I had no idea what it meant to have the gift of water….until 2017. It all started with our annual trip to Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park in early 2017. We ventured on our hike, northbound this time, and found several rain barrels around the lodge.

So, when my mom sent me Home D$$ for my birthday, there was no hesitation on what to buy. But then of course, my amazing husband installed not one, but two, barrels so we could collect 100 gallons off the back of the barn. One rainfall, the barrels were full-up to the top! Syrup for the bees, house plant watering, and all hydroponics were from naturally collected rainwater from April thru July (until there was the annual dry spell).

But to combat the late summer drought, Greg dug trenches to the back beds. Having the soaker hoses this year made a huge difference in berry yield. Who knew?, you really do need to think about watering in the Pacific Northwest. It’s really dry in the summer…and, in case you don’t know…it’s really the best place to be in the summer.