I know we talked about the mast failure earlier this year. Now we are seeing some of the effects on the animals here at our house.

Recently we have been seeing a doe near the woods by our place. Some of the neighbors have been out here for 25 years and have never seen a deer come close to the area. Yesterday, that doe and her two small fawns were grazing in my lower pasture. She is welcome as long as she keeps away from my landscape plants. Those poor plants are only getting enough water to survive- forget flowering!

The drought has also brought a nice crop of raccoons to my pool since the creek is dry. One of them opens the skimmer cover and removes whatever bugs are trapped in there. The other brings his dinner to the ladder to rinse it and he leaves muddy foot prints on the steps.

We slowed down watering our yard to once a week, several weeks a go. On once side or our lot we get quite a bit from our neighbors, not a good thing.

The MDT article says, "However, if there is no rainfall in the next few days, Phase II could be ordered soon, Arnett said."

The weather forecast for the next 4-5 days does not call for rain.

Chance of thunderstorms over the next few days. Let's hope so.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is more likely where I live.

right now in North Knoxville.

If everyone in Blount County would go outside and either wash your cars or roll their windows down we might get a bit of these showers!