On Thursday of this week we saw the first indications of water stress on vegetation. Many leaves on the river birch trees turned yellow and dropped to the ground. At the same time, the leaves on the magnolia tree started turning brown and dropping off. The growth of the grass in the lawn has slowed. The soil is dry even when digging a hole. The creek has dried up completely and has no water flowing in it. The pond level has dropped further and the water remains murky colored. No water is flowing out of the pond. The great blue heron is still spending his days fishing in the pond. Other birds, including at least one humming bird are frequenting the bird feeders in our yard.