We collect water... and something unexpected

When the power goes out, we no longer have running water because the pump that brings the water to our house from the well runs on electricity. Once upon at time there was a hand-dug well, sort of in the front yard, that worked. It filled up with water when it rained. We couldn't actually drink the water from the well because former owners had used it as a trash pit and all the plastic bottles that had been thrown in there would float to the top. We were in the process of trying to clean it out and eventually could have used it as a source of water, but the well was wiped out when the highway expanded.

In any event, it is very important that we have a stash of water on hand for drinking and to flush the toilet. For drinking, we have cases of bottled water and a few gallon jugs. And for flushing the toilet, we have large plastic pails of water stored in the cellar.

When we lost power a couple of weeks ago, we went through our stored water fairly quickly--it is surprising just how much water the average toilet requires for a flush when one is required to hoist a heavy pail and start pouring water in the tank.

Now we are starting to collect it again for the next time the power goes out. A container its under the faucet in the kitchen to collect occasional drips; the water in the shower that normally pours down the drain while one waits for it to get hot is collected and added to the pail. Each pail sits on the porch until it is full, and then it is eventually put in the cellar. We have several different sizes and shapes of these large plastic pails. Some are from popcorn (we eat a lot of popcorn), some are from soap, and some are ones we have picked up along the way.

They all have different lids. The lid on this pail wasn't the right one and so it was not put on tight, it was just sitting there loosely to keep the bugs out. Yesterday afternoon Richard checked the pail to see if mosquitoes were breeding in it.

They weren't. No mosquitoes and no bugs. But he did find we had collected something else...
A gray tree frog.

I love those precious little suckery feet.