Rain

Atlanta has been in a drought for the past 3 summers. Our first summer in GA was rainy (our basement even flooded-but that is another story for another day). There was rain and more rain and then a little bit of rain. Everything was cool and green and mossy-even moldy with rain.

The next summer I took up gardening and the rain stopped. It stopped and it never came back. I spent the last 3 summers trying to keep my yard alive. It was nearly futile. The drought was so bad that eventually, as the lakes ran dry, we weren't allowed to water at all. I used gray water to nurture my plants. I took fewer showers. I used bath water to flush the toilets. If anything, the 3 years of drought taught me to live simply and appreciate the small things in life (like water). I learned to live a more earth friendly existence and I taught my children to nurture the earth and protect it's resources.

But now the rain is back. Oh the glorious rain. At first I though it was a fluke. But it keeps coming. I'll admit that after 2 or 3 hot dry days in a row I get a sick feeling in my stomach-thinking it will never rain again...but then it does...it rains...and boy does it rain....our lakes are full and we can water again-but who needs to with all this rain. I hope I can continue to live with the environment in mind-but I am so thankful that we no longer have to.