Utterly grim
Besides even the slightest hint of meteorological optimism, the view from the millpond bridge lacks something else: ice. I'd noticed this yesterday, as I crossed the dam and peered at the pond. But at the time, there was still a bit of frozen water on the shadier, left-hand side. Now that's gone, and it might as well be April. The downpours we're scheduled to receive later will remind folks of April-to-come, but the temperature, which is only a few degrees above freezing, will tell a different story. Sadly, for me, all this grimness is not supposed to arrive as snow, but if I wind up soaked to the skin—a note in postscript, I did indeed get soaked and cold—at least I can rejoice knowing that we're rapidly pulling out of the drought woods. For this, much thanks.