Spring Has Sprung, Y'all!

First, let me start off by thanking Jon for asking me to be a part of his guest posts for his Spring 2011 Blogfest!  Sheesh, Jon has been nothing but kind in this here blogosphere and I owe him a lot (including a painting) as far as keeping me going in writing my blog.  A true gentleman and inspiration! 

Of course, by now you all know that Jon as asked us to write about spring and what it means to us, so I thought I would take a moment and share with you what spring has meant for me in the past during my days as a Texan and now what spring means for me as New Orleanian.

You see, growing up in Texas, you know that the weather can be highly unpredictable.  You will have picked out a fabulous little Easter sundress to wear for mass and *BOOM*, you get hit with 3 feet of snow.  Yes, snow in Texas.  I'm not kidding, y'all!  I resided in the Panhandle of Texas (the top square part of the state) and the weather patterns coming off the Rocky Mountains always meant you never knew how your day was going to end up, be it snow, sunshine or tornadoes.  These sort of unpredictable weather patterns happen pretty much all year long but are extreme-extreme from February through May. 

My family never relied on Puxatony Phil as the decider of whether spring had officially sprung.  Instead we used the power of Mother Nature! 

Usually, the scene would go something like this.


Me: "Mom!  It's so cold!  I'm so tired of this yucky weather!  Aren't we ever going to have spring!?!"


Mom: "Well, the weather man says the Rockies got hit again so I think we've got another cold front moving through."


Me: "But it's April 27th!  *Chatter, Burr Shiver* I wonder if the snowballs are blooming!?"

Mom: "You know, I was driving home today and sure enough, the snowballs are blooming! We will be warm in no time!  Put some socks on and you wouldn't be so cold!"

You see, when the snowball bushes bloom, the last cold snap has happened and that means that birds and spring can finally get rolling in the Texas Panhandle.  I love the snowball bushes.  They are not related to hydrangea bushes, but pretty all the same! 

Upon arriving in New Orleans, I quickly realized that we weren't dealing with the same kind of spring-has-sprung weather. Warm 80% of the time, New Orleans is a lady of her own extremes.  She likes it  hot and muggy, and did I mention muggy? 

You all must understand, I came from the driest region possible where smiling made your lips crack to a place so wet that I have mushrooms that grow on my kitchen floor.  The 80% of the time that NOLA spends making you sweat your butt off means that 80% of the time, you need to be refreshingly cooled off.

That's why New Orleans, like my home state of Texas, uses Sno-Balls as a way to gauge whether spring has indeed sprung.  I knew there was a reason why I liked it here so much - we speak the same language!

Seriously, when you have been out and about doing your thing and you need a way to cool off quick, stop off at a Sno-Ball stand here in the city.  These aren't the normal snow cones or snowballs in which you are familiar - the syrups are all homemade, many natural.  They add fun things like cream ( and by cream I mean he pulled out a pitcher of heavy cream from the fridge) and natural juices like pineapple, apple, and nectar juices, chocolate is a popular selection.  The key to these Sno-Balls is that they aren't too sweet.  You don't get too much of the sugar overload like the artificial syrups of my youth. 

The particular Sno-Ball stand we like to frequent is called Hanson's Sno-Bliz.  Seriously, there is always a line out the door, this place has been around for 50+ years and stays open year round.  No closing down when school starts for these guys - remember the 80% of the time heat??

New Orleans Sno-Balls are a definite sign that spring has spring because if you are eating a sno-ball in New Orleans, it means you are hot enough to need some cooling off.  And we started needed cooling off again back in March.

While the Sno-Balls in New Orleans are more colorful and are meant to refresh and bring joy, I think the snowballs back in Texas bring joy and refreshment to those who need a sign from the heavens that spring is indeed on its way. 

Most of all, I think spring is a time of renewal and new beginnings.Time to dust those cobwebs off, get together with friends, smell the roses and enjoy a delicious icy treat in the warm afternoon sun.  Spring - the energy of it is contagious if you just take a moment to stop and enjoy.

Have a fabulous Thursday!