Late Spring

With the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Northwest still blanketed in snow and nasty cold weather, it does seem mean to brag on springtime, but there you are. To us New Orleanians, this has been an unusually cold and long winter, and even Carnival was chillier than we prefer. (Yesterday, actor Tom Hanks, in town to promote the new HBO World War II drama about the war in the Pacific, teased us that he knew when temperatures go down to the 40s in the Crescent City things shut down and people go to bed with hot water bottles. He was not far wrong.)

But today the sky is bright blue and temperatures are back where they belong for this time of year, in the 60s. The forecast for this weekend, blessedly, is for it to go up to the 70s, which is even better. That's more like it!

In bloom around New Orleans right this very minute are the Japanese magnolia trees (which started around Mardi Gras, which is late for here), camellias, forsythia, and a few early azaleas. Looking ready to burst are the tulips and daffodils and other bulbs. We look forward to seeing more and more flowers, and to breathing in the intoxicating scents.

For us, it was a long time coming, but it's Spring in the Big Easy.