After months of being in drought conditions, things really don't seem
to be getting any better. Can't even walk out in the yard 3 feet at
the time without stirring up a dust cloud. Not good for folks with
respiratory problems. Funny thing is my flowers, tomatoes, & pepper
plants are acting like it's spring again! All have new growth &
blossoms. The tomato & pepper plants all have new 'fruit' on them as
well. I have cut back as fas as I can on water use here at the house.
Quit watering the flower beds, re-using water, only washing clothes
when I have a completely full wash load, etc. Cattle & horses have to
continuously have water however. A little north of us, there is a
concern of the 'triangle' area running out of water. We have been
under a state-wide water conservation 'program' for a couple of months
now, but with little to no rain, options are starting to run thin in
some areas...

Here's an excerpt from a local area news story:
Grim prospects for rain are starting to frighten state officials as
the drought gripping North Carolina shows little change.

"We are scared because we have the potential at least for a dry
winter," State Climatologist Ryan Boyles said following a meeting of
the North Carolina Drought Management Advisory Council drought panel.
"We are on our way to be worse than 2002 and probably on our way from
having the worst drought on record."
...........................
Falls Lake, the primary water source for Raleigh and several Wake
County towns, is down about six feet from normal levels and is only
two feet above its all-time low level, which was reached in a drought
five years ago.

The lake's quality water capacity - the amount of water it contains
that doesn't need heavy pretreatment - is down to 45 percent, while
Jordan Lake, the primary water source for Cary and other area towns,
has about 42 percent of its quality water capacity, officials said.

"Does this mean we're going to run out of water in Falls Lake sometime
in January? No," said Terry Brown, of the Army Corps of Engineers,
which manages the lake. "At zero percent (quality water capacity) ...
we basically have 36½ feet of lake left at that point. (to tap) on an
emergency basis, on a very high conservation-type use."

story link: http://www.wral.com/weather/story/1868029/

Still in the dry, dusty heat,
Rae