Blue Boat Home learning to live together sustainably

Around 7 AM one Friday morning, I woke to the sound of heavy rain, and I woke enough to wander downstairs to see if there was any water in the basement.  I found that rainwater was gushing in through the cracks in the south wall, and around the edges of the windows on that side.  Now fully awake, I ran outside and grabbed a shovel and started digging.  I was completely soaked through in no time, but in about 45 minutes I had dug a trench that pretty well drained the side yard.  Previous owners had taken out the grass in favor of gravel, but the grass had returned and was impeding the flow of water.

The trench ends about halfway between the house and the sidewalk, because at that point the water soaks harmlessly into the lawn.  I didn't want to encourage the water to flow into the sidewalk; away from the house is fine.  Maybe one day we'll put a pond at that spot!