River outfitters are at the mercy of Mother Nature. For the past three years, outfitters along the Guadalupe River have been praying for rain to keep their businesses afloat - since the river flow is controlled by the level at Canyon Lake. The nearby Comal River was more fortunate during the drought, since the flow is controlled by the underground Comal Springs.

Now that the rain has begun falling again, outfitters are in an unusual spot. They're still thankful for any precipitation, yet hope it only falls on certain days. In the spring and summer, any rainfall on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday is an absolute business killer.

Despite the gloom and doom talk about the drought, outfitters are optimistic about 2010. The true "toobing season" officially kicks off Memorial Day weekend. River levels are the highest they've been since 2005. Now outfitters just need Chamber of Commerce weather those three days to remind people about the pleasure of toobing the rivers.