April 14, 2003 9:49 P.M.

Water, Water, Everywhere?

Today it rained in southern California. The high temperature for the day was a chilly 51 degrees. Maybe it would have been an ordinary day in Spring for most of the country. Here, rain comes rarely, and almost never this late in the �rainy season�. It might be the last precipitation of any type, until December or January of next year. That would be the norm.

I sat, bundled up, on my back porch swing and drank it all in with my senses. The low gray blanket of clouds kept the daylight at half intensity, but it could not dim the brilliance of the freshly born flower blossoms. Every tree, bush and hillside displays a luminous green that almost hurts the eyes. How often is it said that this area would be like Hawaii, if it only rained a couple of times a month.

But that is certainly not the case. Water is precious here. Every living thing depends upon irrigation, and aqueducts channeling water in from distant sources.

One of those sources is the Colorado River. It flows down the dividing line skirting the California border from Nevada, past Arizona, to the Mexican Border. It springs from high in the Rockies, flows down through canyons which it has etched, to produce massive heights and depths, one of which is now known as the Grand Canyon.

Not much further down its stream, man has erected what is considered to be one of the wonders of the world. Hoover (Boulder) Dam.

I took this picture a few days before the Iraqi war began. About half a mile before we reached the dam, we came to a roadblock and everyone was waved to a stop as a uniformed member of our National Guard, carrying a rifle, peered into each vehicle with inquiries. After we were passed through, we noticed a highway alert monitor which stated that the road was going to be closed starting in two days, for a stated period of time.

The war started two days later. I couldn�t help but wonder if there was some plan, already in preparation, for the preservation of this awesome producer of hydro-electric power and maintainer of our water system. I could only imagine the devastating effect upon a vast area of our country if anything destructive occurred at this monument of power. And I was filled with gratitude toward these men and women in uniform, serving as guards and protectors of our resources.

This time, a roadblock was a comforting experience.

Thanks again for reading.

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