Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Get the ark?

I drove on some of Wisconsin's lovely state highways yesterday. On two separate roads, I had to slow down and move over because one entire lane of the highway was covered with high water. The amazing amount of snow we got this winter, plus the hard rain we received at the end of last week and this week, has definitely had an impact.

The good side of this is that a local spring, after being dry for decades, has started flowing with water again. Back in the early 1900s, a lovely park surrounded this natural spring. People picnicked and children used the cool spring water to make lemonade (or so my local newspaper alleges). But, so many years ago that no one can remember exactly when, the spring went dry, victim of the excessive groundwater pumping to supply the city of Madison.

But now it's back. No one knows how long it will flow. I think Mother Nature has a plan and I hope humans don't screw things up so much that she can't win. I think springs are kind of magical, and so is the return of this one is an awesome thing. I'd just like Mother to keep things off the highways.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You wouldn't think springs were magical if one stubbornly insisted on flowing down your lovingly crafted steps you built so you could get up the cliff face into your garden.

Deb said...

Oooo. That's the pits, Dan. When did this thing show up?

Anonymous said...

There's a reason the houses are called "Spring Terrace"