Lunch with Ruth

Ruth, my daughter's trophy mother-in-law, and I went to lunch at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens last Friday. I stopped to admire Melvin's jade tree. I thought I would have to look carefully to find it, and it's right in the lobby!

Then I joined Ruth in line for tickets to the orchid exhibit.

Look what was in front of me!

The whole front entry was islands of orchids.

Ruth says, when the exhibit ends in a month, she will have that most purple orchid.

(So would Laura if she saw it.)

A display down a hall way. The theme is "Cuba". 

Ruth said the unnaturally colored orchids have been fed colored water. A long discussion of watering orchids ensued among all the visitors.

This island of orchids also included dresses from a Cuba/orchid themed contest. Ruth reaches for the "keeper" from among the dresses.

Now, the fun.

We went into the glass room, to look at tropical plants, birds, butterflies, ants, bugs...an ecosystem in a glass room.

I lifted my camera to take a picture of glass and mist and a tall plant. The view was foggy.

I tried again. I seemed to have on the lens cap.

I looked. The lens was totally fogged.

Why not. I took many pictures through the steamed lens, and blew a lot of light through them after I downloaded.

Three butterflies.

Bromelid.

Orange butterfly.

An astounding blossom.

Back at floor level, I dried the lens and shot normally.

The glass house is small paths through an overwhelming amount of tropical growth.

Three frogs. 

Phew. The desert, and prickly things.

Two tortoise.

A lizard, with an attendant.

The previous lizard was stolen! Ruth said the thieves were taped, but not caught.

Now a docent is by its side at all time.

It sees us!