I am pacing back and forth, to and fro, with a furrowed brow.

 

Well – they’ve been telling us it was coming (whoever “they” are). They’ve pleaded with us to prepare, to get ready. And now it looks like it’s finally begun.

 

The El Niño rains have started, friends. We’re told this season’s intensity has already tied the power of the 1997-1998 El Niño, which, as I recall, was crazy.  For some of us, this El Niño won’t mean much beyond snarled traffic and lack of sunlight. But for others it will be much worse.

 

Mister and I live in a flat area of Los Angeles and nowhere near a natural body of water. We don’t have the multiple concerns of hillside residents, like sliding off the danged thang. And the various snaking arms of the L.A. River don’t border our little plot of land, so if it breaches its walls, we won’t feel it. Some folks are already in trouble, and the rains only started this week. All in all, Mister and I are lucky.

 

But there is the small matter of the pool. We like to call our back yard our Fortress of Solitude, as it’s completely enclosed and crazy-private. That’s awesome and we love it. But as I type this, I’m monitoring the pool and the water level has only a couple of inches before it bubbles over the top. If our backyard were wide open, that would simply mean the water would run off in all directions and (hopefully) be absorbed by surrounding ground. But as the area is enclosed, the only place for the overflow to go is against the house and the garage. These structures are built up off the ground, but not by much. So there may come a time in the not-so-distant future when I find myself out in the elements, rigging a pump and a hose to try and drain the excess water down the driveway. I’m a handy gal, but water mixed with electricity scares the bejeesus out of me. And rightly so. Hence my pacing.

 

Don’t get me wrong. If the pool does overflow, I’m fairly certain I’ll figure out the situation. It’s just so daunting in the meantime!

 

But if I look toward the front yard, all I can think is how much our trees and gardens love the rain. And how much we need it. Heaven help us, I hope it’s snowing in the mountains, too. That’s the only way to help ease the drought in the long run.