Snow day...er, hours

It doesn't snow very often in New Orleans...and to the best of my knowledge, it has never snowed here before Christmas. But we had one of those rare snowfalls this morning. It lasted about two hours. So here is my quick effort at a snowman, with bits of grass (from the lawn being cut a few days ago) stuck in its chest. Behind it is the garden. The fall squash plants are turning that frozen dark green color. Some of the plants bloomed but kept their buds folded shut against the not-summer temperatures, so they never bore little squash. The snap peas I planted a few weeks ago are just coming up, and I think they will survive. But the bed full of cilantro -- the plants scattered seed everywhere last year and I've got cilantro all over the place -- smells decidedly like, well, cilantro. It may be time for an emergency harvest.

It's a good day to stay indoors and write Christmas cards. This Sunday we have a service of Lessons and Carols at First Pres, so I don't have to write a sermon. And now I can even include some pretty pictures of snow in New Orleans with the cards I send out!

Oh, did I mention? A mere forty-eight hours ago the afternoon temperature was well into the 70s. And it is supposed to be near 70 this weekend. I am lucky the snow lasted on the ground long enough to scrape up enough for a snowman.