You should probably ask some of these questions to the community garden people themselves, like about water or whether you get to choose your plot. I got to choose from the plots that were available at the time, which wasn't much of a choice, but was the best they could do. As for the more unofficial things... MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH TIME! That was my big mistake. I got one when I moved away for college and was missing the garden I used to have when I lived with my parents. It started out just fine, and I got along with the other gardeners at first, but the time commitment started to become too much for me. For one thing, it's more work than having a backyard garden because out of sight, out of mind, and you have to drive out to your garden. It wasn't so bad when I was working nearby. I would just stop by every day after work, but then I had to change jobs and my car broke down and I had to take the bus to the gardens. BIG HASSLE! And the bus driver looked at me funny when I hauled a sack of freshly-pulled onions on board. Also, my garden had both a fee to pay and you had to do a certain amount of community labor, like mowing between the plots, cleaning out the shed, etc., that I started to fall behind on. The final straw was when my plot started getting flagged for being too weedy. (If your plot gets flagged too much they take it away.) If your garden at home gets weedy, that's your own business, but the lady next to me started to get really ticked off about how my weeds were getting away from me while she kept her plot immaculate. In my defense, I was a college student who was also working a part time job and trying to maintain a garden, while most other people there were retired and could spend every day there, so I guess I wasn't really their kind of person to begin with. Anyway, I loved it at first, but eventually I decided I just couldn't keep up with it anymore and was about to be evicted anyway, so I gave it up. I guess the moral of the story is: Remember it's going to require a lot more time than if you had a garden in your backyard. If you have one in your backyard, you can just walk out there any time in your pajamas to pick some things. Try to get a community garden as close to where you live as possible. That should help. You'll be representing the entire community garden as a whole, so you'll have to be a lot more dillegent about weeding, keeping things neat, etc., than you would if it was your own personal garden. This may also depend on the personalities of the people who run the place. The gardens went through a change of leadership while I was there and I think the new people were a lot more strict than the old people and started really cracking down on gardeners who weren't keeping up with their duties. Oh, and one more mistake I made: I let the lady talk me into getting one of the extra big 20x10 plots instead of a normal 10x10 plot. So not only did I not really have enough time, I also had a bigger plot to take care of than the average person. A 10x10 or even the special smaller 10x5 would have been better for me, but my enthusiasm got the better of me.

Carol, During the Red River flooding of 2007, parts of our Mesonet station were disabled for days and days. I think the issue lasted until the worst of the flooding subsided. At some point they went back and manually corrected what records they could, but much data for the Burneyville station for that month is incomplete and considered somewhat unreliable. It drove me nuts. I had to rely only on my own observations! LOL I need a rain gauge that measures 10 or 12" of rain. I don't need it often (hee hee) but once every 2 or 3 years we get 25-35% of our annual rainfall in one day. When that happens, depending on how fast the rain is falling, I have to put on my muck boots, grab an umbrella and run outside and empty the rain gauge when it gets close to the 6" mark so it won't overflow and give an incorrect measurement. In April 2006, we had 9.25" in one day and most of that fell in about 4 hours. I went out and emptied out the gauge when it hit 5", and then I went out and emptied it out again when it hit 4". Shortly after that, the rain pretty much stopped. This year, the 12.4" fell over a longer period of time--maybe 8 hours or so--and I dumped the rain gauge 2 or 3 times so it wouldn't overflow. Based on statistics, we shouldn't have a massive rainfall for another 2 or 3 years, but sometimes statistics lie. "Christmas Day maybe?" LOL LOL LOL Here is what I am thinking. I am about to catch up and I will have one of those days really, really soon. I have two large bowls of tomatoes on my counter to process, so I think I'll roast them and a few other veggies at the same time and maybe make roasted tomato-garlic soup. That takes care of them. Then, I'll pick tiny tomatoes this evening (too hot already this a.m.) and dehydrate them. Then, I shouldn't have to process tomatoes again for 2 to 4 days, although I pick daily. I'll pick okra at the same time I pick little tomatoes, add it to what I picked yesterday, and blanch and freeze that. That's another veggie I shouldn't have to harvest again until tomorrow evening then, and I usually wait until I have two days' worth before I blanch/freeze. I also should have enough purple hull pinkeyes tonight to either cook a batch or freeze one, and then I should be