Chalkaholic: I Smelled a Corpse Today!

Dear B-Reader,

Have you ever smelled a corpse flower? No, not a corpse. No, not a flower. Yes, a corpse flower.

Jeff and I have sniffed Lois, the blooming corpse flower on view right now at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Her odor is slightly fishy, but not too terribly bad...for now. The scent is anticipated to be stronger when she is in full-bloom.

When might we expect her to be in full-bloom? Well, the resident anthropologist at HMNS has let us know that it could be anywhere between midnight tonight and 5:00 PM tomorrow. Every corpse flower is unique, and each one blooms at its own schedule. Lois might remain opened for several days if not a week.

She is an incredibly gorgeous specimen. Blonde-green outer color to her long petals which curl at the tips. Very dark, almost black color to the interior of her petals. She is tall, towering at six feet. She would give any super model a run for her money! Look out, Heidi Klum. Oh, and did I mention that she has accomplished national recognition at the tender age of six years-old?

B-Reader, I hope that you will make the pilgrimage to the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science to see this one-of-a-kind Amazon goddess with your own eyes. Due to the unpredictable nature of her coming into full-bloom, the Center will be opened around-the-clock to give everyone the opportunity to see Lois. Can't make it in person?--that's no excuse with the webcam generously provided by Rice University.

You grow, girl!

*To learn more about Lois and to watch her live via webcam,

click on the "Lois' blog" link at the bottom of my blog site.