Launching Winter

    A small amount of excitement here on winter's eve but it gave me a few happy moments for which I am grateful.  The City of Perth Winter Arts Season 2013 held a mini-launch for its upcoming season today, the last day of autumn for the after work crowd. (Australia calendars each new season on the first day of the month.)  According to the program, "The Season Sampler includes: Live performances-mini Supper Club-snow dome-Winter Photo Booth-Water Labyrinth-and SNOW!"
    In its entirety.  The live performances included a couple of snow queens posing for photos in their white feather wings and Nancy Sinatra-esque white boots. The mini Supper Club was exactly three stands: "New York Style" hotdogs (er, not really but yummy anyway), Moroccan food and a potato stand. The nine foot tall snow globe is cool and with a long line of kids waiting to get in and play in the plastic snow flakes. The Winter Photo Booth, if there was one, consisted of a couple of college kids with their cameras clicking away. The Water Labyrinth (oh so cool ever changing walls of water I've written about before) is a permanent fixture in the Forrest Chase square. And the SNOW. This is where I stopped dead in my tracks.  The same two snow-making/blowing machines used in London Alley at dead-of-summer Christmas were back and producing white glory at the 'entrance' to the festivities.
   I was mesmerized. It's a cool night (54F), a three piece band was playing, the smell of (free!) popcorn  in the air and snow flakes shown brightly against the dusky plaza. My slack jawed stare into the overhead walkway where the machines were probably photobombed too many snow princess photo opps, but I just loved it. It just said Magic.  It said Home.
   Oh I suppose I'll blog on some of the really cool events designed to get us out of our homes this winter, but tonight  it was all about hot dogs, chance meeting with a friend, free popcorn and SNOW!

   I thought to myself as I left this cheery little scene, "Maybe I should put away my summer clothes."        Happy Winter, everyone!