Vestiges of the Drought

Last year my area was hit by a drought. Rivers receded until they resembled wide streams. The soil felt like sandstone. Communities were forbidden to water. Some farms languished in the baking heat with sun scorched leaves on crops that wouldn't grow any taller.
On the bright side, we didn't need to mow the lawn for months. The grass refused to grow. One neighbor struggled to keep grass at all.
This season's wetness has been a welcome change, but as I work in my garden and look out at my unkempt lilac hedge, I can still see the effects of last years drought. The blossoms that won't come remind me of the severity of last summer. Those that have come are fewer and smaller, but they're the survivors. Lilacs set their buds in the summer for the next year's blooms. I knew that many of the blossoms wouldn't survive, but I didn't know how many leafless branches I'd be facing. It's time to get out the pruners and cross my fingers that this year's weather is a touch less hostile.