Amaryllis in Bloom

I just returned from a glorious week in Cancun, Mexico. It was a wonderful family vacation and a timely respite from the cold and snow of Long Island, NY. Just before I left, however, I noticed my Amaryllis plants - the ones I have been anxiously waiting to bloom - were just about to burst open. Ugh, what rotten timing!

Here is what I saw two days before my departure:

 The beautiful bud, just teasing me now...

I decide to try to force it a little by placing it under some kitchen lights that give off a lot of heat. By the afternoon, I see it is working slowly:

The next day, the flower begins to open:

And the morning of my departure, I finally got to see at least one of the flowers. I didn't know if it would be dead by the time I came back or if I would miss the entire show:

But I didn't! When I got home from my trip - a full week later - I was welcomed with three beautiful blooms on one of the plants:

And the other Amaryllis is just starting to open too!:

This one is an all white variety with a thin red line around the edges of the flower petals. So very pretty and delicate looking:

Thank you, Amaryllis, for welcoming me home with such splendor!