Orchid flower

This is an Australian orchid, quite hardy, and easy to grow. It is called Dendrobium kingianum, and this is an offcut of an original plant we acquired some years ago.

The orchid flowers provided a useful blip today, against R's black shorts that were drying in the conservatory after our rather damp walk this morning.

It was so unpromising first thing that I didn't even put the phone in my pocket, but nearly ran back for it when I saw a very red sky in the east. Deciding that the colour would have faded by the time I was in anything like a useful position, I decided against going back for a camera. The colour did soon fade, and it wasn't long before the rain set in. It is still raining now, and we are promised snow tomorrow. So after a really mild few weeks, it looks like it is back to winter.