Last week, my excellent novelist friend and I hatched the beginnings of a plan: on the best nice day we could catch during our spring vacation, we would escape and play hooky for the day. On Monday, the forecast for central Ohio said that Tuesday would be sunny and that the temperature would hit the mid-50s, and so we set the day. By lunchtime, I was in Columbus, and we were off on a restorative afternoon and early evening--during which, among other things, I learned that orchids are very difficult to shoot well because they incorporate many surfaces and depths, and that not talking about work seems to be difficult even while playing hooky.

The day seemed to bring spring a lot closer very quickly.

Also, Chihuly glass is the right non-botanical addition to a conservatory's glasshouses.