Minimal Sturm, Even Less Drang

Today's storm was even less a storm than yesterdays. There were fluffy white cloud banks in the sky all day, but not a drop of water hit the ground. The days will be warming up next week, so this might well prove to have been winter's last gasp. There is always some chance of spring rains making up some of the shortage, but it's still likely that we're entering a period of drought that could continue for a few years. More chlorine smell from the tap water, then. I can never really get used to that.

The good side of the storm being milder than expected is that all those peach blossoms and new daffodils didn't get wiped out. There probably isn't going to be any freeze tonight, either, so spring has remained undamaged— unless everything dries out from lack of rain, of course. But if the temperatures remain mild I'll save enough on the heating bill that I'll be able to afford a bit of extra irrigation. Plus less water on the lawn means it won't grow so fast and there will be less mowing to be done.

And maybe the jasmine will bloom early this year. Scented nights would bring some compensation for my being forced to endure premature heat. Premature heat would mean that I'd end up sleeping a lot more, though. Nothing drains my energy like hot weather.