Still “Moderately Dry” here. While we’ve had 0.71” rain this week (NOAA Normal: 4.16” for the same time period), it only fell on 2 days - 0.15” on 23 Sept and 0.56” on 25 Sept (with a TRACE on 24 Sept). US Drought Monitor now has this area back in a “D2 - Severe Drought” status, with a “D1 - Moderate Drought” immediately to our West. SC Forestry app showing 15 wildfires across SC. Local roadside ditches and swamps dry. Local non irrigated lawns dry, brown and crunchy with bare spots showing. Mosquito population seems to be rebounding here at home even with the little rain we’ve had this past week. Birds and squirrels still busy at the feeders, especially the hummingbirds. They’ve emptied one of the 8 oz feeders from full to empty in the last 3-4 days. This could be partly due to the recent cooler temperatures (the cooler temps were really nice for us). We’ve started having the “helicopter seeds” dropping from our pine trees the last couple days. Our river birch trees have really started dropping more leaves now. Local retention ponds are either dry or getting a bit low. On a Poinsett State Park hike this past Wednesday the waterfall was flowing (see photo) and the main spillway was barely trickling. The lake drain valve is now closed; it had been open in recent weeks due to expected heavy rain that never materialized. Surprisingly, there were NO mosquitos on the trails, but our heavier rain this week didn’t occur until later. The lack of mosquitos may explain the fewer spider webs this trip compared to the last few visits. The park’s maple, poplar, sourwood, dogwood and wild grape leaves are now turning color and falling. Hate to see the final grapes falling, they make a nice snack on these hikes. In the last couple years the wild grapes have been bearing even into November. There were quite fewer squirrels this hike compared to the last few weeks. The park’s smaller creeks are either dry or barely trickling (see photos). The forest floor’s leaf litter was wet from the previous night’s rain, but the soil underneath was either dry or barely damp. Hart Creek that mostly originates in the park, and feeds Shanks Creek, was running, but at a quite reduced flow (see photo - winding light colored sand through darker mud). Shanks Creek, the main creek flowing through the park that feeds the park lake, was flowing well, but down quite a bit from earlier this year. Shanks Creek runs into the park from Christmas Mill Pond immediately outside the park, which itself is spring fed. As for local water levels, SC DES Groundwater Monitoring Wells are down 2-10 feet from earlier in the year. From Data Explorer: September rain: 1.23” (-2.51" : 33% of NOAA Normal). Yearly rain: 20.88” (-15.23" : 58% of NOAA Normal). Last 30 days: 1.41”/NOAA Normal: 9.31”. Last 90 days: 7.98”/NOAA Normal: 19.30”.