In early October, Governor Laura Kelly approved updated drought declarations for Kansas counties—all 105 of them.  Take your pick.  Watch, warning, or emergency drought status, Kansas has it.  

​Whew.
 
The National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) also keeps an eye on drought.  Perhaps you've seen some of their color-coded maps similar to the one pictured above for Kansas.

The NIDIS emphasizes that several drought indicators, for example,

• precipitation 
• temperature
• streamflow
• groundwater and reservoir levels
• soil moisture, and snowpack

 should be examined in order to paint a complete picture.

Armed with facts, the NIDIS doesn’t mince words.  Droughts fall into one of its four categories.

1. Moderate drought (tan on the map)
2. Severe drought (orange)
3. Extreme drought (bright red)
4. Exceptional drought (reddish-brown)

Perhaps you, like me, have more than one favorite schoolteacher.  
 
1.  Mrs. Gossett.  My first-grade teacher is a favorite because she taught me how to do one of my favorite activities:  read.  
 
She was a young and attractive lady with a flair for fashion that even the local newspaper wanted to showcase.  

​It happened on the day that Mrs. Gossett wore a trendy “balloon” outfit.  

​The long-sleeved dress had no fitted waist and “ballooned” loosely to the street-length hem where the fullness of the garment was gathered to a circumference barely wide enough for her to walk.  That spring-green dress complemented her well-coifed hair, high heels, and bright lipstick.  

All of us kids were impressed.

At the time, we didn't know about World Teachers' Day because it didn't exist.  We'd have to wait until 1994 for a global celebration of teachers' contributions and the support they need to deploy their talents and help build the future.