Strange phenomenon

A strange phenomenon has plagued the pond this summer.  Despite the summer rains, the pond has been drying up; the water shrinking into shallow puddles surrounded by growing stretches of dry earth.  The ducks, ever faithful to the pond, spend most of the day roosting on the muddy banks and only occasionally dipping into the water as though it were a privilege to enjoy sparingly not to be overused or taken for granted. Tinkerbelle, Topsie and I have mulled over this strange phenomenon speculating as to its possible causes ... perhaps one or more of the waterways that feed into the pond have been blocked by debris, or perhaps it just hasn't rained heavily enough or frequently enough.  Whatever the cause, with the fall rains approaching, we hope the water will return to its normal level.