Early Winter?

We arrived back home in time to enjoy the last of the beautiful fall weather. (I do hope we get more, but I won't hold my breath.) Didn't we all enjoy a rare relatively warm (and snow-free) Halloween? Costumes didn't need to include snowsuits.

We were away on my family reunion trip (and to see our youngest and her family) when those of you still here in lovely northeastern Montana got that first taste of winter's return. We saw the dregs of that first snow lingering in sheltered areas and on the north sides of hills. I'd rather have still been gone for this latest blast. I know where we live, but I'd have happily waited until at least December before my garden space turned white again. Ah, well, I rarely get my druthers. Mother Nature is too strong.

On a better note, none of my houseplants missed me enough to expire from my absence. (A couple of geraniums look a bit ill, but I think they'll pull out of it.) In fact, while watering them upon our return, I found that one is blooming. Based upon its single blossom last spring, I figured it was related to the Christmas cactus family. The leaves (stems?) are very odd: some are quite broad while others are long, narrow ropes. The flowers appear out through the sides of the broad sections, and get quite big. This time there are two big flowers opening as well as a couple of buds forming.

I had to google what type of cactus it is (there are no thorns or stickers). I found it is related, but not actually a Christmas cactus at all. It's an orchid cactus, epiphyllum. Mine has vivid red blossoms. Google says they typically open at night but can last well into the next day. It seems to me that the flower last time kept for several days. I hope these new ones do also. They don't appear to have any scent, though.

I do have a second orchid cactus started from this plant. They're easy to propagate from cuttings. They prefer to be root bound, which may be why mine hadn't bloomed for so many years: it was growing into its pot! The original one was gifted to me by my now deceased sister-in-law, Beverly Tade, so I always think of her while tending it.

I can't get a good photo of it because it's on a stand in my kitchen, sharing the top shelf with the pothos I kept after my father-in-law's funeral. That pothos has yielded many cuttings over the years. It's bent on kitchen domination, and it overshadows the orchid cactus. (It's my Honrud memory shelf.) Google warns against moving it while it's blooming as the change in light and air could cause it to drop the flowers and buds. So I guess you'll have to take my word for it's beauty, or look them up on Google. They do come in several bloom colors.

We're still being visited daily by five to seven deer, including young Stub. (Dennis insists on calling him Spike.) Just now a small flock of sharptails flew in and startled the fawns. The doe was over in the garden space finishing off the sunflowers while the fawns are enjoying the tops of the flowers by the bird feeders. We do love our armchair views of the wildlife with whom we share our yard.