Yellow Orchids

Ohio History

Orchid Bunch

Here are a few more gorgeous orchids. I love the combination of rich rose pink and golden yellow in the ones above. They were in the peak of bloom, as you can see from the bud that has not yet opened. Did you know that the scent of orchids varies as much as the color? Some have a sweet, perfume-like aroma, while others give off a rotten smell to attract flies. Some have a strong scent while others have no smell at all. Each one's scent is specifically designed to attract the type of insect that orchid requires for pollination.

Orchids with Waterfall

In the center of the Rain Forest, there was a twenty-five foot waterfall that fell down over a rocky cliff. It was also surrounded by beautiful greenery and some very unique flowers. These lemon yellow orchids grew up in front of the waterfall, stretching delicately lined pink and orange centers to the sunny window. Again, these beautiful flowers were joined by unopened buds signaling the peak of bloom.

Orchids

Ohio History

White Beauties

The most beautiful flowers in the Rain Forest by far were the orchids. Clusters of flowers in all shades and colors hung nestled in corners and ledges all over the ground floor of the building. Some of them were so high that my camera zoom could barely capture them. I could hardly take pictures quickly enough! Orchids are native to tropic regions of Asia and Australia such as the Himalayas and the Phillipines, and consequently you can find them in almost any Asian-themed indoor rain forest. In these rain forest climates they tend to grow on tree branches and between rocks with a source of water nearby for the high level of moisture they require.

Pink Sunset

Tropical Rain Forest

Ohio History

Nerve Plant

This delicate yellow flower was growing amid the palms and ferns of the Cincinnati Zoo Rain Forest. Its official name is the nerve plant, and it was used by Native Americans to make a cold tea mouth rinse that could help to relieve toothaches. I guess the "nerve" name makes sense. This was just one of the unusual tropical flowers we saw in the Rain Forest.

Cleveland Zoo

Ohio History

Rain Forest Tropics

Welcome to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo! This well-developed zoo spans 183 acres right in the center of Cleveland, just five miles south of the Lake Erie shoreline. It was a beautiful place to visit when my family stopped by in late September. Our adventure began in the Rain Forest, a unique exhibit enclosed by huge glass panels and covering two acres. It showcases more than 10,000 plants and over 600 animals coming from Asian, African, and South American jungles. We could smell the lush aroma of growing plants in the heavy, humid air of the Rain Forest.

Palm Leaf

Ribbon Winners

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Grand Prize

A closer look at my sister's entries at our county fair revealed not one but two ribbons! I agree with the judges that the blue one gets First Place. There was another jewelry entry that got Second, and her brown set finished with Third Place. Personally I think these were some of the nicest entries in the fair's fine arts gallery that year. Of course, after the fair was over and my sister had brought the entries home and photographed them, she had to dismantle them from their velvet mounts. This jewelry is just too pretty not to wear!

At the Fair

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Blue Jewelry Set

After dropping off the pieces of framed jewelry at the fair, we waited with anticipation for the fine arts exhibit to open. Would the pieces win anything? How much competition would there be? When the fair finally opened up, we rushed to the fine arts hall to see the exhibit. Biased as I may be, I thought my sister's pieces looked stunning amid the other entries on display. Can you pick them out in the pictures? Her hard work had paid off for this impressive exhibit. Oh, and do I see some prize ribbons on her pieces?!?

Brown Jewelry Set

Framed Jewelry

Do-It-Yourself Decorating

Mounted and Framed

My sister decided to enter her beautiful jewelry pieces in our local county fair. To display them, she mounted them on black velvet in picture frames. This was a complicated process. I believe she used thread to attach each strand of beads in several places to the velvet, which had been mounted on cardboard. Thread attachments were needed at many places in order to keep the necklaces in a nice rounded position when turned vertically. My sister then removed the glass from two matching picture frames and inserted the velvet-covered cardboard. They really came out beautifully!

Brown Set

Do-It-Yourself Decorating 

Another Pair

And here, at last, is the completed brown necklace and bracelet set. It came out beautifully, just like my sister's first jewelry set. The rich blue beads stand out brilliantly among the brown and tan shades. This is an interesting style, spacing out large beads with much smaller seed beads. If you look closely, you will notice that even the seed beads range in size and shape. This necklace would match a lot of outfits, and the bracelet would just add the finishing touch.