Another Drought Year?

I was patting myself on the back for having had the idea to pave over a wild garden that included muddy turf over the basement. In previous years, the basement had been wet in winter and a former owner had installed a fan that ran non-stop to vent damp air to the exterior. This winter, the rain has been diverted by paving and gutters and, without benefit of fan, there is no sign of damp in the basement at all.

Then a friend pointed out that this has been one of the driest winters on record. Cold, but not very wet. The locals are already talking of water restrictions being imposed in April: that would finally put paid to what remains of the lawn. Cahors has its own water supply, which has never been known to run dry or even falter. Nevertheless, in true socialist solidarity, Cahors imposes water restrictions when the surrounding countryside does. I wonder if the city fathers would let me drill a well.