Awoke to a hushed, trackless whiteness: snow in South-Central Texas. (The tracks came as soon as the kids were out.) Palms trees garlanded with icicles. Over 200 crashes on the highways as idiots desperate to get out of the house at all costs hurl themselves into the void. Staying put for now, working on a review, not entirely looking forward to the inevitable sortie, but it must be done, with barely a finger's-breadth of whiskey left in the liquor cabinet. Silly of me not to have been more provident. But's that's me: a gracehoper, not an ondt.

Winter, anyway. Not a frequent presence on our semi-tropics. Won't be missed when it goes. But beautiful for awhile.