Beautiful orchid Howard, and I am sure you deserved it.
Hope it will bloom for you for a long time, and grows well.
Always enjoy photos you post, succulents or otherwise.
Rina

Its beautiful Howard!

WOWZER, love those mustache dots and the eye above.

Nice and a 4n! Not so common.
From the AOS A Brief Look at Polyploidy

"Tetraploids (4n) : — Tetraploids originally occurred by freak
happenings, the plants' cellular structure changing in such a way as to
possess twice the normal number of chromosomes in their make-up. Though
tetraploids are often charac¬terized by slower growth and heavier
texture, the significance to the naked eye may or may not be apparent.
It is also questionable to say that tetraploids are always necessarily
associated with desirable features, such as good form and other
characteristics we look for. Their main significance lies in their
breeding influence. Because of their doubled chromosome number, they
assert double the influence that a normal diploid would. Thus, the
tetraploid has led to the finest advances in orchid breeding. This is
because certain plants of good quality have been discovered to be
tetraploids and they have been used in breeding to exert the advantage
of their added breeding influence."

Thanks to all. Thanks for educating us and helping all of us understand something very significant about this and other plants.

While I realize this is a C&S forum, for those interested and in the area of Columbia Station, Ohio ( SW of Cleveland), there's going to be an Open House at the greenhouse (12390 Root Road) Memorial Day weekend from 10 AM ~ 5 PM.

What a stunning orchid!

-Erica