The Rain Notebook

This is a blog of random thoughts and ideas. This is what we would be talking about, if you were right here with me having coffee on this Saturday. So pull up a seat and enjoy your cup of coffee with me.

Rain

So when am I not talking about rain right? Besides the fact that I love the rain. So does my garden… for several reasons. One reason being the obvious. When it rains they get watered. And any gardener will tell you that they do so much better when they get water from the rain. The water from the tap keeps them surviving but water from the gets them flourishing. It’s natures fertilizer.

I credit this to one reason I love the rain. Its the source of life. Just look anywhere outside after a few rains. You will see that outside blooming and so green. Especially in the desert or high desert we have. After the rain everything just takes off!

But the other reason my garden and I love the rain, is the fact that I conserve the rain water when it comes down off the roof through the gutters. I do this because about this time of year our well starts to run low. Of course showering and washing dishes is far more important then watering my garden, my garden usually suffers. So after doing some research I’ve found that we can collect an insane amount of water after just one storm.

After yesterdays storm that came and went in about 15 mins we were able to collect 65 gallons of water. Off of the rooftops and into the gutters to came down to a little setup to conserve water. The was only a third of the rooftop. We could had collected so much more had we been setup properly. So we changed barrels and another storm came in over the night and collected another 65 gallons. That is 130 gallons of water collected in one day. Now I estimate that my garden takes about 60 gallons a day to be happy and healthy. But we collected two days worth of water in just one day and because of the good rains we don’t have to water today.

This is also great because we collected natures fertilizer. So now my garden gets great water all the time. For the most part, once the monsoon rains start we always have a collection of water and by the time we start to run out another storm comes. This is one big reason I love the monsoons. And I’ll definitely have to blog about my set up and how much rain we collect another time, so stay tuned!

Bees

So I’m sitting out in my garden, enjoying the fresh air, the moist ground and the chickens chirping away. But I look to my left at the buzzing sound and see about 3 or 4 bees in my zucchini patch. They are enjoying the pretty yellow flowers. I know they aren’t going to come sting me. Bees are actually quite docile if you leave them alone. They care about me one bit, they rather fly around and roll around in the yellow stuff of the flowers.

The bees actually got me thinking about another blog. But of course… thats another blog. But I ran inside, grabbed my camera and came out to take pictures of them. I have a macro lens so I had to get some close up shops of the tiny little creatures. I welcome these guys with open arms into my garden. And I’m so pleased to see them. For awhile there I didn’t think I had any. I never saw them but I had fruit, so obviously those little workers were there and gone.

I like bees, and soon I’ll explain why.

Peaceful & Happy

Really my garden is all I’m thinking about this morning. Its so peaceful out here, that I don’t want to inside. I don’t want to think about working or really anything other then My happy little farm. Right now every thing seems so perfect. Here it is 10:00 nice and cloudy, the chickens are happily taking dust baths, the turkeys are free ranging, the bees are pollinating, even the flies are happily sitting on me. lol Though I’m so at peace that they don’t bother me, with an occasional swat away they for the most part are just another thing of the garden that I enjoy. I could die right here and be the happiest girl in the world. With that note I figure I’d post a picture of my perfect little setup.