It’s a really dreary day here on The Little Half Acre — ugly gray skies and lots of rain.\u00a0 WHOOPEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!<\/p>\n
If you don’t follow the news, here’s the latest in Western North Carolina.\u00a0 Nearly 70,000 acres of forest have burned in several counties over the past few weeks with one or two fires only 30% contained.\u00a0 In Mitchell County, where we live, there’s a moderate drought warning.\u00a0 Just one county south of us, they’re in a severe drought.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n
Then there are all the fires in Eastern Tennessee.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Our neighbors to the south and west of us have really suffered.\u00a0 So we’re really glad to see all that lovely liquid falling from those dark skies this morning.\u00a0 But that brings me to why I’m writing about it.\u00a0 Collecting water has suddenly become a number one priority.<\/p>\n
We are nowhere near self sufficient in this very important category.\u00a0 Our water source is a reliable spring up the mountain behind our little half acre.\u00a0 It provides water for us and for a neighbor and, in all the time that our neighbor has lived here, it has never failed.\u00a0 But we have several neighbors who are faced, for the first time, with failing springs and empty wells.<\/p>\n
This most precious of resources is too important to ignore.\u00a0 Looks like water collection will move up on our priority list.\u00a0 So far our only water collection has been one stainless steel trash can under one downspout.\u00a0 Big deal.\u00a0 There are four downspouts so I need to get three more trash cans under those right away.\u00a0 I use that collected water to help water the garden beds.<\/p>\n
But I also need to move another major project higher on the list to help with our water collection project.\u00a0 Our house, our garage and our garden shed all need new roofs.\u00a0 Not right away, thank goodness, but it’s on the radar for a costly project in the near future.\u00a0 We may need to rethink that so we can put gutters on those buildings and collect water from those downspouts as well.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0 I’ve been saving empty juice and club soda containers for some time but empty coffee cans would work just as well.\u00a0 How does this help conserve water?\u00a0 It’s easy.\u00a0 Punch a couple of holes in the bottom of the containers and set them between your garden plants.\u00a0 Pour water into the top of the containers.\u00a0 Move containers and repeat.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Follow that procedure with mulch around your plants and you’ve just cut your water consumption by a lot.\u00a0 For us that means grass clippings or dry leaves but there are lots of options.<\/p>\n
General water conservation has become important to everyone in our part of North Carolina.\u00a0 I love one practice a friend of mine employs.\u00a0 She lives on a couple of acres with a well and cistern that – so far – has provided plenty of water.\u00a0 But Cathy isn’t taking any chances and I loved her way of thinking outside of the box.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Simple but brilliant!\u00a0 You have to wonder how much water we could all save if we gave it the serious thought that Cathy has.\u00a0 Any tips this gal has about water conservation I will pay attention to because she’s obviously thought it through.\u00a0 Anyone out there have some of those unusual but very practical ideas?\u00a0 I’d love to hear from you!\u00a0 Meanwhile, thank you Lord for the rain – it’s beautiful.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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