Rainy days (particularly when they occur one after the other) really can bring me down (and Mondays, too, of course- damn that song!)
Seeing the rain as nourishment for the plants and animals, and obviously for us, makes it a little easier to bear those washed out weekends.
According to the American Water Works Association, we use 150 gallons of water per person in the U.S. everyday (how is this possible?) and almost 60% of that is used for ... landscaping! On a planet where 1 in 6 people do not even have clean drinking water this is a real tragedy.
How can we reduce our water usage? There are many ways- but an easy way to reduce the 60% used for landscaping is a rain catchment system. A rain barrel is a great way to collect and store water that runs off the roof - which is an average of six gallons of water per square foot for every inch of rain.
What would you do with this free source of extra water? Well, even though rainwater is natural, it isn't safe for drinking unless it's been filtered and treated. All that rainwater washing off your roof is carrying pollution with it, not to mention bird droppings and parts of dead bugs (yum).
It's still great water, though- plants love it. You can water your pots and flowerbeds, your grass, clean off your siding and driveway and wash the car.
You can also use it to water your thirsty vegetables, but not in the same way as you would use tap water. When watering your veggies with rainwater, keep the water flow at ground level, away from the stuff you'll actually be eating, and don't use rainwater within a couple of days of harvesting your veggies. After harvesting, always wash your vegetables thoroughly with tap water.
Keep the top of your barrel firmly in place. Exposing rainwater to sunlight and open air will encourage algae growth. Make sure the screen is secure to keep out water-loving bugs, like mosquitoes (you will probably need mosquito dunks).
I've also heard you can keep goldfish in the barrel (sans lid) and they will eat the larvae, but I could never keep a goldfish alive in my house and can't imagine how this would be possible in my rain barrels (love the idea though, but wouldn't want to sacrifice any of the little cuties to try it out).
Clean the filter regularly and inspect your rain barrel every once in a while for leaks. Keep your roof gutters clean and make sure that water is flowing freely to and through the downspout when it rains.
A pump makes it easier to water your large areas (one pump can be used for multiple barrels), although depending on the size of your lawn or garden area, sometimes just gravity will do the trick. They have to come down in the winter, but you won't be needing this water during the off-season anyway.
It is a bit of work, but really not as much as I have made it sound like here (ugh!) and harvesting water will give you a really good, warm and fuzzy feeling and make those rainy days (maybe not Mondays though, sorry) less likely to get ya' down...
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And the winner is 
