Elaine Scott gives us a tour of her home and shows us how having a plan can really pay off in living green.

One of the features that caught my eye was the cistern. What is a cistern, you ask? A cistern is an underground reservoir for rainwater and Elaine has one that holds 3,000 gallons of water. Now that’s a rain barrel! The family uses the water to irrigate the gardens and flush the toilets which is saving thousand of gallons of water a month.

When I heard that Elaine’s cistern held 3,000 gallons of water I was envious. I thought of my little 50 gallon rain barrel and how quickly the water is used up in the dry times. Elaine had all this water and didn’t have to worry about running low.

Or so I thought. I guess water is like everything in the world -- toys, money, cars and friends. You can never have enough. Elaine said she wishes she had two cisterns because when it doesn’t rain for a while, you can use up the water very quickly. With two cisterns, she could go twice as long because of the extra capacity. But then I suppose three cisterns would be even better, and so on and so on. I guess there is no end when trying to cover all the bases. Enjoy the video and let me know if you what you think about using video this way.

With Halloween coming I thought I’d write about some green ways to enjoy the evening.
How about making your own costume? Being creative is part of the fun on Halloween. Anyone can go to the store and buy a costume, but to create your own is more fun and you just might start using the creative side of your brain.

If you just can’t create your own or get a last minute invite to a party, try renting a costume. When you are done, return your rented costume to the store, or put your own creation back in the closet. This is better than throwing the costume out and creating more trash.

I will have more green Halloween tips in next week’s blog and I will be writing about my trip to the farmers market in search of locally grown organic food.

So until next time, stay green.