Rain, rain, bring it on!

We're due for some rain around these parts. We used to live in the Dallas, Texas area and I'd tell my sisters in North Carolina, "don't worry, we're having a real good storm here and we'll send it to you in two days." Sure enough, a drencher would appear over NC in just a couple of days. We're keeping an eye on the weather in Texas and are expecting storms tonight and through the weekend. 

Rain barrels used to be a popular item back then and folks would capture the water for their summer gardens. Remember when ceiling fans made a comeback? Well, I guess the same could be said for rain barrels. Wonder why those two good ideas ever went away in the first place?

For the past three years now I've been privileged to be invited to participate in the Athens-Clarke County Green Schools Program by painting a rain barrel. About a dozen artists each painted their own rain barrel (provided by the county) and then they were part of a silent auction for the local schools.

I was happy to meet the kind couple who purchased my first rain barrel and the barrel is still in good shape, even though it's been outside doing its thing for three years. Guess it's because the rain barrels were run through a local paint shop and had a good layer or two of clear coat applied to them. Makes all the difference in the world.

This piece is titled Does this Rain Barrel Make Me Look Fat? and depicts a mermaid who has swum a little too far upstream and gotten trapped in the rain barrel. She is a wild-haired redhead who is reflecting on her situation in a hand held mirror. Of course mermaids are vain, so rather than thinking about her predicament, she was wondering how the rain barrel made her look.

Here is a look at some of the details:

 

Bring on the rain, our mermaid's ready!