water shortage

Saturday after Thanksgiving
Quiet in the neighborhood. The bounce house next door has disappeared for another year and the neighbor's driveway is no longer overflowing with family vehicles. We had a few days of cool-to-cold weather which seems to have put people in the "holiday" spirit. Today, it's gray, overcast and rainy. I can't complain though, because they're telling us we had the driest October on record and we're under voluntary water restrictions. Palm Beach County is under mandatory restrictions because Lake Okeechobee is very low ... lower than it should be.

I spend so many of my days talking to fourth and fifth grade students about water. Wetlands and how they work. Water pollution and what we can each do to prevent it. But, nowhere in my studies have I seen how to address the issue of water shortage. I think it might be time to dig in and do some research. If we've got the same amount of water on the planet all the time (in different forms, of course), then where is the water that used to be here going?

Think about it. Then, do something...