Spring

            It had been a mild winter. 

There had been mild winters before but not like this.  That is to say, in my 25 years of existence, I could remember times of drought.  But even during those dryer years we still received some snow. Maybe most of it came toward the end of winter but eventually there were a few decent snowstorms.  The mildest winters typically meant some water restrictions in late summer, but we always made it from winter to winter. To say we were going to have a dry, brown summer this year was an understatement.  There had been exactly one night of snow back in November over the Thanksgiving weekend.  It didn’t even accumulate enough to get the snow shovels out.  And then nothing really.  Maybe one or two days of rain here and there but nothing to really saturate the ground or top off our water supply.

            Everyone waited all winter.  Most enjoyed the warmer than normal weather.  Some started worrying.  And a few started doing some figuring.