Collecting Rain

It's been debated off and on how much rain water we could collect...house is not large but the leaf canopy is. Anyway, yesterday Jeff converted the 2 existing rain gutters...diverting them thru down spouts...into rain barrels...or in our case, 30 gal plastic storage tubs with covers. Both collecting stations are multi-level so when the top tub is full it will automatically fill the 2nd or lower tub which has a faucet...for a hose. The downspouts are siliconed into the tops and the tops are zip tied to the bottoms. There are a couple of overflow holes and and he's thinking of putting an access in the top with a tub stopper to be able to add peroxide to control algae in the tubs . With just showers over night we were able to collect about 5" of water in the tub at the end of the porch and 2" in the one by the ramp. Definitely qualifying as a success! Next week Jeff plans on putting up gutters along the bedroom side of the house with 1 downspout into a multi tub holding area. This collection site will be the primary water for the garden. There are 2 more locations...across the living room window and on the deck where the den and kitchen meet. Since all the tubs will have faucets they can all be used for watering the gardens. When you depend on a well, even one 210' deep like ours, a dry summer can mean choosing between washing clothes or watering the garden. Hopefully these rain 'barrels' help the garden stay healthy.

I've been working on baby socks for the shop and actually have a few pairs finished. We didn't stop there after Josie's appointment with the podiatrist today but that means I'll have more to take down on Wednesday. Wish I would find something exciting to knit and get busy!!