It’s January on the Gulf Coast and that means it’s time for these twice-blooming Fashion azaleas to stun with its coral colored blossoms. hey will be amazing again in spring, but right now their bright presence on the front lawn is a startling contrast to the leafless trees around them.

We don’t normally get hard freezes here, so we aren’t really prepared for them–neither our plants nor our population. Last February we had days of below-freezing temperatures and the gorgeous palms that decorate every commercial space and backyard pool were suddenly stripped of their finery. Our sago palm was just a bare, yellow stump. It looked a little like an oblong pineapple with a hairy toupee. But then some pups magically appeared at the base, and then a frond showed up on top. And now…

Even prettier than before ! The same can’t be said for our five citrus trees. So sad, but we lost them all. We’re certainly hoping this February doesn’t bring a repeat of the Big Freeze.

We’ve broken daily high records (and even super high daily low records) many times this year. Yesterday it was 74^o and tomorrow night a cold front will arrive and we’ll be below freezing for a few hours. It plays havoc with allergies and barometric pressure sensitivities. But it’s a perfect excuse to curl up inside with a good book and read. Or… WRITE. Which is what I should be doing right now.

‘Bye for now, then.

Donna