the annoying hum and sterility of the office

So ... I have no windows in or near my office space. I spend most of my day under fluorescent lights and the sounds of the ventilation system. I've also fallen into a habit of eating at my desk. I think it's causing some stress.

But I can change that. I can go outside on my lunch break and take a long slow walk to nowhere. I did that today.

There isn't much to see here. Today I walked around the outskirts of the parking lot. I listened to the sounds of the cicada mixed with the traffic from the busy two lane road nearby.

I came upon the asphalt remains of some building, now overgrown with grass and some sort of purple flowering plant. Bees, butterflies and other insects flittered about the purple flowers. It was a bit of respite from the annoying hum and sterility of the office.

Asian Orchid

Another year and so another 52 week photography project. I didn't get out to shoot much in the past week so I started to panic a little last night when I realised I may not have a photo to share. I left my camera bag in the car and didn't feel like venturing out in the cold to get it. I knew my iPhone wasn't useful for indoor low light photograph so I grabbed my wife's Sony Cybershot DSCW55 7.2MP Digital Camera.

She doesn't use it much anymore. Her iPhone is smaller and lighter and always with her. That has become her "compact camera". The quality of the photos are enough for her purposes and she doesn't have to fiddle with any controls. The iPhone is her point-n-shoot.

I searched around for a suitable subject and remembered I had meant to take photos of the blooms from my Asian Orchid. I bought this orchid two years ago at the Earth Day event at the Montgomery High School. The seller convinced and I had a long chat before I was convinced that I could get this to bloom. I had experience with South American Orchids but I had none with an Asian Orchid. It took me two years before I got this to bloom. I found out that I could "shock" the plant into producing flowers if I left it in a cold overnight. So that's just what I did.

The plant has three flowers on a very short stalk. I certainly hope I get more.