Many years ago I recall driving over the Destin Beach Causeway to view the brilliant snow-white sand of Florida for the first time. I remember remarking to the family “Oh my gosh, it must have snowed in May on Destin Beach!” It sounds funny now, but at the time, I was very serious. When I woke last week to view the morning sunrise at Diamond Beach for the first time in a month, I felt the same heart-stopping amazement as I gazed over a snow-covered seawall in Galveston, Texas. It was a stunning sight, that I will not soon forget. Then the reality of the situation sunk in. There was no electricity, no water, no toilet flushing, no cooking, not even the electric fireplace would work. The water system at Diamond Beach relies on electric power to carry the water to our condos. The beautiful snow-capped seawall was the silver lining to a very dark cloud:)

The roads were icy to boot:) I was starting to think this was too much like Colorado for comfort. At least in Colorado we had electricity, a gas fireplace, flushing toilets, and most importantly coffee first thing in the morning. In order to get coffee, I had to get in the car and navigate the ice-covered streets of the seawall, praying for an open restaurant or gas station. When I spied a number of people coming out of a gas station with styrofoam cups, I knew a miracle had happened. This station had hot coffee, microwaveable breakfast, and a warm interior. After grabbing a bit of warm breakfast, I headed up the seawall as much to recharge my cell phone as to see the sights. East beach and west beach were both covered in the fluffy white stuff. Even though temperatures were in the low 20’s, people were walking the beach in wonderment. This happens maybe every decade in Galveston. Despite the cold temperatures, non-working toilets, fireplaces, and stoves, it was so beautiful I couldn’t help but feel exhilarated by the experience.

So many of my facebook friends documented this amazing experience with photographs of the Florida-like beaches. This memory will stay with us for years to come. That is a good thing, since it will undoubtedly be another decade before this miracle on the island occurs again. My favorite photographer on the island, Eugene McMillan, captured the moment best with a photo of the snow-capped rocks leading out to a very frigid Gulf.