Waiting for the rains...

With one of the wettest springs on record, we don’t actually need any more rain but I can’t wait to see how my new rain chains work. After years of wanting to install them, I finally found some inexpensive ones at Target. There are beautiful copper ones that I’ve seen online for anywhere between 100 and 200 bucks. The Target ones were a bit more within the Tiny Bungalow’s price range at 40.It was my birthday last week and in addition to the lilac from my mother in law, my wife got me a neat glass sculpture. Since my mom sent me a little cash, I figured this would be a great time to get the chains. Thanks mom.I am sure that there are some of you out there that don’t have a clue about rain chains. Commonly known as a Japanese invention, they create a surface sown which water can flow from roof gutters to the ground. They can be as simple as a linked-chain and as complex as sculpted animals that are interconnected to create a garden water feature. Western architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, who were inspired by Asian designs often, incorporate them into their buildings. Wright’s Fallingwater has some prominent ones.At the Tiny Bungalow, I’ve always wanted on at the front entry, above the rain barrel. It seems like a perfect location because everyone walks by this as they come into the house. Assembly was pretty simple. I removed the existing downspout (saving the screws, etc. as I will likely want to re-install the gutter in the winter. I then threaded the chain through the downspout opening and attached the pieces.The only wrinkle was that the barrel was not centered under the downspout. It wasn’t even close so I had to empty the barrel and re-center the barrel so that it would splash properly. Now, we just need to wait for the rain and see how they work. I’ll be sure to post photos or who knows; maybe a video is in order.I think that they look pretty cool. They are a heck of a lot better looking than the white aluminum downspout that used to snake down the column. The only problem is that the gutters and eaves look like ass. One of these days, we'll get to exposing that beadboard under there but I've been holding off on that one as something tells me that will cost a bit more than 40 bucks.While installing the chains, I watered the garden and got a look at things outside. Everything is on the verge of bursting with flowers. I still have a couple bare spots where seeds didn’t take but I am not too concerned right now. The daisies are in full bloom as are a few other perennials. I had to hold back from moving things around. Maybe in the rain later this week…