San Francisco residents understand drought conditions. Periodically there are seasons without much rain or snow, and water is all people talk about. Weather reports, global warming, and whether or not to flush toilets is all people talk about.  Locals follow this rule: “When it’s brown, flush it down, when it’s yellow, let it mellow.” The biggest fights are more political and serious.. how much water should be used to grow how much food, and how much water should be apportioned for drinking. No matter where you stand on the issues, you become nervously aware of our human need for water.

Then you step outside to get the paper. What about watering your garden? And what’s growing there anyway? Are you raising livestock and food for your household? (unlikely) Or have you created a pretty environment with a dazzling array of plants which now appear to need water rather badly, maybe even before you go inside? And is that wrong?

One day it hit me. On the head. A rain drop. Free water! Hey! Why not collect a little for next week? At least the annuals that I planted will live a little longer! So I put a pail out, a trash can, and its lid, turned up to the sky. That was all I did, and went inside to do other things out of the rain. This small act changed EVERYTHING. 

Following the rain, each vessel was full of clean, clear water. My first Dripcoin! Mine to spend! I carefully banked my first deposit in the trash can and covered it with the lid, then checked the weather. More rain coming. I went back outside and put out more containers. That night I could hardly sleep. Free water!!