This is what I saw this morning when I got up and opened the door from my bathroom onto the swing porch. I have lived sixty-three out of the seventy years of my life in Florida and never once have I seen anything like this happen here. We've gotten snow before but never anything over an inch as far as I recall. And it always fell, melted, and disappeared within a few hours.
It's 5:11 p.m. and my backyard is still mostly covered in white and the sun has been shining almost all day. As Glen just said to me, "It's so weird to look out and see snow."
I agreed that it very much is.
We had lost power in the night but our generator took over. I love that machine so much. Our cell and internet were out though which was extremely frustrating. It snowed here and we couldn't tell anyone! I was able to get a few texts and pictures from the kids and everyone was just blissed out and having a great time playing in the snow.
I got the little video from Jessie that I posted earlier and it made me laugh so much. We have no sleds here, of course, but it turns out that a serving tray or a cookie sheet works fine for little boys with tiny little butts. And also, that Sophie must be part husky. She was so joyous, pulling August and Levon down the road on a baking sheet.
People all over Tallahassee (and all over north Florida!) are sledding on everything from boogie boards to surfboards.
The power, internet, and cell all came back on pretty quickly. I had worried that our power company would have no idea how to find and fix ice-related power outages. But they figured it out.
Here are a few pictures from our yard.
If my garden survives, it'll be a miracle.
Glen and I stayed in and were cozy little lovebirds for the most part. It was a very good day for that. We would go outside now and then, to feed the birds or just see what we could see. The birds were ravenous and Glen threw their feed on the snow because the feeder was filled with what looked like nice fluffy snow but which was actually a frozen block of ice.
Not a good picture because I took it from behind the porch screen. They were so skittish. But you can get an idea of how many of them came around.
Turns out that Tallahassee schools are closed tomorrow and both Vergil and Jessie are going to be working. Jessie probably overnight and into tomorrow. Babies don't wait.
So we have two little snow monkeys here with us to spend the night and play tomorrow.
I know that all of this amazement about a few inches of snow probably makes many of you who live where it snows every year and in far greater amounts probably makes you laugh but I have to say that it's sort of like living in Ohio and waking up one morning to find a beautiful, warm, sparkling ocean with a clean, white-sand beach bordering it in your backyard. It is almost that shocking for us to wake up to snow.
Not going to talk about the other stuff here today because for the first time in weeks, I have let my fear and worry and anxiety go a bit and have been concentrating on the pure joy of the absurdity of our sudden winter. I imagine that by the end of the week I'll be sick and tired of it all. It's supposed to get down to 21 degrees tonight so I think we'll probably wake up to the same snow we went to bed with.
I'm going to go make hamburgers and cut up vegetables for the guys. I wonder what sort of devilment they'll get into while they're here.
Probably none. They are good little boys. Mostly.
Love...Ms. Moon
Enjoy that snow while it lasts. Weather wierding may well give you more white stuff.....in July....next.
ReplyDeleteWho knows?
DeleteYes, it's funny reading about the giddy joy of Florida bloggers about the snow! It sounds as if they all turned into kids!
ReplyDeleteYes, I've heard many people say that. That they felt like kids again.
DeleteThis is incredible. May it last just long enough to be enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteWe've still got some today!
DeleteLoved the video! Good sport that little dog! It is SO WEIRD to see your yard and garden under snow!! Surreal! Do you even have shoes or boots for such an event?
ReplyDeleteMy "snow" shoes are my crocs. They work pretty well.
Deletei'm sure your grands will remember this day forever <3 we warmed up to almost double digits today so we're out of the negatives and back to school tomorrow. it felt like -20 below this AM and -13 yesterday. xxalainaxx
ReplyDeleteY'all know how to dress for it and drive in it. We DON'T!
DeleteIt must be so amazing for you to se all that snow! Glad the kids had fun with it- once I a lifetime, maybe? Best wishes for all your plants.. XO, Rigmor (who woke up to -3 degrees this morning!)
ReplyDeleteI have little hope for most of my plants. There will be a lot of trimming after this.
DeleteThis is AMAZING! IMHO, if you're going to have frigid, you may as well have snow (you have more than we do up here in Idaho...). I can only imagine how giddy the youngsters are. Enjoy it while it lasts!
ReplyDeleteChris from Boise
I think that even the kids are a little over the novelty.
DeleteYour FL snow cover is a real shocker.
ReplyDeleteI also wonder if your veggie garden will recover after a freeze and snow. Annuals in MA die on the first Winter freeze.
I loved the sledding video. Looks like everybody is having fun.
We'll have to see about the garden. The plants in it are very cold-hardy but this is pushing the limits.
DeleteWow, it looks so surreal to see the pictures of snow there in Florida Mary, and yet almost equally unreal is that we just had our first frost three nights ago…….never mind no snow yet….and that is here in the Pacific Northwest just miles from the Canadian border💁. Nice pics that you’ve been taking-
ReplyDeleteCrazy, mixed up planet.
DeleteIt's a pleasure reading your enjoyment of a taste of our weather. Those little boys will remember this!
