Carol: Most of the coastal metropolitan areas of Saudi Arabia have access to desalinization plants for fresh water. Up-country they rely more on wells and cisterns. Nationwide (sea-level to almost 10,000 feet) the annual rainfall averages 4 inches. With our worldwide population explosion there is no greater concern than our ability to find, conserve, share, and recycle fresh water. Desert living is great, IF you have water.

Saudi Arabia. There's a place that has to save every drop! I'm going to ask Bruce and Twila--who lived there for several years--what the people in Saudi Arabia did to preserve water. The global nature of these postings is very interesting, I think....we're getting a fuller picture here of what's going on around the world from the very personal perspectives of people who live or have lived in very different places! Our reader from Alaska mentioned that one
part of Alaska gets 300 !!! inches of rain a year! Now, I'm hoping Bruce and Twila....or someone else who has lived in the desert....will contrast that experience for us! Carol

Flash from Alaska....According to a reader in Alaska, there is a tundra and forest fire burning right now...500,000 acres...(that's half-a million!). Also, Anchorage set a record new high temperature last week...Although I'm not sure what it was. If a reader out there knows, I hope you will let us know.
Folks, I was in Alaska about 4 years ago and experienced such high temperatures, I was amazed. And the disappearing of the glaciers has to be at the top of the list of very saddening results of climate change of this millenium. There is just not space here to go into the impact this will have on all of us....(another time, another blog...in
the meantime, let's all do something to burn a little less fuel this week, so we can avoid, as much as possible, adding to the problem!
Is there a place you can bike this week, instead of driving a car?)
Carol

Carol, you are a smart lady bringing our attention to a potential global crisis. I think here in Tasmania we are the only state in Australia where we can still wash our car from the fawcet at home. Its crazy to think we may soon be using coal burning energy production technology to power desalination plants so people in cities like Melbourne can shower and flush the toilet.Its nice seeing people like Bruce and Twila reminding us to "be the change we want to see in the world".

Wow, so much saved water... How Fantastic! Maybe you could send some full barrels over to Australia and help out our serious drought. It's sad to see the River Murray so low and farmers selling all the land due to the fact they can't afford the water they need to grow grapes, apricots etc... Fingers crossed the end is near (somewhere). Let's all continue to do our part :) I promise not to spend too long in the shower...

Thanks Carol:
We bought 8 (to go under each downspout) fifty gallon plastic barrels at Thurmans (sort of a Home Depot or Costco) for $34 each.

I added an extra faucet at the top of each barrel (they came with a bottom faucet) for $1 each. I drilled an undersized hole and screwed the faucet into the plastic side.

I bought a large sheet of metal window screen and cut the screen to go under the open lid of the barrel (so the water could drain in and to keep out bugs and roof debris) for about $0.20 each.

I shortened each downspout and placed an 45 degree elbow to direct the water onto the screen and into the barrel (for $0.75 each).

I attached some old garden hose to the top faucet (to drain excess water into the flower beds). These hoses (25 feet) could cost $10 each if new. They could also be placed in the old drain outlets if wanted.

The total setup time for each barrel is less than 15 minutes.

With an inch of general rain all barrels filled in 2 days.

We run hoses down to the garden and orchard and the 400 gallons will allow for several days of watering. Twila waters her flowers with it, as well.
Hope this helps. Love, Bruce & Twila