Michelle Obama got early bloom

The typical lead time for White House orchid presentations is usually measured in years.

For Laura Bush, it was during her husband's second term. For Hillary Rodham Clinton, it was during President Bill Clinton's run for re-election. Barbara Bush's husband was already out of office. The three first ladies all eventually received their namesake Cattleya orchids, but it took dozens of requests along with recommendation letters from prominent politicians to achieve.

Yet here we are just days after the presidential inauguration, and first lady Michelle Obama has already accepted her special orchid.

It was last summer, and the election campaign was in full swing. Mrs. Obama was planning an evening campaign appearance in Virginia, and her husband's lead in the polls seemed insurmountable. Though not yet first lady, she was the odds-on favorite, so we took a chance.

We were given a two-minute photo opportunity during a reception at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk where Mrs. Obama was to address a crowd of 1,200 supporters.

The music for the evening was provided by local singer-songwriter and Grammy award winner Bruce Hornsby.

However, the star of the show was undoubtedly the compact-growing lavender-colored Laeliacattleya Michelle Obama, a lovely hybrid that combines the vigor and longevity of the Colombian species Cattleya trianaei with the miniature twice-a-year blooming Laeliacattleya Mini Purple. The plants were displayed as a grouping in a fancy decorative container with curly willow and Spanish moss.

Just moments before the presentation was to take place, however, the secret service intervened: "The arrangement cannot be in the picture."

"Excuse me?" I asked in complete disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but rules are rules," said the agent.

"But sir, we have been invited here for this purpose," I tried to explain as my blood pressure started rising.

"Well, we haven't scanned the object with our bomb-detecting equipment," the agent said.

"OK, no problem. I'll just stand over here and you take as long as you need to scan it," I said confidently.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the equipment here," he said sheepishly.

After a long silence in which I envisioned the entire presentation evaporating before my eyes, I said in desperation, "Can I pick off the flowers and present them?"

There was a big huddle of secret service agents using handheld radios. The answer, "You can present one flower."

"One flower?" I asked in greater disbelief.

"OK, two. But that's it," said the agent, having reached a generous compromise.