Go Fish Galvez

A friend from work brings you a piece of fresh fruit from a tree in his back yard…

And the fruit is a tangerine…

And the month is January.

Ah.

Now, that’s not to say that we don’t have a winter here on the island. Of course, we do.

It’s just that the typical “winter blast” in Galveston (think “temperate marine climate”) lasts only about two months, on average, and the odd chance of snow (SNOW?!) in this town would be so utterly remarkable as to set off panicked reports of an alien invasion (evil snowy Marfa lights?) and thus maybe even inspire a new Will Smith movie.

Hold on: Come to think of it, it did actually snow on the beaches of Galveston some years back. I remember seeing pictures of it on the Internet. Hmmm—truth or Photoshop?

But back to more pedestrian concerns, to wit: I’m beginning to wonder whether I should have even bothered bringing in last summer’s potted plumerias. On walks with Tip, I’ve noticed a neighbor’s garden, some blocks south, with two mature plumerias planted right in the ground, on either side of the front porch. Defiant, those little Hawaiian trees. Maybe I’ll transplant my own to the good earth come spring.

And speaking of spring, I’m so looking forward to it, especially this year, because I think I’ll give it a go and try my hand at a tangerine tree—hard to beat fresh citrus in the morning! Besides, never before have I lived in a place where I could actually grow an orange tree, or a lemon or a grapefruit, right in my very own yard. And between two palm trees to boot.

What a hoot!