Well, by the end of November we had only 1/2 inch of rain, versus our "YTD normal" by that date which is 5 1/2 inches. A horrible high pressure ridge was lurking right off the coast of Northern Calif, just like the one which sat there for 5 YEARS, and caused our 5 year drought a few years ago. So, I was very worried, to say the least. Then "POW!", it started raining right at the end of Nov. We have had 2 storms so far. The current one started 2 1/2 days ago, and it has rained continuously ever since, either steady or steady and hard. This is supposed to continue through tomorrow night. So far in the last 2 storms we went from 1/2 inch of rain total to 5 1/2 inches. They say another storm will come in later this week. So, hopefully the risk of a rainless winter is over - once these storms start coming in, they sort of line up in the Pacific and come in every 3 or 4 days. I am so happy! Even though I have no real problems to speak of, I could feel a sort of nervous worry in the back of my mind, ever since the beginning of Nov when our rainy season usually starts, but did not.

Now my mood has improved so much, I am even not stressed out by the fact that we are having 14 people for dinner on Sat for my husband's birthday, or that I am not at all ready for Christmas. Just happy, and the garden (mostly well drained, except for one bed of roses next to the street storm gutter, which has flooded over it) is happy too! FINALLY got to turn off the irrigation system!

Jackie