The year had been the driest on record. During the 12 months following February 1, 2013, we only received a few inches of precipitation, barely adding up to 10% of the normal average rainfall. Finally, a few days into February, a mild rain started falling… The parched earth soaked up the first five inches, and the pastures and hillsides greened up for the first time since last spring. Still, there was hardly any water left for run-off into the creeks.