It has been downright cold lately, and wet and rainy.  Riding my bike in the rain is a whole different thing when it’s cold out, and, frankly, something I’m not eager to do.  This means, unfortunately, that my bike rides in the past week have been utility rides.  To work and home again.  Today I was hoping to ride down to the Marigny to finish up some grading as the semester draws to an end, but instead, I woke up to snow.  Snow.  In New Orleans.  I squealed like a little girl and threw on some clothes and ran outside to see it, feel it, taste it.  So no, I didn’t ride my bicycle today, but I’m blogging anyway, because it snowed in New Orleans today.  The city really did feel like it was touched by magic.  Snow fell on palm fronds and ice encased hibiscus.  Cars pushed carefully through flurries and giant elm branches were coated with white.  But I most enjoyed watching everyone else enjoy the snow as we wished each other a happy snow day, knowing it was, like so many things in this place, temporary and transient and might not come back again.  So no, I didn’t see this snowy front yard on my bicycle, but without my bicycle, I certainly wouldn’t have seen enough of this place to recognize the importance of running outside to catch fleeting beauty.  I wish you all could have been here.