Do you remember the excitement of Christmas morning when you were a small child, maybe 4 or 5 years of age? How you sprang out of bed while it was still dark to see what was in your stocking or under the tree? That is how many Ventura County farmers are feeling this morning as they rush to check their rain gauges. Most parts of the county saw a solid inch of rain overnight, with several inches falling in some key areas in the Sespe watershed. Farmers are happy this morning, but like 4 year olds on Christmas morning, they will soon be consumed with one thought: We want more.
We’ll need it. Even with a few more inches over the weekend, the 2013/14 rainy season will still rank as one of the worst on record. Let’s hope March brings several more storm systems like this one. (We need 30 storms like last night’s to be anywhere close to normal for a several year average.) But this morning is about gratitude, and I can tell you that this is one happy farmer.
