this and that and the puget sound

Feathery snowflakes fall outside, illuminated by the street light. Tonight we ate our first King Cake, a traditional New Orleans treat--tender brioche dough braided and topped with icing in three colors. I chomped into the hidden baby and quickly passed the piece to Beatrix, who was delighted to find piece of plastic in her mouth. I am now to bake the next King Cake.

At our lovely friends house, we drank wine and ate cheese and sauteed potatoes and freshly baked bread, laughed plenty, washed and dried dishes, and watched their oldest son, home from college, break dance. He said when he was doing field studies in the middle of Podunkity, West Virginia, he lived many hours in a tiny room and felt the need to exercise, so he decided to take up break dancing. (This, I imagine, is not a thought that would have occured to me). Bea was especially impressed, and she and Elspeth went rolling over the floor in imitation.

Now, finally, the Puget Sound from the ferry railing:


And congratulations to Martin, who just got two poems accepted at Prairie Schooner.

And tea, and more soft snow, and happiness to be home with heat roaring.