ReplyDeleteOh, they very much will!
DeleteI don't know about Florida, but here when we get snow in May, the plants are usually okay because the snow is a good insulator. But of course your plants are much different than mine, although I did see a package of seeds for zinnia yesterday, so some of your plants will grow here:)
ReplyDeleteHope your garden survives and I imagine you will be tired when those boys leave tomorrow. Have fun.
I am tired but not so very tired. Those boys are pretty darn easy, especially if we let them watch TV!
DeleteI have probably thought about you saying that snow is a good insulator at least twenty times. I hope it's true for my garden.
Wow. Snow in Florida. What a wonderful memory for the grandkids to have.
ReplyDeleteAugust and Levon have been able to spend some time in the snow when visiting the North Carolina relatives but having it here in Florida is different and, I hope, special..
DeleteIt was -12 degrees on my patio this morning. We're to get a little more snow overnight and tomorrow. Enough already. I know this is NE Ohio....but, so ready for spring. I don't think I've ever seen palm trees with snow on. What a sight! Did this hit the orange crops? Take care. Warmer days ahead...at least for you 'all in Florida. Maybe not so much here in Ohio.
ReplyDeleteParanormal John
Honey, you need a trip to Mexico! Get some some on your body, some salt on your skin! To my knowledge, I've never seen snow on palm trees either. It's very odd.
DeleteWhat fun for the kids! It is very cozy looking out at the snow. The ground is covered with it here too. Enjoy your lovely overnight guests!
ReplyDeleteThose boys are easy to take care of and they let me read them two stories so I was very, very happy.
DeleteEnjoy all you can. Those boys and their dog look so happy!
ReplyDeleteDon't they?
DeleteShocking would also be me waking up to snow here in hot dry Australia. Some areas do get snow, in the Blue Mountains in NSW and down in Tasmania they get snow on their mountains too, but not where I am. We haven't even seen frost in a good long while. I say revel in the absurdity and make yourself a snowman, have snowball fights with August and Levon, then go inside and have hot chocolate with marshmallows.
ReplyDeleteGlen and Vergil and the boys had a snowball fight yesterday. The snow is so mixed with sleet that it's hardly soft enough to make a snowman. I'm sure some people did though. And I think their mama made them some hot chocolate yesterday.
DeleteThat snow is wild. Everything is wild right now. Southern California is burning, there's a freak show running the country -- it's all so so weird and not at all wonderful.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Somehow the snow gave the south a little joy, though. For a moment at least. The novelty had everyone feeling like a child.
DeleteEnjoy it if you can. On the very rare occasions of real snow in Ireland, my mother in law would bring out her set of kitchen trays, bin lids and baking sheets and distribute them among the kids in the neighbourhood and led the gang to the top of the hill. Also initiated snowball fights.
ReplyDeleteYour mother-in-law sounds pretty darn okay!
DeleteIt is amazing to think that snow is hanging around so long. Like you, I remember the rare Florida snow disappearing almost immediately. I didn't realize August was on a baking sheet in that video! LOL!
ReplyDeleteYep! People were using everything and anything as sleds.
DeleteHa! You posted basically the same pictures I did on Tuesday. Our snow is all but gone now since yesterday was nice and sunny. Only small patches that were in shade all day remain. One more night of below freezing and then it will be over for us.
ReplyDeleteWe've still got a good amount hanging around. A lot melted today but certainly not all. We've got four more nights of below freezing. Can you imagine all the trimming I'll be doing?
DeleteYeah, probably the same amount as me.
DeleteGlad you and your gang can enjoy the snow! I am getting a little tired of it here as I get it shoveled since since I think the snow is done but then during the night, it has snowed a bit again, and so I will have to get out and shovel it again today. Otherwise, it turns to ice on the driveway. This has happened several times. Stay cozy and warm and safe, Mary!
ReplyDeleteYes. Snow is fine but that icy stuff is treacherous. Y'all are brave and strong souls.
DeleteThank you for sharing your photos. I specifically came here to see how much snow you got. I have absolutely reveled in delight with all the snow photos and antics I've seen online, especially in south Louisiana. Rednecks and coonasses (I probably qualify as the former) know how to have fun!
ReplyDeleteThere are indeed a lot of southerners enjoying this novel event. For sure.
DeleteAbsolutely no snow here EVER! so enjoying your delight. Today's forecast here is "Partly cloudy, chance of showers, chance of a thunderstorm, possibly severe, with damaging winds, large hail and possible heavy falls. Winds 20 to 30 km/h swinging to the other direction in the middle of the day, daytime maximum temperatures in the mid to high 30s." - so hot, windy and possible fire and brimstone!
ReplyDeleteWhere are you? Our forecasts will be more like that in a few months. Fire and brimstone- California's getting that. We're the hell freezing over part of it.
DeleteIt would be funny if it were not so dangerous. You have illustrated the same level of snow we have here, eastern Ontario in the snow belt. Mind you, my porch thermometer is reading just above Farenheit zero at 10; 30 AM in sunshine , and I hope yours is not.
ReplyDelete