The summer of 2016 was a summer of drought. A summer of heat. Yellowed grass, parched lakes and rivers reduced to streams.

That began to change in late September / early October. There is a type of rain that is undoubtedly a herald of fall. It feels different. Smells different. Leaves start to change and there is a bite to the air. The number of pies in local markets increases exponentially (this is an important fact that can't be left out). I'd become accustomed to forecasts that focused solely on temperature records - not forecasts that included a chance of precipitation. [continued ...