Down My Rain Barrel

One of the songs on a record we had as children was about an invitation to come out and play.  Something something down my rain barrel, slide down my cellar door, and we'll be jolly friends--forever more.  But I couldn't remember (or even imagine) what we would do down a rain barrel.  So I googled the lyrics I could remember.  And I came up with a number of other people looking for the lyrics.  And then I found them. 

Say, say, oh playmate,

Come out and play with me

And bring your dollies three

Climb up my apple tree

Shout down my rain barrel

Slide down my cellar door

And we'll be jolly friends

Forever more more more more more

Sliding down the cellar door, I got that; but I never had a rain barrel.
Until today.

I've been researching and shopping online for rain barrels for over a year.  Occasionally I put one in my cyber shopping cart and pushed it around the internet.  (And then I parked it and logged off.)  Last year I had a rain tub.  But today the STP made me a rain barrel.  That is him in the barrel.  He was in there shouting directions to the Goob.  Who, as you can plainly see, he had over the barrel.

And this is the totally awesome spigot the STP installed in the barrel. 







And here it is all set up behind the garage just waiting for rain. 

As with most of my ideas, the locals scoff at my desire for a rain barrel. 
"It doesn't rain here," they say. 
Like maybe I haven't noticed that.  They think that it must be a 'back east' thing. 
"You're not from here, are you?" they say.
I don't tell them I never had a rain barrel before.  Because I never needed one before.  Because it rains where I am from.  I don't respond to them at all, because (in my head) I'm singing the next verse.

I'm sorry, playmate

I cannot play with you

My dolly's got the flu

Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo

"You're weird,"  they say. (In their head.)
I will use my rain water to water my garden.  And if it doesn't rain, I will just invite my jolliest friends over and we will shout down the rain barrel.  Either way, I see only good things ahead. 
Forever more more more more.