Just a bit of rain in the barrel

Roof runoff falling into a rain barren during a light rain shower.

Gee, what were you doing at 2:15 am? Catching some zzzzz's? Me too, except that I was awakened by some tiny hydrometeors hitting the roof. 

I jumped out of bed to check an empty rain barrel, to see if it was positioned optimally for water capture. I found that, even with this gentle rain shower, some water was making its way from the roof to the barrel, but not enough. So, I went down and scooted the barrel toward the house just a few inches. We caught about 8 gallons of roof runoff, which is better than nothing. By the way, the barrel holds 55 gallons. 

We use this water primarily for a few select garden flowers/shrubs and the blueberry plants that have ceased producing berries. We don't use it on vegetables or fruits because of salmonella bacteria from all the bird poop on the roof.

Hydrometeor - Meteorology  Written By: The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica
Hydrometeor, any water or ice particles that have formed in the atmosphere or at the Earth’s surface as a result of condensation or sublimation. Water or ice particles blown from the ground into the atmosphere are also classed as hydrometeors. Some well-known hydrometeors are clouds, fog, rain, snow, hail, dew, rime, glaze, blowing snow, and blowing spray. 

“Hydrometeor.” The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrometeor, 2016. Web. 29 Aug. 2016.