Stop the Presses…It Snowed in Austin!!!
State Capitol in Snow
The much anticipated and rarely seen occurred today and no one can really believe it! Yep, the once every 10 year event happened. It was quick and if you slept through the day or were stuck in an office, you may have missed it. But is was a wonderland of beauty and something I miss so much after years of living in Central Texas.
You see, I’m from North Central Texas, on a latitude equal to Fort Worth and Dallas, but closer to Lubbock…. so snow and winter sweaters were something that I grew up with. We had snow almost every Christmas, and plenty of times during the winter…and I loved making snowmen, having snowball fights and, my favorite, eating snow ice cream! If you haven’t had snow ice cream…you haven’t really enjoyed the full benefits of a fresh fallen snow event. So I’ll share my quick and easy recipe for the next time you’re in the right place at the right time.
Snow Ice Cream Recipe
1 cup Half & Half
½ cup sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
Dash of Salt
5 cups of fresh fallen snow ( Put a bowl out in the yard and let it fill, or make sure you have a few inches of snow on the ground before to gather what’s on top so you don’t get any grass or contaminants in it.)
Mix the ingredients quickly by hand and serve IMMEDIATELY!
Now, back to the momentous event at hand….
Snow at Pflugerville Park
I was out showing homes during the height of the falling snow and while my friend who was along for the home search had her doubts about braving the weather, I found it to be so exciting; it was like being back in my childhood. The flakes were so huge they looked more like snowballs falling from the sky! Seriously, the falling globs were the size of half-dollars and seemed to land on the ground with a tiny splat. Children stood outside on the sidewalks catching snow on their tongues, and adults stood by with cameras and helped make snowmen.
While Central Austin didn’t get as much snow as our neighbors in Georgetown or even North Austin, we had enough white stuff to cover the ground and stay put for several hours. And as I stood on the balcony of a new home in Mueller development in East Austin, I was amazed at the snow covered roof tops and the tranquility of this gentle dusting by huge globs of snow falling from the grey sky. It was a Norman Rockwell scene to be sure!
UT students build a snowman
If you’re new to Austin, you may not understand the excitement and pleasure we all derive from these infrequent events. Those of us who have lived here many years recount past snowfalls by the decade… the snow of 1984, or the big storm of 1989. There was even a snowfall in 1971 that I still remember. I was in college and during the very early morning hours when everyone was still sleeping and Austin was a much smaller city, my friends and I got in our cars and drove to Lamar Boulevard between 24th and 29th Streets and made snow doughnuts in the street. We’d get a little speed, throw on the brakes and squeal as the car did doughnuts in the early morning silence. The cars would spiral down the street and we’d laugh until it hurt. Of course, we weren’t going fast enough to jump a curb, so it was pretty harmless, but the police may have had a different idea if they’d happened by. I can tell this story now because I’m sure that the statute of limitations has long expired. In the past 20 years, there have been few snows to trigger any long term recollections…. We just don’t get that much….and this one probably won’t make the memory books. But we’ll take what we can get, and love every minute of it!
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Comments
fantastic ! the only downside i see is that everyone will want to buy a house next door to you- you make living sound goood!
thinking about french place & snow.
best,a
You delinquent, you! I remember being in the Black Queen parking lot when there had been a major snow. That must have been 72 or 73. Was that where Bella is now?
Nice job on the website. I like the categories. Very thorough.