CALIFORNIA DROUGHT
California’s severe drought lasted about 5 years. In 2015, the state was the driest it had ever been in 500 years.
2011-1016
There was a total of 38 inches of rain in those five years combined. That is an average of a little more than 6 inches
a year. The average yearly rainfall should be 23 inches. As you can see, we had a problem.
TURN AROUND
This year we have been blessed with lots and lots and lots of rain. The snow packs are 170% of normal. Dams are threatening to break because of the excess water in the reservoirs. Yesterday we had two inches of rain in one day!!!!
Remember, this is Southern California and it doesn’t rain in Southern California. Well, it did this year!
RE-LEARN NEW SKILL
No, this is how you open it!
We have not used umbrellas in six years. We have forgotten how to open them. Some children probably have never seen one.
Yes, we need to re-learn how to open the umbrella. It took some time. I knew there was supposed to be a button somewhere to open it, but I had to turn the umbrella around twice to find it.
Ok, it opens easily.
But, how do I close it? Wait, it takes more pressure to close it than I remembered. I drag it into
the car and water drops all over me and I still can’t get the stupid thing closed. It pops and slams against the passenger door. It looks like a giant open mouth of a dinosaur ready to devour me in seconds. Several things go through my mind at once. The water is ruining the leather. I hate that contraption. There has to be a better way to stay dry!
I won’t let the umbrella defeat me or eat me.
So, not so gingerly I grab the handle, pull the ring down and slam it against the passenger door.
It closed.
I still have a lot of water on the seat, but, I defeated the umbrella.
I don’t know how much longer I will have to use this skill. With my luck, since I finally re-learned a new skill, I won’t use an umbrella for another five years.
I hate having to re-learn old skills. Remember, the older we get, the harder it is to learn something. Maybe this contraption really will defeat me.