The amazing amaryllis

While I would like to report that Little Girl is safely situated back at her home, I cannot. We've seen nary a whisker of her. I do appreciate everyone's kind thoughts and comments and tales of animals returning home. I'm still hoping she's on an incredible journey back to us.

Also, today we have had a milestone in the year. The winter solstice is come and gone which means the days are now getting longer. Hooray! I don't care if it is minute by minute, there's more light now than there was a week ago.

But the subject today is an amaryllis. I have grown the bulbs for years, usually a red one for my spouse who prefers it and a multi-colored for me. This year's pink and white entry has truly outdone itself. They usually have two bloom stalks with 4 blooms each, which is how the red one is behaving. But the star of the show has six--count them because I'm posting the photos--SIX blooms on the first stalk. It became so heavy with the first four open that it cratered onto the counter. I cut it off and have placed it in a bulb vase and it has proceeded to bloom the other two.

My photos hardly do it justice, but take my word for it, it is magnificent.

Merry Christmas to all and may the blessings of the season be yours.