I have to vent, please bear with me.

I grew up, went to college, and worked in Michigan for my entire life. Two years ago, after being one of the many automotive professional unemployed, I moved to Colorado (Denver area) for a lucrative job.

Water restrictions here blow my mind. In MI, we would have the occasional water restriction for a few weeks in the middle of a hot summer. Generally, it was you could water every other day, usually based on if you had a odd or even address.

Colorado is a WHOLE other experience with water restrictions. Last summer, absolutely no watering, due to a 5 year long drought. This year, with the late snow storms and heavy rain, the restrictions have been lifted somewhat. We can now water once a week, but for only 10 minutes. The police department has officers assigned specifically to police water usage. Colorado is considered a 'mountain desert.' In the summer, you can get 6 week stretches of almost 100 degrees a day, yet the humidity will only be about 4%. Dry, dry, dry. The sun is also intense due to the altitude, Florida intense. The growing zone I am in is the same as my zone in MI, but the altitude and dryness is SO different on what will grow. For example, bulbs have to be dug up every year because there is not enough moisture in the ground for them to survive till the next spring if left in the ground.

I always said if I had to leave my beloved Michigan, it would be for a place equally as beautiful. Colorado is beautiful - breathtakingly (literally and metaphorically) beautiful. I have traded vast expanses of fresh water for expanses of wild wilderness and mountain vistas. But I miss WATER!