You may be drenched and sick of the rain, but take heart: The drought is officially over.

For the past several years, Bay Area residents have been seeing beige—shades of wheat, tan, and gold cloaking our hillsides; and sand where our bodies of water once were. But look out the window, kids: If you haven't yet noticed, things seem a lot more vibrant these days.

Wild flowers are blooming and, as a Mercury News photo story showed Thursday, the mountainsides have grown thick with green grass and the lakes are luring boaters in droves.

These pictures are worth a thousand words.

Before and After the Drought

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Folsom Lake (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, via Mercury News)

Before and After the Drought

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A pasture in Woodacre, CA (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, via Mercury News)

Before and After the Drought

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Oroville Lake (via SF Gate)

Before and After the Drought

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The Russian River (via SF Gate)

Before and After the Drought

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A hillside in Nicasio. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, via Mercury News)

Before and After the Drought

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Oroville Lake (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, via Mercury News)

Before and After of the Drought

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Presidio National Cemetery (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, via Mercury News)

Before and After of the Drought

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Samuel P. Taylor State Park (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, via Mercury News)

Before and After the Drought

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Oroville Lake (via ABC News)

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