Gary Wolfer

I concur rainwater would have to be better than contaminated ground water but filtering although not perfect is better for both. I cannot speak for what I cannot see but my rainwater or tapwater after filtering is clear and has no obnoxious odors. and the residue in the top bucket that does not go thru the filter tells the story. I think silver in the bottom of the filtered bucket is good too.

Personally I would never drink any rainwater unless it was filtered. I use a Berkey Black filter in a 2 plastic bucket system to filter my drinking water. I just draw it from a spiquet at the manifold below my 3 barrels. The water in them smell like pickle juice as that was stored in them previously but after I filter them the water it has absolutely no smell or pickle taste.

I have an asphalt roof. I have metal gutters and downspouts. I installed a 3 55 gallon food grade plastic barrel system with a black plastic y in 3" upright over my downspout I cut in half. I slipped the y over the downspout and filled it in with foam spray in insulation. The bottom of the y has a screw in plug. and is about 2' from top to bottom the 1" y goes up then over to one of my barrels. Then I installed a pvc manifold at the bottom tieing all 3 barrels together and put a faucet in the center. They all equal out and fill together. The purpose of the y at the bottom of the downspout is the heavy impuritys drop to the plug at the bottom like gravel and leaves and dirt off the roof and clean water rises to the y and into the tanks. I then filter the collected water in a bucket filter system using a berkey black filter. Whenever I want drinking water I just take a clean milk jug or two out and fill them up and transfer to the berkey bucket system. I have cut my water bill in half and have 165 gallon capacity and can add more barrels whenever I wish. When the city water supply runs out I will still have drinking water for a couple months if it does not rain. If it does rain there could be enough to even flush the toilet and wash a few clothes and dishes. Best move I have made in a while.

No wonder you got dizzy. Dandelions make the best wine. It is clear and very strong. My relatives when I was younger always harvested dandelions in the lush willamette valley of Oregon.

Moles work at night and dusk and dawn. I used to get up early and watch the latest hole with a 12 gage. When the dirt started moving I got close to the pile of dirt and shot the middle if you don't hit them the concussion kills them. There are trappers here in Oregon for the grass seed fields who use mole traps and put a 5 gallon bucket over them to keep them dark inside. Either way works but you have to have more patience to use the shotgun method.

This is my first post here. I love your site. Much info like the old Mother Earth news. On the subject of Electric tea pots. My wife twice welded a metal tea pot to the burner. Burners are often more expensive than tea pots. We have had an electric tea pot since the second mishap. Been a long time now. I am searching for a new tea pot now as we are living in a motorhome and moving from place to place. We have accumulated a lot of calcium deposits in the bottom and sides of the metal electric pot. The problem is the opening is too small to get an average hand in to clean. I soaked it and boiled it with vinegar and baking soda more times than I can remember and scrubbed it with a scouring pad with a wooden spoon from the top but never get the pot clean. On the subject of heating other things my wife uses it to fill cup of soups and ramen noodles and my son even boils water then dumps it into a pan on the stove to quickly boil water for mac and cheese. Actually preheating water for a pan on the stove is another good use. Now I am going searching other threads I am in heaven.