Well, we now find ourselves in the first week of December after slogging through a sweltering spring, summer and fall, and thankfully the chill of winter has finally made its way into the “hills and hollers” of southwestern Virginia.
For the most part the leaves are now gone from the trees, the grass is a dull brown, and with any luck the heavy frosts we wake up to of late are simply preparing us for plenty of snow. Hopefully, we’ll have a “wet” winter which will replenish our region’s ponds, streams, rivers and lakes by the time spring rolls back around.
Although I lost my youthful fondness for cold weather and all of the fun activities that go along with it a long time ago, it appears that the only hope we have for ending our long drought any time soon is a rather snowy and/or rainy winter. Our water reserves are still in much better shape than those of some of our neighboring states to the south, but if we go much longer without a number of significant rain or snow events I’m afraid we’ll end up “hurting” for water before we know it.
The frosty mornings and cold winds of late are getting the winter of 2007-08 off to a good start. It is my hope and prayer that God will bless us with the moisture we need in order to keep our livestock watered and our drinking glasses full. And with any luck we just might be able to water our lawns come spring!
Sad but true!!!