The Big Chill in Houston

Extreme Snow Cover

Nothing unusual here in our yard.

Do I see snow across the street?

Hey, this might be it.

Yes, this is it!   I found it!

Logan and I set out this afternoon to find some winter white stuff, the prediction of which has been the big story here for several days ahead of the first flake.

First, let me say we understand that winter storms are extremely unpredictable. And, one of our local meteorologists got it almost right, attempting to tone down the hysteria late last night before the big freeze arrived.  But, we don't get much cold weather in Houston so when there's a forecast of a real winter storm, the media takes it an runs with it. They run really, really fast with it. Sometimes a little too fast. While we are hovering just below the freezing point, the weather never really lived up to it's hype, and once again, the expectation has run well ahead of the event. Schools and businesses closed, shoppers raided the grocers' shelves and reporters donned their parkas and gloves as they departed for neighborhoods near and far. Local TV stations covered the event non-stop. Non-stop, that is, until it became apparent that the big event was going to be little more than a blip on the radar. I wonder what would happen if we actually had a major ice storm, or God forbid, a major snowstorm. One reporter searching for her non-blizzard story, wandered into several eateries. In the donut shop, she referred to a tray of donuts and pastries as "sweedbreads". No, dear, those are not sweetbreads*, but the winter storm of 2014 was a lot of bull.

* For you city slickers, sweetbreads are not pastries, but they are a part of a bull's anatomy :-)