"Rochelle" weighs 200 pounds, is 5 feet tall and has a girth of more than 8 feet. In humans, that might cause concern, but if you're a Dendrobium spectabile you get to be Grand Champion at the 62nd Miami International Orchid Show. The fragrant plant, often referred to as the goblin or fried calamari orchid for its curly yellow blooms, is sprouting an estimated 1,050 flowers, and is 20 times the average size of the species. "It was a nice surprise," said proud grower Patrick O'Day of Hawaiian Orchid Source, on winning the award ... "there were so many amazing orchids at this year's show. It is truly an honor." The orchid is for sale, for an estimated $10,000.

— Chris Oliver

HAPPENING

THE LUCK OF THE ARTISTS

Artists alert: On Saturday, SketchCrawl Honolulu heads to Murphy's Bar & Grill, where the bar's annual St. Patrick's Day event on the corner of Nu'uanu and Ala Moana is part of downtown's dawn-to-dusk celebrations of all things Irish. Murphy's will set up tents for food — green beer anyone? And the street will be closed to traffic starting at 11 a.m. Sketchers should meet at 10 a.m. Mark Brown will conduct a plein-air class beginning at 8 a.m. in Murphy's parking lot. Aloha Tower Marketplace, the harbor, cruise ships and beautiful buildings are all part of the landscape ... and sharpen up those green pencils. Information: John Yamashige, 286-6566; www.sketchcrawl.com.


— Advertiser staff

FINAL WORD

"It's enjoyable but demanding. You have to take care of the baby until it comes out."

Gael Garcia Bernal | the "Babel" actor on directing his first movie, "Deficit"