It's been raining here all night. I sleep like a baby when I hear rain falling on our roof. When I got up this morning and went outside, the small tank at the front was overflowing. I grabbed some buckets and watered all the plants on the front verandah. Then filled the buckets again for the plants to be watered again in a few days time. It's another 30 litres of water saved. and the tank is already full again. Every drop helps.
I hope many more of you sign up for the meter reading challenge. Knowing what you're using, either in water, electricity and gas, or only one of them, will help you reduce your usage. It's a small step but a very helpful one.
There have been some wonderful comments so far about conserving precious water and electricity. I love reading how people get over the barriers placed in their way and work towards conservation. It helps our environment and it will save you money. So be part of the challenge and let others know what you're doing in the hope they'll join us.
We are being told nearly every day that many Western countries will go into recession soon, or at least experience an economic downturn and tough times. Now is the time to start your cost cutting measures and save that money for what might happen in the near future. If you're lucky enough to bypass the troubles predicted, you could use the money saved to pay off debt.
We're all in this together, so let's read our meters so we have a realistic measure to start with and then we'll work together to cut our usage. And remember, every drop you save, every light you turn off, every towel you hang outside to dry, helps our environment.
I hope many more of you sign up for the meter reading challenge. Knowing what you're using, either in water, electricity and gas, or only one of them, will help you reduce your usage. It's a small step but a very helpful one.
There have been some wonderful comments so far about conserving precious water and electricity. I love reading how people get over the barriers placed in their way and work towards conservation. It helps our environment and it will save you money. So be part of the challenge and let others know what you're doing in the hope they'll join us.
We are being told nearly every day that many Western countries will go into recession soon, or at least experience an economic downturn and tough times. Now is the time to start your cost cutting measures and save that money for what might happen in the near future. If you're lucky enough to bypass the troubles predicted, you could use the money saved to pay off debt.
We're all in this together, so let's read our meters so we have a realistic measure to start with and then we'll work together to cut our usage. And remember, every drop you save, every light you turn off, every towel you hang outside to dry, helps our environment.
Hi Rhonda
ReplyDeleteYou should live here in England, you would sleep like a baby everynight, especially through 'summer'. I beleive the national emblem of my country is an umbrella!
Love
Lizzie
we are ready, if the rain comes in the next few months, we have a big bin to conserve water...Then we can use to water the plants and trees..
ReplyDeleteWe had heavy rain here in Wales a couple of nights ago, and I'm afraid that I don't sleep well when there is rain. A couple of years back we had a flood coming through our ceiling from the flat above us, in the middle of the night, and it sounded just like rain falling - but inside! Since then I can't sleep properly when there is heavy rain, as I wake up many times through the night feeling panicky. Silly, but true!
ReplyDeleteLizzie wrote my very thoughts only I wasn't thinking England -- but Washington state in America. Josh and I lived there for quite some time and it would rain 9 out of 12 months of the year. I am not kidding.
ReplyDeleteI slept well -- I just slept all the time!
Blessings!
Lacy
We have been having cold, autumn rains. The kind that cut right through you with a chill.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to be more careful with energy consumption for awhile now.
I have quite a number of oil lamps, mostly inexpensive ones but also an Aladdin lamp that I haven't used in years. I've decided to purchase lamp oil and use them more at night.
So much of what is going on now reminds me of when hubby and I were married in 1974. There was a call to return to the country and "reduce, reuse, and recycle" even then.
I've often wondered what the world would be like now if that way of living had taken hold in our country during the 1970s and remained through today.
I am so impressed with your water harvesting system. I live in a semi-arid area and would like to try something like that. We are trying to cut down on our water and electric usage, thanks for the timely post!
ReplyDeleteIt has been raining like crazy here the last week. Or has it been two weeks? Just rain, rain, rain! I love Oregon.
ReplyDeleteI live in Washington state and it does rain a lot.I'm not sure I agree that it is 9 mos though! I grew up here & have lived most of my adult life in Washington. We had a short stint in Georgia. It is HOT there and they have intense rain showers! The thunderstorms would wake us at night.
ReplyDeleteWe live smack in the middle of Texas and I would simply LLLOOOVVEEE to have more rain here! hahaha
ReplyDeleteHi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to know how to link to your site within my text, where I refer to your blog in italics.
Thanks,
Roxie
Cool, thanks Rhonda.
ReplyDeleteRoxie
Hi Rhonda,
ReplyDeleteI have nominated your excellent blog for an award.
If you choose to accept please copy the award icon from my blog.
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Ramsey
http://sunshinevalleyhut.blogspot.com/
I absolutely encourage folks to join in on "meter reading"! Several months ago I decided to see if we might cut back on our electric bill. I was stunned when I got the bill yesterday ~ we cut consumption in half compared to a year ago (on this most recent month). And do you know what did it? We turn off lights and I used the clothesline! That simple!! Now that winter is upon us, I've bought an indoor drying rack. This has become a game of sorts...me vs. the electric company...and I'm going to win! Try it! Set up a little spreadsheet and give it a whirl!
ReplyDeleteBrenda I remember working in a pub when we had the 3 day weeks and power cuts, serving drinks by the light of hurricane lamps - we managed then, when we had to.
ReplyDeleteAs for rain, as another Welsh poster, like the other Jennie, we get plenty of the wet stuff here and as we have a blocked guttering we CAN'T get to (3 1/2 floors up - needs scaffolding), I always worry when we have heavy rain.
We have been pretty dry here in KY this past summer, just now getting a little bit of rain. We catch rainwater in barrels when we can for the horses that we keep in the stalls.
ReplyDeletekristie
LOL, Lizzie - the same goes for here in Seattle. I used to have a t-shirt that said "People in Seattle don't tan, they rust." !!
ReplyDeleteRhonda you have inspired me to research how to install a small rain barrel on my fire escape. If you have any ideas, I'd appreciate hearing them!
Hi Rhonda
ReplyDeletejust wanted to say hello. I just discovered your blog and read the first 20 pages! I'll explore the rest asap.
I really love your posts
hugs from Italy
Antonella
Living in far western Oregon, we too enjoy rain for most of the year, and yes, I'd say an average of 9 months of the year would be pretty durn close. The slugs love it, and they get huge! Other than that, we don't mind it. I figure that's what keeps things green, and yes, it is a pleasant sound to fall asleep to ;)
ReplyDeleteMy kids have been busy grabbing every empty container they can get their hands on, setting them outside to collect the rain water then capping and storing them in the shop. Where we live we can pretty much count on power outages, and since we depend on electricity to keep the well pumping, it'll come in handy for nonpotable purposes (such as flushing the toilet!)
We make a game out of trying to keep the electric meter #s down. Every month when we get our bill, we compare it to the previous month, as well as the same month last year. It's fun to see just how low we can go :)