It’s a really dreary day here on The Little Half Acre — ugly gray skies and lots of rain. WHOOPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
If you don’t follow the news, here’s the latest in Western North Carolina. Nearly 70,000 acres of forest have burned in several counties over the past few weeks with one or two fires only 30% contained. In Mitchell County, where we live, there’s a moderate drought warning. Just one county south of us, they’re in a severe drought. One county further south is in extreme drought conditions and in the far southwestern part of the state, the weather service actually had to create a new category to describe their level of drought.
Then there are all the fires in Eastern Tennessee. In our area we’ve had to stay indoors several times because the smoke from all the fires has been too dangerous to be out in, but that’s the least of it. Our neighbors to the south and west of us have really suffered. So we’re really glad to see all that lovely liquid falling from those dark skies this morning. But that brings me to why I’m writing about it. Collecting water has suddenly become a number one priority.
We are nowhere near self sufficient in this very important category. Our water source is a reliable spring up the mountain behind our little half acre. It provides water for us and for a neighbor and, in all the time that our neighbor has lived here, it has never failed. But we have several neighbors who are faced, for the first time, with failing springs and empty wells.
This most precious of resources is too important to ignore. Looks like water collection will move up on our priority list. So far our only water collection has been one stainless steel trash can under one downspout. Big deal. There are four downspouts so I need to get three more trash cans under those right away. I use that collected water to help water the garden beds.
But I also need to move another major project higher on the list to help with our water collection project. Our house, our garage and our garden shed all need new roofs. Not right away, thank goodness, but it’s on the radar for a costly project in the near future. We may need to rethink that so we can put gutters on those buildings and collect water from those downspouts as well.
Meanwhile, there are two water conservation methods that can be employed here on this tiny plot of land when watering the garden beds and I have begun using both methods. I’ve been saving empty juice and club soda containers for some time but empty coffee cans would work just as well. How does this help conserve water? It’s easy. Punch a couple of holes in the bottom of the containers and set them between your garden plants. Pour water into the top of the containers. Move containers and repeat. The water goes right to the plant’s roots where you want it instead of spraying through a garden hose nozzle over a wide area. Follow that procedure with mulch around your plants and you’ve just cut your water consumption by a lot. For us that means grass clippings or dry leaves but there are lots of options.
General water conservation has become important to everyone in our part of North Carolina. I love one practice a friend of mine employs. She lives on a couple of acres with a well and cistern that – so far – has provided plenty of water. But Cathy isn’t taking any chances and I loved her way of thinking outside of the box. Because it takes a couple of minutes to bring hot water from the hot water heater to the shower in their bathroom, Cathy takes containers into the shower with her and fills them with cold to lukewarm water while she waits for the hot water to get to the tub. Simple but brilliant! You have to wonder how much water we could all save if we gave it the serious thought that Cathy has. Any tips this gal has about water conservation I will pay attention to because she’s obviously thought it through. Anyone out there have some of those unusual but very practical ideas? I’d love to hear from you! Meanwhile, thank you Lord for the rain – it’s beautiful.
