Quiet Orchid Research Techniques

The fluorescent lights turned every petal into a blur, and I still don’t understand why anyone thinks bright glare is conducive to observing the delicate veins of a new orchid specimen. A colleague’s careless remark about my field notes made the room feel like a stage, which only added to the irritation of having to defend my methodical work against trivial chatter. I locked the herbarium door, let the humidity settle, and allowed the quiet to be the only witness to the slow unfolding of a vine that has haunted my mind since the last winter. If there were a way to keep my research hidden from such distractions, I would—though my strategies always arrive too late to save a single stem. 😠 #botany #quiet #methodical