More orchids

Da and I went to the flower fields in Carlsbad last Friday. It was a tour thing where someone else does the driving. I like that kind of thing.

We left at 9:30 a.m. and the first thing we did when we got to Carlsbad was stop at the Sizzler for lunch. Ehhh. I wasn't hungry yet and neither was Da. It was only 11 o'clock. I don't like salad bar things. Or cafeterias. I eat way too much at them. It is complicated going through the line getting food for two people when one doesn't know what everything is called and can only guess at the ingredients. Describing everything takes so much time and I always feel like I should be going faster because it always seems like people are piling up behind us. Give me a regular restaurant or even a fast food joint any day. What to do? We did what anyone would do. We ate with the other 40 people from the bus. Who knew when the next opportunity to eat would be? We could have starved, you know.

Back on the bus for a few minutes brought us to the flower fields. They were very pretty, but I think I'm a little spoiled. We used to live next to flower fields when we lived in the Bay Area. Nothing beats walking the dog next to the gladiola fields when they are being harvested. When the buds on the stalks have already started opening they can't sell/use them so they just throw them away. The harvesters think it is great that someone walking by might think the flowers are too pretty for the trash pile. They try to pile them on you so high that you cannot see where you are going. Forget controlling a hyper puppy.

So we enjoyed the wagon ride through the fields of ranunculas, but they didn't give any away for free. Then we went back to the sweet pea maze. I like mazes and we had fun figuring this one out. The fragrance of the sweet peas was very pleasant as we strolled through, taking our time. People passed us all the time but that was okay. I didn't feel like they were backing up behind us and we could learn from their mistakes, anyway.

My real reason for visiting the flower fields this year was just ahead. I had saved it for last as I wanted plenty of time to peruse the merchandise. There were orchids and more orchids. Hundreds, maybe thousands of plants, mostly in bloom and for sale. And there were growers to talk to about any problems one might have. It was wonderful. I have a weakness for orchids. I like them very much. Da helped me pick out just seven more plants to add to my collection. Yes, he did. The fragrance of some of these is just indescribable, some are spicy, some are sweet, some are chocolaty, some are lemony--as varied as the blooms themselves. (I didn't get a picture of the lemony one while at the show and the one I brought home isn't blooming yet.) It was worth the wait, this anniversary trip of ours.

Wouldn't you know. There was a hot dog stand by the orchid booths. Da and I both love hot dogs. We would not have starved after all. I wish we had known.