“The wind blows where it will, and you hear the sound thereof, but can not tell from where it came, And where it goes…”
~ John 3:8, The Bible

I love the sound of wind chimes. Day after day after day after day … I actually began to grow weary of their constant tinkling. In the midst of their melody came another. Driving rather fast down our street was an ice cream man (not to be confused with our childhood Good Humor man) to the tune of “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.” Made me smile as I looked out on a thermometer reading of 85 degrees!

With the Colby Fire out and Gov. Brown declaring a state of emergency due to California’s drought, the reality and seriousness of our current condition set in. In his words, “We are in an unprecedented, very serious situation.” In addition, he asked citizens to voluntarily reduce their water usage by 20%. “Hopefully, it will rain eventually,” the governor concluded. But until we hear those almost forgotten sounds of raindrops, Mother Nature needs our help with this mess.

At the CVWD board of directors meeting on Tuesday evening, an “increased voluntary water conservation alert” was issued. I spoke with Programs Manager Christy Scott and she gave me a simple explanation for CV water recipients. We have moved from the blue level to green one. Watering every other day is now recommended. Considering a third year of below normal rainfall and a continued dry prediction, it is my feeling that mandatory rationing is inevitable. Hopefully not, but it never hurts to be aware of our personal water use. Here are a few simple ideas:

– Check for leaks, both household and garden.

– Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes.

– Limit shower time to five minutes.

– Turn off water while brushing teeth.

– Outdoors use a broom and not the hose for cleanup.

– Always keep a bucket of fresh dog water (last minute tip from Abby).

Next week’s weather are widespread temperatures in the 80s and 90s! Need relief? A “swell event” (a real term) high surf is occurring at local beaches.

Be safe and don’t forget the sunscreen!

Sue Kilpatrick is a  Crescenta Valley resident and Official Skywarn Spotter for the National Weather Service.
Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.