Perry the Corpse Flower’s spadix, gloriously stiff though it was during the past few weeks, lost turgor in an irreversible manner this afternoon. Perry’s appendage had been steadily wilting, and Dan R and I were set to make another photo in the Perry Measuring Stick series to document the steadily increasing spadicial curvature.
A conversation with Colleen Jacks (another major Perryophile, I’ll add) about Perry intervened. During that conversation, Perry’s spadix succumbed to the force first characterized by Newton. A crack developed, and a crash ensued. I wasn’t there to see it, Colleen, and that’s your fault. You also cheated Dan out of having the spadix crash onto his head while posing for the photo. I forgive you, though, and I suspect that Dan will do likewise.
We’ll just have to make do with a photo of Dan next to the newly fractured spadix. That’s a pretty cool photo, though.
AND – The Other Dan (Dan Oachs, of our Technical Services department), WAS there when the spadix collapsed. AND – he made a video of the collapse. Here it is (you’ll have to go to the end to see the Snap! Crash!…but it’s a nice trip. Just settle down and enjoy the ride. :)
It was a very odd experience being in the room, right next to Perry as he began to “quickly” move downward. The whole event is still in slow motion in my head. Mostly I remember trying to turn on the camera I had in my hand and hit the record button as quickly as possible. All the while I imagine the chat room watching the live video must have been all screaming at me to look up!
Anyway, here is a link to the video I shot from the camera in my had as it all happened. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3taGI5mruk
“It was a very odd experience being in the room…” – yes, yes it was – many times. :)
I’m really glad that you happened to be right there so as to get that video…