No Rain in Sight

Last week the action around the house started going in a new direction. Previously, we had been watching the dumpster roll in and out and more and more of our house torn apart and tossed inside. More recently, beams and lumber have started to make an appearance. I've been looking forward to the framing, but not as much as the roof coming off, which started yesterday. Hooray! This means the second story framing will begin soon.

When we started to talk about when to begin the remodel, we had some trepidation about our winter start date. The bulk of the rainfall in California occurs between December and April, and that's when most of the construction is taking place. These conversations with our contractor frequently centered, with good reason, around the roof, and when it could be removed, the wildcard being the weather. Of course the builders have to be prepared, and can protect the frame of the house with tarps, but rain will inevitably cause delays. Whether there's truth to it or not, I feel like it will be smoother sailing once the new roof is up.

There was barely any rain in December. The forecast for the next week and a half is sunny and dry, with almost no chance of precipitation. Good news, right?

As a native Californian, I vaguely remember having to take baths with my sister during the drought in the 1970s. Staying with my parents during the late 80s and early 90s, I watched (and followed suit) as they flushed shower water through the toilet via a bucket. Around that same time, my college roommate and I subscribed to that oft used (and somewhat disgusting) mantra about letting the yellow mellow, and when brown, flush it down. It doesn't feel right to hope for dry weather. I'm in the habit of checking reservoir levels and whether any given storm tallies our annual rainfall to the normal range. But at the same time, I know our plans haven't made any difference on the local weather systems, and we may as well reap the benefits.

If nothing else, at least the remodel will improve our water efficiency. Our showerheads and toilets will be low flow, we're replacing our larger washing machine for a more efficient one, and we are including rain barrels in the plan. Also, our thirsty front lawn will at long last be replaced by drought tolerant plants and a couple of raised vegetable bins.

Once the new roof is up, I'll go back to hoping for rain and checking the snowpack levels. For now, we'll just enjoy the sunshine and take things as they come.