_G16_s20202151131153_e20202151133538_c20202151134072.nc

8/1/2020 Hurricane Isaias Preparations

This is weird time or year.  First, a hurricane normally does not come to Florida east coast in early August or end of July.  Second, this is in the middle of Covid19 Pandemic.  Well, we do what we have to do and prepare the worst and hope the best.

We did the same thing as Hurricane Dorian, September, 2019 to set generator, water dispenser, and a portable stove at the patio just in case we have to cook when power is down. We also took down US flag, took in all orchids, secure loose pots, secure orchids on trees, check and secure trees.  We also took some photos to support potential damage of the properties.  Fortunately this just turning out to be a dry run to get ready for the real hurricane that may be showing up in September.