Early, early on a December morning - a Thursday morning. Will said 'I think it's snowing' and I went up to the living room in the dark; it was about 3 a.m.; turned on the porch light so I could see it falling; sat on the couch looking out the window for a while; went back upstairs and thought 'well, I woke up and looked and there it was and that is the end of that'. Ha.
In the morning it was still dark and it was still snowing. Will took these pictures in the early morning, before we both had to figure out how to get to work in all of this. We were sad we could not stay at home and watch this beautiful morning. But he had to be at work at 7 and I was coming into the very last day of final exams. I knew students would indeed show up and I couldn't let them down. So we slowly inched our way up the road, in our two vehicles, passing stranded drivers waiting for rescue from family members, and unfortunate folks who had slid off the road and into the ditch. Not to worry - everyone we passed that was in trouble was being assisted!
Carports collapsed under the weight of the snow, and big chunks of trees came crashing down; very sad for many of the small oaks we have planted...the tress that still had leaves could not hold the weight either. But they will survive. It took several days for all of the snow to melt, even though the temperature was above freezing in the daytime. I had no idea snow was that stubborn.
I remember only two other snows like this in my lifetime here in Louisiana; Once in the 80's, when we lived on 'The Farm', and the children were young. Once in the 60's when I was a child in New Orleans and we all went to the lake-front and skidded around on the ice - and fell down - many times.
Everyone I know took lots and lots (and lots) of snow pictures and I'm sure many of you have some of your own. If we're lucky, we may see this again. I am still in the camp of 'I couldn't do this for months and months each year', but I know that those who live in the frozen north think we're nuts to stand the heat of the summer. Bring it on. I'm good for that.
P.S. the garden survived. All of the snow-covered pak-choi and lettuce and broccoli unfroze and perked up and it didn't seem to matter at all to the plants.