able to skip picking for a day or two because they are slowing down. So, if I can get black-eyed pes, okra and tomatoes all done today/this evening, I shouldn't have to process them again for about three days. LOL It isn't much, but it is the best I can do. That only leaves hot peppers and sweet peppers. OK, so I have a lot of sweet peppers coloring up and I can pick them and freeze them for future use any time. I might do that tomorrow. If I do, it will take me just a couple of hours to pick 'em, wash 'em, slice 'em or chop 'em and get them into the freezer. That, then would leave only hot peppers. I've done a very heavy picking of hot peppers at least every other week since mid-July. At the present time, it has been about 10 days since I did a heavy picking, although I run out to the garden and pick as needed for cooking or canning recipes. So, I might be able to go 5-7 days before I pick hots again since rainfall is low and growth is relatively slow. So, where this is leading to is here: if I pick and process okra, peas and tomatoes tonight (Thurs.) and sweet peppers on Friday, and postpone hots until Mon. or Tues., then I should have Saturday off! Well, I'll have to pick okra, but I can stick it in the fridge and blanch/freeze it on Sunday. So, you see, I might get a day off. Unfortunately, Saturday is our best chance of rain here (about a 70% chance of rain and they are saying it may be heavy) so it probably would be a good day to be inside canning. It is hard to make the 'day off' fall where you want it to fall. I might do all I can on Saturday if it is raining, and try to make Sunday the day off because I love to cook a big family lunch and spend the afternoon watching NFL football. We still need and want rain here, and I think that by the end of the weekend, maybe I'll be able to say we finally got some. And, all my food processing predictions assume the plants will ripen produce as I expect it to. Every now and then, you walk out in to the garden and discover that blackeyed peas are suddenly purple earlier than expected, or the okra grew especially fast overnight or whatever. At this point, I'm just grateful the fall beans, corn, cukes and peas aren't producing finished products yet. As long as I keep up with the still-producing summer plants, I will be putting up a little food regularly, but not huge amounts on any given day. I will have a big green bean and big corn day or two in October if all goes well. I really think the heavy food processing load is lessening though. I'm still doing frequent batches, but smaller ones. When the fall broccoli is ready, that will be a big day or two, but that's some time off. Dawn

I know this is complete overkill, but I promised: Wiki Rainwater Tank Overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainwater_tank Australian Guide for Rainwater Systems: http://www.yourhome.gov.au/technical/fs73.html WaterSmart How To Configure Domestic Rainwater Tanks : www.gosford.nsw.gov.au/environment/education/documents/fact-sheets-2/4_rainwater_tanks.pdf Environmental Health Directorate Rainwater Pamphlet: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/envirohealth/water/docs/Country_Rainwater_Collection.pdf Environmental Health Directorate Urban Rainwater Collection Pamphlet: http://www.health.wa.gov.au/envirohealth/water/docs/Urban_Rainwater_Collection.pdf 80 Page Guidance on Use of Rainwater Tanks: http://enhealth.nphp.gov.au/council/pubs/pdf/rainwater_tanks.pdf NSW Health Department's Tank Maintenance Guidelines: http://www.rainharvesting.com.au/FileLibrary/nsw_health_dept_tank_guidelines_apr2004.pdf Rainwater Glossary : http://www.rainwaterglossary.com/content/view/12/26/ 10 Steps to Rain Harvesting Sustainable Water : http://www.rainharvesting.com.au/FileLibrary/10_steps_to_rh_sustainable_water_11.8.05.pdf Sydney Waters guide to buying a rainwater tank : http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/FactSheets/RainwaterTanksBuying.pdf#Page=1 Sydney WaterÂs guide to installing a rainwater tank : http://www.sydneywater.com.au/Publications/FactSheets/RainwaterTanksInstallation.pdf#Page=1 Virginia Rainwater Harvesting Manual 2007 : http://www.cabellbrandcenter.org/Virginia%20Rainwater%20Harvesting%20Manual.pdf Water Quality in Kentucky: Cisterns for Kentucky : http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ip/ip4/ip4.htm Home Use of Graywater, Rainwater Conserves Water--and May Save Money : http://ag.arizona.edu/AZWATER/arroyo/071rain.html Rain Water System Design Report : http://www.watgreen.uwaterloo.ca/projects/library/760/final.html U.S. Average Annual Precipitation Maps : http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/precip.html What is your water footprint? : http://h2oconserve.org/home.php?pd=index Harvesting Rainwater with Rain Barrels, an Old Idea with a New Following (need to remove some links) : http://rainbarrelguide.com/ GreenBuilder Harvested Rainwater Guidelines : http://www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/RainwaterGuide1.html Flow in Gutters & Downpipes : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/rn/rwh/ugp_still_2001/ugp014_still.pdf The Optimum Sizing of Gutters for Domestic Roofwater Harvesting : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/wp/wp56/wp56.pdf RHRG RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DESIGNING RAINWATER HARVESTING SYSTEM TANKS : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/reviewed/rwh/eu/a6.pdf Domestic Rainwater Harvesting Design & Insect Breeding: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/reviewed/rwh/eu/c4.pdf Reducing Mixing Effects In Water Storage Tanks : http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/research/dtu/pubs/rn/rwh/ugp_manson_2000/ugp002_manson.pdf Harvesting, Storing, and Treating Rainwater for Domestic Indoor Use : http://www.tceq.state.tx.us/files/gi-366.pdf_4231966.pdf Rainwater Harvesting and the Plumbing Codes : http://www.plumbingengineer.com/march_07/rainwater.php Rainwater Harvesting Potential and Guidelines for Texas : http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/iwt/rainwater/docs/RainwaterCommitteeFinalReport.pdf A Cost-Benefit Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting at Commercial Facilities in Arlington County, Virginia : http://dukespace.lib.duke.edu:8080/dspace/bitstream/10161/512/1/MP_wdh11_a_200805.pdf A Spouse's Guide to Building the Perfect Rain Barrel System : http://www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/adams/audrey/water_barrel.htm Rainwater Harvesting - Pumps or Pressure Tanks : http://www.harvesth2o.com/pumps_or_tanks.shtml Rainwater Tanks Revisited: new opportunities for urban water cycle management Preface: http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/preface.pdf Chapter 1 Introduction: http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter1.pdf Chapter 2 The Figtree Place Experiment : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter2.pdf Chapter 3 The Maryville House Experiment : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter3.pdf Chapter 4 Rainwater Tank, Water Quality and Public Health Issues : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter4.pdf Chapter 5 Institutional Resistance to the Use of Rainwater Tanks : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter5.pdf Chapter 6 An Allotment Water Balance Model : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter6.pdf Chapter 7 The Impact of the Use of Rainwater Tanks in Subdivisions : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter7.pdf Chapter 8 A Regional Water Demand Model : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter8.pdf Chapter 9 Analysis of the Water Supply Headworks Systems for the Lower Hunter and Central Coast Regions: http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter9.pdf Chapter 10 A Community Based Investment Model to Assess the Economic Benefits of Rainwater Tanks : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Chapter10.pdf Chapter 11 Summary and Conclusions : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/Conclusions.pdf References : http://www.eng.newcastle.edu.au/~cegak/Coombes/References.pdf Video Resources Rainwater Harvesting: Residential & Commercial Applications : https://admin.acrobat.com/_a781915736/p19747194/ This Old House's Roger Cook - how to install rainwater collection : http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid988221510/bclid979509284/bctid979466702 Steve Fisher's Rainwater Collection Part 1 - Walkthrough : http://www.vimeo.com/1303028 Part 2 - The Roof : http://www.vimeo.com/1309914 Part 3 - Pre-Storage Filtration and Plumbing : http://www.vimeo.com/1310414 Part 4 - Post-Cistern Sanitation and Pumping : http://www.vimeo.com/1289985 Innovative Rainwater Harvesting - http://www.skillsone.com.au/Industry/3/Metals-Engineering/Video/557/0/Innovative-Rainwater-Harvesting/

I have to think about the fact that we don't bounce any more, LOL. When did that happen? Why? I do know that I seem to trip and fall more nowadays than I did when I was younger, and it hurts more and takes longer to get up. When we first built the garden we had tiny pathways that were only 12-18" and it was deliberate because I wanted as much space available as possible for growing. I was only 39 years old then, and TIm was 40, so we weren't thinking about our Happy Golden Years back then. During the last few winters, though, we have slowly nudged raised beds this way and that way and have widened paths to 2' to 3' wide. Eventually I'd like for all of them to be 3' wide, but we'll have to eventually remove at least a couple of raised beds and then scoot the others over some to make those wider paths a reality. By the time we get all the paths widened, then we'll need to come back and raise the beds higher because our backs will be getting too old for all the bending and stooping. I want to garden for as many years as we can, but it is clear to me that we have to prepare in advance for getting older and make the changes to our gardens to make them more user-friendly while we're still young enough to do all that work. Tim is feeling a lot better, but he seriously could skip wearing a shoe on his injured foot and it is so black it would blend perfectly with his black police boots, so the guys at work wouldn't even realize he had one boot on and one boot off. I've never seen him bruise like this before. I think it would heal faster if he'd stay off of it but he won't, and y'all know how men get when they're all stubborn and trying to prove they can still do everything with an injured foot that they could do before they were injured. I'm not that way. I try to stay off of an injured limb and let it heal, otherwise it seems like you never get well.