Awww thanks for teddies. That's a great idea for the resume. I hope the job pans out. My little sucker has finally started to open a bloom. I took pics tonight after we lost power when Irma was just starting to mess with us...was hard to aim camera in pitch dark lol! I know...was a wacky thing to do in a hurricane...

DV - How are you doing???? Very much hope there were no tornadoes.

I.

I would say, Irina what are you doing up, but then I'm up too.

Hope you're good dviolet.

Tallahassee slowing down. Still raining here, still have power. Weatherman says still going to be bad for 4 or 5 more hours. All in all, could have been much worse.

Dviolet, hopefully you'll be able to come out of the closet soon. (Sorry, couldn't help it.) At any rate, stay safe, this will be over soon!

Jeff - if you an crack jokes...you are in a good shape - WOO -HOO!!!

I needed some repotting done... and I was watching news... My friend in Valrico - which is east of Tampa is good, my friend in Spring Hill - hour north of Tampa - is missing power, cannot get his coffee fix...

Need to contact Boca Raton, Clearwater and Sarasota friends. But - the main part - everybody should be in one piece - and clearing the debris from the yard.

Being as you're thanking us I believe that you must be alive

Yes dbarron! And here's just a quick hello --family, friends and neighbors all ok. Cleanup began early this morning with all neighbors helping neighbors. No power for 5 or 6 days?! Everyone's frozen food will be going bad -- hoping we can all pull our grills to the curb and have a friendly communal cookout.

How did you do in Tallahassee Jeff? How did your FL friends do Irina?

I feel so isolated without my TV and not able to leave my street! Tonight I need to check news on cell and see how the rest of FL fared. I'm afraid to see the misery and carnage left behind from this storm. It was so awful with Harvey, was this one much worse?!

So that brings me back to violets again.

No power means no AC. I am melting.

So how are my violets going to do with 5 days of high heat and none of their lights? Any suggestions how I can help my little friends get through this?

There are hundreds more important things to think about and do, but don't you find that diversions with plants to be heathy and healing!

Oh dviolet, I don't know what to tell you about saving your violets, but if you lose them let me know and I will give you some leaves or little plantlets. Hang in there, important that you and your community made it! Rosie

PS. I know it is not the same but when you feel isolated (no tv etc) just try to tap into gwf,,,,we are here for you! Oh my, how will you charge your cell phone after a while????

Violets can withstand pretty intense temps (for them at least) if they get good airflow. Opening lots of windows and putting them by said windows will help, but I can't guarantee anything. Keeping the soil on the dry side might help prevent rot, because the air will be very humid. My only interesting plant right now is my Dali, but same as Rosie, I can donate some leaves!

I'm glad the storm is over and I heard it had decreased to a cat 1 by the time it hit most of Florida, which isn't great but better. You guys totally got the cleanup handled.

Btw... if you're on android, Juice Defender is a great way to save battery life. I was doubtful but I use a tracfone smartphone and the battery wasn't useful until after I installed it. Good luck!!

If I wanted to play musical storms, I would have moved to Kansas! Everything back to normal here, except still no power. Tomorrow morning will be start of third day w/o air conditioning! I'm melting!

Without naming so many names, thank you (and you, and you, and the rest of you....). Things got pretty rough for a while, definitely looking down, gloomy, and chilling, and so nice to see your friendly violet voices at the other of end of my cell.

I wanted to respond more, but, Rosie hit the nail on the head, I had to conserve power. Marina, I took your suggestion and looked for your Juice Defender. When I searched in the app store for it, Circuit Board Design app came up. <:o{ Guess they don't make Juice Def for the iPhone.

I've finally been able to catch up on the news. My heart goes out to all the people who have been through so much, lost so much, been through such harrowing experiences, and survived. I am counting my blessings for being so fortunate. Tonight I watched the very moving NBC benefits concert...on TV...because...

Power is on! And I'm rocking on again...with my violets...

Looking at this as an unanticipated amateur experiment on what happens when house temps are in mid-to-high 80's, humidity at 60%, and, for some of my AVs, having to endure low light levels for 3 straight days. Wound up with a few more than usual wilted/browning blooms, but plants generally looked pretty good. Explains why there are such sad-looking specimens all the time at one BBS -- they keep their AVs outside!

One day Lowes marked down some badly abused and half-dead violets to a dollar. As I placed a couple of new plants on the register counter, I considered them for like, maybe, a second. Nah, no thanks. I'm a newbie at this and I like my AVs like I like my pennies...bright, shiny and new! With more experience I can imagine what a little nurturing and TLC will do...Marina, I would love to see pics of how your $1.40 HD AVs are faring. :-)

Jeff, you weren't the only one trying to crack closet jokes in the middle of my cowering. DH kept stopping by and calling me the closet queen. I don't get it. I was queen of the closet for the night. So as far as I was concerned, this was no joke.

Wow, your offers to help restart a lost collection...my goodness...that was so sweet to offer, and unexpected. That was a happy feeling to know you were there for me. Glad I didn't need it. Though who would've thunk disaster relief could come from the simple act of a leaf donation?! My gwf violet friends are AWESOME!

I'm so glad you got power back so fast!! In 2011 we had a HUGE misunderstanding with Peco and in the middle of summer we had to live in our truck for 3 days. It is NOT fun to be without power in such extreme weather and I'm really happy to hear both you and your plants have come out fine.

I didn't like their clearance plants either, but I'm a huge sucker for pink. :o)) And believe me, I will post pictures as soon as I have more than 2 plants blooming!

Call me a huge nerd, but I consider everyone on here a friend. There's camaraderie found in mutual obsession!

dviolet, glad everything turned out well and you and many others are safe. I realize rebuilding a violet collection would have been the last thing on your mind if "BAD" happened.

YAY for power! Your area is fortunate! And you are right,,,we are here for each other!!!!!

Awww, don't give up on the Lowe's markdowns just yet. I do get them on occasion. If the very center of the crown looks good then I bring it home, trim off the bad leaves, shake off all of the icky soil it is in and repot it. I gently water it, just enough to dampen the roots, not soak them. Usually works, but if it doesn't and it does die, back to Lowe's with my reciept it goes! Year guarantee!! YAY!!!!! Just call me "Frugal" Rosie!!!!

Guess you would want to catch these worst of the worst violets on their best days. Does Lowes have a certain day they mark their violets down? Not saying I'd be in market for buying one...but I can see the appeal of a taking on a challenge and element of surprise when it does good and takes off. And hey, can't beat that money back guarantee, lol!

I know the people in my Lowe's plant dept. very well. Long ago they told me that as soon as the last flower is done they start marking them down as soon as they can get to them. Sometimes if I see one in that condition, I will ask them to mark it down. 'Course knowing those employees helps a lot!!! Same with the orchids. Once in a while there is still enough of a remnant of color that you can tell what they are! And so I get them cheap.

Today I stopped in there and I could not believe my eyes. They had the violets in the BIG pots! One of them was looking good to me. Had "holly" leaves. hmm wonder who that could be. No flower. My friends were not in view and I was in a hurry so I didn't ask about it. No big deal. But it isn't often you see a nice holly leaf. May have to go back. lol Actually they were in good condition also. There were a couple that had flowers still and a big Cora with lots of flowers (I would know her anywhere) but I already have one. As far as the rest of them, except for not having flowers they still looked darn good!

I really am not a fan of the big pot african violets though. I would rather have the normal pot. The big pots take up a lot of real estate (see Irina,,I DO listen to you!!!) so I prefer the normal orangey Optimara pots. Rosie

So glad to hear that those of you in Florida made it thru. I have first hand experience what to much sun and heat can do for a violet.