A Rose in the Winter Time

A song in our hymnal by Carolyn McDade has that as a refrain, "a rose in the winter time." It's a lovely thought, but it's not real meaningful in New Orleans. Roses in the winter time are not special here, they are just what we expect.

It is early February, and New Orleans is filled with flowers. Roses, yes, lots of 'em, in all colors, blooming in yards and parks and gardens. But that's not all. Right now, this very day in the Crescent City, you can see camellias, gardenias, Japanese magnolias (what are called "tulip trees" elsewhere), and even azaleas are in bloom.

Temperatures are warm, 60s to 70s, even high 70s, and the humidity is creeping in. The wind is blowing, almost like March winds, and the clouds scud past, in a hurry to get from here to there.

Big Man and I revel in this weather. On Sunday evening we walked from our house to Aja on Magazine, a shushi place that has changed hands recently. The approximately 20 block walk was comfortable and easy, the weather warm, a light wind blowing. Big Man had on a short-sleeve shirt and I had a light throw on over my short-sleeved dress. We laughed about this being Spring for New Orleanians, while it was still high winter for folks Up North.

For years, when I lived away, I had to struggle with a kind of winter depression that always erupted around Carnival time. My inner clock was convinced that Spring came in February, and it was always so hard to struggle through those "extra" 8 weeks or so of winter weather.

Other places may think of February as depressing and ugly, but here in New Orleans, February is greeted with relief, even with all its changeability. (Weathercasters here refer to a cold front in February as a "late season cold snap.") Beautiful February! Gentle February! We love those roses in the winter time.