Where I live, the average is a mere 32 inches or so. This year, we ended up with 42 inches. Plus, it's cooler here than say, Oklahoma, although it can get hot. The weirdest thing is how dry this winter has been so far. By this time last year, and the year before for that matter, we were running out of places to pile snow. One of my kids moved to Olympia, WA recently. That locale seems to be getting plenty of moisture lately! I think 'effective precipitation' is really the key, as others have already pointed out. Overall, I think we're seeing fewer "three day rains", where it comes down slowly but for a long time. It's all big downpours now, with the accompanying runoff. But with this current drought, gotta wonder where we're headed for the next growing season. +oM

Me, I live in South Carolina. Cook everything from scratch and live in the garden. Retired nursery owner and landscaper. Nice to meet everyone. Re: Park Seed. I was there a few days ago and it had the 'feeling' that it might be going out of business. Not the same, vibrant business that I have known over the years. Wayside Gardens has opened a retail discount outlet in Greenwood, SC. not too far from Park Seeds. Anyone within driving distance should make the trip. Terrific bargains on plants/roses, iron gates and arches, books and many its catalog items plus more.

I lived in Massachusetts for my first 10 years then Illinois for the next 15. I came to California 31 years ago. Out of all the places I have lived I would say I like this the best. I like the weather most of the time and there is quite a variety geographically. We have beaches 5 miles away, ancient redwood forests within walking distance, we live in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mts. so have great views of valleys and even the ocean. I can drive to the mountains in a few hours if I want to play in the snow or to the desert if I want heat. I have lived close to the CA coast for 22 years and enjoy the Mediterranean climate. I can garden all year long and have fresh veggies, flowers and fruit. We are north enough to have some seasonal changes, but don't usually get the extremes in heat or cold. Though in the last couple of years I have been noticing some changes in the weather pattern. Everything you could want is close by, great 5 star restaurants, big shopping malls, historical sites; Santa Cruz, San Jose and San Francisco museums, symphonies, theaters. We get lots of big name entertainers. You could go 24/7 for a week and never repeat anything if you wanted. I don't miss the very cold snowy winters or hot humid summers of the East Coast or Midwest. Occasionally I get nostalgic for the Autumn changes that you get in New England. And I miss the fresh clams and fresh picked blueberries. The only other place I would want to live is Hawaii. Clare

Arkansas- The Natural State. The name means "south wind". Our beautiful lakes and rivers are a main draw for people. This state is very rich in minerals and has the only open-to-the-public diamond mine in the world. Lots of forest land and we grow rice better than any other state, along with other crops. I live near Eureka Springs, which is a tourist town also referred to as "a little Switzerland". It was attractive to people starting in the late 1800s because of the healing properties of all the springs. Ozarka water was first bottled here. Arkansas is home to Wal-Mart, too. We moved here from FL to get away from crowds and hot, hot weather. Now we have 4 seasons and no neighbors and the closest real traffic light is about 22 miles away, in a town that has just about everything we'll ever need. :)